Outcome and Session Evaluation in Psychotherapy

Introduction Human beings have been experiencing numerous challenges in the course of life for a considerably long period of time now. Different intervention strategies have been employed in order to counter the problems with an attempt to solve them amicably.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Outcome and Session Evaluation in Psychotherapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many psychological researchers have made attempts to explore the possibility of enhancing the effectiveness of handling the challenges experienced in life. Psychotherapy is one of the most focused upon field by the scientists in the recent past. It is a process employed by a psychotherapist when attending to the clients. Psychotherapy involves interpersonal counseling sessions where the psychotherapist and the client interact closely with an aim of aiding the patient overcome the problems associated with life. The primary focus of most intervent ion measures is to help the client enhance the feeling of self-worth and hence promote their well-being for a better living. Psychotherapy can be defined as a process geared towards the relief of distressing or a challenge in an individual by someone else, using a predetermined approach from a given theory or paradigm, and the psychotherapist must have some professional training as far as offering the services is concerned (Plante, 1998). A ray of techniques are employed by the psychotherapists depending on the relationship built from experience, dialogue, and continued interaction. Other strategies including promoting communication and the emphasis on the need for a behavior change with an aim of improving the client’s psychological health as well as the need to improve relationships among groups, for instance among members of family. Psychotherapy is such a broad field that it can be practiced by different professionals and practitioners with varying qualifications.Advertis ing Looking for thesis on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, it can be performed by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, music therapists, mental health counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatric nurses, and psychoanalysts (Plante, 1998). Given the broadness of psychotherapy, it has the capacity to assert itself as a profession on its own. There are several forms of psychotherapy but most of them use spoken means for exchanging information. Other forms of communication include; the written word, drama, narratives, music, story telling, and the use of art. Psychotherapy is normally conducted in a structured environment between a trained psychotherapist and the client(s). Over a long period of time now, psychotherapy has always been conducted in response to either different clinically diagn osable problems or non-specified mental expressions in human beings resulting from crises in life. Some therapeutic involvements are modeled to attend to clients in the symptom-based approach. However, most interventions by psychotherapists do not employ the medical model when attending to their client(s). Clients, therefore, respond differently to all the various approaches and greatly determine whether they are satisfied by the services offered or not. The need to find out client satisfaction after a session in psychotherapy has been at the center of many researches for the past two decades. Virtually all therapeutic encounters involve the discussion of very sensitive as well as strictly personal issues with the client. As a result, psychotherapists are often bound legally to observe confidentiality as far as sharing client’s information is concerned. The techniques employed in measuring client’s satisfaction have not been as effective as they should be. This paper s eeks to focus on the outcomes and session evaluation in psychotherapy. It will discuss and review existing research, the contributing factors, and propose direction towards achieving better treatment in psychotherapy in order to ensure client satisfaction.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Outcome and Session Evaluation in Psychotherapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although there exists a number of research findings concerning client satisfaction in psychotherapy, advanced and thorough research in session evaluation in psychotherapeutic satisfaction as well as proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions need to be conducted. Literature Review Researchers have made significant progress in an attempt to enhance the quality of services offered to the client by psychotherapists. Analyses of outcome and evaluation of client satisfaction from psychotherapeutic sessions by researchers have been done with an aim of drawing meaningful conclusions for improving the various intervention approaches. As much as there are a number of research findings and conclusions, so are the numbers of unaddressed deficiencies in enhancing the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions. This section seeks to focus on the works done by six researchers that will highlight the need for conducting a project for my stated thesis. In a journal article by Laszloffy (2000), research findings to investigate the implications of client satisfaction feedback for fresh family therapists are discussed. In the study, the researcher integrated the client’s perspective on session satisfaction as opposed to the traditional pattern by researchers to ignore this aspect and relying only on therapist’s perspective. Client-satisfaction ratings of therapy sessions were solely used to assess outcome and to select sample. The rating scale was designed such that the client rated the outcome of a given therapy as either â€Å"extremely satisfying† or â€Å"extremely dissatisfying†. The client sample was collected from a degree-granting marital and family therapy (MFT) training program in the United States. It involved separate phone interviews with the therapists and clients within 1-2 months following the termination of the case. All the participants were informed about the project and they participated voluntarily by signing a consent form. Audio-taped interviews were conducted by 8 MFT master’s students.Advertising Looking for thesis on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The researcher investigated two closed-ended questions: â€Å"Were there any changes in presenting problem (yes or no)?† and â€Å"Please rate how satisfied/dissatisfied you are with the therapy you received/provided (on a 7-point Likert scale).† The following open-ended questions were also asked: â€Å"What was particularly good about the therapeutic experience?† â€Å"What was particularly not good about the therapeutic experience?† and â€Å"How would you describe your relationship with your therapist/clients?† The results from the sample were analyzed in terms of what was regarded as good and not good about therapy experience as well as the perception associated with the client-therapist relationship (Laszloffy, 2000). The research question that the analyst used to find out the themes linked to the divergent outcomes was: What specific factors/themes appear to be linked to clients’ overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the therapy experience (i.e., therapeutic outcome)?† This research question is in tandem with my thesis where deeper factors contributing to client satisfaction/dissatisfaction need to be investigated. According to the research findings, a number of inherent themes were established. Most clients were positive with their relationship with their therapists. Those who were positive reported that they felt connected. For the therapists, language barrier hindered their desire to develop positive relationship with their clients, but no hostility was implied by those who were extremely dissatisfied. Differences in the levels of client satisfaction were also found to originate from the varying definition of therapeutic goals. The conclusion drawn indicated that clients and the therapists had remarkable congruent perceptions of the therapy experience (Laszloffy, 2000). This supports the thesis in that some important contributing factors were identified as determining client satisfaction in therap y sessions. However, the sample used was very small and specific such that no generalizations can be made about the conclusions reached. The absence of a dialectical data-gathering method similar to qualitative research may have interfered with the results and hence validity of the conclusions. Another research by Simmons and Doherty (1998) focused around the same topic of investigation. The author addressed the question of whether academic training backgrounds make any difference among practicing marriage and family therapists and the client’s satisfaction. The study investigated members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy with academic training in psychology, social work, counseling, and marriage and family therapy by comparing their performance on a wide range of clinical practice variables, and their clients were surveyed as far as their satisfaction and outcomes were concerned. The findings showed highly similar practice patterns and client outcom es across all four disciplinary groups. Just like the findings by Laszloffy (2000), this research sought to explore the role that educational training background may have on client satisfaction. The research concluded that professional discipline does not make any meaningful difference in the outcomes of psychotherapy. The findings of the study, however, cannot be generalized outside the members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy although the 33% response rate raises even further doubts. Also, the role of ethnicity and race was not properly taken into account since the therapists and the clients were 96.6% European American and the report identified this as a limitation (Simmons Doherty, 1998). Hence, it is consistent with my thesis statement that further research into factors affecting client outcome in psychotherapy sessions is needed. An earlier research by Howard, Moras, Brill, Martinovich, and Lutz (1996), investigated the comparative efficacy and effe ctiveness of clinical interventions, aggregated over groups of patients. They advocated the monitoring of a patient’s progress over the course of treatment. The research concluded that despite the accumulation of evidence showing that psychotherapeutic interventions are efficacious and effective for mental health problems, the provision of such treatments is faced with major challenges. The concern raised here will be captured in the project that I intend to pursue in relation to the thesis statement. In an attempt to predict the evaluation of psychotherapy sessions, just as is mentioned in the thesis above, Eugster and Wampold (1996) conducted a research using 114 therapists and 119 patients. They used the Comparative Scale of Psychotherapy Session Constructs designed to measure 9 process variables and how they are related to the session evaluation from the therapists’ and patients’ perspectives. The findings revealed significant difference between the session evaluations for the two groups. Therapist expertness predicted therapist session evaluation while therapist real relationship predicted the patient session evaluation (Eugster Wampold, 1996). The study findings also showed that there are both similarities and significant differences in how patients as well as therapists evaluate psychotherapy sessions. The research had its own limitations. The participating therapists were from a small group of experts; hence, the findings could not be generalized. Furthermore, the research sought to explore the overall systematic differences between therapists and patients and not on individual basis. The project to be pursued will scale down its perspective to focus on the individual dyads. A recent research which was conducted by Reese, Norsworthy, and Rowlands (2009) sought to explore and attempt to solve the question of whether continuous feedback system does improve psychotherapy outcome. The authors hypothesized that the use of outcome data on a continuous basis to monitor treatment progress plays a role in enhancing psychotherapy outcome. The research findings indicated that those patients who used the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS) demonstrated significant treatment progress compared to those who did receive treatment usually (Reese et al., 2009). Furthermore, the findings revealed that the clients who use PCOMS experienced reliable change and within fewer sessions. Also, it was established that fewer premature termination of treatment was reported by the clients who used PCOMS. The researchers assessed the result using statistical calculations. The use of the system proved to be a major limitation in this study. Moreover, the study was not consistent since a significant number of clients had no data, meaning they did not participate fully in the study and thus the conclusions may be invalid, to some degree. More appropriate techniques of collecting data and ensuring that there is full particip ation of the clients in the project to evaluate patient satisfaction will be prioritized in my project. Hollon and Dimidjian (2010) conducted the latest research to find out if there were any harmful effects of psychotherapy. The researchers hypothesized that patients can be harmed by treatment or by decisions that are made about those treatments. They were motivated by numerous cases of the harmful effects of psychotherapy which has been established through research that the scope could be broader than is thought. The article defines several ways in which treatment can cause harm to patients. The factors that hinder the detection of the harm have also been discussed. The data was collected through randomized clinical trials. Their desire was to highlight the impact of psychotherapy itself (Hollon Dimidjian, 2010). This could actually be a significant factor that affects session satisfaction in psychotherapy which the project seeks to investigate. Conclusion From the above research findings by various investigators, it is evident that quite a number of studies have been conducted around the field of psychotherapy and client satisfaction. Conducting a deeper research that will build on the challenges experienced by earlier researchers is therefore justified. We can therefore conclude that despite the fact that there exists a number of research findings concerning client satisfaction in psychotherapy, advanced and thorough research in session evaluation in psychotherapeutic satisfaction as well as proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions need to be conducted. References Eugster, S. L. Wampold, B. E. (1996). Systematic effects of participant role on evaluation of the psychotherapy session. Journal of Consulting and Clinical  Psychology. 64 (5), 1020-1028 Hollon, S. D. Dimidjian, S. (2010). How would we know if psychotherapy were harmful? Journal of American Psychological Association. 19-32. Howard, K. I., Moras, K., Brill, P. L., Martinovich, Z., Lutz, W. (1996). Evaluation of psychotherapy: efficacy, effectiveness, and patient progress. American  Psychological Association. 51 (10), 1059-1064 Laszloffy, T. A. (2000). The implications of client satisfaction feedback for beginning family therapists: back to the basics. Journal of Marital and Family therapy. 26 (3), 391-397 Plante, T. G. (1998). Measuring treatment outcome and client satisfaction among children and families: A case report. [Peer Reviewed Journal Article]. Journal of  Professional Psychology. 29 (1), 52-55 Reese, R. J., Norsworthy, L. A., Rowlands, S. R. (2009). Does a continuous feedback system improve psychotherapy outcome? Journal of American  Psychological Association. 46 (4), 418-431 Simmons, D. S. Doherty, W. J. (1998). Does academic training background make a difference among practicing marriage and family therapists? Journal of Marital  and Family Therapy. 24 (3), 321-336 This thesis on Outcome and Session Evaluation in Psychotherapy was written and submitted by user Annabella Turner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Financial Crises Essay

Financial Crises Essay Financial Crises Essay There have been many financial crises that have made significant damage to economies. Some of those crises still live on today as the consequences of some actions still are felt in many countries and economies. The three crises that will be examined will be the Dot-Com Bubble, the Great Recession in the United States and the Greek Crisis. A detailed analysis will be given of each crisis including a comparison of the different events. The first crisis to be examined will be the Dot-Com crisis. This crisis occurred from 1997 to 2000, with the effects of its aftermath being felt until 20021. The country that it affected was just the United States. This crisis was caused by the bubble growth of Dot-Com companies. Dot-Com companies were businesses that were experimenting in the wave of the internet world. During this period Dot-Com companies or companies that wanted to join this surge, would add an â€Å"e-â€Å"at the beginning of their business or a â€Å".com† to be a part of this movement1. This Dot-Com movement ended up having soaring stock prices for companies that joined this movement. Another cause was the free spending of these Dot-Com companies. Company’s believed that their survival was dependent on expanding its customer base slowly. In turn, companies disregarded annual losses that would soon hurt them significantly1. The resolution for this crisis was the stock market taking a substantial loss. A lot of these companies could not recover from this economic collapse so they had to file bankruptcy. A lot of these companies also were bought out. Although this crisis hurt the stock market, it was the businesses that suffered. No government intervention was needed luckily to solve this crisis. The second crisis was the Great Recession in the United States. Signs of the recession were evident in 2007, but the United States would not enter this recession until 20082. The United States is currently still recovering from this recession and will continue to recover for a while. The United States recession affected the United States the most. It has caused substantial economic impacts and losses. However, since the United States is such a powerful country, this crisis has affected many other countries around the world. To sum it up, any country that conducted business with the United States was affected by this crisis. There were many different causes for this crisis. The first was the Securization Food Chain of mortgages2. This means that financial conglomerates, investment banks and insurance firms were linked together in the trading of mortgage derivatives and other derivatives. With this monopoly of firms, loans were being sold and traded to make huge profits. This would i ncrease home prices tremendously. The second cause was that this monopoly of firms was letting people who could not afford homes, afford them. They would finance anyone with the implication that home prices would raise. They would also finance mortgages with adjustable interest rates which would cause homeowners not to be able to afford their homes in the long run. Another contributing cause was the offshoring of American jobs. Businesses were trying to save money by offshoring jobs which in the end contributed to a higher unemployment rate. The fourth contributing factor was the allotment of unemployment rate to control inflation. As the unemployment rate raised so did inflation causing economic failure. Lastly, mergers between large companies were allowed. These mergers reduced tax revenues for large companies and cut employment of employees thus contributing to unemployment as well2. All these causes produced the biggest economic collapse for the United States since the Great De pression. The resolution ended up with government intervention and regulation. This resulted in a bailout for all the companies affected by investing in the mortgage market. This bailout has helped push the United States economy to start recovering. However it is important to note that the

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Responsible Tourism - Essay Example As a result, the situations is several destinations including Africa is characterized by deteriorating infra-structure, political and economic instability, increasing external control and weak backward and forward linkage with other economic sectors. Besides, tourism benefits do not filter down to poor communities (Booyens, 2010). With changes in consumer lifestyle and higher disposable incomes, more people desire to travel and experience pleasure. The World Travel Organization (WTO) predicts that by 2020 international arrivals would exceed 15 million (UNEP, 2005). Growth in tourism would take place across the world but it would be concentrated in the developing countries. In South Africa alone international arrivals are set to grow at an average of 5.5 per year. This can have profound impact on the local economies and the destination because human systems and the environment are strongly coupled and jointly determined systems. For sustainable development the social and the ecological systems cannot be analysed separately (Modvar & Gallopin, 2005). In fact, the perspectives and concerns of the major stakeholders need to be incorporated for an effective decision making. This is because there is a relationship between tourist behavior and their attitude towards the environment (Andereck, 2009). The purpose of this report is to evaluate the concepts of sustainable and responsible tourism, and the similarities and difference between these two concepts. Based on an understanding of responsible tourism, this report presents a responsible tourism strategy for Masai Mara game Reserve. The problems at Mara are identified and then objectives have been set followed by the strategy to achieve the SMART objectives. The concept of sustainability first came into discussions in1987 with the release of the Brundtland Commission’s â€Å"Our Common Future† sponsored by the UN

Marketing Plan for Final Flight (Aerial cremation dispersal) Research Proposal

Marketing Plan for Final Flight (Aerial cremation dispersal) - Research Proposal Example Cremation is, therefore, preferred by a large section of the society. However, disposing the remains becomes a major issue and most families are seen to preserve it in urns, which in time becomes taxing to preserve. Final Flight aims to provide an effective alternative for disposing the ashes of deceased loved ones by scattering them in the air by means of an airplane. The current paper will analyze the market opportunities and specify different marketing plans of the company so as to realize whether undertaking such a business venture is deemed profitable. As we know, those who identify with a religion, different faiths have different traditions when it comes to cremation. While many Christians have traditionally chosen burial -- mirroring Jesus entombment and the belief that the body and the spirit are one and must be whole for resurrection -- others have not, particularly some liberal Protestants. The Catholic Church lifted its ban on cremation in 1963. But the No. 1 reason cited for choosing cremation in a national survey was cost. On average, cremation is one-third the cost of burial (not including the burial plot or upkeep), ranging from about $500 to $1,500, according to the Cremation Association of North America. This company will be called Final Flight LLC, which will be an aerial cremation dispersal service offering an alternative to the underground burial or spreading of ashes over the ground on a local, state, national, and eventually a global level. Our goal is to provide personalized aerial cremation dispersal with the highest standards of dignified and ethical service regarding your loved one’s ashes from the air. We are committed to the highest level of integrity to fulfill the requests of the family. Sunsets become everlasting memorials†¦when the remains of your loved one are dispersed by air. The

Stages of Policy Making: Immigration Policy

Stages of Policy Making: Immigration Policy Five Stages of Policy-Making Process An on-going policy issue that is at the forefront of diverse opinions in Congress is the Immigration Policy issue. Immigration influx began during the Second World War, which led to the need of having policies to regulate the influx. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act set the guiding principles of immigration in the United States. The five stages of the Immigration Policymaking are explained below (Migration Information Source, 2013). Identify Policy Objective According to McCabe (2010), the major issue that has led to the need for immigration policies is the illegal immigration and large influx of immigrants from Mexico in search for better wages. Illegal immigrants enter US using fraudulent documents, overstaying visa durations and illegally crossing land borders. Illegal immigration continues to date due to the economic upward growth in the agricultural and construction sector that demands for semi-skilled labour. Secondly, the issue of terrorism is largely affected by immigration. The 9/11 attack led to the formation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003. They have the mandate of overseeing entry of people and goods at entry points, enforcing the customs and immigration requirements in the USA. Additionally, the DHS adjudicates the immigration benefits applications like visa, asylum and naturalization (Migration Information Source, 2013). America is also the leading countries of refugees, providing the protection for political and religious victims. They provide refugee resettlement and asylum which has been a conflicting issue in the Immigration Bill (McCabe, 2010). Policy Formation Russell (2012) indicates that the most convenient way of immigrating is employment-based and family-based channels. Family-based immigration has no numerical restrictions, but there must be sponsoring of a relative for approval. Employment-based immigrations are aimed to uphold the nation’s economic demands. It is limited to 140,000 visas annually. Employment-based green cards are available for workers, mainly sponsored by their employers. Secondly, many immigrants are legalised through the method of the diversity visa lottery. The numbers of people who are naturalized are restricted by per country limits and numerical ceilings. According to the Immigration Bill, refugees are granted all humanitarian help in a foreign country and are resettled in the US. The Congress and the president set the refugee admission ceiling yearly. Noncitizens residing in the US for studies, work or tourism, are eligible for the non-immigrant status. This status has restrictive terms and conditions related to duration of stay. The majority of non-immigrants are tourists and students. The increase in student visas has been led by a rise in students from China (Russell, 2012). Adopting The Best Solution Notably, the Obama administration enacted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012 (Russell, 2012). The program protected young illegal immigrants from being deported and forced to work. However, this program applied only to those who came to USA as children, received education, and pose no threat to security. Policies such as the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and No Child Left Behind Act were enacted to safeguard the interests of the immigrants and their smoother integration (Russell, 2012). The Congress is continuing in ensuring the rights of immigrants are upheld because of the immense effect the immigrants have on elections. The Latino voting population was 12 million, which consisted of ten Percent of the total voting population. The Democrats and Republicans are pushing for immigration reforms so as to win the allegiance of minority groups (Migration Information Source, 2013). Implementing Immigration, integration is one aspect of immigration policies that is highly underfunded and only target small groups. Hospitals, churches, schools and other groups have taken center stage to initiate the integration of immigrants through English classes, health clinics and training of the immigrants. The government is ensuring illegal immigration reduces through enforcing stricter measures in visa screening, border patrol, employment enforcement. Also, there are removal and deportation of criminals who have violated immigration regulations. Additionally, these measures are focused mainly on the US-Mexican Border. The government has invested billions in infrastructure, technology and personnel for the Border Patrol (Russell, 2012). Evaluating Policy Directives The refugee admission number is flexible and is subject to review annually by the president and the Congress. The Federal government is sensitive to changing political and religious situations in other countries and seek to enhance democracy to all people. Programs such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are an indication of the measures taken by the Federal government in evaluating the rights and restrictions of immigrants (Migration Information Source, 2013). References Infoplease (2005). Marbury v. Madison case. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar20.html. Migration Information Source. (2013) Immigration in the United States: New Economic, Social, Political Landscapes with Legislative Reform on the Horizon. Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigration-united-states-new-economic-social-political-landscapes-legislative-reform Burt, L. Batalova, J. ( 2014).Refugees and Asylees in the United States.Retrieved from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states This Day in History. (2009). Marbury V. Madison Establishes Judicial Review. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marbury-v-madison-establishes- judicial-review Banning of the Festival of Basant: The Debate Banning of the Festival of Basant: The Debate â€Å"Depriving us from celebrating Basant is tantamount to depriving us of our fundamental rights,† Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer said. The festival of Basant was banned in Pakistan in 2005. Apart from the fact that the ban itself was not fully justified, it not only meant the loss of revenue from the tourism sector but also of discarding of our centuries old tradition. Culture is what defines us in this age and Basant is part of our culture; hence banning Basant just because the State is incapable of controlling its adverse effects is unjustifiable. Most importantly, the imposition of ban itself is not fully justified as the decision to ban Basant was not neutral and was influenced to serve the purpose of our politicians. â€Å"The current ban on Basant, the world famous kite-flying festival of Lahore, appears to be more an outcome of political tussle between two political forces of the country than anything else (Qadeer 7).† The ban on Basant is not an outcome of pure decision making based on its pros and cons; instead the decision is politically influenced. Basant marks the arrival of spring and is a symbol of joy and happiness. It is an integral part of our culture, heritage and lifestyle and nobody has the right to rob us from it. Basant is deeply rooted in peoples psyche and lifestyle. Majority of the public is not only against the ban on Basant but is offended by this government decision. Mian Ejaz, acting district coordination officer during the DCOs absence said, â€Å"Basant should not be banned because it attracts people from all over the world and is a cultural event.† He lamented about grave problems caused by Basant but also said that the public was unwilling to support such a ban (Ali 7). Basant has been in our tradition from a long time and has become a custom and very important part of our lives. But there are some people, particularly those with strong religious assocaition, who raise the point that Basant being a Hindu festival should be banned. Actually this is not the case; these are just illogical accusations made by these people to show their importance in the community. The Hindu festival which these people refer to is ‘Vasant Panchami which is also called Basant.   According to the article ‘Tracing the Origin of Basant, written by Dr. Shaukat Mahmood, Vasant Panchami is a Hindu festival which is about celebrating the glory of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art. In India particularly in Indian Bengal, during this festival children are taught to write their first words; Brahmins are fed; ancestors worship is performed; the god of love Kamadeva is worshipped. The festival Hindus celebrate is limited to worshipping, wearing same color clothes and relatives gathering at one place. There is no sign of kite flying in their festival which clearly shows that our tradition is different from theirs. Basant is one of the biggest festivals in the country and is also recognized world wide. It is a sport which mainly exists in Pakistan but is well known to the rest of the world. It is a colorful festival consisting not only of kite flying but also of music, dancing and dinners. People gather together to enjoy and celebrate the arrival of spring. Yasir Qadeer states that, â€Å"It attracts tourists, not just locally but from all over the world (7).†Because of the uniqueness of Basant, people from around the world visits Pakistan to participate in the most awaited event. According to Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, the Basant Kite Festival held in Lahore has become such a major tourist attraction that people flock from countries worldwide to participate in this unique occasion. The increase in tourism due to Basant in turn boosts the economy of Pakistan and improves the standard of living. Another reason why Basant should not be banned is the amount of revenue generated from it is enormous. There are several ways in which revenue is generated during the Basant. Thousands of people travel and visits Pakistan to join in the festival. The revenue generated from the rental of accommodation facilities significantly increases during Basant festival because of the increased tourists. Revenue generation during Basant is not only limited to kite flying activities . During the festival a lot of events take place such as musical events and also the food streets are jammed packed with people. â€Å"The intense economic activity that went with Basant (trade, travel, hotel, tourism, shopping, etc.) was touching the $ 250 million mark — not bad, for a week-long celebration. To top it off various other quality festivals started around the Basant bonanza (notably the music conference and the international drama and puppet festival) (Mirza 3).† However, there is some opposition and criticism about the Basant being not profitable, rather resulting in losses due to damages done to the electric wires and poles. According to Ali Pervaiz, a newspaper reporter, â€Å"Basant also faced opposition from Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and itsdistribution companiesmainly the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and GujranwalaElectric Power Company(GEPCO) as kite flying also resulted in frequent power tripping besides damaging the sensitive installations of WAPDA and its companies.† The main cause of this power failure is the use of metallic or chemical-coated string. These strings, when come in contact with electric wire, cause the wire to tear which result in power tripping. But this is a problem which can be easily resolved. By introducing and properly implementing a law which imposes a ban on the use of such types of strings can result in overcoming the power failure issue and countering the claims made by t hese companies. Kite flying business is a very large one. The industry related to it is massive with a very large market. About a week or two before the Basant, shopkeepers start to make preparations for selling kites and twine. Huge numbers of shops are set up and people invest millions of rupees in the trade. Many people are employed in the factories in which kites and twine are manufactured. â€Å"String and kite makers are working overtime on roadsides and in small factories in places like Shahdara, Murdike, Baghbanpura, Ichhra and Shadbagh. Kite making has become a sort of cottage industry involving even women and children the year round (Hanif 6).† So banning Basant, would lead to loss of employment for thousand of workers hence worsening their financial condition. For example, during the Basant the owners of the previously abandoned and dilapidated houses in Gowalmandis food street become rich overnight as many multi-national companies hustle to rent their rooftops for the occasion. Th e ban on Basant would affect them along with other in the kite flying business very roughly. The main incidents that lead to the ban on Basant were the use of the metallic and chemical-coated twine. Basant was officially banned in 2005 when a great deal of people in various cities including Rawalpindi lost their lives due to metallic or chemical-coated string that cuts instantly through the flesh like a sharp-edged weapon. Main issue regarding the ban was the damages that these razor-sharp strings caused. Many people lost their lives and many were severely injured when they came in contact with this twine while walking on roads or travelling on motorcycles. But banning is not the solution. Government should restrict the use of these types of strings. Also during these two days of kite flying, government should set a curfew on the people walking and driving motorcycles because most of the accidents happen to them. The government should alternatively provide free public bus transport during these days to accommodate those who want to travel. In conclusion, Basant should not be banned as it creates revenue for a country and is most importantly a part of our culture. To ban Basant is just like erasing an integral part of our culture which is unacceptable. Yes, there have been many unfortunate incidents in the recent past but banning Basant because of them is not the solution. For example, no government has banned flying of aircraft because some planes have crashed in the history. They rather focused on making flying a safer experience.Likewise, the government should focus on making this festival safer by reducing losses incurred to life and property to the minimum. Designated grounds should be prepared for flying kites and citizens who wish to participate in the activity should be facilitated to do so in safety in these designated areas. â€Å"Banning a festival which was like the smile of a child in spirit is too harsh a step——akin to rendering the city soulless† (Qadeer 7). Work Cited Qadeer, Yasir. Holi In Sky.Nation5 Mar. 2010. Print. Ali, Aayan. Ban on Basant Should There Be One or Not.Daily times11 Dec. 2004. Print. Mahmood, Shaukat. Tracing the Origin of Basant.The Nation Sunday Plus6 Mar. 2010. Print. Mirza, Nasir Abbas. Reasons behind the Basant Ban.Daily times31 Mar. 2010. Print. Hanif, Intikhab. Prepare for Basant, Come What May.Dawn5 Feb. 2002. Print.

Shakespeares Othello - Desdemona in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

Desdemona in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist is Desdemona. She is a lovely, intelligent, wholesome and pious person. This essay will analyze her.    In Act 1 Scene1, Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken him with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. In response to Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed and, with Roderigo’s help, gathers a search party to go and find Desdemona and bring her home. The father’s attitude is that life without his Desdemona will be much worse than before:    It is too true an evil: gone she is;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And what's to come of my despised time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is nought but bitterness. (1.1)    So obviously the senator has great respect for his daughter, or at least for the comforts which she has afforded him up the beginning of the play. This respect is shared by her new husband Othello, who says to Iago    that I love the gentle Desdemona,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would not my unhoused free condition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Put into circumscription and confine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the sea's worth. (1.2)    Once that Brabantio has located Othello, the father presses charges publicly in order to have Desdemona returned:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To prison, till fit time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of law and course of direct session   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Call thee to answer. (1.2)    The proceedings which take place before the Duke of Venice cause the father to permanently lose his daughter, mostly due to Desdemona’s own fluent presentation of her point of view in the city... ...he was heavenly true!† And upon the arrival of Iago, she publicly accuses him of lying:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You told a lie, an odious, damned lie;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   She false with Cassio! (5.2)    Then she accuses him of causing murder: â€Å"And your reports have set the murder on.† Emilia’s stunning interrogation and conviction of her own husband as the evil mastermind behind the murder results in Iago’s murder of her. Gullible Othello, grief-stricken by remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, stabs himself and dies on the bed next to his wife, his sorrow being as deep as his love for Desdemona prior to Iago’s machinations.    WORKS CITED    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.      

Canvas Art Essay

The subjectivity of perception makes art what it is. Art is all about perception and individuality, since everyone has a different background, experience, taste, and opinion about any artwork. To determine the extent to which perception plays a role in the development, and the existence, of the arts, it is essential to identify the knowledge issues of perception in regards to the area of knowledge. First, is perception consistent and definite? Does previous knowledge (prejudice) influence how one perceives an artwork? Is perception subjective? These questions will be explored using one all-purpose example in the arts: El Greco’s dramatic and expressionistic artworks. Firstly, perception is not universal in terms of time, as very evident with El Greco’s works. Virtually all of El Greco’s paintings were disdained by his contemporary painters and the public during his lifetime, 1541-1614. His works opposed too many aspects of Baroque style, which was popular in the 17th century. El Greco, therefore, had no followers and no audience at that time; his works were considered to be unnatural and overly-complex. However, in the 20th century, his works greatly influenced painters, leading to the birth of expressionism and cubism. For example, Pablo Picasso and Paul Cezanne studied El Greco’s structural compositions, his ability to interweave space and form, and the special effects of highlights, which were all disregarded in the 17th century. Also, Jackson Pollock, an expressionist, also followed El Greco’s expressionistic composition. Therefore, the â€Å"unnatural† and â€Å"overly-complex† features in the 17th century became the dominant characteristics of the new form of Expressionism. In general, perception is indefinite, with the ability to change over time: the time that a piece of art is created and perceived influences the way it is perceived. Also, previous knowledge and experience significantly influences perception. For instance, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, El Greco’s most famous work today was presented at the Louvre in 1838. At that time, the audience knew, ahead of time, of El Greco’s life, career, and works; therefore, there was much enthusiasm and attraction to the painting. Meanwhile, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz was also studied in art schools in the 19th century where students analyzed its composition and form. However, before the students knew the title of the artwork and its artist, they had little interest and fondness for the work. Therefore, this reveals how previous knowledge (in this case, of El Greco’s life, artistic talent and fame) affects how it is perceived. Without that knowledge, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz could have simply been an amateur’s painting. This brings up the same issue once again. Knowing that the artwork is by El Greco, one may have a positive bias to the work, hence perceiving the painting to be better than it actually is. Lastly, perception is very limited in that it is very subjective. For example, we are selective in what we perceive, ignoring certain aspects while emphasizing others. For instance, in El Greco’s El Espolio, or The Disrobing of Christ, the oppression of Christ by his cruel tormentors is believed to be artist’s intensions; such studies emphasize El Greco use of vertical and lateral space of the canvas to present this idea. However, some critics say that the subject, rather, is to satirize the situation, since Christ is looking up to Heaven while his figure is segregated from the other people and the violence. Also, there is a figure in the painting’s background that is pointing at Christ accusingly. Therefore, it is evident that in these various analyses, different aspects of the painting are emphasized. The real meaning of any artwork is, consequently, not known and cannot be proven in any way. No one sees all the details that another sees in an artwork, hence making it very subjective. This knowledge issue links with the question that cultural background influences the subjectivity and limitations of perception. My prior experience may cause myself to view an artwork in a certain way, and not another. For instance, since I am religious, I regard El Greco’s El Espolio to be a genuine presentation of the oppression of Christ by his tormentors; I do not perceive it to be a satire of his death.

rhetoric essay

rhetoric essay rhetoric essay Margaret Sanger gave her Children’s era speech in Newyork, Newyork on March 30, 1925 to a group at a birth control conference. She began a lifelong research in efforts to birth control. She was excited to share her research with the people. Her speech contains all three rhetoric forms but it mainly deals with logos and pathos. Her speech deals with the results of over population and the lack of options women are faced with such as birth control. She begins her speech talking about a garden and how much work and affection goes into taking care of a garden. The opening part of her speech about this garden deals with logos because she is talking about how to properly take care of your garden. â€Å"You have got to give your seeds a proper soil in which to grow.† It is an analogy going what should have been done and what has been done. Looking at something beautiful is fun but there comes all the responsibilities as well. The logic behind this message is she is opting women a way out of unplanned pregnancies. A way for women to not commit and over fill their plates. Trying to lower the population of children who women are are not ready for motherhood, Margaret takes action at the convention for birth control, where she gave her speech. Margaret then goes on saying there are seven conditions in which would make a mother unfit. The seven she describes are â€Å"transmissible disease, temporary disease, subnormal children a lready in the family, space out between births, twenty-three

Free Essays on Indian Status and Band Membership Issues

INDIAN STATUS AND BAND MEMBERSHIP ISSUES INTRODUCTION Historically, entitlement to Indian status and Indian band membership have been complex and controversial issues. The legal definition of the term â€Å"Indian† has brought with it certain benefits and eligibility for federal programs, as well as a history of limitations on rights.(1) Disputes over the definition of Indian status, the authority to determine band membership, and access to rights tied to status and membership have given rise to conflicts between Indian bands and governments, and within Indian communities. In 1985, amendments to the Indian Act (Bill C31)removed a number of discriminatory provisions from the Act. One result has been a significant increase in the size of the status Indian population. The changes also increased band control over membership and other aspects of community life. While eliminating some problems, in the ensuing decade the amendments introduced a number of new political, social and financial issues for Indian communities. In recent years, membership-related disputes, often tied directly to Bill C31, have resulted in a number of significant court cases. A consideration of these issues also raises broader questions about the changing nature of the Indian population in Canada, the rights of individuals and communities, and the power to determine membership under self-government arrangements. This paper examines some of the current issues surrounding Indian band membership. It surveys Indian Act provisions regarding status and band membership and the changes introduced through Bill C31. The paper then discusses some of the consequences of that bill and outlines subsequent court cases that focused on band membership and associated rights. The final section of the paper discusses the implications of the resulting judgments and comments on membership issues in the context of self-government for Indian commun... Free Essays on Indian Status and Band Membership Issues Free Essays on Indian Status and Band Membership Issues INDIAN STATUS AND BAND MEMBERSHIP ISSUES INTRODUCTION Historically, entitlement to Indian status and Indian band membership have been complex and controversial issues. The legal definition of the term â€Å"Indian† has brought with it certain benefits and eligibility for federal programs, as well as a history of limitations on rights.(1) Disputes over the definition of Indian status, the authority to determine band membership, and access to rights tied to status and membership have given rise to conflicts between Indian bands and governments, and within Indian communities. In 1985, amendments to the Indian Act (Bill C31)removed a number of discriminatory provisions from the Act. One result has been a significant increase in the size of the status Indian population. The changes also increased band control over membership and other aspects of community life. While eliminating some problems, in the ensuing decade the amendments introduced a number of new political, social and financial issues for Indian communities. In recent years, membership-related disputes, often tied directly to Bill C31, have resulted in a number of significant court cases. A consideration of these issues also raises broader questions about the changing nature of the Indian population in Canada, the rights of individuals and communities, and the power to determine membership under self-government arrangements. This paper examines some of the current issues surrounding Indian band membership. It surveys Indian Act provisions regarding status and band membership and the changes introduced through Bill C31. The paper then discusses some of the consequences of that bill and outlines subsequent court cases that focused on band membership and associated rights. The final section of the paper discusses the implications of the resulting judgments and comments on membership issues in the context of self-government for Indian commun...

Financial Information for Business Decisions Essay - 1

Financial Information for Business Decisions - Essay Example Marks and Spencer’s well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The company’s main business consists in selling fabric items and clothing for men, women and kids’. The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab market share of around 11.0%2 by value and 11.2%3 by volume. Marks and Spencer has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling edible products which has earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable food quality, Marks and Spencer is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to quality food products. Operating Performance of the Company Marks and Spencer has been actively involved in the marketing of fresh meals and canned food items. The company also earns a good portion of its revenue through selling some of the finest wines and other affordable grocery products as well. In the recent past the company has been able to renew its food range and now offers a diverse variety of products to its customers. This change in strategy has been of benefit to the company which has caused an increase of 1.8%4 in sales revenue from food business. During the financial year 2010, the company progressed by leaps and bounds. ... The table below compares the financial results of Marks and Spencer, for the last five financial years from 2010 till 2006. Particulars8 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Group Revenue 9,537 9,062 9,022 8,588 7,797 Operating Profit - Continuing Operations 852 871 1,211 1,046 850 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation - continuing operations 703 706 1,129 937 746 Profit for the year 523 507 821 660 523 As can be observed from the above analysis, the financial outlook of the company has improved in the last five years. The group revenue has shown an inclining trend which pertains to the opening of new stores and outlets of the company. The company has expanded its operation both in and out of England over the past couple of years. Marks and Spencer is actively involved in overseas sales, and fluctuation in exchange rate has had a significant impact on the revenue of the company. The company was able to shrug off the recent global meltdown .The gross profit to sales ratio for the year e nded December 31, 2010 was 8.93%9 which has decreased by 0.67% during the current year. Despite the decrease in gross profit to sales ratio, the net profit of the company has increased by ?16.210 million. The primary reason behind the increase in the net profit is the fact that during the current financial year the company did not incur any cost during the current year on corporate restructuring. The increase in net profit is due to the fact that during the current year the company did not incur any exceptional cost which it had incurred during the year prior to that on strategic restructuring. If we analyze the financial year 2009, there has been a major decrease in the profit after tax. This

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore Research Paper

Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore - Research Paper Example Strategic Analysis of Regent Hotel Singapore For example, the firms that existed before Regent Hotel were a major threat. Major potential factors that expose an industry or a company to overcome such challenges may include; a sustainable competitive advantage through innovation. For this case, Regent Hotel established renewable sources of energy, which indeed was a great challenge to existing industries. However, Porter argues that competition between offline and online companies is also a factor need for consideration Secondly, Porter comments profitable markets that yield good profits will attract new industries. This results in many new competitors, which eventually will decrease profitability for all firms in the industry. The following factors can have an effect on how much of a threat new competitors may pose: the existence of barriers to entry for example patents, rights, etc. The most attractive segment is one in which entry barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Here, new firms can enter and non-performing firms can exit easily due to high competition. The following factors have indeed helped Regent Hotel, as a company to sail through government policy not affects Regent Hotel to expand its business. All suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services to the firm can be a cause of power over the firm when there are few substitutes. For example if you are making loaves of breads and there is only one person who sells flour, then you have no substitute but to buy it from them.