Long Term Conditions

The aim of this essay is to consider approaches to promoting the self-management of a long-term condition. The focus will be linked to module content and based on a patient that I have provided nursing care for during my clinical practice. There will be a brief introduction of the patient and the context in which I was involved in their nursing care. The pathophysiology of the chosen LTC along with the related physical, psychological and social needs of the patient will be considered. There will be a discussion of principles of self-management that will link to national LTC policies.This will also include initiatives and analysis of the evidence of the underlying principles for an approach to providing self-management support, for the chosen LTC, including benefits and challenges. To conclude I will use evidence-based recommendations of how the patient could be supported to self-manage their condition. A wide range of evidence will be used to support my discussion. The patient chosen to explore, is one who lives with the LTC of Parkinson’s. The patient had started to experience Motor Fluctuations, also referred to as â€Å"off â€Å" periods.Motor Fluctuations are associated with long-term use of levodopa and usually appear in people who have had Parkinson’s for some time, patients experience â€Å"end-of-dose deterioration† meaning that the dose does not last until the next dose is due (Parkinson’s. org 2008). This patient spent one week on a neurology rehabilitation unit. The context in which I worked with this patient was to assist with the teaching of an apomorphine syringe driver and to assess â€Å"on and off† periods before the use of the pump and then when the pump was in use and also to ensure that there were no side effects to its use.During this week I worked alongside a team of occupational therapists and physiotherapists, as it was essential that the patient regained confidence with daily activities, personal ca res, dressing and food preparation. The aim of the teaching was to enable the patient to become independent with the apomorphine pump from being able to perform a subcutaneous injection to its removal when medication had finished.It was vital that the patient became competent and confident in the process as they had been very active throughout their life and wanted to remain so for as long as possible. Parkinsons. org (2010) describe Parkinson’s as the disease with no obvious cause and is the most common form of Parkinsonism; the other forms of Parkinsonism are vascular, Drug-induced Parkinsonism, dementia with Lewy bodies, inherited and Juvenile. Vascular is an uncharacteristic form of Parkinsonism and usually presents with difficulties in speaking, swallowing and the ability in making facial expressions.Drug-induced Parkinsonism occurs in 7% of people and is attributed to neuroleptic medication which block dopamine these drugs normally treat schizophrenia and other psychoti c conditions and once the problem has been diagnosed then the person will recover in hours, days or months after ceasing taking the medication. Dementia with Lewy bodies has no cure and symptoms include difficulties with concentration, memory, language and the ability to carry out straightforward actions. Many people suffer from hallucinations, sluggishness of movement, rigidity and tremors.Dementia with Lewy bodies is similar to Alzheimer’s. Inherited Parkinson’s is rare and there is no evidence that is can be passed on in families, however it is estimated that 5% of people with Parkinson’s may have a genetic cause. Juvenile is a term used for persons diagnosed under the age of twenty years. As NICE clinical guidelines 35 (2006) states, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative long-term condition and mainly affects those of middle to old age. Parkinson’s occurs when the cells containing dopamine die off.At present there is no consist ent test that can define if a patient has Parkinson’s due to the close clinical resemblances of other conditions. Parkinson’s is diagnosed mainly through history based information and examination. The main symptoms and signs of Parkinson’s are bradykinesia, rigidity and rest tremor. Parkinson’s is mainly seen as a movement disorder, but other areas of health problems are associated with it. These include depression and dementia along with autonomic disturbances and pain, although considered to be rare they can present at a later stage of the condition.These rarer symptoms, as they progress, can lead to substantial disability and handicap which harms quality of life for the person living with Parkinson’s, this also has an impact on families and carer’s. The physical symptoms of Parkinson’s can be debilitating for the patient and may include pain, falls/dizziness, dietary problems, bladder and bowels problems, swallowing and saliva cont rol, speech/ communication problems, eye problems, freezing, skin, scalp and sweating problems. It is not possible to discuss all of these physical elements in detail within this essay.I therefore intend to focus on one specific physical aspect of the disease and discuss how this affects the client’s needs, along with the psychological and social aspects. The area I will discuss is freezing. As identified by Parkinson’s. org (2010), freezing will be experienced by every Parkinson’s patient at some point, but becomes more apparent in patients who have had Parkinson’s for numerous years and also if levodopa has been used for long periods of time within their treatment, however it must be noted that freezing can occur in Parkinson patients whom do not take levodopa and should not be seen as a side effect of taking levodopa.When freezing occurs it is a frightening experience and also a cause of embarrassment for the individual. Freezing is not just linked wit h gait movement it also includes speech freezing or repetitive activities such as combing hair or the thought process for example when a patient is trying to remember something i. e. the name of a place. Along side this is also ‘start hesitation’ this is associated with drinking from a cup, getting out of bed or when a patient wants to step forward.Freezing is still not fully understood and may be attributed to interruptions to the sequence of movement, group situations or ineffective medication. Parkinson’s brings many social problems, becoming less confident can bring low self-esteem that can lead to withdrawal from social activities. The individual may worry about how they look, talk or even the way they move, this can inhibit the person from entering into normal activities and they may decide to stay at home to avoid potential awkwardness.Reduced socialisation may increase the likelihood of the individual suffering from depression; fatigue and mood swings can be potentially be harmful to personal or close relationships. The individual may become unsure of their social position within the family, workplace or any groups, as they feel lost or less important. Self-management of a LTC is strategically important to the long-term sustainability of the NHS, and it is therefore essential to be clear on the principles of self-management and to have a clear approach to achieving a successful outcome.In response to the increasing levels of LTC’s across England the Department of Health (2012) have established a dedicated LTC team who has built a compendium to explain why pro-active management of LTC’s is so important to the future of the NHS. This compendium provides compelling evidence and information to help support and drive a transformational change to the way in which LTC’s are managed, and the document states clearly that self-management is central to this transformation, the principles of self-management have been outlin ed by the Health Foundation (2011) and these will now be discussed.Self-management can have very positive effects on people who live with a long-term condition that affects their normal function of daily activities, as The Health Foundation (2011) suggests the use of self-management can have positive effects on behaviours and outlooks that an individual faces and how their quality of life can either be enhanced or depleted. In order to achieve a successful self-management outcome it is essential that time is invested early in the programme to explain to the individual involved the many benefits that self-management can bring.Ensuring that they fully understand these benefits will greatly increase the likelihood that they fully engage into the programme and truly take an increased responsibility for managing their LTC. Evidence suggests that self-management leads to a more positive health outcome and championing people to look after themselves can improve motivation, engagement and h ow they use and access the health service. It also describes to how habits change towards healthy eating and exercise, which results in better clinical outcomes.Failure to establish genuine engagement at an early stage will most likely result in limited transfer of responsibility and may lead to the patient failing to realise the benefits to themselves and also benefits to the NHS. They also stated that there is an extensive range of initiatives and one size does not fit all. As Brighton and Hove City PCT (2006) state, planning and having a certain level of power is crucial to making lifestyle changes when living with a LTC.It is also necessary to understand the connection of why changes to lifestyles need to be made, and why planning carefully for change is fundamental to change actually being accomplished. It is important to support the individual through the change process as this can often create a degree of anxiety for them. Promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and edu cating individuals on their condition, will boost confidence and help the patient understand the benefits of self-management in the context of potentially slowing down the progression of their condition, improved quality of life and remaining independent for as long as possible.Education is another key principle of self-management. An individual needs help and support to understand their condition, how it affects them and what they can do to help to pro-actively manage it. There are a number of options available here to help educate an individual on their LTC such as reputable websites specifically set up for their condition. They are an excellent source of information, which is continuously updated, and enable the person to access easy to understand information in the privacy of their own home.Additionally, advice helplines add greater support for individual needs, without being confrontational. Support is also available for carer’s through courses run by the Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPP CIC). Leaflets are available to answer basic questions and give further information on where to find more support and advice that is available in their area. The Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse is also a good resource as the nurse can provide their expertise along with the expertise of multi-disciplinary teams (www. parkinson’s. rg 2012) It is important to ensure that the level of education and training provided is appropriate to the capability of the individual and also the state of their condition. Insufficient information could lead to poor decision making by the individual or a lack of confidence if they are uncertain about certain aspects of their condition. Similarly, providing training and education beyond the means of the individual may result in confusion or unrealistic expectations being established – this would not be beneficial for either the individual or the NHS.Good training and education should be targeted at increasing the individuals understanding of their condition such that they are able to successfully monitor their symptoms and take appropriate, pro-active action to ensure treatment is sought quickly and to avoid potentially unnecessary admissions to hospital. One of the principles of self-management is to ensure sufficient emphasis is placed on problem solving. If an individual is to become increasingly capable of self-managing their LTC then an ability to solve problems is fundamental to achieving this.Without this it will prove difficult to change the behaviours necessary to allow a health care professional to move into a more supportive and assisting role, as oppose to the current situation where they are managing the care of the individual (Health Foundation 2011). Another area for consideration is that a patient must know when to seek medical advice and intervention and feel comfortable with their decision-making techniques. It is also vital that the individual does not al low a situation becomes acute.The Health Foundation (2011) also states that, engagement and education are important to ensuring that the individual is ready and in a position to be empowered with the responsibility for the self-management of their LTC. The principles of self-management support the involvement of the individual in decision making related to their care and also working collaboratively with their health care professionals to build their care plans.This continuous high level of involvement is essential to making sure that there is a real transfer of responsibility from the health care professional to the individual – if there is, then there is a much greater chance that they will take ownership for the long-term self-management of their condition. Failure to truly involve the individual when making decisions about their care could result in a lack of commitment to a care plan and/or false commitment to behavioral changes, ultimately resulting in the continued hea vy reliance on their GP, A&E and other health services to manage their LTC in a reactive and cost inefficient manner.As Randall and Ford (2011) discuss, it is apparent that within the United Kingdom there is an increased transfer of power and choice for users of the health and social care system and policy drivers such as ‘Independence, choice and Risk’ (DH2007) recognise the importance of empowering service users i. e. persons with LTC’s, to ensure they have greater choice and control. When empowering someone, firstly there needs to an acknowledgment that the person has control over an aspect of their care and can make decisions that relate to it.Power can be seen in a variety of forms but is normally defined as having knowledge and being able to make informed decisions and choices. When considering the decision process it is evident that some decisions are taken alone, for example what clothes to wear, or with permission of others for instance using monies from a joint account to buy a new kitchen and there are also decisions that are made which require formal consultation, e. g. implementing a new law. For any individual who is involved in the self-management process it is important to ensure that the degree of decision-making is appropriate to their personal set of circumstances.When empowering a person there are fundamental considerations to be identified. For example, the mental state of the individual, the extent to which their condition has progressed, their physical ability, their socio-economic situation, the extent of their support network (friends and family), their willingness to pro-actively engage in the self-management of their condition – all of these factors may influence the rate and extent to which empowerment may be achieved.Furthermore, empowering an individual with a long-term condition needs to be managed carefully. They will typically be interfacing with many different healthcare professionals and other parts of the NHS and other organisations, and if the views, opinions and approaches of those multiple contacts are not aligned or consistent it is possible this could have a negative impact on the empowerment process for the individual. It is therefore essential that there is one aligned approach and cohesive message.There is strong evidence contained within the study by Luca Camerini et al (2012) that empowerment, combined with health knowledge have been shown to have a great impact on the self-management of chronic conditions, and that if managed well they can have a positive effect on health outcomes. For my chosen patient suffering with Parkinson’s disease, I would recommend supporting them to self-manage through an approach of empowerment, ensuring that this was strongly underpinned by strong support in the provision of health knowledge.As discussed earlier, some of the key needs of an individual suffering with Parkinson’s disease are related to their mobility, dietary requirements and pain relief and I want to explain how this recommended approach could help support the individual to more successfully self-manage these particular aspects of their condition. Firstly, in respect of mobility, freezing is often a situation, which affects PD’s sufferers. In the first instance it is important to help educate the individual on why freezing happens.Ensuring that the individual has a clear understanding of their condition will help them to be more accepting of the effects, less afraid when they experience motor fluctuations or â€Å"off† episodes and crucially help them to make more informed decisions about potential ways of helping them to self-manage this aspect of their condition. As mentioned previously, the extent of knowledge and education needs to be appropriate to the individual’s level of health literacy – this aspect should not be underestimated, as there is a strong link between an individual’s level of healt h literacy and their ability to successfully self-manage.As stated by the World Health Organisation (2009) health literacy is critical to empowerment, therefore this can present a barrier to achieving self-management through an empowerment based approach. An individual’s capacity to access and effectively use information is an area that may need to be considered initially to decide if empowerment is the most suitable approach to adopt. There are a number of options available to help an individual manage motor fluctuation episodes such as medication, mental techniques and physical techniques.Again, the individual will need to be educated on these such that they are able to be involved, or even lead, the decision making process on selecting the most appropriate treatments and solutions for them. Each root may have both advantages and disadvantages for the individual and these need to be made clear, if a patient is aware of the limitations and potential drawbacks of a specific t reatment from the beginning, then they are more mentally prepared to deal with the challenges as they arise, educing the likelihood of failure. There are several approaches to providing education and support to Parkinson patients; the LTC compendium recommends the Expert Education Programme, although not specifically for Parkinson’s it provides courses to help with managing LTC conditions, online courses are available also, it is also possible to add your area to the list, they are free. The Parkinson’s website has vast information both practical and informative and free help lines.In some areas there are Neuro-rehabilitation Units, available through referrals made by the Parkinson’s specialist nurse or consultant, which gives access to multi-disciplinary teams all located within one centre. The Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse holds clinics where discussions can take place for planning the future, medication changes and a point of contact if you need additio nal support before the next scheduled appointment.As part of the Health Foundation Co Creating Health programme (2012), a ‘Buddies to Support Self Management’ scheme has been developed for cancer patients in the Arran and Ayrshire region. The programme has been developed to enable patients who have completed self-management programmes to share their knowledge and skills with others in similar situations, along with helping patients who prefer not to be in a group situation. This could be a possible area to develop for Parkinson’s or all LTC patients.

Chewing Gum

Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to my fellow friends and Madam Nurma. Before I begin my speech, I would like to ask my lovely audience in front of me, have you ever found yourself in a situation where your hair is stuck with bubble gum and you accidentally step on a chewing gum? These situations can be really annoying right? So I decided to study a little about this little critter that everyone thought as a nuisance. Chewing gum was invented in the late 1800’s and we have the Alamo to thank. That’s right. .. Remember the Alamo?After General Lopez de Santa Anna lost the Alamo to the Americans, he figured that he could sell the Americans enough Chicle to raise an army to take back his power in Mexico. Santa Anna teamed up with an American inventor Thomas Adams who tried unsuccessfully to turn chicle into a new rubber for tires. Adams later figured out that with added flavour, chicle was an enjoyable substance to chew and could be sold for little money but big prof it to children. He opened the first gum factory in 1871. And by the 1880’s, the entire United States was stuck on chewing gum.Two other Americans are responsible for the popularity of chewing gum around the world. The first is another inventor, Walter Dimer. According to the book Pop, it is Dimer who dreamed of blowing bubbles with chewing gum. He invented a gum that had the texture that makes blowing bubbles possible. In 1928, the invention of bubble gum catapulted the popularity of chewing gum. The other American responsible for solidifying the popularity of chewing gum is Wrigley, who used advertisement to popularize gum.However, during WWII, the Wrigley Company heard that soldiers used their gum to overcome dry mouths on the battlefield. Wrigley pulled all of its gum off the shelves and donated them to the war effort. Americans returned victorious and after the war it was an everyday event to chew gum. Now that the history is unwrapped, we should chew on the importance of gum. According to the American Dental Association, chewing gum produces more saliva which helps to neutralize acids in your stomach as foods break down and can actually help prevent the breaking down of tooth enamel.As you chew your gum, more saliva enters your mouth and the more likely you are to wash away the bacteria that aids in tooth decay. Chewing sugarless gum for just twenty minutes after eating can help prevent tooth decay and can save the enamel on your teeth. Although this is no substitute to brushing and flossing, studies still prove that chewing sugar less gum can greatly help prevent cavities. In addition to giving you a healthier smile, another reason your teachers should let you chew gum in school is because it boosts skills.According to the Los Angeles Times from April 2009, chewing gum has been proven to boost academic performance. In one study, researchers asked one group of teenaged students to chew sugar-free gum while participating in math class. They had a co ntrol group not chew gum during the same class. They found that those who chewed gum on average showed a three percent better increase on a standardized math. The study claims that chewing gum helped the subjects concentrate and stay focused.. And when gum isn’t helping you concentrate on school work, it can help you relieve the pain in your ear on plane rides.According to research done by CNN, the stress exerted on your eardrum when a plane is either climbing or descending, can be improved by chewing gum which corrects the difference in air pressure and eases the pain. Again, chewing causes your mouth to produce extra saliva, and that saliva needs to be swallowed. It is the swallowing that helps equalize the pressure in your ears. Not only does chewing gum produce more saliva, but it can trick your stomach into thinking you are eating. According to the August 26, 2008 New York Times, doctors are prescribing chewing gum after abdominal surgery.After stomach surgery, eating fo od can cause nausea and vomiting. In order for your stomach to heal, it needs hormones that are released when you eat. The answer to this dilemma: chewing gum. Patients chew gum, which stimulates the gut and produces gastrointestinal hormones. Gum tricks your stomach into thinking you are eating without having to eat. As we can see, gum has been with us for a long time and will continue to evolve to stay relevant in our lives. Today, we unwrapped the history of gum and we chewed on its benefits. Chewing gum is actually a fun thing to do. Assalamualaikum and thank you for your kind attention. . Chewing Gum Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to my fellow friends and Madam Nurma. Before I begin my speech, I would like to ask my lovely audience in front of me, have you ever found yourself in a situation where your hair is stuck with bubble gum and you accidentally step on a chewing gum? These situations can be really annoying right? So I decided to study a little about this little critter that everyone thought as a nuisance. Chewing gum was invented in the late 1800’s and we have the Alamo to thank. That’s right. .. Remember the Alamo?After General Lopez de Santa Anna lost the Alamo to the Americans, he figured that he could sell the Americans enough Chicle to raise an army to take back his power in Mexico. Santa Anna teamed up with an American inventor Thomas Adams who tried unsuccessfully to turn chicle into a new rubber for tires. Adams later figured out that with added flavour, chicle was an enjoyable substance to chew and could be sold for little money but big prof it to children. He opened the first gum factory in 1871. And by the 1880’s, the entire United States was stuck on chewing gum.Two other Americans are responsible for the popularity of chewing gum around the world. The first is another inventor, Walter Dimer. According to the book Pop, it is Dimer who dreamed of blowing bubbles with chewing gum. He invented a gum that had the texture that makes blowing bubbles possible. In 1928, the invention of bubble gum catapulted the popularity of chewing gum. The other American responsible for solidifying the popularity of chewing gum is Wrigley, who used advertisement to popularize gum.However, during WWII, the Wrigley Company heard that soldiers used their gum to overcome dry mouths on the battlefield. Wrigley pulled all of its gum off the shelves and donated them to the war effort. Americans returned victorious and after the war it was an everyday event to chew gum. Now that the history is unwrapped, we should chew on the importance of gum. According to the American Dental Association, chewing gum produces more saliva which helps to neutralize acids in your stomach as foods break down and can actually help prevent the breaking down of tooth enamel.As you chew your gum, more saliva enters your mouth and the more likely you are to wash away the bacteria that aids in tooth decay. Chewing sugarless gum for just twenty minutes after eating can help prevent tooth decay and can save the enamel on your teeth. Although this is no substitute to brushing and flossing, studies still prove that chewing sugar less gum can greatly help prevent cavities. In addition to giving you a healthier smile, another reason your teachers should let you chew gum in school is because it boosts skills.According to the Los Angeles Times from April 2009, chewing gum has been proven to boost academic performance. In one study, researchers asked one group of teenaged students to chew sugar-free gum while participating in math class. They had a co ntrol group not chew gum during the same class. They found that those who chewed gum on average showed a three percent better increase on a standardized math. The study claims that chewing gum helped the subjects concentrate and stay focused.. And when gum isn’t helping you concentrate on school work, it can help you relieve the pain in your ear on plane rides.According to research done by CNN, the stress exerted on your eardrum when a plane is either climbing or descending, can be improved by chewing gum which corrects the difference in air pressure and eases the pain. Again, chewing causes your mouth to produce extra saliva, and that saliva needs to be swallowed. It is the swallowing that helps equalize the pressure in your ears. Not only does chewing gum produce more saliva, but it can trick your stomach into thinking you are eating. According to the August 26, 2008 New York Times, doctors are prescribing chewing gum after abdominal surgery.After stomach surgery, eating fo od can cause nausea and vomiting. In order for your stomach to heal, it needs hormones that are released when you eat. The answer to this dilemma: chewing gum. Patients chew gum, which stimulates the gut and produces gastrointestinal hormones. Gum tricks your stomach into thinking you are eating without having to eat. As we can see, gum has been with us for a long time and will continue to evolve to stay relevant in our lives. Today, we unwrapped the history of gum and we chewed on its benefits. Chewing gum is actually a fun thing to do. Assalamualaikum and thank you for your kind attention. .

History of Coca-Cola Essay

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines internationally. The Coca-Cola Company claims that the beverage is sold in more than 200 countries. [l] It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca- Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and erchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors. The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special editions with lemon, lime or coffee. In response to consumer insistence on a more natural product, the company is in the process of phasing out E211, or sodium benzoate, the controversial additive used in Diet Coke and linked to DNA damage in yeast cells and hyperactivity in children. The company has stated that it plans to remove E211 from its other products, including Sprite and Oasis, as soon as a satisfactory alternative is found

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy - Essay Example The defense mechanisms have been constructed by the Freudian psychoanalytical approach. They were developed to aid in the explanation of person’s responses to anxiety (Myers, 2001). They have been evolved from their original background to help enlighten being’s coping styles. Individuals are not aware of the operations taking in the mind; therefore they are unconscious. Each individual uses a different set of defense mechanism so they are also individualized. Lastly, every individual makes use of them so they are thought to be normal. But if the use of the defense mechanisms becomes exaggerated than clinical interest arises. The defense mechanism of sublimation is utilized when intentions are either violent or sexual showing the psychoanalytic aspects of thanatos and libido. They are transmitted towards non-instinctual course. For example, aggressive temperament may be transmitted towards a more acceptable structure of games. Regression takes place when an earlier developmental stage reappears for the coping behaviors (Sarason & Sarason, 2005). For example, throwing a tantrum or crying may be used to deal with a tense experience. These behaviors are usually unacceptable for adults. Repression is focal point psychoanalytical approach. It is used when there is a very high anxiety deep in the unconscious and which does not affect the activities in the conscious. Items which are repressed may however, become apparent themselves in slips of the tongue or dreams. They are mostly not present for recall. Instead, it may appear later, unexpectedly (Barlow & Durand, 2002). For example, there was a time when I tried to recall the Independence days I had ten years ago but failed to do so. But, a few weeks later, they suddenly hit me while taking a shower. The thought had been repressed because I had been into a major family dispute. The defense mechanism reaction formation is unconsciously

Write a critique on a Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write a critique on a Film - Essay Example White (Tom Hanks) who is the band’s second manager, Faye Dolan (Liv Tyler) Jimmys girlfriend and the bands "costume mistress", Tina (Charlize Theron) Guys girlfriend, Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) the drum player in the band and Steve Zahn (Lenny Haiser) the guitarist and backing vocals of the group. In the year 1964, Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) is a jazz drummer working at his family’s Erie, Pennsylvania Appliance store. Because the regular drummer of the band (Giovanni Ribisi) has broken his arm, Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn) and Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathon Schaech) approach Guy Patterson to ask him to sit in with their band at the annual Mercyhurst College talent show (Maslin, 1). During rehearsals, the group carefully rehearses a sensational ballad titled â€Å"That Thing You Do.† Faye Dolan (Liv Tyler), Jimmy’s girlfriend suggests that the group call themselves â€Å"The Oneders†. She is inspired by Guy’s great performance at the rehearsal. After a brilliant rehearsal, Guy messes up in the talent show by playing a faster tempo for â€Å"That Thing You Do! than in rehearsals. The audiences react negatively to the song, but Oneders eventually emerge the winner of $100 top prize. After the talent show, the group started playing gigs, they pl ayed at a local pizza parlor as their first gig. Maslin (1) reveals how they started selling a single of â€Å"That Thing You Do! with the help of Guy’s Uncle Bob (Chris Isaak). The single attracted the attention of Phil Horace (Chris Ellis) the local manager. Horace signs the group to bigger gigs and they are given airplay of the single. The band is offered a contract with Play-Tone Records by Mr. White (Hanks), they sign the contract and change their famous band name to â€Å"The Wonders† in order to avoid confusions. The group then is faced with internal disagreement which leads to their fall. Jimmy

Gary (2002) indicates that nurses display many of the characteristics Essay

Gary (2002) indicates that nurses display many of the characteristics of an oppressed group. Do you agree or disagree with her a - Essay Example The conditional status of oppression has been rampant in medical institutions, yet, overt recognition of its existence is consistently denied. As nursing is generally viewed as female-dominated profession, many distinguish it as lower compared to predominantly masculine careers. Hence, nurses from various fields are extensively pressured to prove themselves in the patriarchal society (Seago, 2006). Accordingly, feminist antagonism serves as primary source for negative viewpoints adapted in medical settings. In relation to career antagonism, the nature of oppression spreads from hierarchical nursing ranks. Concertedly, nursing management deviates from the ideals of supportive supervision into tyrannical leadership. In parallel view with the study by Gary on â€Å"Why and Wherefore of Empowerment,† intentional intimidation of junior nurses by senior nurses in clinical field is perceived as effective means in controlling behavior of the former (Stevens, 2002). Upon inciting fear, most nurses act according to manipulation of ranked nurses--nurses’ independent functions are broken to fit the whims of senior nurses. The problem with oppression is not only provoked by those with higher organizational authority. As revealed by American Association of Critical Nurses (2007), even peer-to-peer association augments oppression in practice.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 99

Assignment Example I will prepare an aquarium with water, a total of five. I will prepare first 5 various water samples with varying degrees of dissolved oxygen: 0, 2, 6, 12, 18 ppm. Then I will put in several fish in each of the 5 samples of water, perhaps 15 each and count the fish that will stay alive in it after 6 hours or so. The independent variable is the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water because it does not depend on any factor and it is the one being manipulated for the experiment. The dependent variable is the number of fish because it depends on how much dissolved oxygen is in the water. The control group is the one which is marked 18ppm, assuming that this is the average amount of dissolved oxygen in water. It depends on the average value of dissolved oxygen in water and that should be the control group. The purpose of the control group is to serve as the basis against which other experimental data will be compared. 6. (1 point) What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why? See p. 18-19 and the two types of graphs. Dont forget that the x-axis (horizontal) represents values for the independent variable (the factor you change or that you want to see what effect it has on a specific outcome) and the y-axis (vertical) are values for the dependent variable (the factor that you predict will change). 7. (2 points) Graph the data from Table 2. Explain the reason for the type of graph you selected and dont forget to include a title, labels for the x-axis and y-axis (include the units). You may submit the graph as an Excel or other attachment. 5. A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the number 735, 209, 390, 300, 1005, and 689. The grocery clerk said that jar actually contains 568 pennies Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits. For the exponents use

Feelings about seeing great drawings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Feelings about seeing great drawings - Essay Example Viewing this work made me feel a conflicting sense of excitement, but also a foreboding sense of intellectual curiosity. This exhibit had many of this artists’ work so I further experienced these feelings as I made my way throughout the exhibition hall. In other instances, however, I came to appreciate the way that the museum hall itself was able to manipulate my feelings by juxtaposing certain works of art. For instance, the lively nature of the above mentioned work was contrasted with work that implemented a starkly more minimalist style. I subsequently came to reflect on the ways that my feelings changed as a relation between myself and the drawing. The minimalist drawings made me feel more intellectual, while the abstract drawings were more emotional. These distinct emotions made me recognize that a major purpose of art and artists is to allow us to feel new

Effect of drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effect of drugs - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss the causes and effects of drug use. Overwhelming evidence suggest that most of drug users get into drugs at their teen age. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that their fellow friends lure most of them into drugs. Peer influence causes individuals to experiment with the drugs in the hope that they will fit perfectly in their peer groups. With the fear of rejecting the offer of their friends, they begin by taking small amounts of various drugs such as marijuana, crack cocaine among others. With time, this becomes the lifestyle and a way of life. When addiction sets in, it becomes difficult to quit using drugs. As an effect, users become dependent on drugs and therefore have to engage in criminal activities such as robbery to raise money for drugs. The peer groups gradually graduate from just peer groups to criminal gangs (Hanson et al 138-143). Human beings are characterized by curiosity to experiment new things in life. drug use is sometimes associated with exaggerated good feeling and a sense of command. This can be seen in beer and cigarette advertisement. Curious individuals who are unaware of potential drug addiction seek to experiment with the drugs. Their aim is usually to have a little experience with the drugs, at least for a short while. However, not all the individuals who experiment the drug experience are disciplined enough to quit after the experience. More often than not, they end up using more of the drugs and within no time, they become addicted. What began as an experiment ends up as a drug addiction. With little will to quit, drug users become aggressive, violent, withdrawn, and less responsible. It becomes difficult to meet personal obligations and life becomes a waste (Wilson and Kolande 80-83). Whereas freewill plays an important role in decision making in life, the social environment in which people grow determines the

What is Art (ar arts) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is Art (ar arts) - Essay Example The paper also discusses intended purposes of these forms of art and the current trend. Literature is termed as an art in that it is a way by which individuals are able to express their ideas and feeling regarding various, there are many forms of written art which include novels, academic book, journals and magazines. These forms of art service various purposes and that they are aimed at informing, persuading and entertaining, for example newspapers and other forms of written art are used to inform the general public, and novels on the other hand are for entertainment purposes. These is another form of art that is used for the purpose of communication, it is also used for entertainment purposes. Today the film and video industry has been commercialized and large firms have invested in this firm of art industry example Hollywood, therefore this form of art provides employment opportunities. Music is also another form of art that involve the presentation of audio form of art, it is one of the oldest form of art which can be traced back to ancient times, the music industry provide employment opportunities and its main purpose is to entertain, persuade and inform individuals in the society, music has been used to express certain feeling and also to persuade. Paintings: Paintings, drawing s and pictures are forms of art that involve the use of signs in communication, this is one of the oldest form of art given that in the past when man lived in caves he painted cave walls. Its original purpose was a form of expression but this has changed with time whereby today art is a form of communication. b. Purpose: The intended purpose of art varies from the original creator of art, some form of art are created in order to entertain, commercial purposes, inform and as a form of expression. The following is a discussion of some of the purposes of art: Commercial: Most forms of art today are created for commercial purposes, this means that there are many individuals in the world today who depend on art as a source of income, for example all literature work is sold in the market at a price, all music, films and videos are sold in the market . Forms of art are also used by production firms to advertise their products, advertisements are accompanied by music and performances which help in the sale of products and this can therefore be termed as another commercial purpose of art, art is therefore an important economic activity in the world today. Entertain: Some forms of art are for entertainment purposes, although they are sold in the market example films and music their main purpose is to entertainment and in order for individuals to be entertained they pay for these forms of art. A good example is music and films whose main purpose is to entertain the audience. Communicate: The above mentioned forms of art are forms of communication, however art only provides a one way communication channel whereby the audience is not in a position to respond to expressions of art. Some of the common forms of art that serve the communication purpose include newspapers and videos and films. Expression: Forms of art are used to express certain feeling, these is most common with paintings and visual form of art, these forms of art can express happiness, violence, loneliness, joy and anger. For example an artist can create a form of art that shows individuals fighting and therefore this

Olivier Panis Essay Example for Free

Olivier Panis Essay In der film Der Promise gibt es viele eregnisse wie kommt zwischen Sophie un Konrad, zum biespiel. An der anfang das film, konrad zi gert wann Sophie und ihre freunde geht in der Abwasserkanal. Konrad war der eignisse leute wie geht nicht in der Abwasserkanal und war bei der Deutchse Armee ertappt. Das war nur der beginne auf der probleme wie kommt zwischen Sophie und Konrad. Konrad war aufgezwungt bei ihre vater der Deutsche Armee eintreten. Konrad war ein Wandschutze. Wann Konrad der Armee verlassen hat, er ihre Ausbildung fortgesetzt. Wi hrend das Sophie fur ihr Tante arbeitet. Ihr Tante arbeitet als eine Kleider Verki uferin, fi r reich leute. Spater in das Film, Sophie und Konrad andgeordnet in Prague zu Treffen. Sie mit einander sehr gut auskommen. Sophie kleide schwanger. Aber wann der Russe Armee eindrignt Prague, dann Sophie zuri ck nach Deutschland verschwindet. Konrad besucht Sophie und ihr neue Mann, und er auch besucht ihre Kind, heisst Alex. Er war 10 jahre alt. Aber Konrad auch hat ihre eigen neue familie. Aber wir als die Beschauer, kann sehe als sie mochtet zusammen sein. Die leben aus Konrad un Sophie ist wie die leben aus Berlin. An der Anfang, Berlin war zusammen, es was nur ein Stadt heisst Berlin, aber es war abgetrennt und so war Konrad und Sophie. In der Meinung auf die groi ji hrigkeit aus der Ureinwohner, Berlin sollte als nur ein Stadt bleiben, aber die Regierung sagt als es war erforderlich. Der abgang aus Berlin auch abgesondert Sophie und Konrad.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” Essay Example for Free

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Essay Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in the late 1800’s while being treating by the very trusted Weir Mitchell. During this time women were commonly admitted into the care of doctors by their husbands without their given consent. At this time there was very little research concerning Post- Partum Depression. According to the A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia, Post-Partum is moderate to extreme depression women may experience after giving birth. The symptoms include fearfulness, restlessness, and anxiety- all of which are displayed by Jane in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper. † Gilman was advised by Dr. Mitchell to stop writing and rest, only partaking in â€Å"household† activities. She was not to visit with friends or go outside much. Contesting to these rules, Gilman ended treatment with Mitchell and wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† with the hopes of shedding much needed light on the ineffectiveness of his strategies. The mental condition of many women often worsened due the general population’s lack of consideration involving a woman’s outspoken opinion involving the betterment of her own health. Carol Kessler writes in â€Å"Consider Her Ways: The Cultural Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilmans Pragmatopian Stories, 1908-1913,† â€Å"The utopian fiction of Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes on as its cultural work the demonstration that women are not confined to one traditional mode of beingwife/motherhoodbut can fill as varied social roles as can male counterparts† (126). Kessler is stating Gilman’s writing is not only a statement against the mental health practices concerning women, but also includes other issues that were dominated by a patriarchal society. Denise D. Knight suggests in her essay â€Å"I Am Getting Angry Enough to do Something Desperate,† that Jane’s behavior at the end is â€Å"an expression of the tremendous rage she feels toward her husband, John† (78). This statement is evidence suggesting that women were well aware of the need for a change involving these matters. Gilman uses the yellow wallpaper to symbolize the psychological, sexual and creative oppression women experienced during Gilman’s contemporary times. Jane’s â€Å"condition† is revealed to the reader at the beginning of the story. Jane has just arrived at the â€Å"vacation† home and is writing secretly since John forbids it. She writes of John, â€Å"You see, he does not believe I am sick!† (Gilman 173). This quote indicates to the audience that Jane’s voice is of no importance next to John’s. Jane continues to voice her opinion about her illness and what she believes could cure her. John blatantly ignores any suggestions she may have concerning her own health, appearing heartless and cold. This is very clear when Jane initially voices dislike for the room with the yellow wallpaper, in which she is assigned to stay. Jane writes, â€Å"I don’t like our room one bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza †¦but John would not hear of it!† (Gilman 174). Gilman allows the audience a glimpse at the symbolism of the wallpaper at this point. Jane mentions her dislike of the room with the yellow wallpaper as soon as she is introduced to it. Upon bringing this discomfort to John’s attention she is sufficed with a promise to replace it. However, John later breaks his promise with the reasoning that they will only be there three months. The creeping feeling Jane experiences concerning the wallpaper symbolizes the mental instability she feels looming over her. John convinces Jane there is nothing wrong with the room and refuses to move her even though she requests he do so. When Jane persists she writes of his response to her, â€Å"But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself† (Gilman 174). Jane is forced to h ide her feelings and worsening condition, as well as her writing. This interaction between the two characters demonstrates how many women during this time period were not to have opinions or preferences. This scene displays the lack of self-expression and freedom women encountered. Creativity in women was not widely accepted in Gilman’s society and was often deemed improbable. In one of Jane’s entries she describes, â€Å"There comes John, and I must put this away he hates to have me write a word† (Gilman 175). This sentence is powerful because the written word is often more powerful than the spoken word. Women were rarely given the luxury of speaking freely, much less writing freely. John’s reluctance to allow Jane to write illustrates the narrow minded ideals men had concerning women. In â€Å"Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper,† Gilman writes that Dr. Mitchell, â€Å" concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to live as domestic a life as far as possible, to have bu t two hours intellectual life a day, and never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived’†(51). Both Gilman and Jane were creative women that used writing as therapy to express what others around them could not understand. Jane’s journal and her writing symbolize the creative talents and intelligence many women were capable of but were forced to conceal. Gilman contradicts the idea of women being married to make great â€Å"mothers† with the statement, â€Å"And yet I cannot be with him† (Gilman 177). Jane is referring to her infant son. The possibility that a woman could want more from life other than to marry and have children was an almost impossible notion at the time. In â€Å"Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper: A Centenary† Linda Wagner- Martin writes, â€Å"Of these many conflicts inherent in womens trying to lead acceptable female lives, perhaps the most troublesome is that of motherhood, its attendant responsibilities, and its almost inevitable loss of self-identity† (52). The A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia suggests that a common cause of Pos t-Partum Depression in women is the decreasing amount of time they have to themselves after having a child. Women of brighter minds were often misplaced in this type of society. Many artists feel an undeniable obligation to their work, often taking time away from their families. It was impossible for artistic women to prosper when their prime purpose in life was to marry and have children. Knight writes, â€Å"Gilman demonstrates how stifling the cult of domesticity was for intelligent women† (78). Jennie, Jane’s caretaker, represents this idea. Jane writes of Jennie, â€Å"She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession† (Gilman 178). Jennie’s characteristics and tendency to stay out of Jane’s business resembles a fear felt by many women. While it was common for many intelligent women to become depressed due to creative and psychological oppression, fear often quieted any desires for change. It was widely understood that any woman who tried to live otherwise would just as easily end up in Jane’s predicament. Martin writes of the matter, â€Å" The point, obviously, is that society expects women to be fulfilled through motherhood, and that women who question their roles as mothers, who complain or are angry about those roles, are suspect if not beyond human comprehension† (63). In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Jane’s behavior often reflects this idea that women longed for the opportunity to choose their life occupation, rather than being assigned it. Sexual oppression of women is also touched on in this piece. John often goes away for a work and even when he visits, there is minimal physical contact between him and Jane. Judith A. Allen writes in â€Å"Reconfiguring Vice: Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Prostitution, and Frontier Sexual Contracts,† â€Å"Gilman shared in a common, international, late nineteenth-century feminist critique of marriage and of other sexual economic contracts† (173). Gilman’s very opinionated statements regarding women’s freedoms clearly extended to their sexual needs as well as emotional needs. While it was often expected for women to stay behind and tend to the children while the men were away at work, it was often overlooked how these physical absences affected them. It was socially acceptable for a man to appease his sexual appetite with other women while he was away, but not for his wife to do the same with other men. This was taxing on many women. When John is visiting Jane one night, he simply scoops her up and takes her to bed, where he reads to her until she is tired and ready for bed. Jane appears to be too ill to confront her sexual desires like many women of the time. Her relationship described with John is surfaced. Since there is a lack of a physical relationship between the two, there appears to be no relationship at all. This clarifies the belief that women were married off to produce children and please their husbands. Once Jane begins taking notice of the wallpaper itself, the tone of the story takes a dive. While the tone of the story begins somewhat light hearted and seemingly harmless, there is still a hint of foreshadowing. It is when Jane becomes obsessed the audience becomes aware of how terrible her condition truly is. It is almost used as a mockery of John’s ignorance throughout the entire story. The narrator writes, â€Å"There are things in that paper that nobody knows about but me, or ever willâ €  (Gilman180). This is when Jane is realizing the figure in the wallpaper in fact is a woman and she appears to be behind bars. The symbolism here is that no one can understand how Jane is feeling, including the other women around her. As time goes on John tells Jane things such as, â€Å"You are gaining flesh and color,† and â€Å"I feel much easier about you† (Gilman181). Rather than asking Jane how she feels, he is telling her. The irony is Jane’s willingness to accept being told how to act, feel, and live. Based on the mockery provided by the narrator, John does not truly understand what Jane needs, considering he, like everyone else involved, does not view women as people capable of reasoning and complex feelings. This idea was prevalent to the society throughout that time period. The phrase â€Å"dear John† is mentioned throughout the story, indicating the importance of John to Jane. As Jane’s condition and obsession with the wallpaper worsen, her strength d ecreases as well. She is forced increasingly rely on others, including John. She writes of John, â€Å"Dear John! He loves me very dearly and hates to have me sick† (Gilman 180). The irony is how little of importance Jane appears to have in John’s life. He has a routine written for Jennie and Jane to follow throughout the day while he’s away. One of the nights he is visiting, Jane writes, â€Å"He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had† (Gilman 180). These words have an empty meaning. If Jane were the only thing John had, he would have paid more attention to her and realized she was not getting better in the least. This supports the then popular belief that women would be content with simply being told what they want to hear. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† there are statements made against the male physicians that were so highly admired among communities during Gilman’s time. Jane writes, â€Å"John is a physician and perhaps that is one reaso n I do not get well faster† (Gilman 173). Jane is admitting that a woman’s duty to submit to her husband gets in the way of her need to be persistent concerning her health. This observation is ironic and bold. It argues the mockery in the situation. John, as a doctor, is held up to such high standards, yet he has no idea what is really going on with this woman. The story is ridiculing society’s idea of â€Å"intelligence.† John makes the mistake of treating Jane as if something is wrong with her. However, the humor is in the doctors’ inability to figure out that women are simply composed of the same emotional capabilities as men. It is also necessary to pay special to attention the symbolism of name choice in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† John and Jane can allude to â€Å"Jane Doe† and â€Å"John Doe.† If this is the case, both could be identified as of no particular importance to the audience. A Jane or John Doe are unidentified people. Gilman did not feel the need to give the se characters any specific names that would identify them with a particular characteristic or trait. Their situation is unidentified, and their situation was very common for that time. John’s disregard for Jane’s claims of her slow descent into a worsening mental condition was a common practice for doctors regarding women. Often when a woman needed or wanted something, she had no other choice but to acquire the assistance of her husband. In the instance of Jane needing alternative means of medical care, her only hope would have been John. Naturally John did not listen to her protests. Gilman is stating that both men and women should have an equal say in marriage. Kessler writes, â€Å"The ‘partnership’ society that Eisler defines seems already to have been present in the pragmatopian imagination of Charlotte Perkins Gilman as revealed in her turn-of-the-century fiction, especially the short stories: the alternative or partner-oriented gender roles she depicts could be realized or attained then or in the present-day society that we know† (126). There were also many marriages lacking the understanding John clearly does not display. This coincides with the idea that many women who were married to many men at that time experienced the oppression Jane feels and were met with the same ignorance John displays. At the end of the story Jane writes, â€Å"For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead of yellow† (Gilman 188). This has a childlike feel to it. Earlier in the story, when Jane is trying to talk to John about how she is feeling he replies with, â€Å"What is it, little girl?† (Gilman 181). The last scene of the story describes Jane as this crazy woman, but it has her creeping around the ground like a child. In â€Å"Environment as Psychopathological Symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper,’† Loralee MacPikew writes, â€Å"The fact that the narrators prison-room is a nursery indicates her status in society. The woman is legally a child; socially, economically, and philo sophically she must be led by an adulther husband† (286). One day when Jane is stuck in her room alone, she reverts to her childhood while staring at the wallpaper, giving a description of a vivid memory. She writes, â€Å"I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store† (Gilman 177). These behaviors revert to the idea that even as children, females were facing emotional neglect. It also supports the idea Jane was often treated like children by their husbands, posing the question how could she be expected to be a â€Å"good† mother if she herself was not permitted to act like an adult. Gilman’s decision to make the wallpaper yellow as opposed to any other color is interesting. Yellow is often viewed as a neutral color concerning gender. This may be connected to Gilman’s outcry of the belief that women ar e inferior to men concerning creative, emotional, and intelligent capability. Once Jane begins to acknowledge the wallpaper, her descriptions of it become more detailed. She describes it, â€Å"looked at in one way, each breadth stands alone; the bloated curves and flourishes- a kind of â€Å"debased Romanesque† with delirium tremens- go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity† (Gilman 179). The words â€Å"delirium tremens† (Gilman 179) indicate how the wallpaper concurs with Jane’s worsening condition. Colors have often been known to manipulate a person’s mood. Following this belief, yellow is known to promote communication. This is an ironic symbol, considering John did not listen to Jane in the least. There are many times he overlooks her feelings or statements. At the beginning of the story Jane claims to feel something strange about the house. When she brings this to John’s attention he says what she â€Å"felt was a draught, and shut the window† (Gilman 174). Clearly John’s inability to listen to Jane discourages her to speak of anything at all to him. In â€Å"Consider Her W ays,† Kessler writes, â€Å"By refusing to accept definitions of traditional male and female roles, and instead of offering clear alternatives to such mainstream notions, Gilman forces readers to question boundaries defining behavior assumed acceptable on the basis of gender† (126). This statement supports the notion that Gilman believed that both men and women should share all household responsibilities, including working and raising children. The satirical symbolism at the end of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is astounding. It does a great job of surprising and shocking the audience. It leaves this image imprinted of a crazy lady taking a bite out of a bed and creeping around her husband. Once Jane believes she is the lady inside the wallpaper, she writes, â€Å"and I don’t want to have anybody in, till John comes. I want to astonish him† (Gilman 187). At this point her anger is apparent. The narrator is clearly pointing fingers at who is to blame for her current predicament. She is comparable to a child throwing a tantrum. It’s almost as if Jane is assuming the behaviors of a role she has been given, which is no different than what she does from the beginning of the story. She does what she is told. However, John often refers to her as everything but a woman. Naturally this mentality was bound to catch on. Jane also had no other means of escape from her world. John refused to allow her to go anywhere. It was almost as if she were a child being grounded. When children are forced to stay inside they use their imaginations as entertainment. To do this is human nature, and Jane is no exception. There is also attention to be paid to the bars described in the wallpaper. Jane writes, â€Å"at night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars!† (Gilman 182). The bars symbolize all the oppression felt by Jane. As the progression of Jane’s condition worsens, the appearance of the bars becomes more prominent. Once Jane discovers the bars, she notices the woman in the wallpaper, â€Å"The outside pattern, I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be† (Gilman 182). This quote refers to the unawareness John and other men of the time displayed concerning women. Gilman is making a statement against how obvious it is that Jane knows what she needs more so than her husband. This scenario was common among many women during that time period. It is also an outcry against a woman’s inability to practice self-expression. Once Jane decides to try and help the woman escape from the wallpaper (and becomes the woman herself), she peels off all the paper so she cannot be put back. Once John gets into the room she says to him, â€Å"’I’ve got out at last,’ said I,† in spite of you and Jane! And I’ve pulled of most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’† (Gilman 189). This statement could be interpreted as Gilman’s creative self being defiant against the rules set up by a patriarchal society. While this last scene can be understood as haunting and disturbing, it almost seems as if Jane is getting the last laugh in the end. Her husband who is â€Å"successfully† a physician has failed his own wife. Jane’s road to insanity was brought on by her husband’s â€Å"trusted† tactics. Shortly after the story was published, Weir Mitchell was forced to re-evaluate his tactics used on â€Å"mentally unstable† women. There were many patriarchal barriers facing women when â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was written. Gilman does an extraordinary job of displaying the horrors that resulted from this complex and delicate subject. The image of a woman behind bars in yellow wallpaper could not be more appropriate to convey such an important message. This short story demonstrates the feeling of entrapment and misplacement many creative and intelligent women felt during Gilman’s time. The yellow wallpaper is a strong symbol of a declaration of independence, creativity, and self-expression in a society where such notions were much too often withheld from the female population.

Traditional English Food And The History History Essay

Traditional English Food And The History History Essay English cuisine is shaped by the countrys temperate climate, its island geography and its history. The latter includes interactions with other European countries, and the importing of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of post-war immigration. As a result, traditional foods have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and game pies, and freshwater and saltwater fish. English cuisine is one of the simplest cuisines in all the European cuisines it is shaped by the countries climate and geography. English breakfast is popular worldwide because is also called as morning meal its very heavy breakfast consisting of eggs, grilled or poached fish, tomato, mushrooms, hash brown and bacon . In English cuisine popular preparations are steaks, grilled fish, and sausages. Sunday roast is popular all over England. Traditional English food The Sunday roast is a very common traditional meal of English cusine. The Sunday dinner traditionally includes roast potatoes accompanying a roasted joint of meat such as roast beef, lamb, and assorted vegetables; themselves generally roasted or boiled and served with gravy. Yorkshire pudding and gravy is now often served as an accompaniment to the main course, although it was originally served first as filler. Fish and chips: It is possibly the most popular and identifiable English dish, and is traditionally served with a side order of mushy peas with salt and vinegar as condiments. The full English breakfast (also known as cooked breakfast or fried breakfast). It normally consists of a combination of bacon, grilled tomatoes, fried bread, black pudding, baked beans, fried mushrooms, sausages, and eggs (fried, scrambled or boiled). Hash browns are sometimes added, traditionally Pies, have long been a very traditional food of English cooking, Pies were originally a way to preserve food. It is simply a pastry with some filling, it could be meat, fish, vegetables or even sweet filling. Meat pies are generally enclosed with fillings such as chicken and mushroom or steak and kidney (originally steak and oyster). Open pies or flans are generally served for dessert with fillings of seasonal fruit. The Cornish pasty is a much-loved regional dish, constructed from pastry is folded into a semi-circular purse. The origins of the pasty are largely unknown. It is generally accepted that the pasty originated from Cornwall. The pasty was originally made as lunch (croust or crib in the Cornish language) for Cornish tin miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat, covered in dirt from head to foot, they could hold the pasty by the folded crust and eat the rest without touching it, and then throwing away the dirty pastry crust. Another kind of pie is topped with m ashed potato-for instance, shepherds pie, with lamb, cottage pie, with beef, or fishermans pie. Sandwiches England can claim to have given the world the word sandwich, although Earl was not the first to add a filling to bread. This creation came into existence through long nights at the gaming table. The origin of this story seems to be a passage in Grosleys Tour to London: A minister of state passed four and twenty hours at a public gaming-table, so absorpt in play that, during the whole time, he had no subsistence but a bit of beef, between two slices of toasted bread, which he eat without ever quitting the game. This new dish grew highly in vogue, during my residence in London: it was called by the name of the minister who invented it. (Ref : http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SandwichHistory.htm accessed on 16th march 2009) English sausages are distinctive in that they are usually made from fresh meats and rarely smoked, dried, or strongly flavoured. Pork and beef are by far the most common bases. Most of the well known English sausages are Cumberland and Lincolnshire but often varieties such as Pork and Apple; Pork and Herb; Beef and Stilton; Pork and Mozzarella, have also evolved with the growing gastronomic trend. These sausages are normally served with onion gravy and mash. Sweets consist of many original home-made desserts such as rhubarb crumbles, Christmas puddings which is made with dried fruits soaked in rum, bread and butter pudding. The traditional accompaniment is custard, sometimes known as crà ¨me anglaise (English cream made with eggs and milk). English cusine is simple and traditional, with recipes passed on from generation to generation. Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The afternoon tea was way of killing the long break between lunch and dinner The Duchess would become hungry around four oclock in the afternoon. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her. This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880s upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five oclock. Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups. (Ref : http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tea-in-britain.htm) Cuisine of Scotland, Wales and Ireland are the major regional cuisine of Great Britain. Scottish cuisine Scottish cuisine has been greatly influenced by the cooking traditions and practices followed in the Great Britain. Traditional Scottish cuisine has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, as a result of foreign and local influences both ancient and modern. The mouth watering dishes of the Scottish cuisine have been relished by people in different countries across the globe. Scotland has a temperate climate and abundance of game species, and relied on the oceans and rivers to provide them with plentiful fish. Oats quickly become the staple source of food once agriculture had arrived. Starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, cereals, bread are major stapel part of the cuisine. They are often accompanied by fruits and vegetables. Apart from meat and fish, cheese, yoghurts and milk find place in the traditional food of Scotland. The special flavour and tempting taste of the dishes is acquired by mixing spices, vegetables and meat. You will find fish, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, pork meat, lamb and beacon as the basic ingredients in many Scottish dishes. Popular Dishes Haggis is one of the most popular dishes in Scotland. Prepared from the lungs, liver and heart of sheep or calf, the dish is generally minced with oatmeal, seasoned with pepper and onion and boiled like a large sausage. The dish was also popular in British, until 18th century. Another popular Scottish dish is oatcakes, made of barley and oat-flour biscuit. The cakes are baked on a griddle and served with cheese. A recipe well-known in the East coast of Scotland is Arbroath Smokie, a wood-smoked Haddock fish. Scotch broth is very famous soup from Scotland and known world wide mainly made from meat and vegetables is considered very healthy, many common dishes are rich in fat. Scotland is very well known for its excellent quality, rich and tasty red meat beef is generally prepared from the Aberdeen-Angus breed of cattle. Scottish people prepare a number of desserts and sweets also, to satisfy their sweet tooth. One such popular recipe is the Black Bun a rich fruit cake prepared with raisins, brown sugar currants, and finely-chopped peel and chopped almonds. A host of traditional Scottish puddings, like Cranachan, Cream Crowdie, Girdle Scones and Clootie Dumpling, further add sweetness to the cuisine. Jams, jellies and all kinds of preserves are inevitable for the Scots. Summer fruits such as raspberries, strawberries and blackberries are also quite popular in Scotland. (Ref: http://www.woodsideinn.co.uk/history.html, http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/scottish-cuisine-4699.html) Cuisine of Wales Welsh cuisine, i.e. the cuisine of Wales, is highly influenced by the culinary practices adopted in England. The people of Wales largely make use of lamb and pork in their traditional recipes, apart from bacon. Most of the food in Wales is produced with local ingredients. Lamb is particularly popular here. Wales is well known for its sheep farming and lamb has always been traditionally associated with Welsh cooking. Beef and dairy cattle are raised here too, especially in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Popular Dishes The traditional food of Wales is made from the local ingredients available in the country, some traditional dishes include: Welshcakes: (small pastries cooked on a bakestone), crempogs (pancakes), Bara brith (sweet bread with currants), cawl (stew with lamb and sometimes leeks), Laver bread (seaweed served delicacy) and Welsh rarebit (toast with cheese and butter). Apart from this, the other popular dishes in Welsh cuisine include Leek Soup, steamed Cockles, Faggots (meatballs made from lamb or pigs liver), and Roast Monkfish. Another popular dish, prepared by the natives of the country, is Roast Lamb, cooked with mint sauce. All of them are rich in taste as well as aroma. A traditional Welsh breakfast consists of eggs and cockles, fried with bacon and sausage and served with laver bread. Wales is well known for manufacturing a wide variety of cheese as well, including Caerphilly cheese, Y Fenni cheese, Hen-Sir cheese, Llanboidy cheese, Tintern and Pantysgawn. It is also popular for Welsh beer and whiskey. Glengettie is the famous Welsh tea. (Ref: http://wales.costasur.com/en/cuisine.html) Irish cuisine Irish cuisine isnt very fancy. The only way to describe Irish food is as traditional, healthy, farm style home cooking, made up of hearty soups and stews, home made breads and of course, potatoes that come roast, fried, boiled, mashed every way imaginable. The potato was introduced into Ireland in the second half of the 16th century; it eventually came to be the main food crop of the poor. Traditional Irish breads include soda bread, wheaten bread, soda farls, and blaa, a doughy white bread roll particular to Waterford. Popular Dishes Popular Irish dishes include Irish stew (in Irish Stobhach Gaelach) is a traditional Irish dish made from lamb, beef or mutton, as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley, Boxty (bacstaà ­ in Gaeilge) is a traditional Irish potato pancake, Bangers and mash, also known as sausages and mash, is an English/Irish dish made of mashed potatoes and sausages, Barmbrack (Irish: Bà ¡irà ­n Breac) is a yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins, Champ (brà ºità ­n in Irish) is a northern Irish dish, made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions with butter and milk, and optionally, salt and pepper, Coddle It consists of layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and rashers (thinly sliced, somewhat fatty back bacon) with sliced potatoes, and onions, traditionally small amount of Guinness is added to the pot, Colcannon is a made from mashed potatoes, kale or cabbage, butter, salt, and pepper, Drisheen is a traditional Irish black pudding, Irish Pheasant, Dublin Bay Prawns, Cranna ch (seaweed) along with every kind of seafood under the sun. The west of Ireland produces excellent seafood, most of it caught by traditional methods dating back centuries. Ireland is famous for the Irish breakfast, a fried (or grilled) meal generally includes bacon, egg, sausage, black and white pudding, fried tomato and which may also include fried potato farls or fried potato slices. Irelands best known whiskies include Jameson, Paddy and Bushmills. Guinness, Irelands most famous stout, is often used as an ingredient in Irish recipies. It is also very well known for its Irish coffee, Irish cream, Irish mist. Its also particularly popular with Oysters. The Clarinbridge Oyster Festival held in County Clare every year is an incredibly popular event. Examples of English cuisine: Savoury dishes Bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potato) Beef cobbler Black pudding Bubble and squeak Cauliflower cheese Cheese Cornish pasty Cottage pie Cumberland sausage Dumplings Faggots Fish and chips Full English breakfast Gravy Hash browns Jellied eels Lancashire hotpot Lincolnshire sausage Pie and mash Ploughmans lunch Pork pie Shepherds pie Scouse Sunday roast Toad-in-the-hole Yorkshire pudding Sweet dishes Apple pie Christmas pudding Clotted cream Mince pie Queen of Puddings Spotted dick Sticky toffee pudding Trifle Treacle tart (Ref: http://www.answers.com/topic/english-cuisine, 20th February 2009) Commodities The common food products consumed by English peoples is Meat Beef the best beef in England comes from north west and south east. Also lamb is used in cooking such as Lancashire hotpot. Pork, Chicken and game are also consumed in England. Also sausages and ham play vital role in English Cuisine. Potatoes are part of many cooked dishes such as soups, pies, purees, fried cakes and stews. Fish As England is surrounded by Artic and north Atlantic ocean and as well as it has got rivers there is variety of freshwater and saltwater fish is available such as salmon, plaice, Dover sole, cod, haddock, herring, mackerel. Fruits English fruits are apple, apricot, avocado, banana, melons such as honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, all types of berries which can be grown easily in cold climate. English Cheeses Red Leicester, Stilton, Double Gloucester, Cornish yarg, camembert, different varieties of cheddar. Herbs Different varieties of herbs are used in English Cuisine such as thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, dill, mint, tarragon. EQUIPMENTS Equipments used in English Cuisine are Yorkshire pudding tins/moulds for puddings. Wood fired ovens for roasting of meat, roasting trays for roasting of meat. Pie dishes for shepherds pie. And other dishes required for the functional kitchen. Afternoon tea stands it a traditional stand for tea sandwiches, which looks like plates staged on a stand. (Ref: Englands heritage food and cooking (Lorenz books 2007). (Ref: Google images) METHODS USED Methods used are: Roasting Is used for all types of roast meats such as roast beef, roast chicken Braising Is used for dishes called as braised pig cheeks or braised beef shoulders. Poaching Is used for poaching fish such as salmon, haddock. Frying Is used for fish and chips. And other items which are deep fried such as hash browns. Grilling Is also one of the most common methods used all over England for grilled fish and meat. For example grilled mackerel, or sole with lemon butter. Baking This method is used for the dishes such as Lancashire hotpot, Shepherds pie.

Degradation of America in All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Cru

The Degradation of America in All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible  Ã‚     Ã‚   Arthur Miller was, as a playwright, very critical of American society.   He condemned every aspect and satirized every ideal of modern American culture, from democracy to the American dream.   He degraded every part of Western civilization down to a much more basic and much more negative idea – capitalism became greed, and rule by the people became rule by the mob.   Many people of his era saw him as anti-American, and in many ways, he was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of Miller’s plays focuses on fundamental aspects of humanity.   Miller chose to represent these qualities in direct relation to American society, and contrasted the sacred ideals of democracy and capitalism with the true nature of mankind.   He blamed the faults of democracy onto mankind at an individual basis, and used the â€Å"American everyman† as an example to prove his point.   This technique was very successful in Miller’s three most important works – All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and The Crucible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All three of these plays deal with different aspects of American democracy.   In All My Sons, Miller criticizes both domestic and international failures of democracy, especially in relationship to World War II.   American soldiers made great sacrifices for their friends and for their country, even giving up their lives to save that of a fellow soldier.   They were fighting to protect the American way of life, which according to Miller, was in effect nothing.   American soldiers were dying out in Europe and the Pacific so that Americans at home could buy refrigerators and new cars.   According to Chris, one of two characters Miller used to represent the American soldier, â€Å"[The A... ...btain happiness through money and fail. Larry and Proctor, along with numerous Puritans and American pilots, are all characters Miller used to demonstrate the terrible effects capitalism can have even on the innocent.   The American way of life revolves around capitalism, and capitalism is based solely on money; therefore the American way of life is faulted to the point of being unworkable. Works Cited   Hayman, Ronald.   Arthur Miller.   New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1972.   Miller, Arthur.   All My Sons.   New York: The Viking Press, 1957.   - - -.   Introduction.   Arthur Miller’s Collected Plays.   New York: The Viking Press, 1957.   - - -.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: The Viking Press, 1957.   - - -.   The Crucible.   New York: The Viking Press, 1957.   Moss, Leonard.   Arthur Miller.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1967.      

Archimedes Essay example -- Biographies Bio Biography

Archimedes was born in Syracuse, Sicily, in 287 B.C. His father was Philas, an aristocratic astronomer. He was educated in Alexandria, Egypt; where he met the Alexandrian scholars Conon of Samos and Eratosthenes of Cyrene. For much of his life, Archimedes kept a correspondence with these two scholars, updating them on his most recent discoveries and proofs. Archimedes spent the major part of his life in Sicily, in and around Syracuse. He did not hold any public office but devoted his entire lifetime to research and experiment. Archimedes is credited with the invention of the compound pulley, the hydraulic screw, the burning mirror, and vast improvements made on the catapult. He calculated the exact value of pi, proved that the volume of a sphere is 2/3 that of the circumscribed cylinder, and defined the law of the lever. Perhaps one of Archimedes’ most famous discoveries is the discovery of the hydrostatic principle now called the Archimedes principle. There are three different accounts of Archimedes’ death in 212 B.C. One of the most popular is that a Roman soldier came upon Archimedes while he was drawing diagrams in sand during the Roman siege of Syracuse during the Second Punic War. As legend has it, Archimedes, so involved in his calculations, had not noticed the commotion around him; he offended he intruder by saying, â€Å"Do not disturb my diagrams.† The soldier stabbed Archimedes through the chest, killing what historians call one the Three Greatest Mathematicians. Archimedes wrote many books containing his propositions and proofs before his death, but none were so famous as The Method Treating of Mechanical Problems, or more simply known as The Method. This work is also widely known as the Archimedes Palimpsest. ... ..., Archimedes provides a proposition as to the cause of this remarkable experiment. He sates that two solids of equal weight and equal size will, when immersed in water, will displace the same amount of liquid. He also states that the two solids will come to rest just beneath the surface of the water. Archimedes hypothesizes that any solid that is heavier than a fluid will sink to the bottom of the fluid, but will be lighter than the fluid displaced, if weighed in the fluid. Archimedes was, in conclusion, one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. Without his contributions, the branch of math known as the calculus would likely not be complete, nor would there likely be as many advances in the fields of science and mechanics as we have today. One can hardly imagine what great treasures will be unlocked in the Palimpsest, or where those discoveries might lead.

Violence Will Never Bring Victory Over Terrorism :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Violence Will Never Bring Victory Over Terrorism This has been a very angry year for many of us - the year since September 11, 2001. In a spirit of anger, hate spreads to become hostility. This hostility must be focused on something or someone. Howard Thurman in his book The Growing Edge, states, "If hostility cannot express itself toward anything else, then it is like a boomerang and turns upon its possessor." A key question that all Americans continue to face is how to respond to the death and destruction brought into our lives by the terrorist attacks. One might expect hate and hostility, but the prevailing response has been compassion and heroic efforts to support those who have suffered a loss. Immediately after the attacks of 9/11, President Bush identified the key issues, including the anger and grief of the American people. Bush said, "Grief has turned to anger and our anger to resolution." We are resolute in the goal of victory over terrorism and the defeat of those who harbor terrorist. What does that word "resolute" mean? Firmness, Determination, Pursuing a fixed purpose, unwavering. This fixed purpose continues to seek target s around the world. The glass in the side view mirror of my car cracked last week so I looked in the phone book to find a repair shop. I choose one on Lee Highway. On the right I saw an auto glass repair shop so I pulled in to the parking lot. I had the car with the broken mirror so I asked the lady behind the counter if they could replace the glass. She looked at the car and said they did not stock that piece and could not match the tinting. I pulled out the address and name of the original glass shop that was on down the road and asked her how far it was or if she could recommend any place that would be closer. She stated that Brainerd Glass was closer. I asked which shop she would recommend. She said," Brainerd Glass -- that other shop is run by a man from Saudi Arabia." I responded, "there are good and bad people in Saudi Arabia just as there are good and bad people in Chattanooga." I hope our targets are more directed than at those who are Arab, or practice Islam, or look like a terrorist and board a plane, or have ideas that seem strange.

English Is Official Language In U.S. Essay

Half the countries in the world have an official language. The US is not one of them. Recently some attempts were made to designate English as the official language of the United States, though this country is widely known for being multinational and, correspondently, multilingual. Nevertheless, at the present there are twenty seven states out of fifty that are claiming English to be their official language either by adopting a law or in their state constitutions. Thus, English language de facto occupies a position of the official language in the United States, and there are many supporters of the idea to set it in documents, de jure. The question arises: is this so vital? Should it be done by all means and at any cost? Definitely, there are some clearly stated advantages, pertaining mainly to the issue of immigration, both legal and illegal. Firstly, if English is designated as the official language, it will ensure that all the immigrants become more proficient in English, thus making communication and integration into the society much easier for all the parties. It is difficult to imagine any immigrant achieving the American dream without knowledge of English. This fact, though having little financial of physical impact, will incite people coming from other countries to learn English more zealously. Being forced to learn English, any immigrant will gain access to a full life of an American. Then, English as the default and official language will become a uniting factor for people from different parts of the world. They all came to America from divergent backgrounds, and English language is the tie that can bind them together. The last but not the least is the financial factor. Many states maintain language diversity thoroughly, which can not but call for extensive financial support. There are bilingual ballots, education, publications, and similar services provided at public expense. Massachusetts offers driver’s tests in more than two dozen foreign languages. Federal voting rights laws provide for ballots in multiple translations. Internal Revenue Service forms are printed in Spanish. Elimination of need to translate these from one language into another may save a lot of money. On the other hand, all these advantages can easily turn into disadvantages if regarded from the other point of view. Thus, immigrants coming from all parts of the world will have to abandon their native language and most traditions. Of course, as it has already been mentioned, this would benefit to their integration into the American society, but at the same time weakening of cultural and historical bonds may result in loss of national identity. Moreover, the idea of ‘English-only’ implies the feeling of linguistic superiority and somehow exclusivity. It can definitely and can be upsetting to people whose native language is not English.   Its misuse would be intended to provoke an emotional reaction and in a way irritate anyone who favors making English the US official language, as well as those who simply want to protect its role as the common language of the United States. Designating English as the official language will also give trouble to bilingual education which is nowadays very popular in many states. Bilingual education programs use both the student’s native language and English for instruction. It is emphasized that native language development has the positive influence on second language proficiency. Lack of first language development has been shown, in some cases, to inhibit the level of second language proficiency and cognitive academic development. Successful bilingual education programs actually result in faster acquisition of English. Content matter taught in the native language can be transferred to the second language. In the regular classroom, confronted with both concepts and language that are not comprehensible to them, limited English speakers learn neither the content nor the language. Language acquisition occurs only when incoming messages can be understood. Again, to be successful, citizens need to be open to learning multiple languages. Business leaders and Europeans do it. Knowing multiple languages is a great asset. In a global economy, it is the monolingual English speakers who are falling behind. Along with computer skills, a neat appearance and a work ethic, Americans more and more are finding that a second language is useful in getting a good job. What is the most important, everybody knows that English is the official language already, even if it was not designated to be one. Its declaration as the official tongue would be nothing but a mere symbol. No matter how hard the proponents of designation try to officially establish a language for the US, it is in vain; such a language already exists and is predominant. Correspondingly, efforts to strive for it can be applied to maintain the country’s multilingualism. Outline: question of designating English as the official language in the USA is a debatable one. The arguments â€Å"for† are that it would encourage immigrants to learn the language, helping them to integrate into the society and become citizens of the United States.   It would also help to save the money spent on translations. Nevertheless, the disadvantages of such a step prevail: loss of language and culture of immigrants, problems with bilingual education, limitation of possibility to acquire new languages.   Nevertheless, the crucial factor â€Å"against† the designation is that it would mean nothing, as most benefits from such the step are already existent.

What It Takes to Be a Manager

nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A MANAGER: THE CASE OF MALAYSIAN FIVESTAR RESORT HOTELS Rozila Ahmad ([email  protected] edu. my) Noor Azimin Zainol ([email  protected] edu. my) Universiti Utara Malaysia Sintok, 06010 Kedah ABSTRACT This article investigates the requirement for managerial posts in five-star resort hotels in Malaysia. Despite the growth of hotel industry in Malaysia, academic literature especially qualitative empirical study focusing on the human capital needs of the industry in the country is scarce.Different from other industries, in the hotel industry a Bachelor’s Degree hardly guarantees the attainment of management position. Based on interviews with 42 hotel employees including 19 managers from six hotels, this article suggests that work experience and leadership skill is crucial for hotel managers to perform their job. Other requirements are knowledge, education and Engli sh proficiency. This suggestion is supported by the employees’ profile. The implications are discussed, emphasizing the need to consider increasing hotel students’ work experience in the industry and enhancing their leadership skill.Keywords: human resource management, hotel industry, career, leadership, education, communication INTRODUCTION There is a shortage of skilled workers in Malaysia due to its rapidly growing economy (Business Monitor International Ltd. , 2010). Tourism is among the main contributor for the economic growth and its alignment with hotel industry has created many job opportunities to the local population. Based on the statistics by Malaysian Association of Hotels (2011a) from 2007 to 2010 the number of tourist arrival has increased from 20. 9 million to 23. million and this was followed by the increment in the number of hotels and motels from 1567 to 2005. This has led to the continuous growth of public and private institutions offering hotel man agement courses to fill the workforce needs of these hotels. Despite the increasing number of hotel graduates, hotels are still facing worker shortages (Malaysian Association of Hotels, 2011b). As in developed countries, Malaysian hotels are having problems in attracting and retaining skilled and knowledgeable workers (Patah, Zain, Abdullah & Radzi, 2009; Cheng & Brown, 1998).On one hand, the shortage of skilled workers in Malaysian hotels is caused by the unattractive work atmosphere of the industry. On the other hand it is caused by Malaysian workforce inferiority to attain management position. Similar to the developed countries, Hotels in Malaysia are facing problems in attracting and retaining skilled and knowledgeable workers due to low salary, rigid job traits and conventional style of top-down operation (Ahmad, Solnet & Scott, 2010; Yamashita & Uenoyama, 2006; Davidson, Guilding & Timo, 2006).However, such problem is less prevalent in Multi National Corporation (MNC) due to t heir strategic human resource management practices that managed to attract and retain skilled workers from competing hotels (Ahmad et al. , 2010). MNC are required to involved more locals in middle and top management position. However, after three decades of growth foreign international hotel managers still dominate the Malaysian hotel industry and this could be due to the decreased level of human capital among the Malaysian workforce (Lazzeretti & Petrillo, 2006).Numerous academic literatures in Malaysia have discussed on how the industry can retain their skilled employees. However, literature on how academicians can increase their students’ employability for 2040 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING management position is scarce despite the indication of Malaysian workforce inferiority to attain management position. This deficiency in the literature gives rise to the research question of this article. The research ques tion of this article is, â€Å"What are the requirements for managerial post in Malaysian five-star hotels? Although articles on required skills for managerial post or similar articles from other countries can serve as a guide, such articles based on empirical study in Malaysia is beneficial to provide a more specific information. Furthermore, to maximize the foreign exchange revenue and the employment of the local population, local colleges and universities need to increase their graduates’ employability. Prior to that, the students must be equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities required for managerial post.The purpose of this article is to investigate and highlight what are the knowledge, skills and abilities required by the local graduates to attain management position in Malaysia. This article makes theoretical and practical contribution. It increases the number of academic literatures concerning human resource issues in the Malaysian hotels. It investigates t he practitioners’ perception of what is required for management post. By including non-management employees’ perception, it provides comprehensive information of the requirements.This article will benefit the hotel industry in the long term. With the aim to reduce skilled workers shortage and hotel graduates' unemployment, it coordinates industry demand with academic institutions supply. LITERATURE REVIEW Skilled Workers Shortages Since 1970 there has been a rapid growth of tourism industry in Malaysia (Goldsmith & Zahari, 1994). To cater tourists’ needs the supply of hotel and motel rooms has been increased to 158,480 in 2010 (Malaysian Association of Hotels, 2011). The rapid expansion of the hotel industry has exaggerated the demand for employment of competent people.This resulted in skilled workers shortages (Malaysian Association of Hotels, 2011; Business Monitor International Ltd. , 2010). Based on Malaysian Association of Hotels Workforce Survey reports, i n 2008 there was a shortage of 2113 workers in the hotel industry. To mitigate the problem hotels employed foreign workers to work in all the departments except finance and human resources. This has reduced workforce shortages to 1146 in year 2009. In both years Food and Beverage (restaurant) department faced the highest worker shortages while the housekeeping department employed the highest number of foreign workers.The high percentage of foreign employees in housekeeping (10%), stewarding (9%), and food and beverage (restaurant) (5%) is understandable because Malaysian could earn more doing other jobs such as rubber tapping. Furthermore, the Malaysian Muslims are forbidden from serving liquor and this makes occupation in food and beverage (restaurant) department less favourable to them. However, the employment of foreign workers for top management posts (6%), executives (3%), and other posts in sports and recreation (5%) and front office and reservation (2%) is disturbing.It sugge sts that Malaysian workforce (including hotel management graduates) is not skilled enough for these posts. Existing literature lends some support to this suggestion. Hospitality Education in Malaysia The employment of foreign workers to mitigate skilled workforce shortages is acceptable in the past but now it is a dilemma. Such practice may lessen the benefits (such as employment opportunities for the locals and foreign exchange revenue) gained from tourism activities.In 1994 colleges did not have the capacity to produce sufficient number of graduates to meet the increasing demand for skilled workers because there were only ten private schools and colleges and two public institutions (Goldsmith & Zahari, 1994). To date, there is at least 61 private colleges and universities, five public universities, five polytechnics and six community 2041 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING colleges (Ministry of Higher Education, 2011). Some of these colleges and universities have a number of branches.Despite the rapid growth in the hotel education sector, shortage of skilled workers in the industry still persists. In Malaysia, local graduates’ Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management hardly guarantees the attainment of management position. This is different from other countries. Besides recruiting management employees internally, hotels also recruit graduates straight from the university (Mullen, 2007; Yamashita & Uenoyama, 2006). Therefore, the attainment of a managerial position is either through hard work by starting from an entry level position or by a ‘fast track’ through having an academic qualification (Mullen, 2007).Hence, there are managers who have never graduated from the university. They started their career as non-managerial employees and by being among the best performers they have been promoted to a managerial position. While internal promotion is common in Malaysia, direct recru itment from the local university for management posts is rare. Hotels, especially MNC prefers to recruit by advertising through the internet, newspaper and â€Å"words of mouth† in addition to establishing links with government agencies and related associations (Ahmad, 2010).Fresh graduates are perceived to be incapable of handling management duties. Reduced human resource capital in Malaysia is among the reasons for skilled workers shortage in the hotel industry. Human resource capital is at a lower standard than the 1980s because the level of English proficiency and service orientation is lower among the young workforce (Lazzeretti & Petrillo, 2006). Different from their juniors, the senior workforce’ early education was in English (Lazzeretti & Petrillo, 2006; Hanapiah, 2002). Thus, their English proficiency is better. They are looked upon as those who can epresent the organization because of their ability to communicate and deal in English language (Hanapiah, 2002) . The importance of English proficiency is more obvious in MNC hotels whose customers and managers usually communicate in English. Besides English proficiency, other requirement for hotel management post is education, skills and knowledge (technical, human resources, finance and marketing), personality (dedication, creativity, sociability, adaptability and ambitious), leadership quality and work experience (Jayawardena, 2000; Hanapiah, 2002).However, recent academic literature on these skills within the context of Malaysian hotel industry is scarce. There are a number of hotel management literatures from developed countries which discussed about management skills with implications for educational institutions. Kay and Moncarz (2004) stressed on the importance of knowledge in financial management and human resource management competencies. They suggest educational institutions provide proper coverage of financial management course. Likewise, they encouraged the industry to recruit gr aduates from hospitality programs with strong financial management curriculum.Their opinion has deviated from earlier research on management skills that suggested leadership and interpersonal skill as the most significant skills for hotel managers. However, the significance of leadership skill has continuously been supported by recent academic literatures (Boone & Peborde, 2008; Brownell, 2006). According to Boone and Peborde (2008), there are five fundamental leadership skills and these are establishing credibility, managing time, being proactive, empowering others to act and networking.Based on their article, credibility concerns on constituents’ trust and confidence of their manager, being proactive is knowing and executing what needs to be done for the organization’s benefit, empowerment includes enabling self leadership, providing choice, developing competence and confidence and fostering accountability and networking is developing personal contacts to get valuabl e support, feedback, insight, information and resources. They argued that leadership is not a charisma that one may or may not possess; it consists of attitudes, behaviours and skill that can be adopted, learned and mproved through practice. Therefore, they 2042 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING suggest college students and early career workers to master the fundamental leadership skills to build a strong leadership base. Hotel management students should be properly tooled with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to attain management position and then, face and handle the industry’s challenges (Kay & Moncarz, 2004; Boone & Peborde, 2008; Brownell, 2006).Prior to that, it is beneficial to investigate what are the knowledge, skills and abilities required to attain management position within the context of the local hotel industry. With the aim to equip Malaysian students with the necessary knowledge, skills an d abilities, the skills required for management position in Malaysian five-star hotels are assessed in detail. METHODOLOGY The methodological approach used in this study is framed within qualitative research. Respondents were contacted through e-mails and phone calls to request for an interview.A personal interview method was used for data collection which was carried out in May and June 2008. Interviews were conducted according to the respondents’ schedule and availability and at their preferred location. It is important to provide a relaxed environment during the interview to encourage the respondents to openly and fully discuss the topics (Cooper & Schindler, 2003). The interviews were unstructured to give respondents the opportunity to provide more information. The interview started with informing respondents the purpose of the research and their right to withdraw from the research at any time to ensure they were comfortable.To ensure confidentiality, develop trust and en courage the respondents to provide full information, names were coded. M1 refers to the first managerial employee interviewed while NM2 refers to the second non-managerial employee interviewed. Interviews were recorded on tape with the respondents’ permission. Taping the interview allows the researcher to concentrate on the discussion and listen to the interview as often as needed. Repeatedly listening to a taped interview enables the researcher to capture the essence and meanings of words, which facilitates quality analysis of data. ANALYSISThe data collected was analysed using content analysis. To capture the emotion, content analysis of transcripts was conducted manually and respondents’ answers were quoted in the findings. A software program was not used to analyse the data because relying on computers can â€Å"run the risk of trivializing the meaning of texts† (Krippendorff, 2004). â€Å"Content analysis is a research technique for making replicable and v alid inferences from texts (or other meaningful matter) to the contexts of their use† (Krippendorff, 2004, p. 18). Qualitative content analysis allows a researcher to discover what the text reveals.All interviews were transcribed. The transcripts were read multiple times to understand the context of each statement and to enable the researchers to become immersed in the data The sample size for the study was 42 respondents, 19 managerial employees and 23 non-managerial employees. All respondents were from six Malaysian five-star resort hotels that employ more than 300 fulltime employees and have been in business for at least 12 years. All respondents had more than one year’s working experience with the hotel industry to ensure that they had the capability to provide the in-depth information required.Twenty-one respondents were employees of three MNC hotels. Four of the hotels employed expatriates for general manager post. Foreign workers were employed for management and nonmanagement post. The respondents’ profile is described in Table 1. An exploration of respondents’ views on requirement for managerial post was sought. 2043 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING Table 1: Respondents Profile Respondents Post Work Experience Education MNC M1 HR Director 20 years Non Hotel Diploma v M2 Chief Security 16 years Non Hotel Diploma v M3 HR Officer 17 years SPM M4 HR Manager 18 years Hotel Diploma M5 Senior Security Officer 19 years STPM M6 Security Officer 11 years SPM M7 Assistant Front Office Manager 10 years Non-Hotel Diploma M8 Training Manager 10 years Hotel Diploma M9 Landscape Executive 9 years Primary School M10 HR Officer 15 years Hotel Diploma v M11 Assistant Pastry Chef 20 years A Level v M12 Assistant Chief Engineer 17 years Non Hotel Certificate v M13 Executive Housekeeper 19 years SPM v M14 Executive Housekeeper 16 years Hotel Certificate v M15 Executive Chef 15 years SPM v M16 HR Manager 20 years Non Hotel Degree v M17 Executive Housekeeper 18 yearsHotel Certificate M18 Food and Beverage Manager 21 years SPM M19 Personnel Manager 10 years Non Hotel Diploma NM1 Housekeeping Supervisor 17 years SRP v NM2 F Captain 12 years Non Hotel Certificate v NM3 F Captain 9 years SPM v NM4 F Cashier 8 years SPM v NM5 Recreation Coordinator 14 years SPM NM6 Senior life guard 18 years SPM NM7 Account Clerk 18 years SPM NM8 Driver 15 years SPM NM9 Accounts Supervisor 12 years STPM NM10 Hostess 6 years SPM NM11 Commis/ Cook 14 years SPM NM12 Laundry Supervisor 13 years SPM NM13 Receptionist 12 years Hotel Diploma v NM14 Public Area Supervisor 8 years Islamic School NM15 Laundry Supervisor 5 years SPM v NM16 Driver 11 years Primary School v NM17 Room Attendant 9 years STPM v NM18 Housekeeping Coordinator 15 years SPM v NM19 Technician 13 years SPM v NM20 Public Area Supervisor 14 years Primary School NM21 Landscape Supervisor 9 years Non Hotel Certificate NM22 Housekee ping Supervisor 15 years SRP 2044 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING NM23 Food and Beverage Supervisor 7 years Islamic School FINDINGS To answer the research question, respondents were asked to describe the requirements for a hotel managerial post.The requirements mentioned by respondents were positive attitude, leadership skill, communication skill, interpersonal skill, self-motivation, determination, emotional intelligence, knowledge, experience, education and English proficiency. Experience was most frequently mentioned followed by leadership skills, knowledge and education. Table 2 summarised respondents’ views of the requirements for a managerial post in the hotel industry. Work experience was the most frequently mentioned criterion. Majority of the respondents perceived it to be the most important criterion to attain managerial post.Unlike other industries, those people with education but without experience are l east likely to be in managerial positions. This assertion is supported by the examples below: In the hotel industry, an applicant for a managerial position requires more than a degree. Most of the university send students here for three to six months industrial training. But that isn’t enough. That is not good enough. You can be a manager in some hotel, but how are you going to make decision†¦ If you don’t have enough experience and you make the wrong decision, you’ll become the laughing stock to your staff. You have pioneer staff in the hotel.You have supervisors who will question you back. If you work in the government sector or any other sectors, that’s a different story. In hotel industry, you really need the experience. (M7) The importance of having work experience in the hotel industry was mentioned by most of the respondents. According to the respondents, even those with a diploma must start from the entry-level position, and from there it dep ends on their performance. While M17 clearly stated that work experience is more important than education, NM4 gave example of problems faced by new managers without working experience.Even the managers started at the entry-level like us. Then, they learned and learned. High education without work experience is not good enough (for managerial position). From what I’ve seen, fresh graduates who started at management level have difficulty to organise things. (NM4) The next criterion most frequently mentioned was leadership. Some managerial respondents highlighted the importance of leadership qualities. The managerial respondents stated that managers who seek excellence from employees should have leadership qualities. Those with leadership qualities are respected by their subordinates.They are able to make subordinates embrace the organization’s culture and they manage to get things done and obtain good results. 2045 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOM IC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING Table 2: Requirement for Managerial Position Respondents Leadership M1 v Knowledge Experience Education English Proficiency v v v v v v v M5 v v M6 v M7 v M8 v M9 v M2 M3 v v M4 M10 v M11 v M12 v v v v v v v v M13 M14 v v v v v v v M15 M16 v M17 v M18 v NM1 v v v v v v v v NM2 v v v M19 v v v NM3 v v NM4 v v NM5 v v NM6 v v NM7 v v v v NM8 NM9 v v v NM11 v NM13 v NM14 v v NM15 v v NM16 v v v NM12 v v NM10 v v v NM17 NM18 v NM19 v NM20 v NM21 v v v NM22 v v v NM23 v v v 2046 v v nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING A leader’s personal characteristics mentioned by respondents were determination, positive attitude, selfmotivation, emotional intelligence and efficiency. In addition, they felt that managers should be smart, creative and credible. M1 stated the followings: 1. A leader has positive attitude, emotional intelligence, self motivation and determination. . Managers must have lea dership quality to spread the organization’s culture to all their subordinates. 3. Leaders guide their subordinates and makes them realised the importance of satisfying guests which leads to customer loyalty in addition to employees’ loyalty. Therefore, the organization will attain long term profitability. 4. â€Å"We train them, we guide them, we coach them, and if there’s derailment, we put them back on the track†. The influence of a great leader is evident in some of the non-managerial employees and given below is an example.I enjoy my work because I got the chance to meet the guests†¦ My former general manager used to say â€Å"You must take good care of the guest because if you don’t, they will go to other hotels. When this hotel is out of business where can you work? † He advised us to make the guests happy and to do what we should do. It is not difficult at all. When the guests come, I open the door for them, greet them†¦ th ey are like kings and we must treat them well. (NM8) The importance of knowledge was also frequently mentioned by the respondents. Knowledge is gained from experience, education and training:We must be knowledgeable in all aspects; the department that we’re handling and the departments that are related to us. We must at least have the basic knowledge of the functions of front office, maintenance, food and beverage and kitchen. Another thing is how to manage human. This is important. If you want to be a good manager, you must know how to manage your subordinates. (M18) According to M11, those who have worked in many places, including overseas, are knowledgeable and they bring in new ideas. M15 stated that it is also important that managers know the current issues in the hotel industry.Other knowledge listed by the respondents as important included â€Å"how to do paper works† (NM21) and â€Å"how to communicate with colleagues† (NM15). Although education is not t he most important requirement for a hotel managerial post, it is compulsory in order to be promoted to a higher-level management position. In some five-star hotels, employees are required to have at least a university certificate in order to be promoted to a management position in addition to other requirements. In other five-star hotels having a university diploma is a necessity.Now we require at least a diploma. In the past there were not many hotel schools. Only those who are rich can afford to study overseas to learn about hotel management and hotel industry. But now, even Malaysia has Hotel Management School. However, for me, education is secondary because in hotel industry you need experienced people. Experience comes first. (M18) Of the 19 managerial employees interviewed, five managers had a certificate (including STPM and A Level) seven managers had a diploma and one manager had a degree. Seven of these managers were MNC hotel employees.Based on the respondents’ prof ile, even those without college or university certificate had the opportunity to be managers in MNC hotels. At present, only those with certificates are appointed as managers. 2047 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING Another requirement mentioned by respondents was English proficiency. Out of 42 respondents, only eight mention about the importance of English proficiency. According to the respondents, to be a manager they must be able to communicate in English.While the inability to communicate in English will disqualify them for managerial positions, fluency in English is an advantage for them to further develop their careers. M18 stated that English proficiency is important because majority of their guests are foreigners. Interest to work in the industry is another important criterion that is rarely mentioned in the literature. According to a managerial respondent, students’ interest to work in the industry is importan t because it might affect the quality of their work.Whenever students come and work in the hotel industry, I ask them â€Å"are you here because of your father, or you yourself want to come here†. If someone says, â€Å"I don’t like hotel work, my father asks me to come here†, I will say, â€Å"Pack up your bags and go home†. Seriously, if you want to work in hotel industry, you must have the interest. If not, you will waste money, time and effort to do something that you don’t like. So you better don’t do it. Make your decision now, do you want to be a hotelier or not? Honestly, the quality of workers now is very different compared to the last fifteen years. Now there are so many opportunities.So the quality is not there anymore. (M18) Communication skill and interpersonal skill was also listed by the respondents as one of the necessary skills. However, it was mentioned by very few respondents and not much was said about the two skills. Maj ority of the respondents mentioned about the importance of having work experience. Although it is clear that work experience is more important compared to education, this finding does not suggest that work experience is more important compared to other skills such as leadership and interpersonal skill. The objective of this study was to investigate what are the equirements for managerial post and not to rank the skills’ importance. DISCUSSION Based on the literature review and the findings of this study, the requirement for managerial post in Malaysian five-star hotels is work experience, leadership skill, knowledge, education, English language proficiency, communication skill, interpersonal skill and interest to be a hotelier. The significance of most of these skills for managerial success has been mentioned in existing literature. However, the significance of work experience and English language proficiency is more pronounced in the Malaysian context.This study found that h aving work experience is a necessity for graduates’ employment for managerial post. Knowledge and leadership skill are developed through education and work experience. While management theories and basic technical skills can be taught by academic institutions, leadership skills such as analytical and conceptual thinking, relationship building, and self control requires experience in the field (Brownell, 2006). Furthermore, work experience enhanced students’ technical skill. Technical skill efficiency is important for the first level managers due to their proximity with the non-managerial employees (Daft, 1998).Therefore, a partnership with the industry through industrial training is crucial to develop students’ leadership skill which is necessary to foster high-performing organisation (Brownell, 2006). Sending students for industrial training is a normal practice for hotel schools. However, it was perceived insufficient by the hotel managers. Therefore, it is be neficial to lengthen the industrial training period and to encourage students to do part-time at hotels. Part-time employees are employed during peak season when there is abundant of task to be completed.Therefore, besides earning some money, students can gain experience and enhanced the required skills. 2048 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING Different from developed countries, education is perceived as secondary to work experience in Malaysian five-star hotels. However, the importance of education keeps increasing due to the increasing number of hotel management schools and hotel management graduates. The findings of this study reveal that currently even those without higher education could attain management position in MNC five-star hotels.However, these managers have had many years of working experience and have gone through a number of supervisory and management trainings conducted by the hotels. Even the local independe nt and chain hotels provide continuous training to their employees (Ahmad et al. , 2010). Due to the social and demographic changes, at present more educated individual is required for management post. Thus, only those with sufficient work experience and academic qualification could attain management position while others have to start from entrylevel position.To encourage hotels to recruit management candidates straight from the university like in the developed countries, local universities need to produce graduates who have sufficient work experience and are capable to handle management duties. The importance of English proficiency for graduates’ employment and career development especially in the hotel industry is prevalent in Malaysia (Hanapiah, 2002). Although English proficiency was mentioned by few respondents, it does not suggest that it is not as important as other skills. Furthermore, none of the respondents stated that it is less important compared to other skills. In fact, they stated that it is significant for the labour market employability and workforce advancement. The importance of English language proficiency has been highlighted in existing academic literatures (Lazzeretti & Petrillo, 2006; Hanapiah, 2002; Brownell, 2006). Due to the importance, Malaysian five-star resort hotels have been providing English language training to their employees (Ahmad et al. , 2010). Academic institutions can produce graduates who are fluent in English by using the language as the medium of instruction.Other than that, it is beneficial to interview students during their admission process to assess their personal characteristics and English proficiency (Brownell, 2006). Selecting the right candidates for the industry can make producing quality graduates easier for the academic institutions. Interest in the field is another factor to qualify candidates for management post. Unlike other professions such as architecture and engineering, it is difficult to fi nd students whose ambition is to be a hotelier or hotel employees. Academic institutions play an important role to develop students’ interest.Such interest can be developed by inviting successful guest speakers from the industry to share their experience and provide information of their job and how much they earn. However, the interest built can be destroyed overnight if the students encounter negative experience such as workplace bullying during their industrial training or part-time employment in the industry (Patah, Abdullah, Naba, Zahari and Radzi, 2010). Therefore, practitioners have to ensure that their employees can be a role model to the students and not someone they want to avoid.On the other hand, students should be groomed to face the challenges at the workplace. LIMITATION AND CONTRIBUTION OF THE RESEARCH This study lists the requirements for managerial posts but it does not rank the requirements based on their importance. Although it states that work experience i s more important compared to education, such statement is made based on respondents’ words. The qualitative nature of this study does not allow for ranking. Skills listed in the findings came from respondents’ mind. Respondents were not given any list of skills for them to rate and rank.Therefore it is imprecise to suggest that work experience is more important compared to leadership skill just because more respondents mentioned work experience as the requirement for managerial position. This article contributes to the hotel management literature by explaining about the requirements for the attainment of management post in Malaysian five-star hotels and provides suggestions on how to develop and enhance the skills needed in the industry. The suggestion is based on practitioners’ view that is supported by 2049 nd nd 2 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (2 ICBER 2011) PROCEEDING he previous literature. This article can serve as a guide to t he academicians, the university and colleges’ students and to those in early career positions in the hotel industry. CONCLUSION It is essential for the industry and the academic institutions to have a partnership and unity of effort to mitigate the issue of skilled employees’ shortages. The academicians need to realize the importance of producing skilled workforce compatible with the industry human capital needs and the industry need to provide a more favourable workplace that graduates may perceived as an avenue to build their career.Increased unemployment of hotel management graduates coupled with increased dependency on foreign workers does not benefit the country, the industry and the academic institutions. 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