Vygotsky’s Views On Cognitive Development Complements Piaget’s

Methods and approaches to teaching have been greatly influenced by the research of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have contributed to the field of education by offering explanations for children's cognitive learning styles and abilities. This essay will discuss how rather than being an alternative, Vygotsky’s views on cognitive development complements Piaget’s. Initially, the term cognitive will be defined before having a look at Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and subsequently analyzing how Vygotsky’s views complement Piaget’s.Flanagan (1996:72) states that, ‘Cognitive development is the acquisition of mental process involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory and problem solving. ’ It is therefore a totality of mental processes. Piaget and Vygotsky were both influential in forming a more scientific approach to analyzing the cognitive development process of the child active construction of knowledge . While Piaget and Vygotsky may differ on how they view cognitive development in children, both offer educators good suggestions on how to teach certain material in a developmentally appropriate manner.Both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed that children's cognitive development took place in stages. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P. 149). However they were distinguished by different styles of thinking. Piaget was the first to reveal that children reason and think differently at different periods in their lives. He believed that all children progress through four different and very distinct stages of cognitive development. This theory is known as Piaget’s Stage Theory because it deals with four stages of development, which are sensori-motor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational (Ginsburg, Opper,1979:26).In the first stage sensori-motor, which occurs from birth to the age of two is the time in an infant’s life when the child basically deals with what is presented to him. They learn about physical objects and are concerned with motor skills and the consequences of some of their actions (Thomson and Meggit, 1997:107). During this stage children will learn the concept of object permanence. This is where an object will continue to exist even if it is out of sight. (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P. 48) For instance if the toy fell off the bed, the child will begin to look for it because he understands it continues to exist.The preoperational stage last from two to seven years. In this stage it becomes possible to carry on a conversation with a child and they also learn to count and use the concept of numbers. This stage is divided into the preoperational phase and the intuitive phase. Children in the preoperational phase are preoccupied with verbal skills and try to make sense of the world but have a much less sophisticated mode of thought than adults. In the intuitive phase the child moves away from drawing conclusions based upon concrete experiences wi th objects.One problem, which identifies children in this stage, is the inability to cognitively conserve relevant spatial information. This is when, when a material is manipulated and no longer matches the cognitive image that a child has made, that child believes the amount of material has been altered instead of just its shape. (Jarvis and Chandler,2001:135) During the Concrete Operational stage from ages seven to ten, children of this age are in school and they begin to deal with abstract concepts such as numbers, relationships and how to reason.They can now group certain things into categories, and put objects into size order, number order, and any other types of systematic ordering. There is a form of logical reasoning and thinking. Using logic, the child is capable of reversibility and conservation, which is the understanding of that mental operations and physical operations, can be reversed. They are now beginning to understand other people’s perspectives and views an d are capable of concentrating on more than one thing at a time.In this stage a person can do mental operations but only with real concrete objects, events or situations (Jarvis and Chandler, 2001:139). Finally, in the formal operational stage, age twelve to fifteen, the child has become more adult-like in their thought structures and processes. They begin to reason logically, systematically and hypothetically. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P. 139). In other words, they can imagine things that do not exist or that they have never experienced.This stage is generally like the preceding stage but at a more advanced level. The formal operational person is capable of meta-cognition, that is, thinking about thinking. Piaget also theorized on Adaptation, and Development. The adaptation theory (also known as the Constructivist theory) involved three fundamental processes, which contributed to the child’s cognitive development. These are assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium. Assimila tion involved the incorporation of new events into pre-existing cognitive structures.Accommodation is the adjustment involved in the formation of new mental structures needed to accommodate new information. Equilibration involved the person striking a balance between him and the environment, between assimilation and accommodation. When a child experienced a new event, disequilibrium set in until he was able to assimilate and accommodate the new information and thus attain equilibrium. There were many different types of equilibrium between assimilation and accommodation, which varied with the levels of development and the problems, which needed to be solved.  (Thomson and Meggit 1997:105)This dual process, assimilation-accommodation, enabled the child to form schema, and with each stage there came new methods for organizing knowledge together with the acquisition of new schema. Schemas are â€Å" Form action plans which guide us in understanding what is going on around us† ( Hayes b. P. 15) These are similar to responses but imply more cognitive processes. A schema includes ideas, information, actions and plans. People can learn by adopting new schemes or combine smaller already present schemes to create new larger ones.  (Hayes a. 1999 P. 98)In contrast of Piaget, Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist and philosopher in the 1930’s, is most often associated with the social constructivist theory and came into three general claims; Culture – which is that higher mental functioning in the individual emerged out of social processes. Secondly Language – which human social and psychological processes are fundamentally shaped by cultural tools. Lastly the developmental method Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) which is the concept that the potential of the child is limited to a specific time span.  (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P. 149-150).Vygotsky believed that it was adults and the Childs peers, which had the responsibility in sharing their grea ter collective knowledge with the younger generations. (Jarvis, Chandler 2001:149-150). This type of learning supports a discovery model of learning and places the teacher in an active role while the students’ mental abilities develop naturally through various paths of discovery. Vygotsky argued that through social activities children learnt cultural ‘tools’ and social inventions.These included language, rules, counting systems, writing, art, and music. Language for Vygotsky was a system of symbolic representation, which had been perfected over many previous generations and allowed the child to â€Å"abstract† the world. It provides the symbols for the child's equations concerning the world; Language came into three separate categories, which were Social, Egocentric, and Inner. For Vygotsky language was what made thinking even a possibility. Language is the difference between thinking on an elementary level and on a higher level.According to Vygotsky's the ory ‘ZPD’ had to do with a child’s current and potential abilities to do something (Flanagan 1999 P. 72). He believed that problem-solving tasks could be placed into three categories, which were as follows: (a) those performed independently by the student â€Å"independent performance† (b) those that could not be performed even with help; and (c) those that fall between the two, the tasks that can be performed with help from others â€Å"assisted performance† (Santrock, 1994).Vygotsky believed the concept of ‘ZPD’ recommended a better move towards to education and allowed a better understanding of the learning process. (Flanagan 1999 P. 73) Bruner built on Vygotsky's idea of the ZPD, by introducing what he described as scaffolding. Scaffolding is the help, which is given to a child that supports the child's learning. Scaffolding is similar to scaffolding around a building; it can be taken away after the need for it has ended. When a chi ld is shown how to do something he can now accomplish this task on its own.  (Jarvis and Chandler 2001 P. 154).Vygotsky believed that the history of the child and the history of the child’s culture needed to be understood because it overrides the cognitive schema process that Piaget described (Santrock, 1994). Piaget believed that the sequence of how children experience the stages was universal, but acknowledged the rate at which each child moved through these stages was flexible and relative upon factors such as maturity, social influences, and other factors.Because of the difference in the skills needed for each level, Piaget believed that children should not be forced into learning the knowledge of the next stage until the child was cognitively ready. (Flanagan 1999:105) However, Vygotsky believed that instruction came before development and that instruction lead the learner into ZPD. Piaget and Vygotsky had many contrasting views which included Piaget believing that cog nitive changes precede linguistic advances, unlike Vygotsky who proposed that language allowed the child a far greater freedom of thought and lead to further cognitive development.  (Flanagan 1999 P. 59)Piaget believed in the development of thinking and that language moved from individual too social (Ginsburg, Opper 1979 P. 84). However, Vygotsky believed that language moved from the social to the individual. (Jarvis and Chandler,2001:150). Vygotsky, like Piaget, believed the relationship between the individual and the social as being a necessary relational. However, Vygotsky believed that it was adults and the Childs peers, which had the responsibility in sharing their greater collective knowledge with the younger generations.He did not believe it was possible for a child to learn and to grow individually and the culture and the environment around the child played a big part in their Cognitive Development. (Flanagan 2001 P. 72). He also believed a child was unable to develop the way he or she had without learning from others in the environment in which they were raised. In contrast, Piaget maintained that children were naturally inquisitive about their own abilities and about their environment (Jarvis, Chandler 2001 P. 129) and that children advanced their knowledge because of biologically regulated cognitive changes.(Flanagan 2001 P. 57). Whereas, Piaget believed that a child was only possible of learning the processes in each stage at any time (Flanagan 1999 P. 60) and overlooked the role of the child's activity with relation to thought processes. For Piaget, children construct knowledge through their actions on the world. By contrast, Vygotsky’s stages, unlike Piaget’s, were that of a smooth and gradual process. That understanding is social in origin. For Vygotsky the cultural and social aspects took on a special importance which is much less symmetrical than Piagets theories.Vygotsky was critical of Piaget's assumption that developmental g rowth was independent of experience and based on a universal characteristic of stages. Vygotsky believed that characteristics did not cease at a certain point as Piaget did. When one thing was learned, it was used from then on. It did not stop just because a child entered another stage of development. Everything was progressive. Vygotsky also disagreed with Piaget's assumption that development could not be impeded or accelerated through instruction.  (Flanagan 1999 P. 57)Vygotsky believed that intellectual development was continually evolving without an end point and not completed in stages as Piaget theorized. Piaget’s stages only approach up to, and end with, approximately age fifteen. This theory does not seem to have any major factors after approximately age fifteen. Due to experiences Piaget had over the years he changed the way he thought and modified his techniques of research to include a greater emphasis of the role of the child's activity.Vygotsky although critica l of Piaget, realized the importance of the information that Piaget had gathered and in spite of his criticisms, Vygotsky built his educational theories on the strengths of Piaget's theories. After examining Piaget’s and Vygotsky's theories on how they complement each other cognitive development there is still more which we can continue to learn and build on with both Piaget’s and Vygotsky's ideas and theories, especially when applied in education construction. Piaget proposed many applicable educational strategies, such as discovery learning with an emphasis on activity and play.However, Vygotsky incorporated the importance of social interactions and a co-constructed knowledge base to the theory of cognitive development. In conclusion, a teacher's focus should be to provide assistance to students in need, and provide cultural tools as educational resources. Teachers should provide for group and peer learning, in order for students to support each other through the dis covery process. Especially in today's diverse classroom, the teacher needs to be sensitive to her student's cultural background and language, and be an active participant in his knowledge.

Business Ethics and Corporate Governance in Lic of India

OVERVIEW INSURANCE- AN INTRODUCTION Meaning: Insurance may be described as a social device to ensure protection of economic value of life and other assets. Under the plan of insurance, a large number of people associate themselves by sharing risks attached to individuals. The risks, which can be insured against, include fire, the perils of sea, death and accidents and burglary. Any risk contingent upon these, may be insured against at a premium commensurate with the risk involved. Thus, collective bearing of risk is insurance. Insurance = Collective Bearing of Risks| Insurance is a contract whereby, in return for the payment of premium by the insured, the insurers pay the financial losses suffered by the insured as a result of the occurrence of unforeseen events. The term â€Å"risk† is used to describe the possibility of adverse results flowing from any occurrence or the accidental happenings, which produce a monetary loss. Insurance is a pool in which a large number of people exposed to a similar risk make contributions to a common fund out of which the losses suffered by the unfortunate few, due to accidental events, are made good. The sharing of risk among large groups of people is the basis of insurance. Related article: Disadvantages of Ethics in Business The losses of an individual are distributed over a group of individuals. Insurance is nothing but a system of spreading the risk of one onto the shoulders of many. While it becomes somewhat impossible for a man to bear by himself 100% loss to his own property or interest arising out of an unforeseen contingency, Insurance is a method or process which distributes the burden of the loss on a number of persons within the group formed for this particular purpose. Definitions: Fundamental Definition In the words of D. S. Hansell, â€Å"Insurance accumulates contributions of all parties participating in the scheme. Contractual Definition In the words of Justice Tindall, â€Å"Insurance is a contract in which a sum of money is paid to the assured as consideration of insurer’s incurring the risk of paying a large sum upon a given contingency†. Working of Insurance Insurance Industry in India : The origin of life insurance in India can be traced back to 1818 with the establishm ent of the Oriental Life Insurance Company in Calcutta. It was conceived as a means to provide for English Widows. In those days a higher premium was charged for Indian lives than the non-Indian lives as Indian lives were considered riskier for coverage. The Bombay Mutual Life Insurance Society that started its business in 1870 was the first company to charge same premium for both Indian and non-Indian lives. In 1912, insurance regulation formally began with the passing of Life Insurance Companies Act and the Provident Fund Act. By 1938, there were 176 insurance companies in India. But a number of frauds during 1920s and 1930s tainted the image of insurance industry in India. In 1938, the first comprehensive legislation regarding insurance was introduced with the passing of Insurance Act of 1938 that provided strict State Control over insurance business. Insurance sector in India grew at a faster pace after independence. In 1956, Government of India brought together 245 Indian and foreign insurers and provident societies under one nationalized monopoly corporation and formed Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) by an Act of Parliament, viz. LIC Act, 1956, with a capital contribution of Rs. 5 crore. Before 1956, insurance was private with minimal government intervention. In 1956, life insurance was nationalized and a monopoly was created. In 1972, general insurance was nationalized as well. But, unlike life insurance, a different structure was created for the industry. India had the nineteenth largest insurance market in the world in 2003. Strong economic growth in the last decade combined with a population of over a billion makes it one of the potentially largest markets in the future. Insurance in India has gone through two radical transformations. One holding company was formed with four subsidiaries. As a part of the general opening up of the economy after 1992, a Government appointed committee recommended that private companies should be allowed to operate. It took six years to implement the recommendation. Private sector was allowed into insurance business in 2000. However, foreign ownership was restricted. No more than 26% of any company can be foreign-owned. A totally regulation free regime ended in 1912 with the introduction of regulation of life insurance. A comprehensive regulatory scheme came into place in 1938. This was disabled through nationalization in what follows; we examine the insurance industry in India through different regulatory regimes. But, the Insurance Act of 1938 became relevant again in 2000 with deregulation. With a strong hint of sustained growth of the economy in the recent past, the Indian market is likely to grow substantially over the next few decades. The rest of the chapter is organized as follows. First, we study the evolution of insurance business before nationalization. This is important because the denationalized structure brought back to play important legal rules from 1938. Next we analyze the nationalized era separately for life and property casualty business as they were not nationalized simultaneously. Much of post-independence history of insurance in India was the history of nationalized insurance. In the following section, we examine the new legal structure introduced after the industry was denationalized in 2000. In the penultimate section, we examine the current state of play and projected future of the industry. Important Milestones in the Life insurance business in India: * 1870: Bombay Mutual life assurance society is the first Indian owned life insurer. * 1912: The Indian Life Assurance Companies Act enacted as the first statute to regulate the life insurance business. 1928: The Indian Insurance Companies Act enacted to enable the government to collect statistical information about both life and non-life insurance businesses. * 1938: Earlier legislation consolidated and amended to by the Insurance Act with the objective of protecting the interests of the insuring public. * 1956: 245 Indian and foreign insurers and provident societies taken over by the central government and nationalized. LIC formed by an Act of Parliament- LIC Act 1956- with a capital contribution of Rs. 5 crores from the Government of India. * 1997: Insurance regulator IRDA set up. 2000: IRDA starts giving licenses to private insurers like Kotak Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential and HDFC Standard Life insurance first private insurers to sell a policy. * 2001: Royal Sundaram Alliance first non life insurer to sell a policy. * 2002: Banks were allowed to sell insurance plans. As Third Party Administrations (TPAs) enter the scene, insurers start setting non-life claims in the cashless mode. * 2004-05: The Government proposed for increasing the foreign equity stake to 49%. * 2007: First Online Insurance portal, set up by an Indian Insurance Broker, Bonsai Insurance Broking Pvt. Ltd. LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION ACT, 1956 An act to provide for the nationalization of life insurance business in India by transferring all such business to a Corporation established for the purpose and to provide for the regulation and control of the business of the Corporation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. BUSINESS ETHICS Ethics are  moral guidelines  which govern  good behavior. So behaving ethically is  doing what is morally right. Behaving ethically in business is widely regarded as good business practice. To provide you with a couple of quotes: Ethical principles and standards in business: * Define acceptable conduct in business * Should underpin how management make decisions An important distinction to remember is that behaving ethically is not quite the same thing as behaving lawfully: * Ethics  are about what is right and what is wrong * Law  is about what is lawful and what is unlawful You will probably note the link between business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The two concepts are closely linked: * A socially responsible firm should be an ethical firm * An ethical firm should be socially responsible However there is also a distinction between the two: * CSR is about responsibility to all stakeholders and not just shareholders * Ethics is about  morally correct behavior How do businesses ensure that its directors, managers and employees act ethically? A common approach is to implement a  code of practice. Ethical codes are increasingly popular – particularly with larger businesses and cover areas such as: * Corporate social responsibility * Dealings with customers and supply chain * Environmental policy & actions * Rules for personal and corporate integrity NEED OR IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS ETHICS These 12 points below discuss the need, importance of business ethics: 1. Stop business malpractices: Some unscrupulous businessmen do business malpractices by indulging in unfair trade practices like black marketing, artificial high pricing, adulteration, cheating in weights and measures, selling of duplicate and harmful products, hoarding etc. These malpractices are harmful to the consumers. Business ethics help to stop these business malpractices. 2. Improve customers’ confidence: Business ethics are needed to improve the customers’ confidence about the quantity, quality, price, etc of the products. The customers have more trust and confidence in the businessmen who follow ethical rules. 3. Survival of business: Business ethics are mandatory for the survival of the business. The businessmen who do not follow it will have short term success, but they will fail in the long run. This is because they can cheat a consumer only once. After that, the consumer will not buy products from that businessman. He will also tell others not to buy from that businessman. So this will defame his image and provoke a negative publicity. This will result in the failure of the business. Therefore, if the businessmen do not follow ethical rules, he will fail in the market. 4. Safeguarding consumers’ rights: The consumer has many rights such as right to health and safety, right to be informed, right to choose, right to be heard, right to redress, etc. But many businessmen do not respect and protect these rights. Business ethics are must to safeguard these rights of the consumers. 5. Protecting employees and shareholders: Business ethics are required to protect the interest of employees, shareholders, competitors, dealers, suppliers, etc. It protects them from exploitation through unfair trade practices. . Develops good relations: Business ethics are important to develop good and friendly relations between business and society. This will result in a regular supply of good quality goods and services at low prices to the society. It will also result in profits for the businessmen thereby resulting in growth of economy. 7. Creates good image: Business ethics create a good image for the business and businessmen. If the businessmen follow all ethical rules, then they will be fully accepted and not criticized by the society. The society will always support those businessmen who follow this necessary code of conduct. 8. Smooth functioning: If the business follows all the business ethics, then the employees, shareholders, consumers, dealers and suppliers will all be happy. So they will give full cooperation to the business. This will result in the smooth functioning of the business. 9. Consumer movement: Business ethics are gaining importance because of the growth of the consumer movement. Today the consumers are aware of their rights. Now they are more organized and cannot be cheated easily. They take actions against those businessmen who indulge in bad business practices. They boycott poor quality, harmful, high priced and duplicate goods. Therefore, the only way to survive in business is to be honest and fair. 10. Consumer satisfaction: Today, consumer is the king of the market. Any business simply cannot survive without the consumers. Therefore, the main aim or objective is consumer satisfaction. If the consumer is not satisfied, then there will be no sales and thus no profits too. Consumer will be satisfied only if the business follows all the business ethics, and hence are highly needed. 11. Importance of labour: Labour i. e. employees or workers play a very crucial role in the success of a business. Therefore, business must use business ethics while dealing the employees. The business must give them proper wages and salaries and provide them with better working conditions. There must be good relations between employer and employees. The employees must also be given proper welfare facilities. 12. Healthy competition: The business must use business ethics while dealing with the competitors. They must have healthy competition with the competitors. They must not do cut throat competition. Similarly, they must give equal opportunities to small-scale business. They must avoid monopoly. This is because monopoly is harmful for the consumers. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Good corporate governance contributes to a company’s competitiveness and reputation, Corporate governance  is â€Å"the system by which companies are directed and controlled†. It involves regulatory and market mechanisms, and the roles and relationships between a company’s management, its board, its shareholders  and other  stakeholders, and the goals for which the corporation is governed. In contemporary business corporations, the main external stakeholder groups are shareholders, debt holders, trade  creditors, uppliers, customers and communities affected by the corporation's activities. . Internal stakeholders are the  board of directors,  executives, and other employees. Much of the contemporary interest in corporate governance is concerned with mitigation of the conflicts of interests between stakeholders. Ways of mitigating or preventing these conflicts of interests incl ude the processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled. An important theme of corporate governance is the nature and extent of  accountability  of people in the  business. IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The need, significance or importance of corporate governance is listed below: 1. Changing Ownership Structure: In recent years, the ownership structure of companies has changed a lot. Public financial institutions, mutual funds, etc are the single largest shareholder in most of the large companies. So, they have effective control on the management of the companies. They force the companies to use corporate governance. That is, they put pressure on the management to become more efficient, transparent, accountable, etc. They also ask the management to make consumer-friendly policies, to protect all social groups and to protect the environment. So, the changing ownership structure has resulted in corporate governance. 2. Importance of Social Responsibility: Today, social responsibility is given a lot of importance. The Board of Directors has to protect the rights of the customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, local communities, etc. This is possible only if they use corporate governance. 3. Growing Number of Scams: In recent years, many scams, frauds and corrupt practices have taken place. Misuse and misappropriation of public money are happening everyday in India and worldwide. It is happening in the stock market, banks, financial institutions, companies and government offices. In order to avoid these scams and financial irregularities, many companies have started corporate governance. 4. Indifference on the part of Shareholders: In general, shareholders are inactive in the management of their companies. They only attend the Annual general meeting. Postal ballot is still absent in India. Proxies are not allowed to speak in the meetings. Shareholders associations are not strong. Therefore, directors misuse their power for their own benefits. So, there is a need for corporate governance to protect all the stakeholders of the company. 5. Globalization: Today most big companies are selling their goods in the global market. So, they have to attract foreign investor and foreign customers. They also have to follow foreign rules and regulations. All this requires corporate governance. Without Corporate governance, it is impossible to enter, survive and succeed the global market. 6. Takeovers and Mergers: Today, there are many takeovers and mergers in the business world. Corporate governance is required to protect the interest of all the parties during takeovers and mergers. 7. SEBI: SEBI has made corporate governance compulsory for certain companies. This is done to protect the interest of the investors and other stakeholders. PROFILE OF THE ORGANISATION LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA Life Insurance Corporation of India  (LIC) is the largest  insurance group  and  investment company  in India. It’s a state-owned where  Government of India has 100% stake. LIC also funds close to 24. 6% of the Indian Government's expenses. It has assets estimated of  13. 25 trillion (US$264. 4 billion). It was founded in 1956 with the merger  of 243 insurance companies and provident societies. Headquartered in  Mumbai, financial and commercial capital of India, the Life Insurance Corporation of India currently has 8 zonal Offices and 113 divisional offices located in different parts  of India, around 3500 servicing offices including 204 8 branches, 54 Customer Zones, 25 Metro Area Service Hubs and a number of Satellite Offices located in different cities and towns of  India and has a network of 13,37,064 individual agents, 242 Corporate Agents, 79 Referral Agents, 98 Brokers and 42 Banks (as on 31. 3. 011) for soliciting life insurance business from the public. The slogan of LIC is â€Å"Yogakshemam Vahamyaham† which translates from Sanskrit to â€Å"Your welfare is our responsibility†. The slogan is derived from the Ancient Hindu text, the  Bhagavad Gita's 9th Chapter, 22nd verse. The literal translation from Sanskrit to English is â€Å"I carry what you require†. The slogan can be seen in the logo and is written in Devanagiri script below the hands holding the lamp. | Type | State-owned| Industry| Financial services| Founded| 1 September 1956| Headquarters| Mumbai,  India| Key people| D. K. Mehrotra, (Chairman)| Products| Life  and  insurance, investment,  mutual fund| Total assets| 13. 25 trillion (US$264. 34 billion)(2010)| Owner(s)| Government of India| Employees| 115,966 (2010)| Subsidiaries| LIC Housing Finance LIC Cards Services LIC Nomura Mutual Fund| Website| www. licindia. in| OBJECTIVES OF LIC OF INDIA * Spread Life Insurance widely and in particular to the rural areas and to the socially and economically backward classes with a view to reaching all insurable persons in the country and providing them adequate financial cover against death at a reasonable cost. Maximize mobilization of people's savings by making insurance-linked savings adequately attractive. * Bear in mind, in the investment of funds, the primary obligation to its policyholders, whose money it holds in trust, without losing sight of the interest of the community as a whole; the funds to be deployed to the best advantage of the investors a s well as the community as a whole, keeping in view national priorities and obligations of attractive return. * Conduct business with utmost economy and with the full realization that the moneys belong to the policyholders. Act as trustees of the insured public in their individual and collective capacities. * Meet the various life insurance needs of the community that would arise in the changing social and economic environment. * Involve all people working in the Corporation to the best of their capability in furthering the interests of the insured public by providing efficient service with courtesy. * Promote amongst all agents and employees of the Corporation a sense of participation, pride and job satisfaction through discharge of their duties with dedication towards achievement of Corporate Objective. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shri D. K. Mehrotra,  (CHAIRMAN, LIC ) Shri T. S. Vijayan,  (Managing Director, LIC ) Shri Thomas Mathew T. (Managing Director, LIC ) Shri Sushobhan Sarker  (Managing Director, LIC ) Shri R. Gopalan,  (Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs,   Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India. ) Shri  D. K. Mittal,  (Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India. ) Shri  A. K. Roy,  (Chairman cum Managing Director, GIC. ) Shri M. V. Tanksale,  (Chairman & Managing Director, Central Bank of India ) Lt. General Arvind Mahajan (Retd. ) Shri Anup Prakash Garg Shri Sanjay Jain Shri Ashok Singh Shri K. S. Sampath Shri Amardeep Singh Cheema ORGANISATION STRUCTURE OPERATIONS AWARDS WON BY LIC OF INDIA IN 2011-12 | Readers Digest â€Å"Trusted Brand† in the platinum category. | | Superbrands| | Asian Leadership Award| | LIC has been ranked :† Number One Trusted Service Brand† in the EconomicTimes Brand Equity Survey| | Rated as the â€Å"Most Preferred Life Insurance Company of the year† at the CNBC| | Dainik Bhaskar Group| | Bombay Chamber Of Commerce| | ABCI| | Star News- Customer Centric Brand Award| PROBLEMS OF LIC OF INDIA – The existing insurer, LIC and GIC, have created a large group of dissatisfied  customers due to the poor quality of service. Hence there will be shift of large number of customers from LIC and GIC to the private insurers. – LIC may face problem of surrender of a large number of policies, as new insurers will woo them by offer of innovative products at lower prices. – The corporate clients under group schemes and salary  savings schemes may shift their loyalty from LIC to the private insurers. – There is a likelihood of exit of young dynamic managers from LIC to the private insurer, as they will get higher package of remuneration. – LIC has overstaffing and with the introduction of full computerization, a large number of the employees will be surplus. However they cannot be retrenched. Hence the operating costs of LIC  will not be reduced. This will be a  disadvantage in  the competitive market, as the new insurers will operate with lean office and high technology to reduce the operating costs. – GIC and its four subsidiary companies are going to face more challenges, because their management expenses are very high due to surplus staff. They can't reduce their number due to service rules. – Management of claims will  put strain on the financial resources, GIC and its subsidiaries since it is not up the mark. LIC has more than to 60 products and GIC has more than 180 products in their kitty, which are outdated in the present context as they are not suitable to the changing needs of the customers. Not only that they are not competent enough to complete with the new products offered by foreign companies in the market. – Reaching the consumer expectations on par with foreign companies such as better yield and much  improved quality of  service particularly in the  area of settlement of  claims, issue of new  policies, transfer of the policies and revival of policies in the liberalized market is very difficult to LIC and GIC. Intense competition from new insurers in  winning the consumers by multi-distribution channels, which will  include agents, brokers, corporate intermediaries, bank branches, affinity groups and direct marketing through telesales and interest. – The market very soon will be flooded by a large number of products by fairly large number of insurers operating in the Indian market. Even with limited range of products offered by LIC and GIC, the consumers are confused in the market. Their confusion will further increase in  the face for large number of products in the  market. The  existing level of awareness of the consumers for insurance products is very low. It is so because only 62% of the Indian population is literate and less than 10% educated. Even the educated consumers are ignorant about the various products of the insurance. – The insurers will have to face  an acute problem of the redressal of the consumers, grievances for deficiency in products and services. – Increasing awareness will  bring number of legal cases filled  by the consumers against insurers is likely  to increase substantially in future. Major challenges in canalizing the growth of insurance sector are product innovation, distribution network, investment management, customer  service  and education. SWOT ANALYSIS OF LIC OF INDIA STRENGTHS: * India’s top insurance company and best among Public sector company. * Provide better infrastructure than any other Public company. * Brand Image * Govt Guarantee * Claims settlement * Pan India presence * La rge product portfolio WEAKNESSES: * Average waiting time for the customer is 15 to 20 minutes. * No separate customer care unit * Lethargic Staff * Mediocre Top Bosses Large scale Corruption in Main Office * Ultra-Slow decision making process * Internal problems between Top Management and lower cadre Employees OPPORTUNITIES: * Setup a marketing cell at the local branch. * Ensure that policies are diversified across several customer segments * Pension Market * Health Insurance * Large Real Estate portfolio THREATS: * Growth of private players has led to shifting emphasis from public sector companies. * Internal discord * New players * Red-tapism COMPETITION INFORMATION Main Competitors of LIC * SBI Life Insurance Company * ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Birla Sun Life Insurance Company * HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company * Reliance Life Insurance Company COMPARISON 1. Policies and Premium 2. Claims Paid 3. Profit of the year 2011-2012 4. Life Fund Policies and Premium Cla ims Paid Profit of the Year 2010-11 Research Methodology Research is the process of systematic and in depth study to search for a particular subject topic or area of investigation backed by the Collection, Compilation, Analysis or Interpretation of data. It is more systematic study or activity directed towards discovery and the development of organized body of knowledge. Success of Research depends upon the scientific methods used. There are various methods for Collecting the data. But it is not advisable and even possible to used all the methods. Every researcher must know the purpose of his study. For doing research one must set questions accordingly one has to find out and the answers through his own investigation. This Study is conducted to analyze the business ethics and corporate governance in Life Insurance Corporation of India. The data are basically segregated into two parts: a) Primary Data b) Secondary Data. a) Primary Data :- Primary Data is collected during the course of doing experiments in an experimental research. There are several methods for collecting primary data. b) Secondary Data:- Secondary  data, is data collected by someone other than the user. Secondary data are data which are collected by someone in past that includes previous year annual report, magazines, project report etc. For my project report, I  had used secondary data under which I  used annual reports which includes  balance sheets, P;L a/c, and other general information. Limitation of the Project Report Followings are the limitations of the project work taken by me: ? One of the limitations of this project study is of the time limitation. It is somehow difficult to fully know any big organization like LIC of India in this limited time  period. ? Senior managers and others officers in LIC of India are also very busy. They do not have enough time for solving our queries in details. Objective of the study The objectives have been classified by me in this project form personal to professional but here I am not disclosing my personal objectives which have been achieved by me while doing the project. Only professional objectives which are being covered by me in this project are as following- * To know about the business ethics and corporate governance of the organization. * To know the contribution of the organization to the society. * To know about the reliability of the organization. Scope of the Study So I am working on the project Business Ethics and Corporate Governance in LIC of India with the scope that I will get to know: * What ethics has the organization adopted? * What is organization doing for the welfare of the society? How reliable is the organization? Vision and Mission of LIC of India Mission â€Å"Explore and enhance the quality of life of people through financial security by providing products and services of aspired attributes with competitive returns, and by rendering resources for economic development. † Vision â€Å"A trans-nationally competitive financial conglomerate of significance to societies and Pride of India. † Core Values of LIC of Ind ia * Caring and Courtesy * Initiative and Innovation * Integrity and Transparency * Quality and Returns * Participation and Relationship Trustworthiness and Reliability Ethics followed by LIC of India * Provide insurance cover and financial security to every insurable person. * Conduct all aspects of business keeping in view its interest and national priorities. * Provide them prompt, efficient and courteous service. * Act as trustees of their funds and invest the fund to their best advantage. * Conduct business with utmost economy and on sound business principles. Social advantages to LIC of India †¢ Providing organizational guidelines for business integrity in turbulent times. Helping employees deal with ethical issues they face daily on the job. †¢ Building solid company teamwork and productivity. †¢ Creating an insurance policy – to help ensure that company policies and procedures are legal. †¢ Avoiding criminal â€Å"acts of omission† which can lower potential fines. †¢ Reinforcing the values associated with quality management, strategic planning, and diversity management. †¢ Promoting a strong public image. Corporate Governance in LIC of India Adherence to good Corporate Governance is an integral part of the philosophy of LIC’s business conduct. The driving forces behind institutionalizing the practices of good Corporate Governance are various proactive measures, initiatives and guidance by the Government, LIC Board and its Sub Committees along with LIC’s Human Resources and Agents. Our practice of operational transparency, information sharing, accountability and ensuring dialogue with all the stakeholders in addition to formulation of value-based policies and practices at all levels made us to imbibe good Corporate Governance. This has enabled us to enhance our Brand Equity, strengthen stake of shareholders and maintain a healthy environment within the organization. This has led to a committed organizational focus on the customer service which in turn has contributed to a good growth in business. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. Sponsorship of CSR by LIC of India 2009-12 I. Group Schemes and Social Security Claims under various Social Security Schemes: 1, 02,950 claims amounting to Rs. 287. 4 crore paid under Social Security Schemes. a) Scholarships of Rs. 102. 53 crore was disbursed to 13, 78,744 students as a free add on benefit to the children of the members of Janashree Bima Yojana under Shiksha Sahayog Yojana during the year 2010-11. b) Scholarship for total amount of Rs. 81. 85 crore was distributed to 8, 40,568 students as a free add on benefit to the children of members of AABY Shiks ha Sahayog Yojana during the year 2010-11. Social Security Cover: Total 2. 57 crore lives have been given insurance cover under various Social Security Scheme during 2010-11. Aam Admi Bima Yojana Aam Admi Bima Yojana was launched on 2nd Oct. 2007 and a total of 47, 01,814 lives under 17 states were insured during the year bringing the total lives covered under the scheme since inception to 1,77,47,480. II. Investment in Social Sector The total investments of the Corporation amounted to Rs. 12, 66, 539. 04 crore as at 31st March, 2011. The Corporation subscribed an amount of Rs. 65, 521. 83 crore (face value) and Rs. 40, 254. 38 crore (face value) to the Securities of the Government of India and the new loan issues of the various State Governments respectively during 2010-2011. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: It has been the constant endeavour of the Corporation to provide security to as many people as possible and to channelise the savings mobilised for the welfare of the people at large. To meet this end, the Corporation has been promoting Social Welfare through investments in Infrastructure and Social Sector which includes: * Projects/Schemes for generation and transmission of Power, * Housing Sector, * Water Supply and Sewerage Projects/Schemes, * Development of Roads, Bridges ; Road Transport. The total Investment in these sectors during 2010-11 was Rs. 5,235. 94 crore. The investments by way of Central, State and Other Government Guaranteed Marketable securities, Loans, Debentures ; Equity investments in Infrastructure and Social Sector amounts to Rs. 7,49,150 crore. III. LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation Under ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, and to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of LIC in the year 2006, ‘LIC Golden Jubilee Foundationâ€⠄¢ Trust was formed with the objective of promoting education, health, relief of poverty or distress and advancement of other objects of general public utility. As on 31. 3. 011 LIC has provided a Corpus of Rs. 90 crore to this Foundation and the interest earned is utilized for funding various projects for charitable purposes. As on date, LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation has supported 165 projects to the extent of Rs. 15. 66 crore. Under this Trust a scholarship scheme is also formulated by name LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme of the Trust to give scholarships at the rate of Rs. 10000/- per annum to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of society to enable them to pursue higher education at graduation level. Scholarships were given to 802, 881 and 967 students during the years 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-11 respectively. ANALYSIS 1. Market Share 2. Goodwill Value Over its existence of around 50 years, Life Insurance Corporation of India, which commanded a  monopoly  of soliciting and selling life insurance in India, created huge surpluses, and contributed around 7% of India's  GDP  in 2006. The Corporation, which started its business with around 300 offices, 5. 7 million policies and a  corpus  of INR 459 million (US$ 92 million as per the 1959 exchange rate of roughly Rs. for a US $,  has grown to 25000 servicing around 350 million policies and a  corpus  of over  8 trillion (US$145. 6 billion). The Economic Times Brand Equity Survey 2010 rated LIC as the No. 4 Service Brand of the Country [6]. Though in the year 2010 is ranked at 4, the organization is consistently among the top rated service company of the India [7]. RANK-COMPANY 1-VODAFONE, 2-airtel, 3-SBI (STAT E BANK OF INDIA), 4-LIC (LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION). From the year 2006, LIC is continuously winning the Readers' Digest Trusted brand award [8]. According to The Brand Trust Report [9] 2011, LIC is the 8th most trusted brand of India. . Growth Visibility of LIC of India FINDINGS After doing this project I found out that- * LIC of India conduct all aspects of the business keeping in view the interests of the community and the national priorities. * Provide insurance cover and financial security to every insurable segment including the socially and economically weaker sections of the society. * LIC of India provides their customers with prompt, efficient and courteous service. * It acts as trustees to their customer’s funds and invests them to their best advantage. * It builds and maintains enduring relationship with the customers. It also keeps the customers informed about their products and services. * It also promote a sense of participation among the workforce and make th em partners in progress. * It also works towards their job satisfaction and sense of pride. * It provide and environment and opportunities for growth to enable them to realize their full potential. * It also take steps to develop professional skills of the workforce to enable them to handle their assignments more effectively. * LIC is not only the largest but the most popular life insurance company in India.   LIC has gained the consumer trust and credibility over the time that is essential to sustain in the insurance business. RECOMMENDATIONS Though, LIC of India is a very reliable and ethical company. But still there are some points which should be taken care of in future to prevent any kind of risks to the organization: * More Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives should be taken in near future in order to increase its reliability among the society. * Integrity connotes strength and stability. It means taking the high road by practicing the highest ethical standards. Demonstrating integrity shows completeness and soundness in the organization. * Blaming others, claiming victimhood, or passing the buck may solve short-term crises, but refusal to take responsibility erodes respect and cohesion in an organization. Ethical people take responsibility for their actions. * Quality should be more than making the best product, but should extend to every aspect of your work. A person who recognizes quality and strives for it daily has a profound sense of self-respect, pride in accomplishment, and attentiveness that affects everything. From organization’s memos to the presentations, everything it touch should communicate professionalism and quality. * Trust is hard to earn and even harder to get back after you've lost it. Everyone who comes in contact with the organization must have trust and confidence in how you do business. * Managers and executives should uphold the ethical standards for the entire organization. A leader is out front providing an example that others will follow. * Good ethics should be most noticeable at the top. Every employee must be accountable to the same rules. Corporate values or ethics initiative must be â€Å"sold† and â€Å"marketed† aggressively throughout the organization. Every forum and medium should be used to spread the good message. Of course, it will only be credible if the organization is practicing what it preaches. * The ethics fervor should extend to the next generation of employees. The longer it lasts, the more ingrained the principles will become. CO NCLUSION Business ethics present pertinent solutions to the concerns and dilemmas faced by global organizations. Ethical leadership is essential for the long-term survival and success of any organization. In the era of globalization, business ethics considerably influence shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, government and civil society. Organizations should focus on the ethical issues faced by them in various functional areas like marketing, finance, human resources, production, ICT etc. The commendable work done by global corporations in inculcating and practicing business ethics underscores the importance of value based leadership in international business scenario. Corporate governance is of paramount importance to a company and is almost as important as its primary business plan. When executed effectively, it can prevent corporate scandals, fraud and the civil and criminal liability of the company. It also enhances a company’s image in the public eye as a self-policing company that is responsible and worthy of shareholder and debt holder capital. It dictates the shared philosophy, practices and culture of an organization and its employees. A corporation without a system of corporate governance is often regarded as a body without a soul or conscience. Corporate governance keeps a company honest and out of trouble. If this shared philosophy breaks down, then corners will be cut, products will be defective and management will grow complacent and corrupt. The end result is a fall that will occur when gravity – in the form of audited financial reports, criminal investigations and federal probes – finally catches up, bankrupting the company overnight. Dishonest and unethical dealings can cause shareholders to flee out of fear, distrust and disgust. BIBLIOGRAPHY * http://www. usinessdictionary. com/article/618/why-is-corporate-governance-important/ * http://www. licindia. in/ * http://www. businessreviewindia. in/top_ten/top-10-business/insurance-top-10 * http://www. licindia. in/GJF_aboutus. htm * http://www. licindia. in/Annual_Report_2011. pdf * http://www. irda. gov. in/ * https://www. google. co. in/ * http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility * http://www. mallenbaker. net/csr/definition. php * h ttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Life_Insurance_Corporation_of_India

Skin & Tattoos Review

Patterson, M. , & Schroeder, J. (2010). Borderlines: Skin, tattoos and consumer culture theory. Marketing Theory, 10, 253-267. DOI: 10. 1177/1470593110373191 Assignment 1: Patterson & Schroeder Article Review This essay critically reviews an academic article which applies consumer culture theory to identity formation by illustrating the association of skin and body art to femininity and commodification. The paper begins with a brief summary of the key points outlined in the article which is then followed by an analytical evaluation of these points. After which I will examine why I believe they were able to make a compelling argument. I then go on to critique the style of the article and discuss some of the weaknesses I found in the argument presented by the authors. I end with a suggested issue for further research. The authors of this article intend to examine the establishment of identity, both generally and embodied, within the consumer culture theoretical framework. In order to do so they describe three fundamental assertions which have been derived from consumer culture theory (CCT) and employ three metaphors to illustrate how these concepts prove to be problematic. They further develop evidence which challenges the proposed concepts by applying them to skin, and more specifically to the skin of heavily tattooed women. It is their assertion that skin serves as the principal site for individuals to imprint their ideologies and convey their stories, it brings together the natural and the social. The concept of femininity and cultural ideas of beauty also become intertwined in the conjectural work put forth by the authors. In their attempt to show a correlation between skin, identity, and consumption, the idea that heavily tattooed women collect body art in order to distinguish themselves from the masses and challenge existing gender stereotypes forms the foundation from which they argue. According to the article an individual’s production of self is mediated by interaction with others in addition to a calculated use of commodities. However, they claim that interpretation of one’s identity is not always clear or easily discerned and further that access to the resources we use to create our identity is not equal amongst all individuals. The following relationships between skin, femininity and consumption form the structure from which they develop their assumptions: first, the containing function of skin is central to creation of femininity as ideals of the perfect body remain; second, femininity is implicit on skin so much so that transmission becomes an issue of surface projection; and third, well maintained, delicate skin has become an archetype of femininity and a desire to retain this indicator of gender difference leads women to want to work on their skin. The ambiguousness of such an overlooked and yet important organ enables the reader to relate to a vast number of viewpoints. Based on the evidence presented, I find the authors’ argument convincing and can appreciate why skin makes an ideal medium for research on consumer identity. What I took from the article was that beauty and identity are often interdependent and rely on how one interprets and creates it. I arrived at this conclusion by following their logic that skin is connected to our identity in how we adorn and maintain it. The closer we come to upholding social norms regarding femininity, which is often closely tied to ideals of beauty, the more highly we are regarded in society. We use our exterior surface as a canvas in which we create our inner identity, however, identity is not static and we are continually modifying and recreating ourselves. I like the idea that women are silently protesting and disrupting long held patriarchal beliefs of femininity by engaging in body art acquisition. I also agree that by partaking in forms of body modification, such as tattooing, women challenge the traditional ideals of beauty. While the article is written concisely and straightforwardly, I believe the metaphors they use could have been explained further in order to get a clearer understanding of their association to the topic at hand. I found the idea of skin as a container difficult to follow, the arguments presented in this section taken individually were clear, but when related back to identity and commodification it became someone convoluted. One aspect I believe the authors neglected to develop was the notion that individuals can assume simultaneous identities or that they can perform identities, whereby they represent themselves different from their visible characteristics. They touched on this with the discussion of tattooed women being both contained and transgressive in the narrow perception of beauty, along with the view of the mind/body dualism. I found the overall concept explored in this article quite interesting, but thought the execution left something lacking. At times the article almost seems somewhat philosophical in its assessment of the topic in that it relies largely on interpretive research. Identities are seen not as merely represented in discourse, but rather as performed, enacted and embodied through a variety of dialectal and non-linguistic means. After introducing the topic at hand and reviewing the relevant concepts that have been ascertained in regards to the conceptualization of identity within the framework of consumer culture theory, and more specifically, identity as it applies to skin, femininity and body art, the article concludes with a suggested direction for further study. The authors propose that more work on boundaries and understanding of identity and consumption should be done. In addition, they advise rather than looking at the meaning of the body, future examination should analyze what the consequences of consuming the body are.

A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies

A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. The text is written by an English writer and humorist Jerome K. Jerome, best known for the comic travelogue â€Å"Three Men in a Boat†. The story is about one young healthy men who thought he became â€Å"a victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. The story is written by a humorist, that's why it contains a lot of different funny moments and special stylistic devises. The first one we met already in the name of the story â€Å"A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. This phrase has an ironical tone.We understand that one man can't have one hundred and seven fatal maladies at once. The utle let us to understand that something will be wrong with the main character, but probably the author will Just ridicule certain type of people. So, one man after reading some medical books decided that he had all of fatal diseases at once, and came to the doctor to tell about his trouble. The doctor said nothing but wrote a prescription, which helped the patient to recover, despite it didn't contain any medicaments. The story can be dlvlded Into 3 logical parts – story proper, climax and denouement.The story has no exposition, because it begins directly with activity of the main character, who was sitting in the library and reading a book about diseases. In the story proper we knew the whole Information about the central character of the story. Generally, the text is built around such human character trait as hypochondria. The author chose an Interesting way to describe this mental instability – the whole text is written with Irony, We can feel it already In the beginning of the story: â€Å"l sat for a while frozen with horror; and than in despair I again turned over the pages.I came to typhoid fever † read the symptoms – iscovered that I had typhoid fever – began to get interested in my case, and so started alphabetically†¦ and the only dise ase I had not got was housemaid's knee†. After these words we understand what kind of man is the main person and may be smb. found himself in it. It's very funny to read about the man who thought he had all the diseases of the world, but honestly speaking if I was on his place I would be scary because of all these diseases.The main person impressed me because in spite of such number of diseases he didn't cry, shout or go Into hysteric, conversely he apples to himself with irony. We can feel it in his thoughts and statements: â€Å"l sat and thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view. Students would have no need to â€Å"walk the hospitals† if they had me. was a hospital in myself. All they need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma† or during the conversation with the doctor â€Å"l will not take up your time, dear boy, with telling you what is the matter with me.Life is short and you might pass away befor e I had finished. But I will tell you what is not the matter with me. Everything else, however, I have got†. think that hypochondria of the main personage is in a bad ase, because he had not only all the symptoms of the diseases he had read in the t Of2 000K, out even tnougnt up several compllcatlons. 10 aescrlDe tnls tne autnor usea antithesis: â€Å"l tried to examine myself. I felt my pulse. I could not at first feel any pulse at all.Then, all of sudden, it seemed to start off. I pulled out my watch and timed it. I made ita 100 and 47 to the minute. I tried to feel my heart. I could not feel my heart. It had stopped beating†. The climax of irony and self-irony of the story, I think, is in these 2 phrases – â€Å"l had walked into the reading-room a happy, healthy man. I rawled out a miserable wreck†. It's very funny and very sad simultaneous, because we understand that the only disease this man had was his mental instability.And the main character itsel f understood that he was absolutely happy and healthy man before he read about the diseases, but after it he felt totally ill, even though he understood nothing in medicine and he could not determine if he had those symptoms or not. The denouement of the story comes gradually from the visiting of the doctor through the situation in the chemist's up to recovery of the main person. The key role here played the doctor. He knew our personage for a long time and was his old chum, that is why he immediately understood what was going on and what was the matter with the patient.The doctor knew an approach to this person. He wrote such a funny prescription, because he knew that suspicious people like to treat themselves and he knew that the patient would follow each word he wrote in the prescription. And the focus succeeded – the man ate 1 pound beefsteak and drank 1 pint bear every 6 hours, made 1 ten-mile walk every morning, and took 1 bed at 11 every night, and, 10 and behold, â₠¬â€œ â€Å"l followed the directions with the happy result that y life was preserved and is still going on†.Happy end 0 So, the story is over, but I think it is the end only for one part of the whole story, I mean the story of the personage's life. I think it is not the end, because the question is the difficult mental trouble and one funny prescription can't solve this seriously problem. I think that man would be happy and healthy until he read one more book or article or watched a TV-show about a new fatal disease. People with such problems must consult not with subject matter experts but with mental specialists, and only in this case they will have chance to become really happy and healthy.

Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Exam - Assignment Example He left politics and became a rancher in Dakotas. He ran for a mayor back home and gained recognition by taking thorough charge of the police in the city. Additionally, he was a leader in the civil service reform at the national level. He energized the republican partybase as a front campaigner of the reelection of President William McKinley on the policies of the gold standard, high tariffs, prosperity at home, imperialism, and victory abroad. It was put forward in 1913, following the enactment of Federal Reserve Act, which was catalyzed by the financial panics, especially lack of a central bank. President Woodrow Wilson, Senator Robert Latham Owen, and Carter Glass were behind the establishment of the system. The act is a federal policy of assimilation that allows Indians into America, and it united with the Christian mission and government-sponsored education programs, incorporating both expansionist and humanitarian ideals. It provided for the transfer of 65 hectares of vacant public land to every homesteader, where a nominal fee was paid after five years of residence, or acquisition of land after residing for six months at $1.25 per acre. Both acts were to cater for the welfare of the citizens. It a policy in foreign affairs requiring that all states have equal industrial and commercial trade rights in china. It came about as a result of the threat felt by the US in commercial interests when the partition of China by Japan and European powers seemed

Part 1 3000 word lit review part 2 2000 word research proposal Essay

Part 1 3000 word lit review part 2 2000 word research proposal - Essay Example These falls have led to serious injuries in the elderly such as fractures of the hip and other skeletal parts (Daley & Spinks, 2000; Tinetti, et al., 1997). Falls have also led to lowered confidence and a fear of falling that has caused persons to remain sedentary, putting them at risk for other illnesses (Fortinsky et al., 2004). Studies have sought to ascertain the factors that contribute to falls in the elderly, and of these, most have been connected with strength and balance (Lord, Ward & Williams, 1999; Gardner, Robertson & Campbell, 2000). Problems with strength and balance have been shown to be the major contributors to the instability of the elderly (Rubenstein, 2004; Gardner, Robertson & Campbell, 2000). Strength and power reduction are characteristics of ageing that lead to a loss of functional balance and confidence (Hunter et al., 2004). In fact, balance depends on an intricate interaction of several of the body's systems: musculo-skeletal, nervous, vestibular, and visual (Gauchard et al., 1999; Lemmer et al., 1999; Carter et al., 2002). Both strength and balance can be thought of as having a bearing on the body's the ability to maintain posture, and posture can be defined as the proper positioning of each body part in relation to another (Pajala et al., 2004; Lord, Ward, & Williams, 1996). The somatosensory system is responsible for providing the central nervous system with information about the body's position through proprioceptors contained inside the muscles (Anderson, 2002; Islam, 2004; Lord, et al., 1996) . Yet the functioning of these balance components is shown to decline with age (Lord et al., 1994; Thelen et al., 1996; Judge, 2003). Exercise interventions of the form of proprioceptive and strength-training exercises have been cited as having the ability to reverse or slow many of these effects of ageing. In fact, it has been strongly suggested by research that older persons who are physically active display better sensori-motor and balance skills than their inactive counterparts (Toulotte et al., 2003; Lemmer et al., 2000; Hunter et al., 2004). Though many researchers have studied the combined impact of these exercises on functional balance, much needs to be researched on the impact each has individually on functional ability. Further than that, what studies have had to say on confidence levels of the elderly following intervention is also of importance and has often been overlooked. Veteran researchers such as Lord et al. (1996) and Brown et al. (2002) have demonstrated the benefit of these exercises, yet without separating them to isolate the effects of each. Other research done by Gauchard et al. (1999) has performed this separation, yet without the use of clinically tested interventions. Still others have employed good interventions and measures, but implemented exercises for far too short a period to achieve truly significant results (Carter et al., 2001). It is the purpose of this study to further critique the literature explored on both types of therapy for the prevention of falling in the elderly. It will consider exercise interventions that employ both resistance and proprioceptive activities in an attempt to locate areas in which definite conclusions have been achieved, as well as to locate areas in which improvements can be made to achieve better results. It will then use the information gained to design, implement and evaluate the outcome of a specifi c lower limb proprioception exercise programme and

Research Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Design - Essay Example The researcher considers the impact of confounding variables while attempting to establish the effect of the treatments by measuring changes in the dependent variable. Central to this design is random assignment. In a sense, this is the only design that can truly establish to greater degree than other designs the cause-and-effect relationship between and among variables. This is done through statistical methodologies to measure if the changes observed are significant enough to warrant causality. An example of these statistical tools is the ANOVA. The quasi-experiment, as opposed to the true experiment, does not employ random assignment. Instead, the subjects are chosen out of convenience to be part of a particular group. It can be said then that somehow the researcher may be measuring the effects of confounding variables rather than the target variable. Moreover, the reason for including the subjects in a particular group can in itself serve as a confounding variable. However, this design also has a means of comparing groups. It also uses statistical tools to account for a cause-and-effect relationship. The single-case design relies solely on an individual subject or a group of subjects to test and compare the effects of treatments. Central to this design is the baseline measure from which the researcher compares the posttest measurements.