Using Improvement Science Models to Promote Quality and Safety Term Paper

Using Improvement Science Models to Promote Quality and Safety - Term Paper Example 14). This paper offers an analysis of two improvement models and how they could foster a culture of quality and patient safety and facilitate changes in process that promote positive outcomes. Subsequently, this paper elucidates how one of the models could be used to address prolonger clinic wait times in Brookwood Medical Center and how it relates to one of the IOMs six aims for improving quality and safety. As an example of a quality improvement model, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) is a quick, chronological, and collective erudition model that presents significant information on factual results relating to the continuing efforts of the health care delivery team (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2012). In this model, an initiative for change is recognized in the planning stage, execution and quantification of the initiative conducted in the doing stage, and evaluation of the information to be quantified conducted in the study stage (Ernst et al, 2010). Based on the results of the assessment, a decision to either approve or discard the initiative is done in the acting stage. In other words, change processes are directed by a continuous process of compilation of information (Ernst et al, 2010). Therefore, quality processes that promote patient safety are adopted while strategies to improve on processes or systems resulting to substandard outcomes are initiated. In so doing, a culture of q uality and patient safety is promoted. The second model of improvement is the change acceleration process highlighted by Polk (2011), and is achieved through innovation and the lean six sigma. In the lean sigma method, the need for change must be defined, measured, and analyzed (Polk, 2011). Subsequently, a procedure for remedial actions must be formulated, and the achieved outcome quantified using relevant measures in order to ascertain whether the intended outcome has been achieved (Polk, 2011). This process,

Social Issues in the Criminal Justice Field Essay Example for Free

Social Issues in the Criminal Justice Field Essay All of society deals with social issues, either directly or indirectly. These can be problems or matters affecting all of society, usually in a negative manner. In the US, some predominant social issues include homelessness, domestic violence and gang violence. Criminal justice professionals face these types of issues daily. The criminal justice professional is always active and busy, dealing with countless amounts of criminal activity throughout the country. Every criminal justice professional has a job to do, to better their community and the society they work within. Homelessness is an unfortunate problem that will continue to grow if our society does not make it a national priority to address this issue in a systemic way. In the US more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year, which 20% of these families have children. (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2014.) The combination of the high cost of living, low-wage jobs, and high unemployment rates only worsen these problems and force countless Americans to choose between food, housing, and other expenses. Homelessness can end, by tackling its root causes and improving support services, such as TANF, housing vouchers and health care. Another crucial issue for criminal justice professionals is domestic violence. Domestic violence is abuse that happens in a personal relationship. It affects men and woman of any ethnic group, race, or religion; gay or straight; rich or poor; teen, adult or elderly. But most of its victims are women. In fact, 1 out of 4 women will be a victim at some point in their life. (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014.) Criminal justice professionals serve as a way out to victims of domestic violence; they help with counseling and can also support  the victim through shelter programs. They will also provide services to the perpetrators through voluntary and court mandated batterer intervention programs. As professionals committed to social justice, domestic violence is a social justice issue. One of the most difficult social issues we face as a country is gang violence. A gang is a group of people who claim a territory and use it to make money through illegal activities. Gangs are one of the leading factors for growth of violent crimes; gang violence has become increasingly deadly in the last several decades as a result of the introductions of automatic weapons and drive- by shootings. (Gang Violence and Gun Control, 2013.) Many gangs resort to violence, even homicide, to enforce loyalty and prevent members from leaving. Some criminal justice professionals specialize in gang violence and are only specifically assigned to gang violence crimes. Such specialized units are created in order to focus departmental resources, energy, and skills on specific community problems. The criminal justice system is a vital part of our society and we know that complete, effective, and fair operation of criminal justice system powers is crucial to ending violence, both for releasing individuals and for ending the worldwide epidemic of violence against one another in this human race. The public knows that the police cannot prevent every crime, nor arrest every criminal. However, they expect a criminal justice system, which is reliable, effective, and valued. It must deal with cases proficiently; fight crime in each state and each town in this country. Thus, the society needs criminal justice systems to protect, to discourage and to stop crime. Obviously, the idea of having a system is to ensure justice and equality throughout a social setting. It is a must that criminal justice professionals always stay active and busy, in order to keep up with the progressing crime rates and social issues. Every society has social issues, as these problems evolve, so do the jobs in the criminal justice profession. To remain a viable resource to the community and individuals, whether they are victims or perpetrators, criminal justice professionals must be willing to better the lives of the  people they touch. These social issues can end by tackling its root causes and improving support services. Criminal justice professionals are not the only ones that can help make a difference in these lives but also everyone in the society as a whole, when you come together, changes can happen. References Gang Violence and Gun Control, 2013 http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2013/01/gang_violence_and_gun_control.html U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014 http://www.statisticbrain.com/domestic-violence-abuse-stats/ National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2014 http://www.nlchp.org/

The Emerging Challenges In Airport Management

The Emerging Challenges In Airport Management INTRODUCTION In order to understand where international air transportation may be heading to long-term, the factors which have driven the growth in air travel in the past and what will those forces look like in the future? The last quarter of the twentieth century has seen gigantic change in the transport sectors of many countries, imposing much dislocation on both people and companies engaged in the provision of transport services. An airport is comprised of a huge variety of facilities, systems, users, workers, rules and regulations. Also, just as cities flourish on trade and commerce with other cities, airports are successful in part by their ability to lucratively be the location where passengers and cargo travel to and from other airports. Moreover, just as cities find their place as part of its countys, states, and countrys economy, airports, too must operate effectively as part of the nations system of airports. Many other economic sectors have faced the need for vast adaptation to new trends in the growth of the world economy. These challenges faced by airports are enormous. Airports query in forward way and are described in gathered information. OVERVIEW: An assessment of abundant air travel forecasting models indicates the key drivers as GDP and income growth. In a replica an economic recovery will produce a set of world economies which will look much the same as what we saw in 2007-2008, then knowing the expected values and influences of old variables is what is important. Closely linked to these factors are trade growth, Security, congestion in airport and airspace, automation, ground access, CNS/ATM, Environmental constraints and foreign direct investment. Airlines are turning to bigger and larger aircraft, financial constraints, increasing consumer interests are some of the irritants. Simulation of passenger flow in an airport terminal is also a major problem in an airport. There have been policy changes, including the increasing liberalization of international aviation agreements, the changing business models of carriers, the expansion of alliances and the growth in long haul aircraft fleets. Influences to be considered in assessing the future of international passenger air travel are those things events, policies and economic and political environment which are new. New forces will be at work in the future that will have an impact on international air travel. IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES: AIRLINE MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT ECONOMIC IMPACT IN PRIVATIZATION AIRPORT AIRLINE RELATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AUTOMATION CARGO PROBLEMS AIR TRAFFIC CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS AIRPORT-AIRSPACE CONGESTION SAFETY NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT COMPACTING STRATEGIES: AIRLINE MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT This has been prepared against a backdrop of what is still an industry facing rapid change and continuing financial problems. We have also seen that in aviation it is a dangerous statement to say that, Things cant possibly get any worse. People were indeed saying this in 2003, when things did get worse with a rapid increase in the price of aviation fuel which has continued up to the present time. The industry has endured turbulent times before admittedly at a reduced scale compared with today and has come through them. The problem for traditional airlines will be that most of this traffic will be carried by the small number of giant global Integrators rather than by them. When coming to the property management airport shareholders and owners demands grow, non-aeronautical related income is becoming increasingly important for airports. The marketing environment of the airline industry will certainly remain volatile and difficult. The established trends towards deregulation and liberalization will continue, and, at least towards the end of a ten-year timescale, may encompass the long-overdue changes in ownership and control rules which will allow aviation to finally take its place amongst other global industries. Technology will also affect airlines. In the future, though the ability to build and maintain strong brands will be a necessary requirement for success. If it is, it will require marketing communication spending which is substantial, well-thought out and seen in a strategic, long-term way rather than as a tactical exercise which can be reduced or ditched as soon as times become difficult. This Airport module helps airports to manage their rental, lease, license and concession related interests. It provides the information you need to make important property related business decisions. An effective tool for quick resolution and management of airport activities. Simple tracking and escalation of tasks to the right people in the airport and Information is provided at the fingertips of the right people within the airport, enabling effective decision making in incident management also solves problem. AIRPORT PRIVATIZATION: Airports have been increasingly dependent on the private sector to provide services as a way to reduce costs and improve the quality and the range of services offered. Privatization refers to changing governmental functions and responsibilities, in complete or in part, to the private sector. Most services now performed at large commercial airports, such as airline ticketing, baggage handling, cleaning, retail concessions, and ground transportation, are provided by private firms. Even after privatization, the airports have remained subject to government regulation of airline access, airport charges to airlines, safety, security, and environmental protection. Privatization advocates believe that private firms would provide additional capital for development; privatized airports would be more profitable because the private sector would operate them more efficiently, and advocates believe that privatization would financially benefit all levels of government by reducing demand on public funds and increasing the tax base. However, the concepts that drive private enterprises toward competitive and efficient operations are becoming embraced by publicly owned and managed airports. As a result, more efficient executive structures and management responsibilities have resulted in more streamlined and efficient airport management organizational structures which can visualize solutions to future issues and problems and reach the goals. AIRPORT AIRLINE RELATIONS: Almost all are owned and operated by state Governments or subdivisions of state governments such as cities, counties, or airport authorities. Unlike railroads, motor freight carriers, and bus lines, which must own, their terminals, the airlines do not own the airports. This has the advantage of holding down the capital investment necessary to operate, but the disadvantage that the airlines must cope with the policies, practices, And charges of hundreds of separate airport-operating entities. The airlines, which are properly merely tenants at the airport, thus become enmeshed in the financial problems of the airport. Another matter of concern to the airlines is airport capacity. Deregulation, stimulated a trend toward smaller aircraft which increased the number of flights needed to serve a given number of passengers. Deregulation has also tended to encourage hub-and-spoke operations, as mentioned earlier, where a carrier selects an airport as a hub and tries to time a number of inbound flights to feed traffic to an outbound flight. Aggravating these factors, the long-term growth of traffic continues. The airline tends to blame the government for the problem of congestion and delays at the busiest airports, alleging that the air traffic control system, which is operated by the FAA, has lagged in introducing the most modern technology, and that there has been insufficient funding for needed airport improvements. As these factors will be seen from the foregoing, airport economics and airline economics are closely intertwined. As these problem areas demonstrate, airline economics is closely interrelated not only with other parts of the economic system but also very much with the social, technological, and political arenas. The problems are many and severe, but challenging. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Airplanes, a source of carbon dioxide emissions, are poised to become a major factor in global warming in the future, according to new predictions. These types of airport problem in which airlines are deeply involved come under the general heading of environmental interactions. An airport can cause noise, air, and water pollution, as well as automobile traffic congestion. Environmentalists will insist, with some logic, that the true costs of an airport should include the social costs of such pollution and congestion-that is, the losses to society in its quality of living. Noise problems due to aircraft operations are the most serious of the environmental charges against the airports and in many ways the hardest to resolve. In a few instances it has been possible to acquire huge tracts of land around the airport so that the aircraft flight paths are over airport property when they are at low levels. Proposals have been made to locate new airports at sea or, for Chicago and other lake ports, out in the lakes. So many large U.S. cities are located on the oceans or the Great Lakes that such projects are at least Conceivable for the next century, although they would present their own technological and environmental difficulties. The noise problem has also been tackled by finding ways to make aircraft engines quieter. AUTOMATION: Another important input that promotes the airport access is the automation. Advancement information communication technology (ICT) has eased much of the pressure from airport operations. As airport operations, you need to focus more on integrating the ICT applications to improve key functional departments and personnel within the airport to access critical airport information in support of resources management, engineering and maintenance, financial management, operations and all decision support activities. Managing an airports revenue stream can be a complex and difficult task. The Airport Billing Module is designed to vastly simplify the collation and billing of all your flight and non-flight related revenue. The system is completely flexible to your specific business requirements while maintaining billing integrity and ease of use. Its primary focus is on improved operational efficiency and charge flexibility makes it an affordable solution, minimizing your costs whilst maximizing your revenue options. Reporting is made simple with the ability to derive accurate financial, operational and executive Key Performance Indicators. Automation related incidents are common knowledge because of their increasing frequency of occurrence. Data- entry errors, monitoring failures, system workarounds and mode misapplication which fault rarely occur in isolation or without contributing factors. Some of the solutions for the issues are awareness, training, by standard operating procedure and crew coordination .in which mode awareness, situational awareness, system awareness, and increased heads-down time which are the conditions that may lead to unsafe conditions in advanced-technology air-craft. CARGO PROBLEMS: Certain problems in the air cargo field deserve special notice, such as inflation, multilateral cargo agreements, and the impact of trade agreements, fuel policy, hazardous cargo, and cargo alliances. These seem to be inherent in the air cargo business. Among these are directional imbalance, the absence of new dedicated freighter aircraft, airport noise regulations, and the dependence in many domestic markets on belly cargo and thus on schedules tailored to please passengers. Despite these chronic problems, air freight continues to grow, and small-package traffic continues to grow rapidly. AIR TRAFFIC: Most airports around the world today are facing a crisis due to an exponential increase in air traffic. The modeling software ARENA developed by Rockwell Automation is made use of in simulating the complete flow of passengers for typical mid-sized airport during the domestic arrival, departure, and also during international arrival and departure for a flight. Arena basically helps in streamlining and optimizing all the passenger related processes at the airport. It helps reducing passenger processing times, and the number of passengers who miss their flight due to lack of time. The four major controller classifications at control towers: Flight Data Controller, Clearance Delivery Controller Ground Controller and Local Controller which of these positions has specific duties. Not only airlines/airports contributions by way of passenger and freight activities, and the increasing number of aircraft movements are vital input to national economy. The need for change in the current CNS/ATM is due to two principal factors: Due to inherent limitations in the current system, it will not be able to cope-up with the growing demand of air traffic; and the need for global consistency in the providing air traffic services (ATS) while progressing towards a seamless CNS/ATM system. A Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/ Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) master plan is a plan for a needs-driven, economically justified, evolutionary system and modernization. The Plan must: (1) sustain systems necessary to maintain existing level of service; introduce new operational procedures, technologies, and mechanization concepts necessary to meet user and operator needs; and introduce appropriate program management structures for successful accomplishment of the Plan Required Total System Performance (RTSP) concept, Required Communication Performance (RCP) concept, Required Navigation Performance (RNP) concept, Required Surveillance Performance (RSP) Concept, Free Flight/Autonomous are new emerging concepts may prove as performance measurement gauge for CNS /ATM in order to avoid any sort of problems in the systems. When air traffic vs. GDP the air transportation industry is therefore, highly susceptible to economic cycles and fluctuations in fuel prices. Globally, the share of raw material moving between regions has declined, while the Share of cross-moments has increased. As we are facing many challenges in order to meet the world trade amounting in which 35% of international trade moves by air as per report in 2008 ,40%of trade over some 3.5 $ trillion in value. Air transport, therefore, drives economic and social progress. In most developing countries, the demand for freight and passenger traffic is growing faster than population and GDP growth rate. CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS: Capacity constraints include not only limited physical infrastructure like Runways and terminals but also administrative limitations like night curfews, noise emission budgets or noise release limits, which all restrict the overall level of air travel demand an airport is potentially able to serve. However, airport choice varies considerably when travelers are faced with capacity constraints, and thus depends on the gap between demand potential of an airport and the demand at capacity level. Thus it would seem appropriate to incorporate the impact of capacity constraints in a systematic and coherent way when planning studies on future airport choice. Due to impact of the capacity constraints on airport choice the expansion by Redistribution of demand among neighboring airports restricted growth of local demand Airport capacity expansion takes place. Whether airport capacity is expandable or not within a comparatively Short time horizon depends on several factors, including geographical, Political, ecological and economical variables. These factors differ from Airport to airport. There will be a need for the state to strike the right balance between intended commitments and airport infrastructure. As air services agreements with multiple description and gradual removal of capacity restriction have enabled increases in number of air carries and air services, thereby putting supplementary pressure on existing airport capacity and it would continue to challenge the air ports. AIRPORT-AIRSPACE CONGESTION Congestion at airports effect air traffic in airports and strand passengers. The growing of congestion at international airport is a serious issue whose resolution is primarily a question of determination and is not a technical problem and the current situation is choking growth rates in the industry. As our inflexible India has been facing many issues in this congestion immediate action is required. Due to Increased airspace congestion, airport delays and noise are concerns. It has been suggested that a runaway should be built to ease congestion as well as to fend off competition in the airports and manage the runways in a proper way. The premise that some amount of congestion and delay is not inconsistent with efficient and within your means air transportation. Due to this airport congestion and fuel compel reasons, both Boeing and airbus aircraft manufactures companies are introducing new large aircrafts. SAFETY Safety has always been an integral part of an air carriers mission. One of the most significant issues facing airports in the early twenty-first century is that of airport security. Most users of commercial service airports are subjected to security infrastructure, policies, and procedures within the airport terminal area. By introducing some programs like BASIS program which is an excellent model of risk-management feedback. It was designed and developed by safety professionals to provide support in capturing, investigating, and analyzing safety data from incidents and accident. Global Safety Data Management, through its valuable sources of safety information (e.g. IOSA), IATA can: Break down silos in safety data Management and analysis and obtain a complete picture, determine prioritize safety concerns for the industry. And Develop solutions to address issues. At most commercial service airports, controlled access through doors that provide access to the AOA, secure areas, sterile areas, and other areas within the SIDA, as well as many employee-only restricted areas, is enforced by the use of control systems. These systems range from simple key locks to smart-access technologies, such as keypad entry systems requiring proper pass code. Sophisticated recognition verification technologies, including those that employ biometrics, are continuously being developed to enhance access control at airports. Various lighting systems , safeguards, fencing 10 to 20 feet inside the property line and barriers to preclude unauthorized access into the area, which may include Aircraft with unusual or unauthorized modifications can help in prospect. Further development of advanced biometric and information technologies, are expected to provide a contribution to enriching airport security, with the goal of proactively mitigating any future threats to the aviation system while preserving the efficiency of the system itself. Protecting against unknown future threats is an imperfect science, and as such, the future of airport security will always be an unknown entity. Concerns for the safe, secure, and efficient travel of passengers and cargo domestically and internationally will always be a top priority for the civil aviation system, and it can be assured that efforts to make the system as secure as possible will continue to be held in top priority, by all levels of government. NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT (NLA) Numerous key design and operational characteristics of proposed NLA which should need to be taken into contemplation before such aircraft are introduced into the current airport environment. It is anticipated that the development of NLA will continue in the future, bringing newer, larger transport aircraft. We face impact on airport design i.e. on air side and land side which may fall in to many issues in the airport. In an air side it might involve current landside design concepts. With their larger passenger capacity, NLA will affect numerous landside issues such as baggage handling, ticket counters, passenger lounges and cueing areas, parking, terminal design, airport capacity, gate compatibility, and various other items. Airports and their surrounding communities are expressing concerns about how the operations of NLA are going to affect the environment. Aircraft manufacturers are well aware of these concerns and are designing NLA to be compatible with todays noise and emission restrictions. Involving a NLA include the effects of jet blast, turning radius, and bypass taxiing capabilities and NLA should not obstruct other passing aircraft or cause delays in traffic flow. Specific elements of airport planning and design that may be affected by these changes in aircraft characteristics have been identified to assist airport planners and the FAA in preparing for the NLAs arrival which includes signs and marketings in the prospect. CONCLUSION: The problems are many and severe, but challenging. These studies have also investigated how such taxes or trading schemes may impact the structure of the networks and perhaps the industry itself. The future is unlikely to see greater stability in airline pricing structures. Other new forces will be technology, such as improved engine fuel economy, bio-fuels, improved air traffic control, country specific taxes, industry consolidation, and the influence all of these would have on fares and service as well as network reach and design. As these problem areas demonstrate, airline economics is closely interrelated not only with other parts of the economic system but also very much with the social, technological, and political arenas. All in all, the future will be an exciting and challenging one. It must continue to retain the courage of its convictions and pursue liberalization of international aviation market. Working in the airline industry will be stressful dealing with an accelerating pace of change always is but it will provide tremendous opportunities for those privileged to make their living from this still dynamic and fascinating industry.

The Hottest Workout: Bikram Yoga :: Exercise Health Fitness Papers

The Hottest Workout: Bikram Yoga Imagine a 240-pound professional football player stretching his sweat-drenched body to its limits in heat of more than 110 degrees. This scene doesn’t take place on a football field, but in a heated Bikram yoga studio where many athletes and everyday people are going to cure and prevent aches and pains. Yoga, as a way to achieve higher self-awareness, was around as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. Traditional styles of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective form of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM). The biggest yoga boom has occurred over the past decade according to statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The Association estimates there were 20 million Americans practicing some form of yoga in 2002 compared to 6 million in 1994. Increased awareness of yoga as a healing method along with high-profile celebrity endorsements have contributed to the growing numbers of yoga users recently. Madonna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are some famous yogis that have been students of Bikram Choudhury, who founded his own style of hot yoga in India. Dina Lancour, a Hatha yoga instructor from Agawam, Massachusetts, took a Bikram yoga class under Choudhury. â€Å"It reminded me of Indian sweat tents,† Lancour said. â€Å"It becomes very meditative and deep.† Proponents of Bikram yoga and medical specialists have noted the health benefits of hot yoga. Other yoga practitioners and teachers have expressed concerns about the safety of practicing yoga in a hot room and some ‘yoga purists’ question the motives of the founder, noting that his style is too outwardly focused. According to an article in the Charleston Gazette (March 24,2004) some yoga traditionalists believe the attention yoga has received in mainstream media and business is damaging to the ancient practice. Newer students of yoga are more concerned about how they look rather than the spiritual basis for yoga the article stated. Yoga purists believe focus on the outward image overlooks the true goals of yoga, which are more spiritually focused. Bikram yoga incorporates 26 of the Hatha poses and two breathing exercises in a â€Å"specific order to get the maximum benefit for the body,† said Megan Cooney, a certified Bikram instructor, who teaches at three studios in the Boston area. Choudhury developed the Bikram style after he suffered an knee injury from weight training. The Hottest Workout: Bikram Yoga :: Exercise Health Fitness Papers The Hottest Workout: Bikram Yoga Imagine a 240-pound professional football player stretching his sweat-drenched body to its limits in heat of more than 110 degrees. This scene doesn’t take place on a football field, but in a heated Bikram yoga studio where many athletes and everyday people are going to cure and prevent aches and pains. Yoga, as a way to achieve higher self-awareness, was around as early as 200 B.C. in India and has been gradually growing in popularity in the western world over the past four decades. Traditional styles of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which consists of thousands of poses, have long been studied as an effective form of complimentary or alternative medicine (CAM). The biggest yoga boom has occurred over the past decade according to statistics from the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The Association estimates there were 20 million Americans practicing some form of yoga in 2002 compared to 6 million in 1994. Increased awareness of yoga as a healing method along with high-profile celebrity endorsements have contributed to the growing numbers of yoga users recently. Madonna and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are some famous yogis that have been students of Bikram Choudhury, who founded his own style of hot yoga in India. Dina Lancour, a Hatha yoga instructor from Agawam, Massachusetts, took a Bikram yoga class under Choudhury. â€Å"It reminded me of Indian sweat tents,† Lancour said. â€Å"It becomes very meditative and deep.† Proponents of Bikram yoga and medical specialists have noted the health benefits of hot yoga. Other yoga practitioners and teachers have expressed concerns about the safety of practicing yoga in a hot room and some ‘yoga purists’ question the motives of the founder, noting that his style is too outwardly focused. According to an article in the Charleston Gazette (March 24,2004) some yoga traditionalists believe the attention yoga has received in mainstream media and business is damaging to the ancient practice. Newer students of yoga are more concerned about how they look rather than the spiritual basis for yoga the article stated. Yoga purists believe focus on the outward image overlooks the true goals of yoga, which are more spiritually focused. Bikram yoga incorporates 26 of the Hatha poses and two breathing exercises in a â€Å"specific order to get the maximum benefit for the body,† said Megan Cooney, a certified Bikram instructor, who teaches at three studios in the Boston area. Choudhury developed the Bikram style after he suffered an knee injury from weight training.

Culture of India Essay

Indian culture can be compared to a rapid river, which takes source from a little well high in the Himalayas and flows down among blossomy valleys and thick forests, beautiful gardens and farms, small villages and big cities. Many tributaries join it, and the mainstream becomes stronger and more powerful. There is a great variety of ethnic groups and communities with their beliefs, languages and culture living in India. However, numerous aspects of exclusive traditional Indian culture can be easily spotted everywhere. For centuries, the country lived through a lot of changes, assimilated various elements of other cultures, but it successfully preserved its ancient traditions and legacy. The progression of Indian culture started from the early civilizations. Historical records of Hrappa and Brahmanic epochs (5000-800 B. C. ) prove that a great deal of traditions and cultural elements (such as Sanskrit, yoga, early Hinduism, etc. ) were practiced in those times. Buddhism and Jainism emerged in the 5th century B. C. The epoch of Mautya and Gupta Empires is called â€Å"Golden Age† of Indian culture. The Emperors of Gupta dynasty loved arts and favored the development of literature, music and early plastic arts, mostly dominated by religious motifs. As a result of European and Oriental colonization, Indian culture absorbed the elements of Greek, Roman, Chinese and other cultural traditions. Muslim conquests in the 11th-15th centuries had a great impact on Indian social and cultural life. In particular, Hinduism adopted many philosophical ideas of Sufism, and the influence of Islamic artistic traditions can be seen in Indian architecture (Gol Gumbaz, Taj Mahal), literature (the works of Amir Khusrau Dehlavi and Kabir) and music. In the 16th-18th centuries, Indian culture was again influenced by European domination that resulted in adoption of English educational system and other progressive social standards. Since Christian missionaries started changing religious and social awareness of Indian masses to a great extent, in the end of the 18th century a great reformatory movement for cultural and spiritual revival of the nation (known as Brahmo Samaj) was initiated (Henderson). Modern India has a complex ethnic composition and very diverse linguistic lines. Over 400 languages and 1,100 various dialects are spoken. Southern ethnic groups use Dravidian languages, including Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada, which are among the 15 official languages of the country. Indo-Aryan languages, such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujatari, Bangali and others, are used in the northern regions. These languages take source from ancient Sanskrit and are used by almost one third of Indian population (Culturopedia). Indian social culture is one of the most conservative and rigid in the world. Such traditions as cast system or arranged marriages are still widely practiced. On the other hand, local social environment is connected with everything relaxing, joyful and colorful. Traditional Indian clothing (sari, Lungi, Dhoti, ect. ) has a plethora of styles and colors. Also, India is known as a land of celebrations, fairs and festivals (Diwali, Ganpati, etc. ), crowded ceremonies, communication, dancing and other social leisure activities. Religious practices are central in the life of every Indian and people spend a lot of time in Hindu temples, where they socialize, listen to music and dance. Indian cultural environment is a cradle of Buddhism, one of the most influential philosophical concepts and â€Å".. a seed bed for human rights† (Henderson 4). At the same time, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Zoroastrism and other world’s religions are quite popular in modern India as well. Indian visual arts have a great range of forms and motifs, starting from intricate architecture of Hindu shrines and ending with traditional decorated textiles. Such crafts as stone work, wood work, metal works and glass products are very popular in today’s India. Indian painting has been flourishing for centuries, and there are a number of traditional artistic schools (such as Pahari, Kalighat, Kangra, Tanjore, Rajput, etc. ). Modern Indian art is dominated by social, philosophic and humanitarian motifs. Cinema industry in India has more than 100 years of history and is extremely successful and lucrative. Indian movies are being watched in many countries of the world, and they have a tremendous influence on domestic economy and cultural life. The movies portray political and social aspects, and some are based on local folklore. Indian literature and poetry take source from ancient Sanskrit, Vedic and epic texts (Ramayana, the Mahabharata) and embrace a lot of schools (Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Manipuri, etc. ). R. Tagore is the most known Indian writer and poet, who got the Noble prize for literature in 1913 (UCLA). In modern Indian culture, music is mostly associated with cinema, because Indian movies are filled with songs and dancing. However, there are a lot of people who are fond of classic Indian music styles (Hindu devotional dhrupad, khayal or raga). Such music is played with traditional Indian folk instruments, such as sitar and surbahar, as well as with flute, violin, tabla, veena, etc. Indian dance culture is very diverse and unique. Its roots go back to ancient epochs and have clear spiritual, expressive and cosmic elements, symbolizing human emotions (9 rasas of emotions) and unity with Gods. The contribution of Indian culture and science to the world is unprecedented. Chess, the decimal system and the concept of â€Å"zero†, significant innovations in astronomy, new medical approaches and therapeutic techniques, the first university in the world are among the most valuable and precious gifts of the Indians to the humanity. India has a unique and rich cultural heritage, which can be characterized by unity and diversity, traditionalism and innovations. Taking into account all these numerous achievements of Indian nation, it is impossible to question the opinion of Will Durant, who wrote that â€Å"†¦ Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all† (Culturopedia). Works Cited: â€Å"Encyclopedia of Indian Culture. † Culturopedia. Treasure House of India’s Culture and Heritage. 2008. 19 Oct. 2008 . Henderson, Carol E. â€Å"Customs and Culture of India. † Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. â€Å"Manas: Culture of India. † UCLA. College of Letters and Science. 19 Oct. 2008 .

Beloved Character Analysis

â€Å"Anything dead coming back to life hurts† (Morrison 35). Does anyone have a firm grasp on who or what Beloved actually is? Beloved is the focal point of Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, but she has also been the center of many debates. Morrison’s depiction of Beloved throughout the novel is unclear and much is left up for interpretation by the reader. Is Beloved the ghostly reincarnation of Sethe's murdered baby, a flesh and blood version of the spirit Paul D. drives from the house? Or is Beloved unquestionably a ghost? The uniformly accepted notion that Beloved is a ghost is interesting, given that evidence throughout the book suggests that she is a reincarnated being. As the reader recalls, Sethe killed her first daughter with the idea that doing so would free her daughter from slavery. As a result of Sethe’s â€Å"motherly† actions, Beloved, enslaves the rest of the family including Sethe’s daughter, Denver. The family becomes disconnected from and outcasted by the black community, as everyone fears approaching the residency â€Å"haunted† by the supernatural. As the novel progresses, the presence of an unknown girl at 124 intrudes, yet again, on the lifestyle of Denver and Sethe. This character, who is identified as Beloved is ambiguously portrayed and therefore her analysis is the topic of debate and discussion. The character that is recognized at the 124 residency is in fact the reincarnation of Sethe’s first daughter, Beloved. The idea of the reincarnated in this novel is well established. Although, to the reader the possibility of this seems unlikely, in the book there are several examples that point to this being true. For example, the reader witnesses Sethe overlook obvious signs showing that this girl actually could be the personification of her murdered baby daughter. Additionally, Beloved is approximately the same age that Sethe’s first born would have been if still alive, and more evidence lies in the fact that she shares the same name as the one engraved on the baby’s tombstone. It happens that these trails of evidence all occur in order in the same scene. One evening Denver, Sethe, and Beloved are all gathered around a fire, and Sethe comes to a realization about the aforementioned evidence about Beloved. â€Å"The click had clicked; things were where they ought to be or poised and ready to glide in,† (Morrison 207). Beloved hums a tune, one that Sethe immediately recognizes. The scene seems surreal as Sethe is taken aback by the occurrence. â€Å"I made that song up. I made it up and sang it to my children. Nobody knows that song but me and my children,† (Morrison 207). Additionally, Beloved’s demeanor is that of a typical two year old. Her thoughts and actions mimic those of a young child rather than a young adult. For example, Beloved deeply loves her mother, Sethe, and is attached to her just as a young child would be. Not only does Beloved share a passionate love for her mother, but feelings are mutual toward, Denver, her sister. Beloved is jealous of the relationship Denver and Sethe share. Once again, these all point to the childish characteristics Beloved possesses in her reincarnated form. In referring to Sethe Beloved states â€Å"I am Beloved and she is mine† (Morrison 248). â€Å"It was Beloved who made demands. Anything she wanted she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire† (Morrison 240). â€Å"When once or twice when Sethe tried to assert herself, be the unquestioned mother whose word was law and who knew what was best – Beloved slammed things, wiped the table clean of plates, threw salt on the floor, and broke a windowpane† (Morrison 242). Taking all of these factors into account, many would find it hard to dispute against Beloved’s reincarnated state. There are many supporting details that point to Beloved’s true identity. Beloved’s portrayal is in fragments and the reader must pay close attention to give away details about this young woman identity. Unraveling the great mystery of this young woman lies within the text, but yet many different opinions of Beloved still exist.

Comparison of Henry V as Directed by Kenneth Branagh and as Directed by Laurence Olivier essays

Comparison of Henry V as Directed by Kenneth Branagh and as Directed by Laurence Olivier essays Kenneth Branagh and Laurence Olivier are often considered to be quite similar. This is based on obvious similarities such as the fact that they are both actors and directors and that they have both acted in and produced adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. One effective way to compare the two is to consider how both have approached the same film. This will now be completed by analyzing and comparing the film "Henry V." This will show that Branagh and Olivier are very different, with many of their differences related to the time in which they directed. The first difference that is seen in the two films is that Olivier's version seems more like a movie of a play, than a movie. This has several impacts on the way the film is viewed. The first is that is makes you more aware that you are watching a Shakespeare play. As a viewer, this changes expectations of what will be seen. In movies, you generally expect to see a realistic chain of events, where you follow those events. While you are being shown various scenes, there is a tendency to be drawn into the scenes and to experience them almost as if you were part of them. In this way, a good movie actually allows the viewer to forget that they are viewing a movie. This does not occur in Olivier's version because the play format makes the viewer aware that they are being told a story. In this way, the viewer actually becomes like part of the audience, almost as if they were sitting in the Globe Theater in London. It is difficult to decide whether this is a positive thing or a negative thing. In one way, Branagh's version is more effective because it is easier to get drawn into the scenes and journey with the characters. In another way, Olivier's version is effective because it allows you to watch the scenes as an outsider and question them. Overall, it is like the two versions result in two different ways to view ...