Care of Patient with Rigth Hip replacement surgery(postop to Essay

Care of Patient with Rigth Hip replacement surgery(postop to discharge) - Essay Example Mobilization out of bed depends on the surgeon and may start on first day. Bed exercises such as quadriceps contraction and ankle exercises are encouraged for enhanced circulation. Routine chest physiotherapy1 is given to prevent chest complications. The procedures on the second day of operation include walking to the bathroom with the help of a walker. The patient should be gradually ambulated to walk with crutches and taught special maneuvers to ease daily activities like climbing stairs. Following hip operations, the catheter should remain in situ for two days and the patient is well advised to use bedpan for his elimination needs. These post operative procedures may limit your activities, are rather inconvenient and may feel troublesome. After surgery, Surgeons and nurses do several things to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the veins of the patients legs. If they do form, this can lead to increased swelling in the legs. If the clots break loose they may travel to the patients' lungs and interfere with breathing. To avoid such complications, before the surgery, the nurse will apply elastic stockings to help prevent blood from pooling in the patients' legs. The surgical team may place the patient on either aspirin or Coumadin to thin blood to reduce the risk of clot formation.

Society and Culture Essay Example for Free

Society and Culture Essay It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting there just like all of you listening to the same sort of speeches from the year 12’s last year, thinking, what are these people talking about? PIP’s? Major works? Hello! I just started year 11; I don’t need to be thinking about this now, its ages away. Let me tell you this, standing here with only about 5 months to go until my PIP, my major work for society and culture is due, that ages away creeps up on you very quickly. You’re probably thinking, â€Å"5 months, what is this girl going on about, 5 months is almost half a year! Are you serious! That’s more than enough time to do an assignment. You could easily do it a week before it’s due. What is she stressing about?† If you learn only one thing from my speech make sure it’s this- That 5 months in â€Å"PIP† time is not ages away. With 5 months to go you should have already chosen your topic, have formulated your focus question and be starting to implement the methodologies you have chosen, or at least be starting to think about the methodologies you want to use. You should definitely not think that you could start writing your PIP with only a week to go. As you probably already know PIP stands for Personal Interest Project. So it would make sense to choose a topic that you’re personally interested in. You’ve got to think that ideally, you’re going to be researching the same topic for a little under a year so it’s got to be something that’s going to maintain your interest as well as relating to Society and Culture in some way. The topic I chose for my PIP is Mental Illness, and my Focus question is â€Å"Is the mental illness Bipolar, attributable to the influences of nature or nurture?† Specifically I’m focusing my research on 4 adults and seeing if I can come to some conclusion about what Bipolar disorder is attributed to generally. Many different things inspired me to choose this topic, but probably the most major influence was the fact that my mum had Bipolar disorder, my Nan has bipolar and so does my Great Grandma. Bipolar used to be something that really scared me; partly because of the stigma society generally places on mental illness, and also because of the fact that there is such a strong genetic history of bipolar in females in my family, so there is an increased chance that I may get Bipolar at some point in my life. I decided to focus on this topic, as I knew it would be something that would maintain my interest for the duration of the project, and I also thought that it would be a very good experience for me, as instead of being afraid of mental illness it would empower me with information. I believe it will also help me to determine if I am at such a great risk of developing a Bipolar due to the genetic â€Å"nature† factors, or if developing Bipolar is more attributable to â€Å"nurture† factors, in relation to the way someone has grown up and what environments they have been subject to. Another attribution for my choice of topic was that I felt I had excellent links and access to information relating to this topic, within my micro world. My Aunt works for Pioneer Clubhouse, a rehabilitation centre for people with mental illness, and one of our family friends used to work in the public sector and has friends with Bipolar, that advise the health minister on issues relating to mental illness. Because of these links it is much easier to obtain information and implement my methodologies. I assume by this stage of year 11 you all know what a methodology is, but in simple terms, methodologies are ways of finding out information. Creating a successful PIP and choosing an appropriate methodology or methodologies go hand in hand. Methodologies play a major role in your PIP but it is really important that you understand, in relation to your PIP in general, you need to allow for flexibility. Sometimes the methodologies or the topic you choose wont work out, and you may need to choose new ones or modify your original choice. The PIP is supposed to be a major learning experience, designed to move you closer towards social and cultural literacy, so naturally there will be learning from mistakes and changes made along the way. It’s important that you’re aware of this. I have decided to use interview as the primary methodology for my PIP. Specifically I intend to undertake an extensive interview process with the 4 individuals I am focusing my research on. I also wish to interview several people that interact regularly with the selected four. I feel that using interviews, as my primary research methodolog y will prove to be highly successful for my PIP. As finding out weather Bipolar is attributable to nature or nurture involves more than just getting a one-word or short answer, which is usually what would be normally obtained from Quantitative research methodologies, such as questionnaires or statistical analysis. It is highly suggested that you include secondary research within your PIP to support the primary research you’ve collected. This finding and interpreting of secondary research is also classified as a methodology, it’s called Content Analysis, and this is also one of the methodologies that I will be using. I have already looked at many books, websites and pamphlets and obtained some very useful information from them. I also intend to watch some videos on Bipolar and I aim to collect some more information from websites and books. I’ve decided to use this methodology not only because it is highly suggested that you use it, but also because I believe that it is really important to get other people’s opinions that have researched the same topic, in order to support and explain to a greater extent the research that you have gathered. Another methodology I intend to use is Participant Observation. I will do this by spending the day at Pioneer Clubhouse, the rehabilitation centre for people with mental illness that I was talking about before. Through doing this I hope to observe my participants interacting in certain daily situations, and I hope to be able to comment on whether there are any differences to reactions of those not suffering with Bipolar disorder, which could give insight into the ‘nurture’ influence of the disorder. Use of this method will also allow a different perspective to interview, as I will be able to see behaviours first hand, which I think will be very valuable to my research. The type of methodologies you will choose will highly relate to the type of research you are doing. My research is definitely far more Qualitative than Quantitative due to the fact that I am focusing my research on people’s experiences. In simple terms Qualitative research relies upon open-ended questions, and types of methodologies that usually require interpretation of people’s personal opinions. Quantitative research is more straightforward research that can easily be compared to other data, as it does not require interpretation of people’s personal opinions. It involves interpretation of statistics and numbers and clear opinions of usually a large number of people. It is estimated that 10% of Australians have Bipolar, which is a very high percentage when you think that over 20 million people live here. That’s about 2 million people who have either had or have Bipolar Disorder. Yet it is generally seen by most within our society as such a taboo subject. This is part of the reason why I didn’t choose Quantitative methodologies such as questionnaires, surveys, or statistical analysis, because I felt that many people wouldn’t give true, unbiased opinions. So far the research I have conducted has proved quite successful. I am continually conducting content analysis and have been since late last year. I have collected quite a lot of information and visited many libraries’ including the Macquarie University library, the State library of Queensland and the University of New South Wales Library. I know it’s starting to sound like you have to turn into a major nerd once you hit year 12 Society and Culture, but it’s really not like that. You start doing all these nerdaliscious things because you’re interested in the topic you’re researching. It’s your PERSONAL Interest Project, an assignment on something that you want to do, so you actually want to put an effort in and want to do well. I have also given a speech at Pioneer Clubhouse’s weekly staff and members meeting, introducing my PIP and myself, and proposing their involvement. I also spoke at the meeting about the possibility of conducting interviews with several of them. I received a very positive response from them all and also obtained several members consent to interview them. I intend to conduct these interviews in the upcoming school holidays along with my participant observation. I have also written a rough draft of questions I intend to ask during the interviews, and I aim to have a final copy of questions finished by the start of the holidays. My topic is an extremely sensitive one and it is vitally important that I treat the participants of my research with the upmost respect and not just as research tools. My aim is to discuss my finalized interview questions with a mental health professional in order to ensure that I am asking appropriate questions and conducting ethical research, which is a very important part of social research. Furthermore I have also begun writing a letter to the Health Minister, consulting him about his opinions on my topic. I have also written several emails to various organizations supporting people with Mental Illness, consulting them about my topic and requesting any information they would be able to forward. This has proved extremely helpful, as I have received some fantastic information from these organizations. It is extremely important to try and remain as unbiased as possible whilst conducting your research, in order to produce a reliable and proper report at the end of your research. Although it is definitely good to formulate an opinion about your topic and express how passionate you are about it, it is also essential that you try not to impose this opinion on those you are collecting information from. I expect to find that the causes of Bipolar will be attributable to both nature and nurture influences, and I feel that my research will support this hypothesis. My reasoning behind expecting to come to this conclusion stems from the fact that if someone has a predisposition to a certain disease or disorder therefore nature factors. It does not necessarily mean that they will acquire that disease or disorder; unless they subject themselves to particular environments hence nurture factors. Take heart disease for example. A person may have a predisposition to heart disease but if they eat healthily and exercise then they have a chance of not acquiring the condition. They do however; have a higher risk of acquiring the disease than someone who doesn’t have a predisposition to heart disease. I believe the same principle applies to Bipolar Disorder, and hypothesise that my findings will support this way of thinking. The PIP gives you a lot of freedom to choose a topic on something that your interested in, but there is one vital piece of criteria that you need to factor in when choosing your topic, and that is that it needs to relate to Society and Culture through the concepts. My topic relates to Society and Culture through several concepts, including, the concept of Time – as both nature and nurture factors are highly influenced by time. It also refers to the concept of Socialization. This refers to the ways you learn to become an accepted member of society via agents such as peers, family, community groups and the media. These things relate greatly to the nurture side of the argument, hence relate to my topic. My topic also relates to the following concepts for the same reasons – Media, Values, Tradition, Influence, and Institutions. Other concepts my topic relates to include: Environment – as the person’s environment and the experiences they are subject to highly relate to the nurture component of my PIP. Family is also another concept that relates to my PIP for the same reasons. Gender is also a concept that relates to my PIP in respect to the nature part of my focus question. So right now your probably all thinking â€Å"blah blah, what is this stupid girl doing, why am I sitting here listening to these stupid speeches, wasting my time, again, I’m only in year 11, is this really necessary?† Well the aim of my speech today wasn’t to bore you. My aim today was to inspire you guys, get you all to start thinking about your PIP’s, because it’s really not that far away. Year 11 goes so fast and before you know it your half way through year 12 giving this same speech, thinking â€Å"I really should get a move on with my PIP.† The PIP is a major part of your work in year 12; it’s worth 30% of your external mark for Society and Culture, which means that your HSC exam is only worth 70% so you need to put a lot of effort into your PIP. The last but probably most important piece of information I will give you today, is that you need to successfully manage your time whilst researching your PIP, because it really does slip away so quickly. My advice to you is, in term 4, your first term of year 12, when you first receive information on the PIP, make up a realistic timeline of how you want to conduct your research and complete your PIP. Set a date for when you want to have your topic chosen by, a date for when you’re first going to think about your methodologies, and a date for when you intend to implement them. It’s also a good idea to factor in some time every week that you solely devote to your PIP. You really need to use your time wisely, because you think â€Å"oh yeah, no worries I have a whole year to do this, I’m not going to start now† but then time slips away so fast and you wish you had that extra time back. By no means am I going to lie to you, the PIP is a lot of hard work. But it definitely gives a sense of satisfaction when you’re actually out there researching something independently; using all the skills you’ve learnt. It makes you feel as though school is actually useful and the things your learning can actually be implemented into real life situations. You get to research and report on something that you’re personally interested in, something that actually matters to you, which absolutely makes it worthwhile putting in all the effort and time the PIP demands. Although it’s a lot of work, it’s definitely something to look forward to. It’s school work, but surprisingly its fun. So start thinking now because it’s just around the corner!

An Argument Against Racial Profiling Essay -- Black Lives Matter Essays

"I don't want to talk about whether or not racial profiling is legal. Racial profiling is not an effective law enforcement tool." -- Eric Holder, 82nd Attorney General of the United States Before any argument can be made against racial profiling, it is important to understand what racial profiling is. The American Civil Liberties Union, defines racial profiling as "the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual's race, ethnicity, religion or national origin"(Racial Profiling: Definition). Using this definition we can determine that racial profiling excludes any evidence of wrong-doing and relies solely on the characteristics listed above. We can also see that racial profiling is different from criminal profiling, which uses evidence of wrong-doing and facts which can include information obtained from outside sources and evidence gathered from investigation. Based on these definitions, I will show that racial profiling is unfair and ineffective because it relies on stereotyping, encourages discrimination, and in many cases can be circumvented. There have been many studies and case reports involving racial profiling, particularly racial profiling issues involving traffic stop and seizures. In a study done of reports on the stop-and-searches done on Interstate 95 in Maryland, it was found that 28.4 percent of black drivers and passengers and 28.8 percent of white drivers and passengers stopped were found with illegal contraband. (U.S. Department of Justice) The disparity between the two statistics is a mere .4 percent and shows that race is not an issue. Further reading into the seventy one page report written by the U.S. Department of Justice sho... ...ng: Definition." The American Civil Liberties Union. Web. 18 June 2015. https://www.aclu.org/racial-profiling-definition Derbyshire, John. "In Defence of Racial Profiling." 2001. Web. 18 June 2015. http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=133 Nomani, Asra Q. "Is racial or religious profiling ever justified?" 18 April 2011. Web. 18 June 2015. http://www1.ccs.k12.in.us/teachers/downloads/cms_block_file/83851/file/139411 Schneier, Bruce. "Will Profiling Make a Difference?" 2010. New York Times: Room for Debate. Web. 18 June 2015. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/will-profiling-make-a-difference/?_r=0 U.S. Department of Justice. "A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection Systems." December 2000. U.S. Department of Justice. Web. 18 June 2015. http://justice.utah.gov/Documents/Research/Race/DOJResourceGuide.pdf

Conceptual Framework of 4`S Library

Peter Drucker defined the marketing concepts as â€Å"the business as seen from the customer? s point of view. † Keating & Hafner [68] initiated that business models can be applied to libraries; they draw analogies from business by substituting â€Å"library† for â€Å"corporation and â€Å"user† for â€Å"customer†. The e-Business domain is being employed extensively in government, library, and non-profit diverse organizations lately. Constantinides (2002) [69] proposed the Web-Marketing Mix (WMM) model to identify the online marketing critical elements and addresses the E-Commerce strategic, operational, organizational and technical issues by: Scope, Site, Synergy and System (4S). The scope identifies the strategic and operational objectives to be addressed. The site proposes a method for drafting realistic and consistent Web marketing plans in order to develop the functional platform of communication, interaction, and transaction with the web customers. The synergy refers to the necessary organization, infrastructure, human resource and knowledge for supporting smooth online operational processes. The system identifies main technological and administrative issues that will underpin online marketing activities. To illustrate how to implement the 4S into conceptual framework, each of them will be explained further. The â€Å"Scope† is acted as a strategic direction for managers to ensure the whole staff follows the organizational predefined goals and objectives. In order to measure an organization's internal processes, then to identify, understand, and adapt external practices for continuous improvement from other organizations, there is a desire to establish benchmarking across institutions [70]. For administering reader profiles and sustaining activities, a segmentation of readers is helpful to reach the goal setting and position the strategic role of library during the service process. The â€Å"Site† transforms a web required to evaluate how well the website? s presentation has complied with the presetting functional requirements. Library website (Libweb) is the virtual front doors to collections and services [71], and as a powerful International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology.

Childhood of Abraham Lincoln: The Personal Legend Essay

* Abraham Lincoln childhood and how he found his personal legend since he was young * How Abraham Lincoln started to follow his personal legend inspiration in his youth and what he achieved in his early life. * What are the results for following his personal legend, and how he changed the whole world? * Conclusion that mention the difference between a person has a personal legend to follow it, and a person who just live normal and followed others inspiration. Personal legend is not just a term to describe a person who just follows his dreams, but the real meaning for the personal legend is, the soul of yourself that you need to understand, and to be able to communicate with it, to lead you for all things that make you happy and satisfied in your life. Life is a big journey and all people have the right to draw their dreams and wishes, the person who following his personal legend is, the only person who can achieve all his goals and dreams. For example, Abraham Lincoln the person who changed the whole world by his inspiration, when he found his personal legend that led him to be a president of the United States. When we speak about one of the famous and successful people who found their personal legend, there are too many, but when we speak about someone had changed the world with his inspiration and his personal legend, we speak about Abraham Lincoln, The 16th president of the United States. He grown up in united stated and his father Thomas Lincoln was a farmer, he used to own a few acres of land to plant it, during Abraham’s childhood he learned how to plant and helping his father in his farming work. He learned how to be responsible and supporter to his family. That made him strong physically and mentally, Abraham used to learn from his father personality, he was strong and very smart, and he used to learn from the nature all around him. He used to love nature and reading too, all these interests made him a strong thinker and helped him to find his personal legend that was leading him for helping people and serving his country. Later in his youth, Abraham started to follow his dreams and his personal legend, in fact that the time of his childhood there weren’t enough schools to educate people, in spite of the fact that schools were very expensive to join, these reasons never stopped Abraham from being educated and what his personal legend exist. He had had inspired by politics so he taught himself the law and started to read books about politics in general and law in particular to pursue a career in the politics’ field. After educating himself, he started to pursue his first career in the politics’ field as a lawyer. Without a doubt that was a very good transition that turned over his life from being a farmer into someone has a goal in the politics’ life. His personality and the education level that he reached helped him to success in the politics’ field, and helped him to start his first step in his new life and his way towards changing. He expressed his opposition about slavery and his determination to limit the expansion of that matter, which made him known, brought others’ passion to him, and allowed him to take place in congress to start his mission. During his journey into success he met his wife Mary Todd and he falls in love with her, she was very educated and attracting person, they got engaged, divorced then married. That made me remember in the Alchemist story when Santiago met Fatima and falls in love with her, the Alchemist taught him that true love never gets in the way of one’s Personal Legend. If it does then it is not true love but actually Santiago never forgot her during his journey and decided to go back to where he found his love after he found his Personal Legend. His enthusiasm toward improving and changing situations into better made the individual states and territories to decide whether they allow slavery, Finally the Law provoked slavery and allowed him to join the republican party which had had elected him to be President to the United States. In conclusion, the person who is looking for his personal legend should have a dream or a goal to led him into finding it, once you start looking to reach that dream, you keep struggling, stumbling, learning, and trying to reach your dream, but as soon as you find what is your Personal Legend wants to be or where it is exist, that makes you feel better in your life and satisfied with what you have reached. In the other hand many others prefer to take the easy way and follow others. For example, to be a baker or a shepherd, the baker earning much money than the shepherd does, however, there is others preferred to be a shepherd to enjoy their life, the nature, and the feeling of struggling for earning their money.

Industrial Production and Capitalism Drivers of Social Change in History Essay Example

Industrial Production and Capitalism Drivers of Social Change in History Essay Example Industrial Production and Capitalism Drivers of Social Change in History Essay Industrial Production and Capitalism Drivers of Social Change in History Essay Industrial Production and Capitalism: Drivers of social change in history Ho Xin Qian Louise In this essay, I will illustrate why industrial production and capitalism were major causes of social change in history by stating three main arguments. Firstly, I put forth the case that industrial production and capitalism have changed the role and nature of markets in history. In doing this, I trace how the market has become the central system of social coordination via market instruments, encompassing even the elements of industry like land, labor and money. In exemplification, I explain how industrial capitalism has brought about the rise of mass production and mass markets, enabling the market system to expand its influence. Secondly, I will illustrate how industrial capitalism has changed the social relations of production, as well as the social organization of work, resulting in class struggle and socio-economic stratification in history. Lastly, I touch on the changes in norms and culture within institutions due to industrial production and capitalism. For the purpose of this paper, I define industrial production as production brought about by mechanized technology and industrious labor in centralized locations. Capitalism is defined as a system of profit making commerce made possible by the usage of money, decentralized circulation of capital and the market exchange of commodities. I use the term industrial capitalism to denote the amalgamation of both forces. The Role and Nature of Markets in History It is my contention that industrial production has changed the role and nature of markets in history, placing it in the centre of society and economy. It is true that industrial capitalism presupposes the existence of a market system. However, the market system was never the dominant system of social control until the development of isolated markets by mercantilist means, and subsequently the transnational interaction and proliferation of markets into a market economy, brought about by industrialization in the 18thC. It is due to this transcendence of boundaries and displacement of market activity that gives rise to the â€Å"market† as an abstract mechanism. According to Polyani, before the rise of markets, the society organizes itself via systems of redistribution, house-holding and reciprocity, of which operates on non-economic motives like social prestige and kinship (Polyani 1944: 46-58). After the rise of markets with long distance and local trade, markets have started to take on a more important role in providing necessities; however, they did not function for a majority of the population, who were still dependent upon common exchange and subsistence systems. Thereafter, mercantilism created isolated national markets which consolidated local economic activity and increased trade. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution in the mid 18thC that the market system became the main driver of social change across different countries through the creation of mass markets. The industrial revolution has brought about new forms of technology and power, transformed modes of production and created factories as centralized locations for mechanized production to take place. Mass production techniques like specialization, standardization, time-discipline, rational capital accounting and centralization allow for production costs to decrease with volume, thus generating a high amount of output, providing goods more cheaply than one could have done outside of the factory. As a result, people buy their essentials from these mass markets rather than produce by themselves. Also, they produce solely for the market, deriving income to purchase other goods in the circulation of commodities. Moreover, with industrial capitalism, the market mechanism has also come to allocate factors of production such as land, labor and money, which according to Polyani were not real commodities, but merely have exchange value because they become privately owned by use of legal contracts and sales (Polyani 1944: 68-76). Since then, mass markets have come to synchronize most economic activities like consumption, production, distribution and even finance in the most efficient fashion (Swedberg 2005:238-240). These markets become far reaching and displaced in light of industrial capitalism because of communicative and transport technology, the mobility of money and relations of free trade, which re-defined the notion of markets from a place to an abstract network of actors across national boundaries. Also, the nature of markets has changed from being state-controlled to being self-regulating. The market system becomes the center of economic and social life as it coordinates most economic activities not by state regulation but by economic instruments like the price mechanism, supply and demand aggregates. Social Relations of Production and Organization of Work Industrial capitalism has, with the change in material means of production, brought about a change in the social relations of production and organization of work. In capitalistic societies, instead of directly interacting with nature in production, human beings depend on each other by exchanging their assets in place of producing for subsistence. Hence, they inevitably enter into social relations of production between those who own the means of production (capitalist) and those who do not but are economically compelled to sell their labor power (worker) for wages. In the circulation of capital, surplus value can be derived from the difference between capital invested and capital retrieved because capital (such as land, factory and machinery), only when combined with labor, transforms products to sell for higher exchange values, thereby generating surplus value and profit. This circulation of capital is durable because capitalists aim to invest their capital to make even more profits while workers can only increase their wages by working harder or by investing in their skills. Since then, the relationship between capitalists have become increasingly competitive due to the drive for profits while the worker-capitalist relation has replaced family (sexual division of labor) as the primary relation of production. According to Marx, as the ownership of means of production is exclusive and alienable, the society becomes separated into two distinct classes – the bourgeoisie (capitalist) and the proletarian (or worker), where between them is a relationship of domination and exploitation. Marx observed that the capitalists tend to exploit the workers by privately appropriating the surplus value produced by the workers, giving them much less than the use value of their time and effort invested in production (Marx 1848: 23). Also, the exploitation goes further by manifesting itself in the working conditions of factories, where workers were forced to work for long hours and children were also engaged as child labor. The exploitation and domination over workers exists because of the profit motive of decreasing costs and increasing revenue, as well as the fact that workers have less argaining power over their jobs than their employers. Capitalism has also re-defined the social organization of work by the formation of labor markets and complex division of labor. Prior to the onset of industrial capitalism, work was just defined as any effortful activity which attributes use value to commodities. However, with industrial capitalism, the formation of labor markets constitutin g workers, employers, jobs and networks is possible, and they function to allocate labor resources and allow capitalists to negotiate labor price and working conditions. Here, there is a clear demarcation of what is considered paid â€Å"work† and what lies outside of the labor market in the informal economy. Within the labor market, the exchange value of labor depends on the quantity and quality of labor, which denotes different labor processes and skills. The differentiation in wages is due to the complex division of labor brought about by industrial capitalism. Unlike the simple division of labor, where society is categorized into different occupations as in craftmanship, the capitalistic industry has a tendency to control and divide the mass production process into many simple tasks which all unskilled workers are capable of accomplishing. Workers are subdivided into different capabilities and made to specialize in simple tasks to be able to perform quickly and productively. This organization of work greatly improves the efficiency of the system, bringing costs down with more units of production. As seen in the Fordist model of mass production, workers as such are being â€Å"deskilled† and made interchangeable to the extent that they can be fired or hired according to production requirements (Womack 1990: 19-46). Thus, the market value of such menial labor is very low as opposed to professions (doctors) and skilled labor (technicians). The way work is being socially organized into skilled and unskilled labor has thus brought about socio-economic stratification in production relations. Marx has criticized this form of organization as being â€Å"alienating†, especially for the menial workers. As workers are being made interchangeable by the subdivided nature of production process, their labor is being looked upon only as a commodity, at their employer’s disposal. The worker loses control over his produce, the work process and his ability to creatively express himself. Moreover, their menial labor becomes cheapened in the process of unemployment and labor surplus. On the other hand, professionals are able to safeguard their interests by exclusive job administration channels, keeping their wages high due to marketable specialized knowledge. As a result, socio-economic stratification has also become defined by consumption relations such as occupational prestige and status groups. Norms and Culture Lastly, it is clear that industrial capitalism has brought about important changes in norms and culture. Most explicitly, industrial capitalism has changed the culture of work in the society. Prior to this time, work was characterized by disparate tasks that one is required to do in the day, and is oriented to what is necessary to be attended to. There is little divide between work and life. In industrial-capitalistic societies, work is characterized by a series of jobs which need to be synchronized in terms of sequence and speed. Time-discipline is important for work in the capitalist economies because productivity and time are highly correlated (Thompson 1967, 60:61). People are expected to use time allocated for work efficiently and solely for work. As the stimulus for work has changed from subsistence to wage incentives, there is potential of increasing wages by putting in more effort put into work. Thus, as competition for jobs and within jobs increase, people are pushed to work harder and longer in their jobs. Also, in the 18thC, industrial capitalism has led to the trend of rapid urbanization due to rural urban migration and international migration in seek of factory jobs. This has led to a major restructuration of society within countries like England, where the working class poor tend to congregate near the city centre for employment and the more affluent middle class tend to decentralize away from these city centers, where living conditions are bad. The result is a case of socio-economic polarization within cities, where differences in standards of living are stark between gated communities and urban slums. In all, industrial capitalism tend to generate disparate levels of wealth and poverty amongst the working and capitalist classes. Lastly, industrial capitalism is likely to produce changes in habits and lifestyle which are oriented towards the market. The culture of consumerism is prevalent in many industrial and post-industrial societies, brought about by both producers and consumers. Producers aim to increase the capital return from their investment by either catering to existing needs or by creating new needs and wants. With the use of marketing strategies and production technology, they are able to sell their products at a high profit margin. Consumers, on the other hand, are faced with the proliferation of goods and services available at competitive prices. With the wages they have earned, they are able to afford more goods at a lower price. In all, this paper contends that industrial production and capitalism are major drivers of social change in three ways. Firstly, industrial capitalism has changed the role and nature of markets in history, from an auxiliary mechanism to the main instrument of social coordination. Secondly, industrial capitalism has revolutionized the social relations of production, from humanity’s struggle with nature to dependency on each other. It has also changed the social organization of work, by re-defining what is work and by organizing work into skilled and non-skilled categories with varying consequences. Thirdly, industrial capitalism has influenced the norms and culture of society through â€Å"industriousness†, urbanization and consumerism. (1991 Words)

The eNotes Blog Scholarship Spotlight July2015

Scholarship Spotlight July2015 Every month, we  select some of the best scholarships around and post them here on our blog. When you are ready to apply,  check out our tips on How to Write a Scholarship Essay! Vegetarian Video Scholarship   Amount: $250 Eligibility: Applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Requirements:  Applicant must create and submit a video relating what they want to tell others about vegetarianism and/or veganism. Due Date: July 15, 2015 Bachus Schanker  Scholarship Amount: $2,000 Eligibility: Applicant must be a high school senior that has been accepted to attend a four-year university by the time of the award, or a full time student attending a four-year university in the United States who has a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Requirements: Essay Due Date: July 30, 2015 From Failure to Promise Essay Contest Amount: $500-$10,000 Eligibility: Applicant must be either a high school senior or an undergraduate or graduate student  who will be attending a college or university in the United States, Canada, or Mexico during the 2015-2016 academic year. In addition applicant be have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Requirements: Essay Due Date: July 30, 2015 Doctor on Demand Scholarship Amount: $5,000 Eligibility: Applicant must be a enrolled in a pre-med or health-related field-of-study at a four year, accredited college or university for the fall of 2015. Requirements: Essay, cover sheet Due Date: July 31, 2015

When to Use the Latin Abbreviations i.e. and e.g.

When to Use the Latin Abbreviations i.e. and e.g. The Latin abbreviations i.e. and e.g. are often confused. When used incorrectly, they achieve the exact opposite of the writers intention, which is to appear learned by using a Latin phrase in place of an English one that means more or less the same thing. Knowing the meanings of e.g. and i.e.- and how to use them correctly- will save you from making foolish errors and make your writing more sophisticated. What Does E.g. Mean? E.g. is short for the Latin exempli gratia, meaning for the sake of example or for example. E.g. is used in places where you might write including, followed by a list of one or more examples. However, e.g. should not be used to introduce an exhaustive list. At the places where I work best, e.g., Starbucks, I have none of the distractions I have at home. [There are lots of coffee shops I like, but Starbucks is an example thats known to most people.] Some of the things he likes to do in his spare time, e.g., racing cars, are dangerous. [Racing cars is dangerous, but it is not this mans only dangerous hobby.] The abbreviation e.g. can be used with more than one example. However, avoid piling on multiple examples and adding etc. at the end. I like coffee shops, e.g., Starbucks and Seattles Best, for getting work done. [Do not write coffee shops, e.g., Starbucks and Seattles Best, etc.] The children of Leda, e.g., Castor and Pollux, were born in pairs. [Leda gave birth to multiple pairs of children, so Castor and Pollux are one example, as would be Helen and Clytemnestra. If Leda had only given birth to one pair of children, e.g. would be used incorrectly here.] What Does I.e. Mean? I.e. is short for the Latin id est, which means that is to say. I.e. takes the place of the English phrases in other words or that is. As opposed to e.g., i.e. is used to specify, describe, or explain something that has already been referred to in the sentence. Im going to the place where I work best, i.e., the coffee shop. [There is only one place that I am claiming is best for my work. By using i.e.,  I am telling you that I am about to specify it.] The most beautiful human in Greek mythology, i.e., Ledas daughter Helen, may have had a unibrow, according to a 2009 book. [Helen, whose beauty launched the Trojan War, is considered the most beautiful woman in Greek mythology. There is no other contender, so we must use i.e.] He wants to take some time off and go to the most relaxing place in the world, i.e., Hawaii. [The man does not want to visit just any relaxing place. He wants to visit the most relaxing place in the world, of which there can only be one.] When to Use E.g. and I.e. While they are both Latin phrases, e.g. and i.e. have very different meanings, and you dont want to confuse them. E.g., meaning for example, is used to introduce one or more possibilities or examples. I.e., meaning that is to say, is used to specify or explain by giving more detailed information. A way to remember the difference is that e.g. opens the door to more possibilities, while i.e. reduces the possibilities to one. I want to do something fun tonight, e.g., go for a walk, watch a movie, play a board game, read a book.I want to do something fun tonight, i.e., watch that movie Ive been waiting to see. In the first sentence, something fun could be any number of activities, so e.g. is used to introduce a few of them. In the second sentence, something fun is one specific activity- watching that movie Ive been waiting to see- so i.e. is used to specify that. Formatting The abbreviations i.e. and e.g. are common enough that they do not require italicization (though the full Latin phrases, if they are written out, should be italicized). Both abbreviations take periods and are followed by a comma in American English. European sources may not use the periods or the comma. It is rare to see i.e. or e.g. at the start of a sentence. If you choose to use one of them there, you must also capitalize the initial letter of the abbreviation. Grammarians will argue over this kind of minutiae all day, so deploy these abbreviations at the head of a sentence only if you must.

Healthcare delivery compare and contrast Research Paper

Healthcare delivery compare and contrast - Research Paper Example outline the historical aspect of care delivery in the US for the preceding 100 years and recognize the changes in healthcare delivery that resulted from industry forces. Moreover, a comparison would be made between the past healthcare delivery methods or models and the recent ones in light of expected future changes in the research paper. Specially mentioning, one of the driving forces, which changed the overall healthcare system of the US, is the augmentation in healthcare expenditures. This extensive growth in healthcare expenses eventually restricted in offering quality care to the people belonging to the nation by a certain level. Apart from this, the other driving force, which changed the entire healthcare delivery system of the nation, is the advancements made in technology. Notably, diverse market forces are viewed to be challenging in making changes in the US healthcare segment. It is expected that the above framed driving forces would certainly make the US to realize about the significance of developing the healthcare segment, based on which effective care can be provided to the patients (Etheredge et. al., 2014). While determining the changes in healthcare delivery methods or models, it would be vital to mention that today’s healthcare is quite complex, which required to be upgraded for accomplishing intended targets. In this similar context, certain alterations particularly in healthcare delivery methods of the US have been apparently noted that resulted from diverse industry forces. These changes can be measured in the form of lessening both unnecessary as well as underutilization particularly of expensive resources, standardizing varied levels of quality of care and optimizing healthcare facilities among others (Conklin, 2002). In addition, the other changes include raising healthcare expenditures such as in terms of advancing healthcare delivery models or methods and effectively utilizing accessible resources among others. In recent times, the

With reference to specific topics and issues, discuss whether the Essay

With reference to specific topics and issues, discuss whether the current spread of Western culture is a positive phenomenon or a threat to diverse cultures around the world - Essay Example The spread of Western influence maintains both negative and positive impacts on cultures, making it rather subjective as to whether this extension of Western values and beliefs poses a threat or an opportunity for foreign cultures. Not all cultures are founded on Western values. Western values, typically those of the United States, Canada and Great Britain, are founded on individualism, a set of values that place particular emphasis on securing the goals and needs of the individual rather than maintaining concern over group desires (Wagner 1995). Nowhere else are these values reflected than in American-style consumption patterns that often include opulence and excess as the individual attempts to justify their social class or social status using material goods as a tool for identity formation. The United Nations (2001) identifies that there is a growing concern that Western values being spread on the heels of globalisation is degrading cultural capital (unique tastes and values) and creating a type of social deprivation when Western culture is superimposed over other diverse cultures. How, though, could social deprivation be attributed to Western consumption behaviours? There are many collectivist cultures across the world that have been built through years of patriarchal values and respect for familial traditionalism. Collectivist cultures maintain a very strong belief in the integrity of group membership and often build their personal identities and goals on the sentiment and opinion of important social reference groups and family members (Cheung et al. 2008). Collectivist societies seek to provide protectionism for important familial figures where it is commonplace to preserve their security and well-being. In most instances, Western individualism defies the importance of building social trust when interacting with different cultures, wanting to gain instant self-gratification whilst collectivists emphasise the importance of

Developing an Auger (Earth Drill) one stage Gearbox System. A Dissertation

Developing an Auger (Earth Drill) one stage Gearbox System. A comparing study between two planetary gears systems, spur and h - Dissertation Example On the other hand the helical gearbox design would require output bearings of 7309 BE while input bearings of 7209 BE. The gearing materials were found out best to be AISI 304 while the casing ought to be created from cast iron. Cost comparison shows that spur gearbox is much cheaper especially because of the lower cost of the ring spur gear in comparison to the ring helical gear. Therefore the spur gearbox design was chosen as the optimal configuration for the current problem at hand. Summary In order to determine the best possible solution for a gearbox for an auger earth drill an extensive investigation was carried out. The investigation was begun with a literature review of the relevant means to transmit mechanical power such as belts, shafts, torque converters, mechanical couplings and gears. Given the relative advantages of gears in terms of power and speed scaling as well as the cost, it was decided to stick with gears to power an auger earth drill. The commonly used gear type s which are spur and helical were dealt with in detail to understand their operational perspectives. Bevels gears were also investigated but rejected early on. Epicyclical gear trains were investigated in greater detail to achieve a functional yet compact gearbox. The three configurations possible which were star, solar and planetary were all looked at in detail. Given the gearing ratio of 5.4 to 1, the planetary gearing system was found to be most suitable and was thus used as the prime choice. It was also decided to perform a comparison between a spur planetary and a helical planetary gearbox to find out which one was better. The gear based calculations were carried out and the number of teeth was found culminating in the perfectly matching gearing ratio. The gear sizes were determined using the overall dimensions of the gearbox as a constraint. The number of planetary gears was chosen as three based on its load sharing and geometrical properties. Lubrication investigation was als o carried out in detail to find out a lubricant suitable for the gearbox. Bearing selection was carried out for the gearboxes (both the spur and helical gearboxes) based on their individual requirements. The types of bearings available were investigated at length in order to discern the best possible choice. Materials for the various parts of the gearbox were also considered in detail to discern the best possible choices. This was followed by the evaluation of spur gearbox and helical gearbox design based on cost as cost was considered as an important factor. The stress analysis of the gearbox components produced satisfactory results which indicated a large operating margin for the gears involved. Images The maximum and minimum stress levels are already pretty clear in this image and other images that I have sent you. The images are always going to be the same as the gearbox under investigation is the same. The yielding strength of the material is 550 MPa and the stress levels are a pparent on the picture. FOS FOS (Factor of Safety) is a measure used to indicate the relative resilience of a component to failure during normal operation. Generally the FOS is calculated by dividing the material’s own yield stress with the maximum available stress levels.

Analyzing Texas Health Care vs New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing Texas Health Care vs New York - Essay Example A comparative look at the two states' programs can help reveal how the states differ in their goal of providing health care while trying to contain health care costs. Health care costs are covered through a variety of different sources such as employer provided insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and individual insurance plans. In Texas, 47 percent of the population is insured through their employer, while the number is 52 percent in New York (Kaiser Family Foundation 1). In addition, New York has 19 percent of its population insured through Medicaid compared to only 12 percent in Texas (Kaiser Family Foundation 1). Medicaid is jointly funded through the states and matching federal funds, which is dependent upon the income level of the state. The matching rate varies between 50 percent and 72.29 percent, with the poorer states getting the larger amount (Flowers 3). While New York receives equal matching funding, Texas gets $1.50 for every $1.00 they contribute (Kaiser Family Foundation 2). Because the eligibility is income dependent and is based on a rate set by the states, the differences in total spending can be significant. Texas's total Medicaid s pending for 2006 was $18.1 billion, while New York spent $44.7 billion on the program (Kaiser Family Foundation 2). ... For example, the annual income eligibility level for working parents is $4824 in Texas, but is $25,755 in New York (Kaiser Family Foundation 2). This results is a significantly higher number of enrollees in New York than in Texas. In addition, Texas, "has forfeited more than $900 million in federal money under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) during the past six years because it wouldn't put up 28 cents for each 72 cents in federal aid" (Wolf). When these statistics are coupled with the lower rate of employer provided insurance in Texas, the result is that 25 percent of Texans have no health insurance as compared with 14 percent of the citizens of New York (Kaiser Family Foundation 1). This difference is largely the result of the total dollars spent between the two states on Medicaid. The Medicaid program was initially designed as a means to provide health care for parents and children that had low incomes and few material resources. While Medicare was designed to primarily cover the health care needs of the elderly and disabled, Medicaid is a means tested program where the eligibility is set by number of children and the family income. However, Texas Medicaid has expanded in recent years to include the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Texas STAR Managed Care, and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) (Texas Medicaid Program Information). In fact, "Texas is the only state that takes advantage of Medicaid's 1929(b) program, which provides community attendant services that help lower-income elderly clients live at home instead of moving into a nursing facility. Texas has roughly 47,000 Medicaid clients who benefit from this

Aspects of Cultural, Leadership and Shareholder Differences in a Research Paper

Aspects of Cultural, Leadership and Shareholder Differences in a Merger - Research Paper Example Cultural difference was defined by the American Heritage English Dictionary as â€Å"The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work or thought† (Barrett and Eneroth, 2012). This signifies that when a group of people work together or spend time together, they develop a pattern of habits that become the culture of an organization. Now when another company merges to form a joint venture, the human resource of both the companies have to work in coordination with one another, although they are used to different ways of working or spending time. This is where diversity or difference arises in an organization. Culture in case of private companies are usually quite random and is highly influenced by the decisions of the senior managers, while in case of public companies, group dependability is higher. In such cases, cultural difference is considered to be an obstacle to the success of the alliance (DeChesare, 20 13). In a survey conducted by CFO Research Services in 2004, it was found that among every five respondents, one of them considered cultural clashes to be the primary reason for alliance failure. This raises a question in the minds of readers about the true perception regarding cultural difference during joint ventures or mergers (Chanlat, Davel and Dupuis, 2013, P. 250-251).     Vebego and Risse successfully drove this joint venture for a span of two years. However, the problem had started with the entry of a third party called Westrom Group, which was a similar company like, The Risse Group. The intention of a public-private joint venture was to bring in the knowledge and experience of the public company and since private companies are good at handling business aspect, they can take care of marketing and administration segment carefully. However, the issues were created after the entrance of the third party because the existing companies made the new organization responsible f or many significant decisions, but only the support staffs were considered within the joint venture to handle the operations. The policies and framework for including a third partner were not rightly decided which had augmented the challenges for the joint venture. In this scenario, the cultural transformation tool (CTT) developed by Richard Barrett would be the best way to discuss the lesson learned from this situation, thereby stating the probable recommendations in this context. The CTT assist in the cultural evolution of the organization, which further helps the leaders to manage the operations. Barrett introduced a consciousness model with seven levels, which are evolutionary in character. He did some modifications to Maslow’s Hierarchy model. In 1998, he had developed a model, which was also called CTT. As can be seen in Figure 1 below, there are seven levels of consciousness such as service, making a difference, transformation, cohesion, self-esteem, relationship and s urvival (Barrett Values Centre, 2009a).

Why green energy should come to austin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why green energy should come to austin - Essay Example More and more people are migrating to urban areas in search of jobs or better residence. This leads to higher consumption of water, electricity, gas and other basic utilities. The population of Austin has grown at the rate of 48% in 1990s and 3.4% annually. The current population of Austin is more than 7,400,000 according to 2007 census. The city was ranked 16th among the fastest growing cities in the entire US. The rapidly growing urbanization has also raised several environmental issues. The growing population has raised the need of housing and the development of industries has also given rise to realty issues. The land prices are growing rapidly making it difficult for people to but affordable homes. The high realty rates have created housing problem in Austin. At present about 4000 are homeless in Austin and 18% of people are below poverty line. The growing urbanization had also resulted in many other problems such as, transport, electricity, water. It has increased the demand of public transport, electricity, and water supply. There is also increasing demand of public transport and better infrastructure to meet the ever-raising demand. The increased consumption has also raised issues of availability of fresh water. The water consumption of city has growing very rapidly and there are hardly few initiatives to recycle the waste water.

Aspects of Cultural, Leadership and Shareholder Differences in a Research Paper

Aspects of Cultural, Leadership and Shareholder Differences in a Merger - Research Paper Example Cultural difference was defined by the American Heritage English Dictionary as â€Å"The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work or thought† (Barrett and Eneroth, 2012). This signifies that when a group of people work together or spend time together, they develop a pattern of habits that become the culture of an organization. Now when another company merges to form a joint venture, the human resource of both the companies have to work in coordination with one another, although they are used to different ways of working or spending time. This is where diversity or difference arises in an organization. Culture in case of private companies are usually quite random and is highly influenced by the decisions of the senior managers, while in case of public companies, group dependability is higher. In such cases, cultural difference is considered to be an obstacle to the success of the alliance (DeChesare, 20 13). In a survey conducted by CFO Research Services in 2004, it was found that among every five respondents, one of them considered cultural clashes to be the primary reason for alliance failure. This raises a question in the minds of readers about the true perception regarding cultural difference during joint ventures or mergers (Chanlat, Davel and Dupuis, 2013, P. 250-251).     Vebego and Risse successfully drove this joint venture for a span of two years. However, the problem had started with the entry of a third party called Westrom Group, which was a similar company like, The Risse Group. The intention of a public-private joint venture was to bring in the knowledge and experience of the public company and since private companies are good at handling business aspect, they can take care of marketing and administration segment carefully. However, the issues were created after the entrance of the third party because the existing companies made the new organization responsible f or many significant decisions, but only the support staffs were considered within the joint venture to handle the operations. The policies and framework for including a third partner were not rightly decided which had augmented the challenges for the joint venture. In this scenario, the cultural transformation tool (CTT) developed by Richard Barrett would be the best way to discuss the lesson learned from this situation, thereby stating the probable recommendations in this context. The CTT assist in the cultural evolution of the organization, which further helps the leaders to manage the operations. Barrett introduced a consciousness model with seven levels, which are evolutionary in character. He did some modifications to Maslow’s Hierarchy model. In 1998, he had developed a model, which was also called CTT. As can be seen in Figure 1 below, there are seven levels of consciousness such as service, making a difference, transformation, cohesion, self-esteem, relationship and s urvival (Barrett Values Centre, 2009a).

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 108

Case Study Example As the boss is also in a compromising situation where social media exposes his nakedness. The important fact now is for Paul to understand the pros and cons that are associated with social media. Having the boss as his friend can work in his favor by the boss getting the positive perspective of Paul’s personality hence building confidence in Paul. However, Paul is to desist from making reckless comments that tarnish the image of the company or the boss. Such comments will land him in a bad setting with the boss. Social media improves communication. The friendship will make Paul to easily communicate with the boss as they are friends (Stewart, 2013). The above aspect is critical as it transudates’ to even productivity at the work place. However, it is important for limits to be set on what is communicated on social media. Paul should desist discussing work with the boss on social media plat forms. Matters as asking for sick leave are to be handled in an official manner. Paul should desist from leading the boss to discussing matters pertaining work such as supervisory roles. In case such a topic arises, Paul can let it fade away or totally ignore the conversation as it fades away with lack of attention on the subject matter. Most companies have policies that guide employee’s conduct on social media. Such policies are especially designed and have the capacity to handle Paul’s case. In absenter of such policies, Paul is advised to desist from discussing other employees with the boss on the site and giving personal opinions about the company on the site. Social media is a site that offers an opportunity for people to interact. Paul’s case with the boss is not unique but an increasing headache to many employees. Clearly, bosses that request for friend ship on social media to their juniors are curious and should be handled diligently. Once in friendship with the boss one should be cautious on the photos posted and comments. Some of the bosses

Death of a Loved One Essay Example for Free

Death of a Loved One Essay Devastating occurrences have the ability to completely alter the ways in which you live your life. When these certain situations occur, you have two choices: You can let them destroy you, or you can let them strengthen you. My outlook on life was completely changed when my kind hearted grandmother passed away when I was just a child. I was struck with the realization that life can be taken away in an instant and I need to cherish every moment I have left I this world. In early November of 2006, I was sitting in my choir class listening to my teacher describe the scene a horrific car accident she witnessed the day before. As she was explaining the details of the accident, I was feeling little pangs of sorrow for the victims who were unable to walk away injury free. As we carried on with our class, I couldn’t help but think about how miserable their family and friends must be feeling at that exact moment, they didn’t even see it coming. I soon shook the thoughts from my head and made my way to my next class. While walking down the hallway, I feel my newly purchased flip phone vibrate in my purse and the text I receive from my mother was rather unsettling: Honey, I have some bad news. Â  I reply back asking her what she was talking about, and although I was a little nervous, I didn’t try to dwell on it too much. I only assumed that she wasn’t going to buy me a new pair of Buckle jeans that I was eyeing at the time, so I swallowed my disappointment, and carried on with my morning. Thoughts of not owning those beautiful pair jean were going through my head as my phone vibrates with another text that made me stop dead in my tracks: Grandma was in an accident today. She’s in the hospital with severe injuries and they think she has brain damage. A wave of emotions washed over me and my mind couldn’t stop racing. I always heard about this sort of thing happening to people I didn’t know, people I didn’t care about. Never in a million years did I imagine that my own grandmother would be put in this situation. For once in my life, I was completely speechless. Over the next couple weeks, my grandma’s progress was a roller coaster. Some days she was barely able to open her eyes and move her fingers, and other days she was motionless. One day the swelling in her brain would worsen and the next day it would decrease. There weren’t any clear answers explaining if she was going to be okay or not. We were all holding on dearly to a sense of hope that was keeping us together. Towards the last couple days of her life, my grandma’s progress seemed to have gotten better. The swelling in her brain had decreased a great amount and I was told that it was very possible that she would be able to recover. A wave of a relief washed over me and the grasp I had on hope tightened. I truly believed that she would recover and we would have our caring, loving grandma with us again. The thoughts of her recovery were clogging my mind and I completely forgot that even though there was indeed the possibility of her recovery, the possibility of her death was still apparent. On November 28th, I was woken up by my mother and father informing me that my grandma had passed away that morning. Initially, I didn’t feel any sort of emotion. I was stuck in a daze that I couldn’t get out of. Part of me even believed that this was all a dream, and that I was going to wake up with her smiling face still in this world. Throughout the day, the numb feeling went away, and was replaced with sadness and sorrow. I replayed every memory I had with her in my head while hot, salty tears ran down my cheeks. In that moment, I would have given anything to have her alive and well, baking Christmas cookies with me like we did every year. She didn’t deserve to die and we didn’t deserve to feel this pain. Deep down I knew she was in a better place, a place where she wouldn’t have to feel the pain she felt in this world before she passed. This thought alone helped me and many others get over the fact that we lost our dear grandma. They always say that you need to live your life the fullest; you never know when your time is up. My grandma was the perfect example of a barely 60 year old woman who’s last years of her life were cut short. She made sure that she lived every day to its full potential, and she cherished every moment. Ever since the morning that she died, I made a promise to myself to never let a day go by where I don’t appreciate and love the life I live. Although life is difficult, it is still so very beautiful.

Post Feminist Television Film Studies Essay

Post Feminist Television Film Studies Essay The media creates powerful representations and therefore has a strong impact on what people believe in. Gender has always been present in media and it is the media that creates stereotypes and assumptions of it. The representation of women in media has changed throughout the years. In the 1950s women were always at home, taking care of their children and making sure that the house was clean and dinner served on time. In other words they were born to become mothers and wives and it was a mans role to work and provide for the family. In recent years on the other hand women in television are presented as successful businesswomen with extremely good sense of fashion and most of the time they are single. Lotz explains that the term postfeminism is used in media to explain contemporary gender politics (2001:106). Women are more present in media than ever, they play leading roles; they can be mothers, wives, and successful businesswomen without losing their femininity. The process was possible by connecting postconvergence of television with postfeminist culture. Bonnie J. Dow (1996) notices that The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) was one of the first examples of the shift from the domestic family situation shows into a single woman, career-oriented program. It is seen as the result of how powerful and influential feminism was at that time, creating new female audiences and allowing social changes in the way that women could fulfill themselves as successful and independent businesswomen without the need having a family. Dow (1996:26) argues that The Mary Tyler Moore Show created important parameters for future television discourse representing feminism, parameters that include a focus on working women (and a concomitant avoidance of a critique of the traditional patriarchal family), the deception of womens lives without male romantic partners, the enactment of a feminist lifestyle by young, attractive, white, heterosexual, female characters, and a reliance on the tenets of second-wave liberal or equity feminism. The show helped in creating new audiences and encouraged women to find new ways of fulfilling themselves outside their shallow, filled with housework and looking after their children lives. At the same time it was addressed to women experiencing changes in their economic and familial status with stories infused with consciousness-raising perspectives and lifestyle politics (Lotz, 2001:107). Year 1986 brought significant changes to the way women were represented in media (Dow, 1996:nr). A third-wave of feminists movements found coverage in television and press, women were more interested in educating themselves and building their careers around their family lives. Professions occupied previously only by men were now available for women, even though their pay was significantly lower. Bonnie J. Dow (1996:105-108) recognises three modes of postfeminist US drama series: professional serial drama, with the example of L.A. Law (1986-1994) where women characters struggle to find a balance between professional life and a family life, postfeminist family television (e.g. thirtysomething (1987-1991)) which illustrates an idealised version of a woman who can be a successful businesswoman and a perfect mother at the same time, and finally a postfeminist nirvana (e.g. Designing Women (1986-1993)) showing successful women who are also single mothers and divorcees. It was the end of 1990s when a new kind of television programs emerged with women as protagonists, these include: Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Ally McBeal (1997-2002), Sex in the City (1998-2004) or Family Law (1999-2002). This was the time when a new, new woman was introduced to television shows, much more complex than Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and bringing a new wave of feminism, also identified as postfeminism. As Elyce Rae Helford says the late 90s offered some of the most developed and compelling (if contradictory and sometimes even reactionary) televisual representations of gender politics and debates over (and within) feminism (2000a:6). One of the most significant feminine role models in prime-time US television series was Ally McBeal (played by Calista Flockhart). She is an attractive, young, single and successful lawyer and a problematic character at the same time, struggling to find a man who would meet her expectations. Moseley and Read (2001:222) suggest that it was a combination of feminine discourses and feminist discourses that made Allys character a subject of men gaze and a role model for feminists. The show challenges feminists conventions regarding natural differences between men and women, underlying the fact that these differences can be eliminated or ignored entirely. Sex and the city series is another example of how influential feminism is. Main characters are a group of friends, single independent women who gave up on looking for their perfect life partners, but unlike Ally they decide to live life to the full and act like men, without any commitments, feelings or sentiments. Every detail of their lives has its meaning: Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) rents a house, lives from paycheck to paycheck, but spends fortune on top of the range designer clothes and accessories which indicates on her lack of stability and frivolous relationships with opposite sex; Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall) treats men like objects, repulses relationships, monogamy, institution of marriage and children; Miranda Hobbes (played by Cynthia Nixon) is a wealthy, cynical feminist who criticises men for taking advantage of women and cannot understand why no men are attracted to her; and finally Charlotte York (played by Kristin Davis) is an outcast of the series, who dreams about her ideal wedding and children, which shows her dedication to one person and traditionalism. There are no taboo subjects in this circle of friends, they share their sexual fantasies with each other, insult men and cherish their singledom. There is a connection point between Ally McBeal and Sex and the City: both shows seek to change female nature into male behavious, but in both cases characters end up choosing traditional routes. Unlike single women in Sex and the City, protagonists in Desperate Housewives (2004-) are far from being perfect feminine heroines: Mary Alice Young (played by Brenda Strong) kills herself in the first 5 minutes from the start of the series because she cannot live with the guilt of the crime she committed, Bree Van De Kamp (played by Marcia Cross) who is a widowed recovering alcoholic, obsessed with keeping a perfectly clean household to hide dirty secrets of her life, Lynette Scavo (played by Felicity Huffman) who used to be a successful businesswoman, but had to leave her job after giving birth to six children; Susan Meyer (played by Teri Hatcher) who is an emotionally unstable divorcee living with her teenage daughter; and finally Gabrielle Solis (played by Eva Longoria)- a former super-model who is an unemployed trophy wife to her wealthy husband and cheats on him on every occasion. The series suggest a completely different ways of finding fulfillment in lives of these domestic g oddesses as they do not seem to find satisfaction in their family lives, struggle with their ungrateful and overpowering children. There are certain but slight different aspects of postfeminism visible in Gossip Girl (2007-). This new teen drama portrays young women as successful, independent, socially mobile and free to choose their destiny (McRobbie, 2007:270). The freedom that young women represent in the series is highlighted through material and sexual consumption. Just like in Sex and the City, protagonists in Gossip Girl are attractive, thin and well off. Anita Harris (2004:128) argues that a young in-control woman in twenty first century needs to actively participate in the flow of information technology, which shapes her sense of identity and gives her a technological capital, which can be acquired through knowing the latest technological trends, having the latest camera phone and Facebook or Twitter account. Gossip Girl is based on the book series of the same title written by Cecily von Ziegesar and tells the story about a group of teenagers living in Manhattan. Two main girl characters, Serena van der Woodsen (played by Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (played by Leighton Meester), are almost every girls wannabies: extremely beautiful, wealthy and privileged, and at the same time very unrealistic. It is almost impossible to identify with them, but the viewers can take pleasure from fantasising about the world they live in or identify themselves with Jenny Humphrey (played by Taylor Momsen), who attends the same school and Blair and Serena, but comes from a normal middle class family and can never be one of these girls (Pattee, 2006:167). The aspect of post-feminism in Gossip Girl series is portrayed through the lifestyle and the consumption of culture of Blair and Serena. They are both socially active, but it is Blair who has the most dominating characteristics. She named herself the Queen Bee, positioned herself at the top of the hierarchy at school, which means that every decision made by any of her peer needs to be authorized by her. She victimises girls that do not match her taste, makes fun of them and blocks their way to all social evens. On the other hand Blair is very insecure about herself, hates losing or being alone. She needs constant appreciation and acceptance, especially when Serena tries to steal her crown. In episode 4 of the first series she says to Serena: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) you could not deal with the spotlight shining on me for once, could you? Because you steal everything from me: Nate, my mom and girls at school (2007). Throughout the years women revolutionalised prime-time television. From Ally McBeal from Ally McBeal, Carrie Bradshaws from Sex and the City, Bree Van De Camp from Desperate Housewives and Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf from Gossip girl, every woman finds her ideal character features she wants to implement into her life. FEMALE NARRATORS- VOICE-OVER NARRATION IN POSTFEMINIST DRAMA SERIES The female voice has enormous conceptual and discursive range once it is freed from its claustral confinement within the female body. It is capable of talking about terrorism, anger, melancholia, homosexual as well as heterosexual desire, ancient Mexican divinities, soap operas, Emma Goldman, the circulation of money and even cinema itself (Silverman, 1988:186). Kathleen A McHaugh (2001:3) notices that voice-over narration has a long history in American cinema, began in 1930s and was mostly presented by men. Silverman (1988:ix) argues that female voice-over narration is rare and only occurs in experimental feminist productions. McHaugh (2001:3) says that women storytellers is only a recent development, but very rarely occurs in noir films. Susan Snaider Lancer has described female narrators voices as a site of crisis, contradiction, or challenge (1992:7). Women narrators help in defining textual effects and function as a link between language and the feminine body. Voice-over narration is typical in most television programs and as Kozloff (1987) notices, the voice-over narration helps to introduce the story, reveals thoughts and emotions. The number of prime-time television shows with voice-over narration has risen in recent years, these include: Felicity (1998-2002), Aliens in America (2007-2008), How I Met Your Mother (2005-), Heroes (2006-2010), Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009), Scrubs (2001-2010), Greys Anatomy (2005-), Pushing Daisies (2007-2009), My Name Is Earl (2005-2009), Dexter (2006-) and analysed in this work Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives (which popularised omniscient narration with its premiere in 2004) and Sex and the City. Although female voice-over narration is most often associated with television series, there are examples of it on the big screen. These include films like Fried Green Tomatoes (Avnet, 1991), Orlando (Potter, 1993), Clueless (Heckerling, 1995), Bound (Wachowski Bros, 1996), Daughters of the Dust (Dash, 1996) or Mansfield Park (Rozema, 1999). The common characteristic for all these films is that they are either experimental cinemas or independent productions, which leads to the conclusion that female voice-over narration very rarely occurs is box office productions. The voice-over narration is repeatedly chosen in films where the characters deal with trauma (McHaugh, 2001:5) to mark the seriousness of its circumstances (war films, in these cases however, the narrator is male) or in films where protagonists tell their coming of age stories, with the examples of Titanic (Cameron, 1997) and Notebook (Cassavetes, 2004). THE IMPORTANCE OF VOICE-OVER NARRATION: OMNISCIENCE IN THE AGE OF GOSIPDOM Sarah Kozloff (1988:5) says that voice-over narration can be formally defined as oral statements, conveying any portion of a narrative, spoken by an unseen speaker situated in a space and time other than that simultaneously being presented by the images on the screen. Kozloff (1988:3) claims that in voice-over narration all three words are fully operative. Voice controls the medium, over is a connection between the narrator and the image on the screen (the narrator in not visible at that time) and narration is the message being sent from the narrator to the viewer (Kozloff, 1988:3). The aim of this section is to explore forms and functions of female voice-over narration in the television series Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl with the main focus on Desperate Housewives series. To fully understand the agenda of each one of them, it is important to fully analyse who the narrators are and what they represent. The research for this article is based on analysis of the first three series of each television program with the main focus on their voice-over narration. It is worth noticing that all three television shows belong to different genre. Although Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives both focus on private lives of their four main characters, they differ in length of the episodes: approximately 25 minutes of Sex and the City, which classifies it as a sitcom and approximately 45 minutes of Desperate Housewives, which classes it to a drama series category (similarly to Gossip Girl, which is a teen drama with episodes approximately 45 minutes long). Although in Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City we know who the narrator is, we rarely see them speaking. It is what Allrath et al. calls a non-visible narrators voice (year:15). The narrator shows the viewers around, introduces the scenes that they look at without showing his or her face to help them understand the main focus of the episode. One of the reasons why the narrator is present in television series is that he or she gets to choose what the viewer should focus on by defining what scenes are shown: Voice-over narration changes the quality of the visual, adding a subjective note by implying that what the audience is watching has been chosen by the narrator (Hoth, 2010:82). In Sex and the City the voice-over is provided by one of the protagonists- Carrie Bradshaw. She is a newspaper columnist writing about female sexuality and her voice-over represents her thoughts about hers and her three friends sexual exploits. The Sex and the City series start with the narrators statement, the naked truth about the times we live in: Welcome to the age of un-innocence. No one has breakfast at Tiffanys and no one has affairs to remember. Instead, we have breakfast at 7 a.m. and affairs we try to forget as quickly as possible. Self-protection and closing the deal are paramount. Cupid has flown the co-op (S01E01, 1998). The message that comes with the above statement is cruel but simple: romantic love does not exist any more, but it becomes untrue later on in the series as we learn that all of the characters are looking for true love, romantic dinners and honest feelings. The theme of each episode is a series of questions of different sexual subject that she ponders about with her closest friends, and answers to these questions she puts in a form of an article to her sex column: I explore those sorts of issues in my column and I have terrific sources- my friends (Carrie Bradshaw: S01E01, 1998). Each episode starts with the view of Carrie sitting in front of her laptop. She ponders on the sexual dilemmas by sharing her internal thoughts, which is a rare characteristic for television series featuring single women. Singledom is the subject that Carrie very often comes back to. As an unmarried woman herself, she tries to find the resolution to the nurturing stereotype that it is easier to be killed by a terrorist that it is for a woman to get married after 30 (Carrie Bradshaw: S01E01, 1998). She often brings up the statistics about the number of singles in Manhattan, trying to convince herself about the endless possibilities of finding a perfect life partner. The filming technique being used in the series help the viewer to identify with the narrator. The camera movements makes the viewers feel that they perform the same activities as Carrie: the camera moves as she looks through the window, walks around her flat or zooms in on her computer screen the same moment when Carrie looks at it. Carries voice-over is technology mediated, whatever she thinks she types on her laptop. Her thoughts at the same time are available to public audience, making her private life dilemmas a public read. Sex and the City uses female narration to intervene in feminine discourses regarding female sexuality and lifestyle choices. For example in episode in episode 2 of the first series Carrie says: the truth was I thought I had come to terms with my looks the year I turned 30, when I realised that I no longer had the energy to be superficial (1998). She is very honest about her sexuality. When at the beginning of the third series Carrie starts dating a twenty six year old, bisexual man named Sean (played by Eddie Cahill), she soon realises how uncomfortable she feels being with someone who is not only attracted to her, but still has feelings for his ex boyfriend. But this is not what she was expecting. At the beginning of episode 4 of the third series she states: its been said that New Yorkers are the most jaded people in the world. The fact is weve pretty much done and seen it all. It takes quite a bit to shock usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦'(S03E04, 2000). It was only after she met Seans ex boyfriend, who also happened to be married to a guy and had a daughter with his ex girlfriend who was also married to another woman, when Carrie realised how strong she feels about her sexuality. Carrie provides the voice-over narration to each episode. Her voice-over also frames each episode. Her prologue introduces the topic of the episode, e.g.: Lets be honest. Sometimes there is nothing harder in life than being happy for somebody else, like lottery winners or extremely successful people who are twenty something. And then there is the hell on earth that only your closest friends can inflict on- the baby shower (S01E10, 1998). The statements that she gives us at the beginning make the viewers aware of her insecurity and subjectivity. Usually the entire episode is based on Carries thoughts and dilemmas that she shares with her friends, analyses them and provides possible answers and resolutions at the end of the episode. Carrie uses a very innovative and unusual technique to share her thoughts with the viewers. Especially in the first and the second series she gives background information by directly addressing it to the audience. It seems like she pauses the world behind her, e.g. during a telephone conversation, she stops talking, looks in the camera and starts talking to the viewers. Similarly, when Carrie does the research for her column article, she asks random passers-by for their opinion and usually they look straight in the camera while giving their answers. Both mentioned above techniques cause confusion to the viewer, it is hard to say if she talks to the viewer or becomes one. Mary Alice Young The first series of Desperate Housewives opens with scenes of a model housewife, Mary Alice Young (played by Brenda Strong), preparing a family breakfast, painting a chair, polishing and dusting- and then killing herself just after she has finished these tasks. Her voiceover interrupts the suicide to say: in truth I spent the day as I spend every other day, quietly polishing the routine of my life until it gleamed with perfection. Thats why it was so astonishing when I decided to go to my hallway closet and retrieve a revolver that has never been used (S01E01, 2004). She says these words with a very calm tone of voice, almost as she was telling a story that ends with a happy end, or even as she was talking about somebody else. Does she think of her suicide as of a happy moment? What about her family? What about all these people she left behind? Why did she even do that? Why did no one predict it? Apparently suicidal thoughts are an involuntary thoughts and people who want to take their lives away just want to stop hurting. This proves the point that Mary Alice did stop hurting and it seems that committing suicide dehumanised her and took away all her feelings. This moment of suicide enables her to become the omniscient god-like narrator of the series, whose voiceover tells the story from Heaven. Marys suicide thus makes her central to the main plot line of the first season of the show, since her fatal pulling of the trigger is precisely what triggers the dynamics of investigation and the shows gradual revelations about her past. Listening to Mary Alice the viewer gets the impression of listening to a good old friend, which gives the feeling of authenticity of the series. She can be classified as a heterodiegetic, third person narrator, because she talks about her past, has no active position in the series and her voice starts and ends each episode. This kind of narrative sets up an enigma, which incites the series and gives the viewer something to look forward to every week. Sarah Kozloff (1988) has called the narrator who begins and ends the story a frame narrator. She claims that frame narrators possess a greater degree of believability, also called authentication authority- the ability to establish and verify the facts of the fictional world. At the end of each episode she sumarises it and helps to understand its message that people believe is true, sharing her worldly wisdom with the viewers: we honour heroes for different reasons. Sometimes for their daring. Sometimes fort heir bravery. Sometimes for their goodness. But mostly we honour heroes because at one point or another we all dream of being rescued. Of course if the right hero doesnt come along, sometimes we just have to rescue ourselves (S01E17, 2004). A perfect housewife leaves her family behind to lead us through the mysterious lives of the people of Wisteria Lane, but what her best friends, and at the same time the main protagonists of the story, want to know is why did she do it? Suspicions arise when four of Mary Alices best friends: Susan (played by Teri Hatcher), Bree (played by Marcia Cross), Lynette (played by Felicity Huffman) and Gabrielle (played by Eva Longoria) find a note in her belongings: I know what you did, it makes me sick, Im going to tell (S01E01, 2004). This opening to the series provided an effective entry into the unfolding narrative, setting up new enigmas week by week and encourages watching following episodes. The secret is revealed at the end of season one and after that the stories that she tells are not related with her family or herself. This is also the time when her son and husband move out from Wisteria Lane. All she does from this moment is commenting on her friends problems, lies and affairs. Surprisingly to all the living, she says something that no one would ever think about, which intensifies this enigma: an odd thing happens when we die, our senses vanish: taste, touch, smell and sound become a distant memory, but our sightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ oh our sight expands and we can suddenly see the world weve left behind so clearly. Of course, most of whats visible to the dead, could also be seen by the living, if theyd only taken time to look (S01E02, 2004). This provides the characters way of explaining where her omniscience comes from. By saying this she also explains herself that all she has got left are memories, but what she gained is the limitless access to peoples lives and thoughts. Thanks to Mary Alice the dirty secrets, affairs, illnesses and financial problems of Wisteria Lane are made public. At the beginning of each episode the voice-over prologue introduces more and more complications to the narrative and new information about the characters in the series. For example in episode 2 of the first series Mary Alice reveals Gabrielles secret: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) like my friend Gabrielle. I should have seen how unhappy she was, but I didnt. I only saw her clothes from Paris and her platinum jewellery, and her brand new diamond watch. If I looked closer, I would have seen Gabrielle was a drowning woman, desperately in search of a life raft. Luckily for her, she found one. Of course Gabrielle only saw her young gardener as a way to infuse her life with little excitement. But now she was about to discover just how exciting her life could get (2004). Following this statement Mary Alice proceeds to showing Gabrielles husband getting out of his car while she is having a bath with her lover. Narrators prologue functions as the time to reveal her friends dirty secrets and also to show who they really are behind the closed doors. Another example could be episode 15 of the first series where Mary Alice shows Bree finding a condom in the laundry basket: Bree Van De Kamp believed in old-fashioned values, such as respect for God, the importance of family and love of country. In fact Bree believed so strongly in her values, it was always a shock whenever she was confronted with those who didnt (2004). Mary Alice knew her friend so well that she instantly knew what Brees reaction would be- to find out if her husband is cheating or if one of her children has pre-marital sex. She predicts characters actions, knows the resolution to their problems, but waits with the reveal and gives hints of what is going to happen next. At the end of every episode Mary Alices voice-over summarises the events, which she has unfolded with an epilogue and teases the viewer with what is going to happen next: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) yes, each new day in suburbia brings with it a new set of lies, the worst are the ones we tell ourselves before we fall asleep. We whisper them in the dark, telling ourselves we are happy or that he is happy, that we can change or that he will change his mind. We persuade ourselves we can live with our sins or that we can live without him. Yes, each night before we fall asleep we lie to ourselves in a desperate, desperate hope that come morning it will all be true (S01E15, 2004). Suburban areas used to be portrayed as idyllic places, where people grew up in their communities, raised their kids and everyone was extremely nice to each other. With Mary Alices words the impression that the viewer gets is that the association of this idyllic place has been turned upside down. It seems that there are lots of lies and secrets that it holds, which makes it an example of juxtaposition for the truth about the series, she explains: Suburbia is a battleground, an arena for all forms of domestic combat (S01E06, 2004). Another example of this kind is shown in episode 2 of the second series, where Mary Alice says: beautiful lawns. Spacious homes. Happy families. These are the hallmarks of suburbia. But if you look beneath the veneer of gracious living, you will see a battle raging. A battle for control. You see the combatants everywhere, engaged in their routine skirmishes fighting fiercely to have dominion over the world around them (2005). The way that suburbia is presented in Desperate Housewives denies being a sacred domestic space of mutual trust and affection, altruistic care, peaceful innocence, religious inspiration, security from outside interference, and all-encompassing virtue (Hebel, 2005:187). What is striking about this statement is that the narrator of the series is presented as authoritative, truthful and realistic, while people living on Wisteria Lane and the idea of the place itself are illusive. Everyone attends Mary Alices funeral, which either proves a strong relationship between neighbours or is a gesture of politeness in the community. Everyone seeks scandal in modern world, there are no perfect places mentioned by Hebel (2005:187), they varnished the moment the first crime was committed and the truth hidden: (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) yes, everyone loves a scandal, no matter how big or small. After all, what could be more entertaining than watching the downfall of the high and mighty. What could be more amusing than the public exposure of hypocritical sinners. Yes, everyone loves a scandal, and if for some reason youre not enjoying the latest one, well, the next one is always around the corner (Mary Alice, S01E16, 2005). Mary Alice is initially portrayed by her friends- the main protagonists- as the nicest person they have ever met. At the wake, Bree, Lynette, Gabrielle and Susan gather at a dining table, stare briefly at the chair that Mary Alice used to sit on and start pondering about their friends life. They cannot believe that someone so happy could have done something so terrible. Gabrielle reflects: what kind of problems could she have had? She was healthy, had a great home, a nice family. If Mary Alice was having some sort of crisis, we would have known, she lives fifty feet away for Gods sake (S01E01). There are many situations throughout the series when Mary Alices apparent narrative omnipresence and omnipotence are demonstrated. When she says that to understand Maisy Gibbons (played by Sharon Lawrence), you first need to know how she spends her afternoons (S01E10, 2004) and then proceeds to show the viewers how Maisy does her husbands laundry, helps her children with their homework and works as a prostitute in the afternoons when her family is not at home. It is a shocking juxtaposition to the way that her neighbours see her: as a perfect mother and an exemplary housewife. The interesting fact here is that Maisy is not a main character in the series and here almost the whole episode is dedicated to her. The narrators voice is always very calm, the viewer is never able to notice any emotions driving her. She speaks with a lot of confidence and authority because she is aware of the fact that she knows everything and everyone. Sometimes she gives the viewer the impression of interacting with other characters. When her friends gather to pack up her belongings and Gabrielle notices that all Mary Alices clothes were size 8, not size 6 like she had been telling everyone, she drops a comment: Guess we found a skeleton in her closet (S01E01, 2004), Mary Alice responds: Not quite Gabrielle, not quite (S01E01, 2004), which insinuates that even darker secrets are to be revealed in the future. Mary Alice seems to be enjoying her power and knowledge. She knows in what emotional state her friends are, e.g. when Edie Britt (played by Nicollette Sheridan) decided to ask Mike Delfino (played by James Denton) out on a date despite the fact that she knew that Susan was interested, Mar