Solving problems and making decisions Coursework

Solving problems and making decisions - Coursework Example For instance, a while ago we in the business-planning department observed that the companies have fallen out there track in one of the major business elements. Therefore, we start digging the facts to try to rectify the problems to enable reinstatement in the right path. After we identify the problems, we escalated the solutions to the management to take the decision for the problem solving. We are currently undergoing various challenges regarding our attempts to manage the flow of oil and gas production especially after the collapse in oil prices. The greatest challenge is that the business continuity, the nature and effectiveness of the staffs will help the organization in overcoming any problems. As a member of the organization, we face significant workforce challenges because of collapse in oil prices. This calls for a reevaluation of our problem cycle regime specifically as it appertains to an economic recession. The report offers a guidepost for identifying and solving problems in my organization; I sought out various guideposts to effective problem identification and compiled various solutions drawn from the best practices The falling out of the company in one of the major business elements requires a managerial team that who gather data and analyze the business element as the first step in finding the solution to the problem. Additionally, the team needs to identify some possible solutions while weighing up the advantages, disadvantages and risks of the business element in within the organization. Finally, the team needs to decide the most appropriate action to bring back the business element on track. The solutions to the problems of bringing back the business element need to gain acceptance among the administrative team through theproper analysis of the advantages, disadvantages and risks of the business element.Moreover, the team must follow the appropriate model in developing the solutions as going through various stages such as

Financial Accounting. Relevance and Reliability Dissertation

Financial Accounting. Relevance and Reliability - Dissertation Example Financial information of any company is presented in financial statements. Financial statements are the main components of company’s annual report. These statements need to have fairly representation of the financial details which is responsible for the decision making process of the investors, suppliers, creditors etc. relevance and reliability are two most important characteristics of financial statements of any organizations. These two factors determine the quality of financial statements. The main purpose of the financial reporting is to provide fairly valued and audited financial details of company for its stakeholders. According to these settlements the actual; worth, performance, profitability, growth rate etc are determined. So, a financial statements needs to be relevant to the valuable decision making requirements of the users. Depending on financial statements, millions are invested to companies by the investor daily. So, relevance and reliability of financial state ments are very essential to the users of financial statements. Purpose of the financial reporting There are two broad purpose of financial reporting, external and internal. External purpose includes the investment decision making by the shareholders and potential new investors of a company, credit rating analysis of company by the credit rating agencies and also by the creditors like banks and other financial institutions, suppliers, government and regulatory bodies like taxation department of government. Internal purpose of financial reporting is to make a standardized record of the financial activities by a company so that it can evaluate its performance at the end of a quarter or a financial year. From the evaluation of the financial statements the companies make decision and develop strategies or change strategies and activities for the next quarter or the next financial year. Financial reporting provides information to the investors, creditors, suppliers so that they can assess the timing, amount and uncertainty of a business entity’s performance in terms of future cash inflow and cash outflow. The elements in financial statements are very important to analysis the ability to generate net cash inflow by a business. This is one of the important characteristics of a business which directly influence the return on the investment of the existing investors of a business and it is also the key important factor to the potential investors by which they are generally influenced to invest in company. Financial reporting is the important part of the valid contract between a stakeholder and an organization. The stakeholder may be any individual or other institutions who are directly or indirectly related to a business entity. A financial report must needs to accomplish some key important factors or characteristics of a business. The main factor is the business is making profit and loss and the amount of profit or loss. Secondly, how much assets the company has to cover its liability and the quality of the assets the company. Third, financial statements provide information about the source of the capital that the business use and efficiency of the business in terms of effective use of the capital so that it can generate substantial return of capital used. Net cash flow of a business is directly influence the return for the investors of a business so it is another important factor of a business which financial stateme

Ludwig Van Beethoven And Sonatas Music Essay

Ludwig Van Beethoven And Sonatas Music Essay Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on 16th December 1770 and died in Vienna, Austria on 26th March 1827. He was one of the famous classical composers of all time. He was also known as a pianist. Beethoven composed 32 piano sonatas for the piano. One of the piano sonatas that will be analyzed in this thesis is the Piano Sonata in c minor, Op.13 which is named as Pathetique. Ludwig van Beethoven composed the Piano Sonata in c minor, Op.13 Pathetique in 1798. This piece was dedicated to Prince Karl Lichnowsky. This piano sonata has three movements. This sonata was the earliest Beethoven sonatas to be famous and this sonata was first published in Vienna, Austria. The first movement, Grave, then Allegro molto con brio, the key signature is c minor and the time signature is in 4/4 time. According to Elterlein, E. V. (1920), This movement portrays his characteristics, a lifelike picture of manly, painful, earnest and passionate emotion. Here and there, fire breaks out, in a marked rhythm, but only to be immediately quenched. There are several modulations in this movement which are from c minor to eƆ¦ minor to Db major to f minor and back to c minor. The second movement, Adagio cantabile, the key signature is Ab major and the time signature is in 3/4 time. Elterlein, E. V. (1920) also said that this movement is much more peaceful than the first movement and is well expressed in the sustained singing theme. The third movement, Rondo allegro, the key signature is c minor and the time signature is in 4/4 time. It gives completeness to the whole. The author also said that The storm which swept through the soul in the first movement has subsided. This movement ends with a satisfactory conclusion. This piano sonata portrays Beethovens emotions and characteristics when he was composing this piano sonata. 1.2 Background of Study Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on 16th December 1770. He died in Vienna, Austria on 26th March 1827. During that time, there were two great composers who were still living which were Mozart and Haydn. Music at that time was the form of entertainment for many people. But in this modern era, music still remains as one of the form of entertainment too. According to Knight, F. (1973), the author said He is also known as a German composer of Flemish descent. He is the son and grandson of musicians at the court of the Elector of Cologne at Bonn. His grandfather, Louise van Beethoven was a court musician in Bonn in 1733 but eventually became the Kapellmeister but his grandfather spent most of his time running a wine business. Johann, his son, Beethovens father was a teacher and a singer at a chapel. He was an alcoholic. He married Beethovens mother, Maria Magdalena in 1767. Ludwig van Beethoven was their second child because their first child died in infancy. His grandfather died when he was three years old. His father taught him to play the harpsichord and the violin just as soon as Beethoven fingers were long enough to play the instruments. His father wanted him to be the next Mozart. So he made him practice hard. Beethovens did not have a happy childhood. When he was eight years old, he started lessons with other teachers besides his father. C.G. Neefe was the court organist and a composer. He was the best teacher to Beethoven from 1779 to 1782 because he taught him to play Bachs forty-eight Preludes and Fugues and composition. He was appointed as court organist when he was about thirteen years old. In 1787, Beethoven went to Vienna, Austria for the first time and it was not a long visit because he had to get back to Bonn to see his mother who was seriously ill. He was so depress when she died. After his mothers death, his home was never well managed and Beethoven always looked untidy. When he was seventeen years old, Beethoven had to look after his family because his father was in a wretched state. Part of his salary was given to Beethoven and this made life easier for Beethoven and his brothers. The van Breuning family is close friends of Beethoven throughout his life. His violin teacher, Franz Anton Reis and the young Count Waldstein helped him in various ways. Beethoven was also very fortunate to have an Elector who loved to spend his time listening to music. Bonn had been invaded by the French armies in 1794. In 1792, Beethoven left Bonn for the last time and he never returned. He travelled to Vienna, Austria. It was also possible that he went to Vienna after being persuaded by Haydn. After arriving in Vienna, Beethoven realized that Vienna has a different musical atmosphere. In Vienna there are more churches, theatres and court compared to Bonn. They are attended by the citys large population. He was busy studying for some years in composition because he always found composing hard and stressful. According to Sadie, S. (1967), the author said that among the earliest of his compositions which are still played today are the three piano sonatas, Op.2, which he dedicated to Haydn. In these we can see how this strong-willed, defiant young mans personality comes out in his music. After completing the Piano Concerto in B flat, he left Vienna for a few months due to a tour. He went to musical centres of Europe which were Prague, Leipzig, Berlin, Budapest and Pressburg. During his journey, he met Prince Lichnowsky who became one of his greatest friends and was also travelling with him. He dedicated one of his finest piano sonatas to Prince Lichnowsky, the Pathetique. In 1798, he started to lose his hearing. He was becoming deaf which is the most painful and terrible fate for a musician. The deafness did not stop him from composing because he had his perfect inner ear as he was a trained and skilled musician. He could hear the sound just by looking at the score. In 1799 and 1800 were the years that he realized that his hearing was deteriorating. He only told two of his closest friends, Franz Wegeler and Karl Amenda of his sickness. He tried various treatments but they all seemed to make him feel worse. Beethovens musical style began to change. There are three periods which can be seen in his life and works. As he was in his thirties, his music began to acquire new and deeper qualities. This was the middle period. His career can be divided into three periods which are the classic period models, the revolutionary pieces which expanded the music vocabulary and compositions which are written in a unique way with elements of contrapuntal, variations and with complete freedom. His pieces became longer, deeper and more expressive. In his last years, he had to carry all his conversations in writing because he became completely deaf by that time. 1.3 Literature Review A few textbooks about music theory were read in order to understand the field of the research. After reading a few of them, it can be seen that a few books say some things which are similar and some things which are different. For example, Willson, R. B. (2009) textbook titled An Introduction to Music Studies gave a brief introduction about music theory and analysis. The book talks about analysis that can be helpful for the performers, it can help us develop our listening skills, give us a mental representation of music and try to understand what the composers did in the past. Theory on the other hand provides a framework for analysis but it did not explain about the analysis of form and rhythm like the other book which is the Dale, C. (2003). The book which was written by Dale, C. (2003) titled Music Analysis in Britain in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, talks about musical analysis of form and rhythm. In the analysis of form chapter, the author explains about ternary and bi nary forms. This chapter also explains on how two of these forms create a larger form such as sonata and rondo. Both these books are helpful in this thesis because it helped in identifying the forms and teaches a person to analyze a score but the Dale, C. (2003) book did not describe about how to develop our listening skills or give us a mental representation of music and also how to understand what the composers did in the past. Another textbook which is Kostka, S. Payne, D. C. (1984) titled Tonal Harmony: With an Introduction to Twentieth Century Music is about music theory and harmony. The authors said that Harmony is defined as the sound that results when two or more pitches are performed simultaneously. It is the vertical aspect of music, produced by the combination of the components of the horizontal aspect. It also describes the elements of pitch and rhythm. It also introduces and teaches us triads, seventh chords, diatonic chords in major and minor keys, voice leading notes, 4 part writing, harmonic progression, non-chord tones, diatonic seventh chords, augmented sixths, neapoliton chords, binary and ternary forms, modulation techniques and enharmonic modulations. However, this textbook did not discuss about the Sonata form, slow movement form and the Rondo form which will be used throughout this entire thesis. But this book can be use as a reference to understand the basics of theory music. A book from Caplin, W. E. (1998) titled Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven contains all the information which is needed for this thesis. This book explained about the sonata form in one chapter which consists of the exposition, development and recapitulation. Then there is the slow movement form in another chapter in the book which is usually found in a piano sonatas second movement such as the Beethovens Piano Sonata in c minor, Op.13 Pathetique and it is also known to combine the transition and subordinate theme or can also reduce the size of the development section. Then there is a chapter explaining the rondo form too in the book such as the rondo form is known to have two main types which are the five part rondo and the sonata rondo. The ones that will be used in the thesis are the sonata form, slow movement form and the sonata rondo form to analyze the piano sonata in this thesis. However there are other books which also contains the same information as this book but there are still some differences between them. Green, D. M. (1979) titled Form in Tonal Music: An Introduction to Analysis wrote a book about an introduction to analysis. The author also discusses about the sonata form which is what this thesis wants. The author also told some history about how the sonata form came to being such as the term sonata was usually used for works performed by one or two players only. Then the sonata form was explain just like the book written by Caplin, W. E. (1998) in his chapter of sonata form because Green, D. M. (1979) also explained about the sonata form which must have the exposition, development and recapitulation sections in order to form a sonata form in a piano sonata. He also said that it is usually in the first movement of the piano sonata. His book On the other hand, Rosen, C. (1988) titled Sonata Forms also wrote about the sonata form and said that the first movement sonata form is one of the most complex and very organized series of forms due to the eighteenth century composers who had the tendency to put a great weight on the opening movement which often results to most dramatic structures. The author only briefly explained the sonata form unlike in the books of Caplin, W. E. (1998) and Green, D. M. (1979) but it also helped in giving some information for this thesis. It was easier to understand and the explanation of the sonata form was shorter than the other two books which are mentioned. Schoenberg, A. (1967) titled Fundamentals of Musical Composition also discusses about those forms such as Sonata form consists of three large scales of functions which are the exposition, developments, and recapitulations. Slow movements are constructed in conventional sonata form. There are a few types of rondo forms such as ABACA, ABACADA, ABACABA. But most of the time it can be situated in one of the two main categories which is the five part rondo (ABACA) and the sonata rondo (ABACABA). He did not discuss about the slow movement form which is also going to be used in this thesis in chapter three. There are books which gives descriptions on what the piano sonata sounds like by describing it like a story and what the mood is like in the piece. Beethovens Pianoforte Sonatas: Explained for the Lovers of the Musical Art by Elterlein, E. V. (1920) book describe about the piano sonata like a story. For example, the author describes the first movement by writing that it is one of the composers primary character and when the allegro molto con brio starts the author said that it was like a lava stream that burst out of its bound and charges to the front which no one is able to stop it. The description was very story like and it was easy to understand the mood of the movements in the piano sonata. Fischer, E. (1959) writes about his opinion about this piano sonata in his Beethovens Pianoforte Sonatas: A Guide for Students Amateurs. The author said that the first movement of this piano sonata is like a symphonic work and the last movement is not suitable with the first two. But the second movement was perfect. Dimond, P. (1995) book titled The Art of Beethoven: Volume I is about the piano sonata that is going to be analyzed in this thesis. The first movement starts with Grave, then Allegro molto con brio. It begins in the key of c minor and the time signature is 4/4 time. The second movement is Adagio cantabile. It begins in the key of Ab major and the time signature is 3/4 time. The third movement is a Rondo. It begins in Rondo Allegro and is back in c minor. The time signature is 4/4 time. The book also contains a brief analysis of the three movements of the piano sonata. These books are somewhat similar to one another but also at the same time different because although the y are describing the same piano sonata they describe it in their own way. However, Kreskys book only has some movements of certain piano sonatas which he had analyze. Tonal Music: Twelve Analytic Studies by Kresky, J. (1977) only analyze the second movement of the piano sonata in this thesis. This book is also very useful in chapter three because in this research there is an analysis for the second movement of this piano sonata. Lives of the Great Composers which was written by a few authors but Latham, P. (1943) wrote on a chapter of Beethoven in the book. It is about Beethovens life. It is a biography book about when the composer was born and where he was born. The author also explains the composers life in Bonn, who were his music teacher, when he went to Vienna and stayed there and until he died. Other books which are similar to Latham, P. (1943) book are Solomon, M. (1978) titled Beethoven which also describes about the composers life, The Great Composers: Beethoven written by Sadie, S. (1967), The Master Musicians: Beethoven written by Scott, M. M. (1934), The Stream of Music written by Leonard, R. A. (1967), Thayers Life of Beethoven: Volume I written by Krehbiel, H. (1949), Beethoven: Biography of a Genius written by Merek, G. R. (1969), and Beethoven and the Age of Revolution written by Knight, F. (1973). These books are mostly about Ludwig van Beethovens life, personality, hardships, romance, when he started losing his hearing and when his works were composed. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on 16th December 1770 and he died in Vienna, Austria on the 26th March 1827. He was a man who gets angry easily, untidy, and difficult to understand. He wrote 32 piano sonatas, 9 symphonies, and so on. He composed the Piano Sonata in c minor, Op.13 Pathetique in 1798 and it was during that time that he noticed he was going deaf. He had a few very close friends and they stayed by his side even though sometimes there are conflicts between them. All these biography books were read in order to understand Beethoven and his music. After reading all of them, it became easier to understand Beethovens characteristics and how his music evolved through the years. In this thesis, Taub, R. (2002) book helped a lot. His book title is Playing the Beethoven Piano Sonatas. It is one of the performance practice books that are found in the University of Malayas main library. He wrote about his opinion on how he thinks this piano sonata should be interpreted. For example, he said that in order to play and effective fp the pianist should depress the keys fast to create forte, then immediately allows the sound to rise so that the sound can be immediately become soft. This information from the author is very helpful in this thesis in chapter four. The piano is the main instrument which is used most in this thesis because the analysis of this thesis is related to the piano. The Pianoforte written by Clutton, C. (1969) is a small chapter from a book titled Musical Instruments through the Ages which is edited by Anthony Baines. The chapter explains about the history of the piano about how it was created and who first created it. The piano was later developed a lot during the classical period. The piano became well known after Mozart started composing music for the piano in the 1770s. Another two similar books which is about the piano are The Piano: A History by Ehrlich, C. (1976) and Keyboard Interpretation: from the 14th to the 19th Century by Ferguson, H. (1975). The touch, fingering, tones, musical types and forms, and pianist problems are very important and must be solved in order to interpret the music successfully. This is related to one of the objectives in this thesis because over the years the piano is always being devel oped in the 18th century until now. So a brief history of the piano should be included in this thesis so that everyone who read this thesis can understand how the piano was made and why different pianos create different sounds. Pedalling techniques are sometimes different on the pianos that the pianists are playing. It will be discussed further in chapter four. 1.4 Objectives There are a few objectives which need to be achieved in doing this topic besides fulfilling my graduation requirement which are: To examine the performance practice of Beethovens early/ middle/ late sonata on todays grand piano but this thesis will only focus on one of his early piano sonata. To analyze the movements and the way it should be played on todays grand piano because during the time of Beethoven, they used a different style and technique to approach this piano sonata. This thesis will help the readers who read this to play the piano sonata if they are having difficulty in understanding how it should be played. To analyze the recording of a few musicians playing this piano sonata whether they are playing similarly or different than what it is written on the score and also to see which pianist piano playing is best to be learnt from. Comparing the urtext edition score and another publisher score to see which version is best. 1.5 Methodology The method that will be applied in this research is mainly on researching secondary resources, surfing through the internet and visiting the libraries which can be gain accessed and permission. In order to understand the field that is chosen, a lot of secondary resources is needed which are books, articles from journals, e journals and thesis. Those secondary resources helped picked the topic and title for this thesis. By going to the University of Malayas main library and also borrowed some of the lecturers books, it can be found that a book titled Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven by William Earl Caplin are very useful for this thesis. There is also an article titled The Paradox of Musical Analysis from the Journal of Music Theory which was written by Mark DeBellis which was found in the University of Malayas main library in the journal section. This article gave a brief idea on how the thesis should begin and h ow to start the musical analysis. All the methods which were mentioned will be carried out towards the end of the research because getting more information is very important for this research. The books in the University of Malayas main library also have many biography books of the composer, Ludwig van Beethoven which is in the research. Books which were written by Knight, F., Latham, P., Solomon, M., Sadie, S., Scott, M.M., Leonard, R.A., Krehbiel, H., Merek, G.R. and others all talked about Beethovens life, hardships, compositions that he composed, challenges that he faced and his sickness. The books had many different styles in describing his life, hardships, compositions and challenges. These books can help in the thesis while it is being done because they are like guide books of Beethovens life on what he had done and achieved. Books which are related to performance practice are also used in this thesis are also found in the University of Malayas main library. A book which was written by Taub, R. was about how to play the Beethovens sonata. This book interprets how a Beethoven sonata should be played by the author. A book which was written by Ferguson, H. and Marshall, R. L. will also be used for this thesis. All these books are related to what is being analyzed in this thesis. After finding all the secondary resources for data and understanding them which are related to the thesis, the topic and title of the thesis can now begin analyzing. The scores which are taken from two types of publications will be analyzed. The first analysis is by analyzing the piano sonatas movements such as modulations, dynamics, articulations, pedal points and others. The second analysis is by comparing both editions of the scores which are from different publications to see whether there are similarities or differences. The third analysis is to analyze a video of a pianist who uses one of those editions in interpreting his or her playing of the Beethoven piano sonata on the grand piano. In order to get information for the research, there are many sources that can be access easily through the internet. For example, the JSTOR database and MUSE database. These websites can be accessed for references and articles from journals for the research. With the use of internet, it is also possible to purchase a book through the internet in amazon.com that cannot possibly be purchase in any of Malaysias bookstores. There are books which are sometimes not available in Malaysia because the bookstores in Malaysia did not order them. It is also because those books are not so suitable to everyone. The books are usually bought by musicians and people who want to gain more music knowledge. The internet can also be use to view videos of famous pianist playing the piano sonata. The videos can be easily viewed in Youtube.com. By observing them through the videos, a comparison can be made on which pianist plays the piano sonata better and also which edition of the score is being interprete d the most. All these will be done in chapter two, three and four. A CD will be provided with this thesis for this piano sonata. The CD contains two pianists who play the same piano sonata which is Beethovens Piano Sonata in c minor, Op.13 Pathetique.

Behavior and Leadership :: Relationship Oriented Leader

Welcome to this presentation on behavior and leadership. During this presentation there will be many details discussed about various types of personalities of leaders. Some styles may be familiar and some may not. There are many styles of leaders and this presentation focuses of comparing and contrasting four different styles. The final recommendation for an organization choosing a leadership style is to allow the employees to have an input on what they prefer—this may increase retention rates. There are four major types of behaviors and personalities of leadership that will be covered during this presentation. Those four types are relationship-oriented versus task-oriented and emotional intelligence versus cognitive intelligence. The relationship-oriented leader (ROL) likes to know team members very well including their most emotional traits. The ROL is very serving to team members and is the most likely type of leader to help the team with tasks when they are overwhelmed. These types of leaders strongly believe that every worker has the drive to accomplish goals and some may have been damaged by previous leaders to where they just need some the correct care showed to them. ROL’s have an open-door policy and like to communicate their values. They feel that all team members must be on the same page to operate successfully. ROL’s excel at aligning new team members into existing teams. This type of leader is service-oriented meaning that he or she puts the needs of the team before his or her own and expects team members to want to be confided in. The ROL’s moral personality makes team members trust them easily (Dubrin, 2010). The task-related leaders care deviates away from the person and towards the task the majority of the time. A task-related leader has the tendency to look down on people that have less strength than others. These types of leaders can quickly assess team members’ weaknesses, likely too quickly for a team member to feel he or she got a chance to express his or herself—fully intending to show good personality. Employees with many weaknesses in relation to the tasks will be supervised much more than stronger employees—both types of team members will be given frequent feedback about how well they are performing tasks. These types of leaders enjoy being innovative with designing electronics and devices that may assist team members in performing their tasks with ease and efficiency.

Medical Advances in China Essay

The main reason why humans contract any form of illness is because these two aspects lose harmony. Looked at from the recovery function of organs, Yang functions to protect from harm from outside forces while Yin protects from the inside and provides energy for its counterpart. Another principle that the Chinese medicine culture follows is that of basic substance. â€Å"Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine believe that vital energy, energetic particles, state of blood, and body fluid are the essential substances that composed together to form the human body, and the basis for internal organs to process. 1These substances are channeled along a network within the body. On the physical aspect of this principle, the vital energy serves to promote and warm which belongs to the properties of Yang. The blood and body fluid to moisten organs possess the properties of Yin. Many of these principles are connected to heal an individual. Although these principles and theories seem almost dera nged to the Western population of the world, many doctors still use these techniques today in modern time. Many traditional Chinese medicine doctors can cure countless patients without any aid from apparatuses or medical instruments but only a physical exam. They follow four methods of diagnosis, these four methods consist of: observation, auscultation and olfaction, interrogation, pulse taking and palpation. The method of observation indicates to the doctor to directly watch the outward appearance to know a patient’s condition. The exterior and interior correspond immediately, for example, when the inner organs run wrongly, it will be shown through the skin, tongue and facial sensory organs. The method of auscultation and olfaction is a way for doctors to collect data through hearing the sounds of the body and smelling the odors of the body. The method of interrogation suggests that doctors question the patient and his or her relatives to know the symptoms and evolution of the illness or disease and previous treatments. The taking of the pulse and or palpation allows for the doctor to note the pulse condition of patients on the radial artery. Doctors believe that when the organic function is normal, the pulse, frequency, and intention of pulse will be relatively stable, and when not, variant. †1 When treating a disease traditional Chinese medicine doctors combine all the collected facts from the four methods of diagnosis to analyze the source and merit of the disease. The doctors then make sure what prescription should be given. In traditional Chinese medicine science, the drugs prescribed are different from the West, because doctors have discovered the medicinal e ffects of thousands of herbs over a long period of time. Before taking the medicine, the patient would have to boil it. There were and are many different ways to fight illnesses and infections through acupuncture and massage. Today though, western medicine has been adopted, and traditional treatments are still playing an important role and have raise large quantities of attention and interest worldwide due to the amazing curative effects reported. While Chinese medicine began long ago, the acupuncture and herbology taught in China today is dramatically different from its traditional practice. The last 150 years have had a greater impact on its evolution that at any other time in its history. † 2 To understand Chinese medicine today, one must glance back to the 1800’s. China was under the rule of a corrupt and weak Qing Dynasty and foreign powers were occupying its territory and the Opium War ensured an epidemic of addiction throughout its population. The Chinese began to face the harsh reality that its culture was not as stron g or as powerful compared to the foreign countries that they considered unequal. They came to believe that China had been focused on the achievements of its past, whereas foreign powers were focusing on developing the new. They saw that China’s closed borders policy to the outside world had kept it from the inventions and discoveries of the times and believed China had to modernize in order to remain a sovereign power of influence. †2 This movement grew until finally the Imperial court was overthrown and the Republic of China was founded by Sun Zhongshan and the Nationalist Party in 1911. The desire to modernize also came with a distrust of China’s traditional knowledge. There was great backlash and outrage to the practice of traditional medicine and in 1928, the Nationalist government declared the practice of Chinese medicine illegal, believing that it was superstitious and confusing compared to the growing influence of penicillin based western medicine. Penicillin was introduced from the west and was a miracle for the Chinese. Although they were unsuccessful at completely outlawing Chinese medicine, it was forbidden in hospitals and government organized health facilities. Then, a lot changed in the country when the Japanese invaded. As Communism began to gain momentum, a civil war was unleashed on an already weak country. When the Communists came out of war victorious and founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949, traditional knowledge and teaching methods had already undergone 100 years of hardship and change. In the first years of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Health simply continued the policies that existed previously towards Chinese medicine. However, as poverty and illness left from years of war became apparent, the government encouraged any type of medicine, Chinese or Western. In order to regain control, a Cultural Revolution was launched which divided doctors who believed in traditional theories with those who followed current scientific models of the West. At the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, the traditional doctors were replaced by a much younger generation of doctors who were convinced that a new biomedical research based medicine would be far better to its traditional origins. Today China is the world’s fastest growing consumer market and it has a population of over a billion people. ‘Traditional’ medicine has become a highly profitable and often fraudulent market as the Chinese seek treatments for issues such as obesity, impotence, high blood pressure, diabetes and beauty enhancement. Chinese medicine, ‘cure-all’ pills have flooded the marked and clinics while specialists are popping up everywhere. â€Å"The increase of traditional Chinese medicine institutions and professionals is unprecedented since the founding of new China. 3 The science of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology has rapidly developed. Many achievements have been obtained in treatment of common diseases such as cardio-cerebro-vascular disease, immunogenic diseases, tumors, bone fractures and continuous progress has been in the exploration and experimentation of traditional folk therapies, preparation and dose-form medication of Chinese medical h erbs, raising the healing capacity of traditional Chinese medicine and drugs and enlarging the area of their services. Historically, Chinese Medicine was practiced largely from generation to generation within a family. The techniques and knowledge required to practice acupuncture or herbal medicine were transmitted from parent to child in the form of an apprenticeship type relationship. This knowledge was passed down from family to family to continue the practice. Because of the way knowledge transmitted the science of Chinese Medicine, different styles of its practice emerged. At the time of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a decision was made to standardize the practice of Chinese Medicine. This was carried out by looking at the various family lineages and taking out from them what they had in common and eliminating that what the Communist government considered to be too overtly â€Å"spiritual,† and naming the ending collection of knowledge and techniques â€Å"Traditional Chinese Medicine†. â€Å"From this historical movement the â€Å"officially-approved† version of Chinese Medicine, which would be taught largely in government, sponsored schools instead of within a family-based apprentice system. † One advantage of this standardization of medicine was that it made it more clear as to what the most commonly-agreed techniques were between Western and Chinese doctors and eliminating the more odd variations that may have appeared that they did not agree upon. A disadvantage of the standardization was that it divided the medicine from its spiritual roots. â€Å"Modern practitioners wishing to bring back the spiritual roots and the knowledge and techniques associated with it, often name themselves as practitioners of Classical Chinese Medicine (the form of the medicine prior to the Cultural revolution) or Five Element Practitioners. 4 Generally speaking, a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner will rely mostly upon a unique diagnostic guideline while a Five Element practitioner relies upon a Five Element diagnostic framework. â€Å"A Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner pays more attention to physical symptoms and creates treatments to eliminate the symptoms. A Five Elemen t practitioner, on the other hand, tend to be more attentive to the emotional and spiritual aspects of the imbalance they detect in the body, and aim their treatments at the root cause of disharmony. 4 There is a lot of distinct variety among different practitioners. This is what makes Chinese Medicine powerful; it is the insight that the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual are always connected. In terms of the practicalities of receiving Chinese Medical training in the West today, a large majority of Chinese Medical schools and licensing exams are now based upon the traditional Chinese Medicine model. Traditional Chinese medicine today is based on standardization efforts that took place in China in the 1950’s with the creation of traditional Chinese medicine colleges. In the 1990’s, traditional Chinese medicine was changed into a semi-private industry and was promoted in global health markets. †4 Revenue from traditional Chinese m edicine hospitals in China has reached to an astonishing $25. 7 billion in 2012. Many of China’s medical companies are the forefront of global science and acupuncture has become one of the most widely spread element of traditional Chinese medicine practiced in the West, using the medical instrument of small needles placed into the skin. Acupuncture needles used to be created out of Bian stones and pottery. Eventually metal needles began to appear and these needles to eventually became the classic ‘nine needles’. These needles were each designed to carry out different functions and aid the body in different but effective forms. Presently, the needles used for acupuncture are made out of filliform while others have been replaced by more advanced surgical instruments. The ‘nine needles’ were initially made out of bronze, gold or silver. Some acupuncturists today still use gold and silver needles but the majority of acupuncturists use only steel filliform needles. In 1950 Chairman Mao officially united Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Medicine and acupuncture became established in many hospitals. â€Å"In the late 50’s and 60’s, research continued into acupuncture with further study of ancient texts, clinical effects of acupuncture on various diseases, and the development of acupuncture anesthesia. †5 From the 1970’s to the present, acupuncture continues to play an important role in China’s medical system. China has been a leader in researching all aspects of acupuncture and its clinical effects. Although acupuncture has become more modernized, it will probably never lose its connection to a philosophy that was established thousands of years ago. â€Å"Policy-makers around the world are constantly finding different ways to incorporate traditional Chinese medicine into public health systems. †6 One consequence to the many practices being spread worldwide is the impact traditional Chinese medicine has on environmental sustainability. China cannot provide all the ingredients to fulfill domestic and international demands. In Australia, manta rays are threatened because their gills are dried and boiled and used as a health remedy. The World Wildlife Foundation is currently teaming up and working with the Chinese government to promote alternative routes of treatments without the use of animal parts. Western medicine often focuses on defects, for instance, how to repair a torn ligament, reduce cholesterol or eliminate bacteria. It focuses and revolves around pathology. Chinese medicine is concerned with relieving pain and reversing the effects of disease. Chinese medicine is often complex and difficult for people to understand what it really is exactly. This is because it is based on the principle that what happens to one part of the body affects every other part of the body. In Chinese medicine, the mind and body are not viewed separately similarly as organs and structures are viewed as connected internal structures that work together to make sure the body is functioning well. Many of the ideas emphasized in traditional Chinese medicine are not even related to Western medicine. One such concept is ‘qi,† which is responsible for controlling the human mind and body. â€Å"Qi flows through the body through channels, which are called meridians. There are 20 meridians and 12 primary meridians that correspond to specific organs. †7 Imbalances in the flow of qi cause illness and the correction of the imbalance brings the body back to balance. Although acupuncture is one of the biggest treatments to treat illness, there are many other techniques such as acupressure, moxibustion, massage techniques, herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle changes, meditation and exercise. Even after reading this paragraph, one may still have trouble comprehending what it is, but there is little doubt of traditional Chinese medicine’s effectiveness. Several studies have reported that these types of treatments have had success in treating a wide range of illness and conditions such as nausea, vomiting, tennis elbow and even back pain. Many Western-trained physicians have also seen the positive effects from traditional Chinese medicine and now offer it to patients and some even include acupuncture as a treatment. Many Americans are using acupuncture, herbal remedies and other treatments through traditional Chinese medicine than before. Whether looked at as a complimentary treatment or primary one, traditional Chinese medicine is on the rise around the world. Despite its significantly different approaches to well being, many people use both Chinese and Western medicine at the same time. It has been proven time and time again how traditional Chinese medicine has been effective and successful in treating different ailments and illnesses. The evolution of Chinese medical techniques has surprisingly not changed drastically. Many of the treatments used for thousands of years are still used today because they proved to be beneficial for the body and reaped positive benefits for the human body functions and rid of illness. Bibliography Chinese Medicine: History, Traditional Four Methods of Diagnosis. † TravelChinaGuide. Accessed April 24, 2013. http://www. travelchinaguide. com/intro/medicine. htm. â€Å"The Evolution of Chinese Medicine. † The Evolution of Chinese Medicine. Accessed April 24, 2013. http://www. traditionalstudies. org/chinese-medicine/23-cm-about-chinese-medicine/cm-about/62-the-evolution-of-chinese-medicine.  "The Globalization of Chinese Medicine | Globalization101. † Globalization101. Accessed April 28, 2013. http://www. globalization101. org/the-globalization-of-chinese-medicine/. â€Å"Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://www. traditionalstudies. org/chinese-medicine/23-cm-about-chinese-medicine/cm-about/61-historical-time-line-of-chinese-medicine. â€Å"History of Acupuncture. † Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences History of Acupuncture Comments. Accessed April 28, 2013. http://www. acos. org/articles/history-of-acupuncture/. â€Å"TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Five Element Styles of Practice. † About. com Taoism. Accessed April 27, 2013. http://taoism. about. com/od/qigongchinesemedicine/a/TCM. htm. â€Å"Traditional Chinese Medicine History. Traditional Chinese Medicine History. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://www. china4u2. com/TCM_History/tcm_history. html. —â €”————————————– [ 1 ]. â€Å"Chinese Medicine: History, Traditional Four Methods of Diagnosis. † TravelChinaGuide. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://www. travelchinaguide. com/intro/medicine. htm. [ 2 ]. â€Å"Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. † Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://www. traditionalstudies. org/chinese-medicine/23-cm-about-chinese-medicine/cm-about/61-historical-time-line-of-chinese-medicine. [ 3 ]. Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. † Historical Time Line of Chinese Medicine. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://www. traditionalstudies. org/chinese-medicine/23-cm-about-chinese-medicine/cm-about/61-historical-time-line-of-chinese-medicine. 4 â€Å"TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Five Element Styles of Practice. † About. com Taoism. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://taoism. about. com/od/qigongchine semedicine/a/TCM. htm. [ 4 ]. â€Å"TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Five Element Styles of Practice. † About. com Taoism. Accessed April 29, 2013. http://taoism. about. com/od/qigongchinesemedicine/a/TCM. htm. 5†³History

Advantage and disadvantages of social networking Essay

Since the advent of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, there has been much debate on their benefits and detriments. While social networking sites are a useful tool in our increasingly connected world, they can also adversely affect our development and the nature of our social interactions. Hence, it is important to first identify their advantages and disadvantages to effectively use them. Social networking sites offer a medium for people to keep in touch with their acquaintances and maintain constant contact with their friends. This increased connectivity opens new paths for relationships to be built and bonds to be strengthened. In this way, social networking sites help to complement and enhance a person’s social experience. Sites such as Facebook and Tumblr allow people to find out more about their friends’ interests, as well as their personal lives, which can lead to more fruitful conversations and discussions, leading to better and stronger relationships. Read more: Essay on social media advantages and disadvantages Additionally, social networking sites help people to share their thoughts and feelings with one another. Twitter is an example where this sharing of thoughts is facilitated in an innovative way. Displaying trends allow people to find out about current events and keep up with the news. By linking Twitter to other social media like Facebook and Instagram, it opens more possibilities for sharing and learning. Moreover, social networking sites can help bolster productivity by acting as a medium for people to discuss freely and share ideas, especially when face-to-face meetings are difficult to organise. Online discussions also allow information to be processed easily, are generally more orderly, and can be stored safely. Social networking also provides opportunities for studies such as surveys to be conducted easily. Hence, social networking sites can be used as a tool to boost productivity. On the other hand, social networking sites deprive us of face-to-face interaction, which is detrimental to the development of social skills, especially for adolescents. By removing opportunities for direct social contact, our ability to interpret expressions and decipher tones decreases,  affecting future interactions with others as well as our relationships. Lack of face-to-face interaction can also affect our emotional health as we require the intimacy and affection of fellow human beings to achieve emotional stability. Use of social networking sites also results in more opportunities to fall prey to scams and other online threats. Certain sites can be utilized by hackers to introduce viruses in various ways, or by scammers to con unsuspecting victims. Social networking make victims feel safe as they believe themselves to be surrounded by friends, making it easier for them to fall prey to such threats. Furthermore, social networking has increased cases of cyber-bullying, especially prevalent among youths, which causes harm to victims and in extreme cases, can lead to depression and lead to suicide. The perpetrators of these acts can remain anonymous in an online setting and can continually harm and threaten victims, causing much distress. Evidently, such dangers cannot be taken lightly. In conclusion, social networking sites offer great benefits when effectively utilized, but as with all tools, it inherently possesses some risks and problems which must be mitigated. As social media continues to evolve, we can only hope it changes for the better and continues to enhance our social lives.