Evaluating the Current State of Indian Banking - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1808 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? The commercial banking structure in India consists of the following entities: Scheduled Commercial Banks and Unscheduled Banks Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Evaluating the Current State of Indian Banking" essay for you Create order Scheduled commercial Banks constitute those banks, which have been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934. RBI includes only those banks in this schedule, which satisfy the criteria laid down vide section 42 (6) (a) of the Act. Further, Indian banks can be broadly classified into public sector banks, private banks and foreign banks. Public sector banks are those banks in which the Government of India holds a stake whereas in private banks government does not have a stake in these banks; they may be publicly listed and traded on stock exchanges. Foreign banks have brought latest technology and latest banking practices in India. They have helped made Indian Banking system more competitive and efficient. Government has come up with a road map for expansion of foreign banks in India. Currently nationalised banks dominate the Indian banking system. In India the history of nationalised banks dates back to mid-20th century, when Imperial Bank of India was nationalised under the SBI Act of 1955 and re-christened as State Bank of India (SBI) in July 1955. Initially, all the banks in India were private banks, which were founded in the pre-independence era to cater to the banking needs of the people. In 1921, three major banks i.e. Banks of Bengal, Bank of Bombay, and Bank of Madras, merged to form Imperial Bank of India. Reserve Bank of India has the role of central banking in India and is responsible for controlling the monetary policies of the nation, in 1935 it formally took over these responsibilities from the then Imperial Bank of India. In 1947, Reserve Bank was nationalized and was given broader powers. In 1969, 14 largest commercial banks were nationalized followed by six next largest in 1980. But with adoption of economic liberalization in 1991, private banking was again allowed. The chart below gives a view on the current state of banking sector in India. From the charts given above, we get a fairly right idea about the mix of types of banks present in Indian banking sector. On a detailed analysis of the Indian banking sector, we came across to the following salient points: Global scale: The lack of global scale for Indian banks came into sharp focus during the recent international financial crisis which saw several reputed international banks reneging on their funding commitments to Indian companies; however the local banks could not step into the breach because of balance sheet limitations. Small and weak banks pose systemic risk with their low capital adequacy ratio and high NPAs. Consolidation could be a timely response to augment efficiency, which in turn would lead to income generation and add to the GDP of the nation. The smaller banks are apprehensive about losing their identities while bigger banks fear that the assets might become a liability for them in the long term. The idea of creating bigger banks to take on competition sounds attractive but one must realise even the biggest among Indian banks are small by global standards. Increase in scope: Over the last three decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the size, spread and scope of activities of banks in India. The business profile of banks has transformed dramatically to include non-traditional activities like merchant banking, mutual funds, new financial services and products. Within retail operations, banks rate product development and differentiation; innovation and customization; cost reduction; cross selling and technological up-gradation as equally important to the growth of their retail operations. Additionally we can also find pro-active financial inclusion, credit discipline and income growth of individuals and customer orientation to be significant factors for their retail growth. Technology (Core banking solutions): Technology has enabled banks to consolidate their various legacy platforms across functions and geographies which helped them in leveraging cost and at the same time acquiring flexibility and scalability to adapt to a fast changing and competitive environment. Also, the shift to IFRS standards by 2011 with valuation of assets on the basis of current rather than historical cost would be one of the major driving forces for the implementation of new technology. The future would require banks to have increased business agility and operational efficiency, which makes the implementation of Core Banking Systems (CBS) by banks increasingly important. Competition: There have been limited signs of increased competition within the banking sector. Public sector banks have attempted to improve the quality of services through technology up-gradation, but such attempts still remain small by relative standards. Significant differences in profitability and efficiency continue to persist between public sector banks and the new private sector and foreign banks. Non-performing assets: While most public sector and old private sector banks have attained the BIS capital adequacy norm of 8 percent, this achievement is somewhat neutralized by the existence of high volumes of NPAs, the periodic injections of capital by the government, and the absence of sound banking practices Also, we note that In spite of new entry and expansion of private sector banks, the oligopolistic dominance of public sector banks continues. Financial Inclusion: Financial inclusion is delivery of banking services at an affordable cost to the vast sections of disadvantaged and low income groups, which can happen through: state-driven intervention by way of statutory enactments, for instance we can take the example of USA, the Community Reinvestment Act and making it a statutory right to have bank account in France. voluntary effort by the banking community itself for evolving various strategies to bring within the ambit of the banking sector the large strata of society. For the past one year definitely and in fact for the past several years one of the important new objectives of the Reserve Bank of India has been financial inclusion. The movement towards financial inclusion rose to a crescendo in the current year because the demand for financial inclusion has become a national and a governmental imperative. The Reserve Bank of India had set up a commission, Khan Commission in 2004 to look into financial inclusion and the recommendations of the commission were incorporated into the mid-term review of the policy (2005ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬06). In the report, RBI urged the banks with a view of achieving greater financial inclusion to make available a basic no-frills banking account to common man. Financial Inclusion first featured in 2005, when it was introduced from a pilot project in UT of Pondicherry, by K C Chakraborthy, the then chairman of Indian Bank. Mangalam Village became the first village in India where all households were served with banking facilities. In addition to this, KYC (Know your Customer) norms were relaxed for potential customers who intended to open accounts with annual deposits of less than Rs. 50,000. Also, General Credit Cards (GCC) were issued to the poor and the disadvantaged with a view to help them access easy credit as per their requirement. However, illiteracy and the low income savings and lack of bank branches in rural areas continue to be a road block to financial inclusion in many states. Apart from this there is inadequate legal and financial structure in the nation as of now to support a complete financial inclusion and these needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. In India the focus of the financial inclusion at present is confined to ensuring a bare minimum access to a savings bank account without frills and providing such facilities and services there are some challenges faced by the banks. The main challenges are: Products designed by the banks are not satisfying the low income families. The provision of uncomplicated, small, affordable products will help to bring the low income families into the formal financial sector Banks have limitations to reach directly to the low income consumers. Correspondents can be considered to be an excellent channel which banks can use to distribute their product information. Educating the consumers about the financial benefits and products of banks which are beneficial to low income groups will be a great step to tap their potential. In order to mitigate the above mentioned challenges banks are now using new technologies like mobile phones to reach low income consumers and the recent simplification of KYC norms are another milestone. Financial service providers should learn more about the consumers and new business models to reach them and provide them with the bare minimum financial products and services. Consequences of financial exclusion will vary depending on the nature and extent of services denied. It may lead to increased travel requirements, higher incidence of crime, general decline in investment, difficulties in gaining access to credit or getting credit from informal sources at exorbitant rates, and increased unemployment, etc. The small business may suffer due to loss of access to middle class and higher-income consumers, higher cash handling costs, delays in remittances of money. Priority Sector Lending Norms Branch Licensing The RBI guidelines to banks highlights that 40% of domestic and 32% of foreign NBCÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¬ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢s advance should be to the priority sector. This mainly consists of agriculture, small scale industries, retail trade etc. In order to increase banking penetration and promote financial inclusion, the Reserve Bank relaxed branch opening norms for lenders allowing banks to appoint kirana, medical shop owners, agents of small savings schemes, petrol pump owners, retired teachers among others as correspondents. Transition from class banking to mass banking and increased customer focus is drastically changing the landscape of Indian banking. The scope and breadth of this emerging market can be estimated if we consider the following facts. India has a middle class of 250 to 300 million people in need of varied banking services. Only 60% of our population has access to banks and out of these only 15% of them having loan accounts An overwhelming 70% of farmers have no access to formal sources of credit, reflective of immense potential for the banking system Steps towards financial inclusion: In order to address financial exclusion banks will require a holistic approach in creating awareness about financial products, education, and advice on money management, debt counseling, savings and affordable credit. The banks would have to evolve specific strategies to expand the outreach of their services in order to promote financial inclusion. One of the ways in which this can be achieved in a cost-effective manner is through forging linkages with microfinance institutions (MFIs), which are very well established and have considerable penetration in the rural community, and local communities. Banks should give wide publicity to the facility of no frills account. Nonetheless, use of technology like smart cards, mobile banking can be a very valuable tool in providing access to banking products in remote areas. ATMs cash dispensing machines can be modified suitably to make them user friendly for people who are illiterate. Banks have to make use of all available resources including technology and expertise available with them as well as the network of MFIs and NGOs.

Critical Analysis - 1569 Words

Journal #1 Select one of the readings mentioned in the syllabus for the Critical Analysis essay. What is one point the author works to prove in the essay you are analyzing? What does he say to prove his point? Does he use facts, evidence, statistics, graphs, deductive or inductive logic, emotion, satire? (See Chap. 3 of Current Issues or Critical Thinking.) Now make a critical statement: If the author uses facts, does he or she use facts in such a way that he or she convinces his or her audience the author is right? If statistics are used, are they relevant statistics; do they help show the validity of the author’s argument? If deductive logic is used, show that logic and then explain how it does or does not clarify the writer’s argument.†¦show more content†¦His basic statement is not proven to be true, so his conclusion will not work. 6. Transition to the next par. (Optional) 1st Body Paragraph (Write out 1-6 above in relation to the first quotation you have selected from your target essay.) 2nd Body Paragraph (Write out 1-6 in relation to the 2nd quotation.) 3rd Body Paragraph (optional: You can stop at 2 body paragraphs as long as you end up with 500+ words in your final Critical Analysis paper.) (Write out 1-6 in relation to the 3rd quotation.) ========================================= After you have created the 2-3 body paragraphs, THEN construct the Introduction and Conclusion: Introduction(Include each of the 6 elements listed below.) 1. Make an interesting opening remark. 2. State the author’s name and the title of the essay you are analyzing 3. Summarize the essay you are analyzing. 4. Who is the author’s audience? What is the author s Purpose? 5. Tell your reader what your essay will be about. What will you discuss in the 2-3 Body Paragraphs? 6. State your thesis. (What is your paper going to discuss? Thesis should makea statement indicating how you are going to criticize the essay you are analyzing.) ========================================= Conclusion( Include each of the 5 elements listed.) 1.Tie together what you have already said in your paper. 2. Review what wasShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis : Critical Thinking1245 Words   |  5 PagesCritical analysis is an art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view of improving it. In a broader sense, critical analysis is a process in which a person considers and evaluate the claims made by the theorists, experts, official bodies, journalists, etc., and then try to understand whether the basis of those claims are sound, applicable or relevant to the situation (Gould, 2011). In fact, critical thinking skills are essential to make better informed and more balanced decisions. Also, itRead MoreCritical Analysis On Critical Thinking Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesHitchens. What is critical thinking? What does it mean to think? 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It aims to explore audience response to political speeches, to investigate how politicians attempt to persuade people to follow a particular course of action, to link the notions of discourse and action to the cognitive dimensions of ideology and presuppositions, to further clarify various contextual factors, such as power configurations, to describeRead MoreHazard Analysis Of Critical Control Points ( Haccp ) And Risk Analysis984 Words   |  4 Pagesof Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs), Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) and risk analysis are some important preventive highlighted by the literature(FAO, 2003; Kà ¤ferstein et al., 1997). 1. Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices(GHP) GMP refer to practices required in order to conform to the guidelines recommended by agencies that control authorization and licensing for manufacture and sale of food and food products. It relates

Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) Free Essays

An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping – allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. We will write a custom essay sample on Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional) or any similar topic only for you Order Now That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. † Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store looked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,† said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. â€Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. † Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called. Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † She said it appeared the door’s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way – each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit. The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. â€Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess it’s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,† he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by police†¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by police†¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparently†¦. 2b. Revision: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparently†¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a. Original: †¦and apparently no one stole from the business. † 3b. Revision: †¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † (Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failed†¦ 4b. Revision: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped working†¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: â€Å"I could see a little space between the doors†¦ 5b. Revision: â€Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors†¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,†¦. 6b. Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. †¦and instead of sleeping off†¦. 7b. †¦and instead of actually sleeping off†¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. †¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. †¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry†¦ 9b. â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry†¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. †¦or getting an early start on Black Friday†¦ 10b. †¦or getting an early head start on Black Friday†¦ (Redundant Words) How to cite Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional), Papers

The First Battle of Manassas Essay Example For Students

The First Battle of Manassas Essay The First Battleof ManassasOn a hot summer day in July of 1861 therestood about 30,000 Union troops lead by General Irvin McDowell ready tomarch out and capture Richmond and end the war. For the troops wereyoung volunteers and thought that the battle would only last one day. But they were wrong for the battle of Manassas or otherwise known as BullRun lasted more then one day the battle lasted six days instead. The Confederates had 22,000 men who were headed by Gen. Pierre G.T. Beauregard,Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, Col. Nathan Evans, Barnard Bee, Col. Francis Bartow,and Gen. Thomas J. Jackson. As the Union army marched towards Richmondthey had little knowledge of what the war would mean. For all theyknew was that the war would only last one day and they would go home. General McDowell had a plan to seize the railroad junction at Manassas,so he would have a better approach to the Confederates Capital. As the Union was trying to devise a plan to seize the railroad junctionthe Confederate troops were guarding the fords of Bull Run. McDowellsarmy marched his men from Washington against the Confederate army, andended up behind Bull Run Beyond Centreville on July 18. On July 18th Gen. McDowell moved towardthe unions right flank, but he was stopped at Blackburns Ford and he spentthe next two days scouting the southerns left flank. While Gen. McDowellwas scouting the flanks at Blackburns ford, Gen. Beauregard asked theConfederate Government at Richmond for assists, and they ordered Gen. JosephE. Johnston stationed in the Shenandoah Valley with his 10,000 troops togo and support Beauregard. Now Gen. Johnston gathered his men a headedtoward the Manassas Junction, most of the troops arrived on July 20 and21. The battle begins on the morning of July21; McDowell sent his troops to march north toward Sudley Springs. McDowell created a decoy attack at the stone bridge where Warrenton Turnpikecrossed Bull Run, to distract southerners. At Approximately 5:30AM a loud single shot was fired which signaled the battle. As McDowellsmen headed towards Matthews Hill, Col. Nathan Evans realized that the attackat Stone Bridge was only a diversion, so he sent his command rushing towardsMatthews Hill to head off McDowells army. But Evans Army was too weakand couldnt hold back the Union for long. Brigadier General BarnardBee and Colonel Francis Bartow went to go assist Evans men but their reinforcementswere weak as well and the Union destroyed the Southerners lines and headedtoward Henry Hill. Gen. Bee called on the assistance of Gen. Thomas J. Jacksons brigade to control the lines and hold back the Unionfrom going any further. This spot is where Gen, Thomas J. Jacksongot his nickname Stonewall because Gen. Bee shouted, There standsJackson like a stone wall!The Union stopped the confederates attacks,but the battle lasted long enough for the confederates to reenforce theirlines. Both sides where battling back and forth trying to force oneor the other off Henry Hill. The confederates took out the Unionsright flank on the Chinn Ridge, which caused McDowells unit to retreatback across Bull Run, where the roads were crowed with people trying tosee the battle. In all the confusion of the battle Gen. Bee and Col. Bartow die in action, and Gen. Stonewall takes command and attacks. The Union retreated all the way back toWashington and the Confederates on the Battle of Bull Run. Even thoughit was a battle that people wouldnt think that would last long it wasvery costly. Which made Lincolns administration have to replaceMcDowell with a new Maj. General George B. McClellan, who had a differentapproach on the battles then that of McDowell. Gen. McClellan needsto train his troops and reorganize his tactics.

Sociology and Other Cultures free essay sample

Sociology Essay Sociology and Other Cultures Culture is a group of people who share beliefs and is a shared way of life. The Kgatla tribe of South Africa, The Tchambuli tribe of New Guinea and Body Ritual among the Nacirema have some similarities as well as differences to the British culture. Gender roles, religion and family are presented in different ways among these tribes and their culture. The culture and norms of the Kgatla tribe of South Africa are very different to the British culture; here gender roles have swapped â€Å"The women and girls till the fields build and repair walls. whereas in the British culture the men are seen to do the manual labour while the women are left to the domestic roles within the household. â€Å"Men on the other hand have no regular daily work in the villages†, this would be seen as a deviant act in the British Culture due to that men were seen to do the work that the women are doing. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology and Other Cultures or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However the boys of the Kgatla tribe are doing manual jobs which is the same as the British culture, were boys would be doing jobs with their hands which our culture thinks would prepare them for later life. Women in the Kgatla tribe are seen as the manual labourers as well as being domesticated and looking after the family, were as in the British culture women are seen as nothing but nurtures and domesticated. Men still have the status and are the dominated sex in the Kgatla tribe as well in the British culture even though the women do the work. The Tchambuli tribe of the New Guinea have their similarities and differences to the British cultures were the conjugal roles for men and women are not permitted for the opposite sex to do. The gender roles in this culture are different to that of the British culture â€Å"adult males in Tchambuli interested in art in theatre† to some extent the men in the British culture are interested in fine arts but it would mainly be seen as a female thing. Whereas â€Å"the women go with shaven head, unadorned† unlike the women in the British Culture appearance is key and women in the British Culture are more like the men of The Tchambuli tribe. The men of the Tchambuli tribe â€Å"wear the ornaments, they do the shopping† this would be seen as a very deviant act due to the fact that it is not masculine and it s seen as a domesticated act for only women. The male in the Tchambuli tribe are the dominated sex as they are responsible for everything in their community and household, as well as the British Culture were the male are dominated but they are not in control of the progress in their household. Body Ritual among the Nacirema have many similarities to the British Culture there norms and values are shown differently to our society and culture; the Body Ritual among the Nacirema value religion and family. The norms of the Nacirema are there rituals and their ceremonies with the family which is similar to the British culture were family is seen as a key aspect of life. â€Å"Adults never discuss the ritual, and children are only told as much as they need† children in Nacirema do not talk with their about their religion unlike in my culture children are told of the religion in more depth from a young age and it is discussed within the family and it is the norm. Status in Nacirema is â€Å"measured in terms of how many such ritual centres it possesses† which is similar to the British culture were your wealth is judged by how much possession you have. The â€Å"medicine men† of Nacirema are the people that the community go to when they have problems were as in my culture we would go to priests and doctors who would advice us and treat us with physical and emotional problems. The Nacirema traditions are similar to the British Culture norms â€Å"to exercise the evils of the mouth, by looking for holes and filling them with some magical material† which in the British culture it is going to the dentist which is a regular norm of the British society. On the other hand for the Nacirema society â€Å"bathing and excretory acts are performed in the secrecy of the household shrine† the British society do excrete in the privacy of their home because it is seen as a personal thing. The Nacirema tradition â€Å"each day, twice a day every member of the family enters and bows his head before the charm box† unlike the British culture once they go to church and worship that would be it unless they have private prayers with their family. Women of Nacirema â€Å"simply go from village to village and permitting the natives to stare at them for a fee† unlike the British culture women show off their assets and men stare at them but they do not show off their assets to be stared at they do it because it’s our norm to look good and decent when going round.

Electronic Commerce essays

Electronic Commerce essays Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is an integrated approach aimed at improving the customer's total experience. This holistic endeavor involves understanding and optimizing customer interactions across all touchpoints such as Web sites, retail outlets, call centers, help desks and kiosks, across all company divisions or departments such as sales, marketing, accounting, customer service, and purchasing, and across all stages of company interaction such as presales, product/service and post-sales experiences. The goal of CRM is not only to obtain new customers and to increase the likelihood of sales, but also to reduce costs through developing more efficient business processes, improving customer relationships and increasing customer loyalty. The value of a unified customer view is tremendous. First, it makes it easier to customers to conduct business because all company representatives have access to customer data across all channels. The benefit for customers is that they do not have to provide duplicate data for multiple transactions, saving time and improving data quality. And, the employee interacting with the customer can more quickly respond to the customer request by having a better understanding of the customer's history. With a complete picture of customer interactions, companies can greatly improve their ability to market to customers by providing personalized Web and email content and tailored services that the customer will value. It's also easier to reward loyalty with affinity and retention programs designed specifically to meet the customer's needs. In the world of electronic commerce, self service is a must-have feature. This requires an integrated view of all customer data and transactions such as credit card data, shipping and billing addresses, order status and invoices. Besides being more loyal, customers may be willing to pay more for th...

I am going to send paper topic by attachment Essay

I am going to send paper topic by attachment - Essay Example But very few people consider learning a new language such as Japanese, French or German. Despite the fact that these languages are not as prevalent as English, they still are steeped in great linguistics and implications. Without doubt, there are as many reasons as to why one should learn a new language. But most important of all: learning a new language is considered to be a collective undertaking since it will always benefit the individual (Klass 1-2). I have learned Japanese language, and the communication pattern was business. The significant of learning this language is the stimulation that comes with it. It makes one develop a piqued curiosity as well as acquire a certain ache for knowledge eventually. Normally, common things become titillating, and the conscience is introduced to better ways of approaching and tackling the intricacies of our everyday lives (Klass 1-2). Japanese language has certain solid societal nuances that call up emotions whenever listened to or muttered. While appraising the Japanese food culture, it made me understand how to enunciate words, for instance, when ordering for sushi -after the waiter asks: go-chuumon wa okimaridesu ka you? (Have you decided on your order?) You simply reply by saying: Boku wa sushi (as for me, I will have sushi). This experience of aptitude and power made me think that it will one day definitely assuage much of the travelling, therefore making my future trip to Japan all the more relaxing and/or enjoyable. Irrespective of the motive why I choose to learn Japanese, the experience somehow permitted me to explore new linguistic fields. One thing, learning a new language can mean expanding career opportunities and certainly enjoying the beauty of an entirely alien language enabled me to understand the grammatical as well as historical, and sociocultural elements associated with it. Learning Japanese facilitated my overall learning abilities and thus far broadened

Ethical interview Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical interview - Coursework Example From this illustration, it is evident that this method is not only used the moment a partner dies (Garcia, 2001). From the matter and hand, Karen Capato who used has husbands through the Vitro fertilization gave a result of twins. It is a fact that some children have been denied a right of accessing the heritage on how they were born. The governing bodies have to propose a bill that advocates genetically manipulated children to find and understand how they came into existence and to gain their inheritance. The attitude and the perception by the state not to recognize these children as humans even though they are issued with the birth certificates is an overwhelming factor that needs to be eliminated. Despite technology being used, what matters is that the result that will be generated is a human being. Putting these children in the state of doubt makes them lose confident of themselves being in mind their conception was as natural as compared to the other kids (Salumets, 2003). Globally, the matter grown to a higher level because the number of children produced with the assistance of technology has continued to grow. Its growth has gotten a bigger number of complex ethical issues especially those that are associated with the matter at hand. When it comes to the social security benefits entitlement for these children conceived through means, I suggest that there should be some limits in the decision that are proposed by the supreme courts. For the limit to be implemented there must be considerations and according to my opinion, I suggest this by the use of utilitarian ethical theory and the principle of fairness (SANKAI, 2000). When children are conceived using genetic manipulation, there are legal difficulties that that compounds the individual to gain the inheritance. Through applying the principle of justice, we focus on the equitability of the distributional risks because of the limited resources available. The

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 Let me not to the marriage of true Essay

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 Let me not to the marriage of true minds - Essay Example He talked about true love only, the words True Mind in his sonnet represents that he is talking about truth, not about the physical elements of love. He says that any love which alters with time is not a true love. Symbolism can be done through color and objects in the poems. Sonnet 116 is a famous work of Shakespeare. It was published in 1609. This is not different than other traditional work of Shakespeare. He writes a lot about love, even in this sonnet he challenged people that if love is nothing then it means a human being is never loved in any form. He is a great supporter of love and peace. He talks about the existence of true love. According to him true love is not the one which changes its shape with time, it can alter it frequencies only but not its essence. The sonnet 116 is not an emotional work but it is a careful one. The emotions are controlled, the sonnet is not emotional but the tone is quite mature and careful. According to philosophers, sonnet 116 has universal sig nificance because it is an intelligent work. Shakespeare used imagery, metaphor elements, personification and essence in his sonnets. His work is antithesis, he writes freely. It takes a lot consideration and deep attention to understand his work. The words are expressed openly and sometimes seem meaningless unless an effort is not put to understand them. The order of writing is scattered. In most of the Sonnets Shakespeare talked about some lady, sometimes by making imagery of dark eyes and sometimes by making imagery of rosy lips as he did in Sonnet 116. According to the imagery point of view, the language is not very clear or appreciable. The metaphoric elements are very vague. He presented love as a guideline to life, but the metaphors are very complicated. Nor no man and wandering bark are the examples of vague symbolism. The time attack is very prominent in the sonnet 116. The poet wrote that â€Å"love alters not with his brief hours and week† and he wrote â€Å"Love' s not Time's Fool†. This means that he is talking about past, present and future, he is taking love as guideline of life which is there in heart in all time periods. The poet does not give any importance of physical appearance and beauty; according to him love is much more than that. He wrote love is not a foolish act of time whereas rosy lips are temporary. Every-fixed marked is referred to the sea light in the sea for the help of the sea ships. The poet is symbolizing the love with a star that’s worth unknown because star’s distance cannot be measured and so thus the size of the star. Edge of doom refers to the doomsdays and poet tries to say that everyone has to die but do not die without love. Must enjoy the merrily situation of love and true marriage. The symbolism elusiveness is very much in attendance in the very first language. He might have talked about the hindrances/impediments firstly and then about the marriage. The poet is symbolizing that the marri age of true mind lacks when there is no love present between two hearts. Sex element is no doubt strong in the writing but it is a division of love, it is temporary or momentary. According to the poet, any marriage which takes place when there are true spirits involved in the one which lasts forever. No time and trouble can challenge the strongest of the bond of marriage. The poet described both the conditions when love exists and when love does not exist. According to him, a successful love does not forget its true direction even in stormy weather and lost ways, he used imagery of wandering barks which are lost ships. He described that love is such a strong feeling that any toughness does not let it go whereas in the very next lines he

The History Of Canadian Immigration

The History Of Canadian Immigration The History of Canadian Immigration is far from idyllic. Contrary to the myth cherished by most Canadians, immigrants were not always welcomed with an outpouring of compassion for the worlds downtrodden, oppressed and displaced. They were brought here to work and Canada was not about to coddle them. They toiled at back-breaking jobs ploughing farmland, laying railroad track, mining and cutting timber. They were sometimes shunned, patronized and exploited. (Malarek 1987) History repeats itself goes the saying. Decades later, the situation is the same except that, I would say, immigrants are most welcomed now, particularly highly skilled ones. They come to Canada and the majority of them are still toiling at back-breaking jobs. I decided to conduct this research after meeting many of my fellow co-workers who happened to be from my native homeland at my workplace (a call centre in Markham, Ontario) in the year 2005. I was a freshly landed immigrant, happy to have secured a transit job. I am using the term transit because I thought it was just a beginning, eventually I would land a job in my field(a teacher by profession, myself), but this hope was short lived. I was appalled to learn that people who were chief engineers, doctors, accountants (the list is exhaustive) in Mauritius, had been working as call centre agents for the last 3-4 years at that same location. I wanted to inquire into the myth and the reality of this phenomenon as it became evident that high skilled immigrants from Mauritius are underemployed in the Canadian workforce. Is Canada indeed gaining from these brains or are they simply brain drains for the sending country? The myth of securing a white collar job in Canada is short lived by the reality of the Canadian job market or rather the Canadian immigration system. The The 2008 Canadian immigrant labor market: Analysis of quality of employment (Stats Can) shows that more than 1.1 million workers aged 25 to 54 who had a university degree were working in occupations whose normal requirements were at most a college education or apprenticeship. The share of immigrants with degrees who were over-qualified was particularly prevalent among university-educated immigrants who landed within five years before the survey. Literature Review A hundred years from now, I dont suppose people will care all that much whether we legalised marijuana or not. But decisions about who you let into Canada will decide the kind of country we have 100 years from now on. Richard Tait, chairman of Canadian Immigration and Population study, Green paper 1975. (Knowles 2007) By the beginning of the 1980s, Canada was considered one of the primary countries responsible for global brain drain. Already in 1976, 59% of its approximately 150 000 immigrants were from developing countries in Asia, the West Indies and Africa. The demographic characteristics indicated a predominance of young adults whose intended occupations reflected their high levels of education. (Tanner, p.35) In an October 1999 speech, Elinor Caplan, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration at that time consciously said: Our goal is to make Canada a place for brain gain, not brain drain.(Tanner, p.39) The situation was alarming as studies showed that many of the well educated high-skilled immigrants from developing countries were working in low -salary jobs such as taxi-driving or marketers. Furthermore, 29% of male immigrants aged 25-44 who had arrived in Canada since 1991 were still unemployed. Canada has been extracting high cost immigrants from underdeveloped and developing countries, but simultaneously has not been able to optimally utilize the human capital invited to the country. It is clear that skills which are the basis for entry under the actual screening system, are being considered as mockery. (Tanner, p.39) Point System Canada actively seeks to recruit skilled workers from abroad. Immigrants must be highly educated and have broad based skills. Prospective migrants are selected through a point system that targets people less than 45 years old. It is clear therefore that the point system is in itself is categorising people according to their brains. Applicants are evaluated before migration on a number of human capital characteristics such as occupational skills, academic qualifications and money. Currently, 67 out of an available 100 points are required for an applicant to be successfully admitted. Educational credentials are awarded up to 25 points, official language knowledge is awarded up to 24 points, work experience is awarded up to 21 points, and the remaining 30 points are earned based on age, adaptability, and arranged employment (maximum 10 points each).(Li 2003) The Economic Class in Canada is designed to facilitate entry of skilled immigrants who are well prepared to adapt to Canadas labour market and economy. Similarly, a study by Picot and Hou (2003) found that in spite of the purported opportunities created by the knowledge-based economy, having a university degree did not protect recent immigrants from the increased likelihood of being low-income, regardless of their field of study. Indeed, the largest difference in low-income rates between the Canadian-born and recent immigrants was among university graduates, particularly those with engineering applied science degrees. Skills discounting, which refers to the devaluation of foreign experience and credentials, is understood to have two main causes. First, employers likely have imperfect information on the migrants source country, especially as source countries shift from European to Asian and African. It is unrealistic for Canadian employers to know, or even take the steps required to d etermine, the quality of international educational institutions, the curriculum of those institutions academic programs, and the relevance to the Canadian labour market of the skills imparted to their graduates. In response to this uncertainty, Canadian employers may adopt a risk-averse strategy, giving preference to Canadian experience and accreditations. There is evidence to suggest that there is considerable variance in the quality of foreign earned credentials (Sweetman 2004). In some cases, while the title of the foreign credential may be the same as one conferred in Canada, that foreign credentials actual contribution to Canadian labour market productivity is significantly less. This discrepancy certainly warrants caution from Canadian employers as it results in shocking waste of talent. It is now widely spread and acknowledged in the world that Canada is doing a poor job by not recognizing the skills and the work experience of high skilled immigrants. Basran and Zong (1998) showed that many foreign trained immigrants in professional fields experienced downward mobility in Canada and that an overwhelming majority of respondents attributed their occupational disadvantage to the problem of foreign credential devaluation. On one hand the point system favours professionals but on the other hand, overseas immigration officers do not point out the obstacles newcomers face in obtaining employment in their field of expertise. Mark Stolarik, a university of Ottawa history professor claims that immigration officers deliberately mislead professionals by not warning them against the closed stops of many Canadian professions, especially medicine. This drawback not only has serious implications within these immigrants community but it also affects the Canadian economy. According to the Conference Board of Canada, the frequent failure to recognise the qualifications of present day newcomers robs the economy of as much as $ 3.4 billion annually. (Knowles 2007). In light of the above, a study of the career path of highly skilled immigrants who left prestigious positions in the Republic of Mauritius for Canada; thinking that the pastures are greener here than there is sought. The research will also consider the effect of this abnormality in the family and the damage to the health of the main applicant. Research Question and Hypothesis. My general research questions are: Do highly skilled immigrants find employment in Canada that matches their skills? If immigrants are underemployed, does this represent a brain gain for Canada? Do highly skilled immigrants leave behind prestigious positions when immigrating to Canada? How far is the point system of immigration responsible for the deceit among the Mauritian immigrants in Canada? Is Canada injecting money in her economy by forcing highly skilled immigrants to re-certify themselves? My more specific questions will be: Why do Mauritians immigrate? What are the pull and push factors involved? What do you think will be the job prospects in your field? What if the Canadian pasture is not as green as expected? I hypothesize that high skilled immigrants from Mauritius are being duped by the point system in place to qualify as potential immigrant to Canada. Looking at their underemployment in the Canadian workforce, they seem to have been a brain drain for Mauritius rather than a brain drain to Canada. Research Design and Method I will conduct my research as participant observer in employment agencies across the three metropolitan cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. These are the cities where majority of Mauritian immigrants settle with their families. I will also be conducting targeted interviews among highly skilled professionals. It will be necessary to do a comparative research in order to get a better insight of what is happening across Canada, this will help to eliminate biases to some extent. By extending the study throughout these three cities, I will be able to determine if Mauritians settled elsewhere, other than Toronto, are being favoured based on their ethnicity and language ability. I will point out here that Mauritians are multi ethnic (Muslims, Hindus, Anglo-Saxons, Jewish, Chinese, Negroes and Tamils).They are all officially bilingual (English and French).Anglo-Saxons of French descent and Negroes choose Montreal as their new home because they are the most avid French speakers in Maur itius and they carry the hope of securing a job based on their qualifications due to that advantage.. I will want to know if these people are encountering the same problem as their counterparts in Toronto or Vancouver .I suppose they might be luckier since Montreal is French speaking. My research will be cross-cultural as I will be studying 3 samples of each ethnic group in each city. The research will be divided into 2 groups: those who are already in Canada and those who are applying for immigration to Canada. For that latter part, I will travel to Mauritius and I will carry my research there for a period of 10 days. My study in itself will last 12 months. To get samples, I will target areas inhabited by different ethnic groups. This will be made possible by attending the community worship places on Sundays. Once I get 1-2 people, I will proceed by snowballing; this method involves contacting other people through a first set of known people. I will advertise my research project in strategic areas such as in the vicinity of immigrant help centres and schools. These will not be necessary in Mauritius due to its size and the familiarity with the island. I will consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Statistics Canada websites as well for a detailed analysis of high skilled immigrants employment. Notebooks, audio and video recordings will be used during the entire process and a daily analysis will be done and recorded accordingly. Ethical Considerations and Practical Problems It goes without saying that ethics and piratical problems will be part and parcel of my research. I am speculating forward to raising painful memories amongst the immigrant groups, particularly those have had to sell all their assets back home to be able to afford the cost of immigration. I will point out that here that a family of four persons should have a minimum of $15000 Can (which approximately amounts to 450 000 Mauritian rupees, that is a considerable amount of money for the working class in Mauritius).In many a case, people either sell their property or borrow from others to afford the move, which is considered a matter of privilege that is not given to everybody. With this in mind, people might not want to go back home after realising that their degrees have no worth in Canada. How can they face their family and friends, what will they tell them and where will they live? Another problem could be the fear of being recognised on television through the documentary, they do not want people back home to learn about their condition through me. They will not be willing to be interviewed by a citizen of their country for that purpose. Shame will definitely act as a barrier between us. While some will repulse me, others will accept to talk to me and by so doing; they will pretend to be happy. They will not be eager to show their suffering to people of Mauritius ever since their arrival, they will probably be lying about their job status by pretending to be working in their field of origin. People do not want to become a laughing stock of others they have left back, particularly those who might have been jealous with their big move. So, they will definitely not want to speak about their frustration and deceit. Gender discrimination is another factor that can influence my research negatively. Mauritians have the habit of underestimating the capabilities of women; therefore I will expect my respondents to either not talk to me at all or show superiority complex towards me. They might want to make me feel low. Others, who like the anonymity of the big city, will not bother to come forward to introduce themselves to me or even worse to participate in a TV documentary. On one hand the fact that I am a Mauritian too, might push me to over identification, in the sense that I might be tempted to share my subjects problems by intervening. I might become emotional on witnessing their situation. On the other hand, I might hesitate to tell future immigrants about the under employment problem endured by Mauritians in Canada. I will be ill treated. They will take for granted that I will be discouraging them from moving or they might say: What are you doing there then? By not saying anything to them, will I not be unethical in my research? Considering the above points, I am sure to be biased in my research to an uncontrollable extent. For the purpose of this research, I will hold all of my information like names of people, names of cities and any information of sensitive nature in strict confidence. Pseudonyms will be used .I will be the one video recording my subjects and I will make sure their face appears as scrambled on TV.I will even try to use technology to modify their voices. These conditions will be discussed with them beforehand and by so doing, I will be protecting the identity of my respondents. Primary reference: Books Campbell, C. M. (2000). Betrayal Deceit: The politics of Canadian immigration. West Vancouver, BC: Jasmine Books. The author goes analyses the sensitive issues around the Canadian immigration. He enumerates some of the myths of immigration, namely, the rate of annual immigration, low birth rate and immigration, need for a larger population, contribution of immigrants in the Canadian economy and job creation amongst others. Kapur, Devesh McHale John. (2005). Give Us Your Best and Brightest: The global hunt for talent and its impact on the developing world. Washington, D.C.: Center for Global Development. The authors discuss the impact of globalization on migration around the world. They also talk about how talent hunt results in brain drain due to this phenomenon. Knowles, Valerie. (2007). Strangers at Our Gates. Canadian Immigration and Immigration policy, 1540-2006. Toronto, ON: Dundurn Press. The author gives us an insight of the beginnings of the Canadian immigration, the arrival of the European settlers and the Jewish settlers. She also talks about the post war boom and the implementation of the point system. She differentiates between the advantages and disadvantages of the system. Li, Peter S. (2003).Destination Canada: Immigration Debates and Issues. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press. Its a book about the history of immigration and globalization and how the latter has created numerous opportunities for high-skilled immigrants, mainly in the U.S, Canada and Australia. It also talks about how these countries are benefitting from the mobility of these highly skilled professional immigrants. Malarek, Victor (1987). Havens Gate: Canadas Immigration Fiasco. Toronto, ON: Macmillan of Canada. The author writes about how immigration has impacted the social and economic fabric of Canada. He discusses the crisis immigrants undergo and the position of politicians with respect to it. Tanner, Arno. (2005).Emigration, Brain Drain and Development: The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa. Helsinki, Finland: East-West Books Helsinki, Finland and Migration Policy Institute. The author gives an insight of how international migration is increasingly becoming a matter of selection. He shows how international and educated labour from developing countries to developed countries is considered a win-win situation. He writes about how this can have serious unintended impact for countries of origin. Journals: Beine, M., Docquier, F., Rapoport, H. (2008). Brain drain and human capital formation in developing countries: Winners and losers*. The Economic Journal, 118(528), 631-652. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02135.x This journal article talks about the impact of brain drain on developing countries. Chetsanga, C.J. (2003). An Analysis of the Cause and Effect of the Brain Drain in Zimbabwe. Harare: SIRDC It is a research study carried out to inquire into why Africans (Zimbabweans) leave their country to settle elsewhere. The writer talks about how the Diaspora should play a role in reducing the push and pull factors triggering the desire to move. Kabra, Nayan K. (1975).Political economy of brain drain. Reverse Transfer of Technology. New Delhi: Arnold-Heinemann. Kabra discusses the effects of brain drain and how the latter can turn into reverse transfer of technology. Oreopoulos, P. (2009). Why do skilled immigrants struggle in the labour market a field experiment with six thousand resumes? Vancouver, BC: Metropolis British Columbia. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/lib/oculyork/docDetail.action?docID=10298809 The researcher investigates responses to job postings targeted by recent immigrants landed under the point system and that of non immigrants in an employment agency in Toronto. He gives the readers surprising results. Please come, we need you. (2002). Economist, 363(8268), 36-39. Reitz, G. Jeffrey. (2001). Immigrant Success in the Knowledge Economy: Institutional Change and the Immigrant Experience in Canada, 1970-1995, vol: 57 iss: 3. Reitz examines the institutional changes associated with the emergence of a knowledge economy specifically the expansion of education and the changing labor market structure, shaped employment experiences of newly arriving immigrants to Canada over the period 1970-1995 doi: 10.1111/0022-4537.00230 Roisin, Anne-Christine. (2004, December). The Brain Drain. UN Chronicle, 41(4), 51-52, 57. Document ID: 809767831. Roisin discusses the benefits and losses of skilled migration and the role of the government sand international bodies with respect to the phenomenon. Schwanen, Daniel. (2000).Putting the Brain Drain in Context, 140 8001-824. Somerville, Kara Walsworth, Scott (2009). Vulnerabilities of Highly Skilled Immigrants in Canada and the United States, American Review of Canadian Studies 39: 2 Retrieved from http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t906519462 Togman, J.M. (2005).The suffering of the Immigrant. International Migration Review, v. 39 no.2 Retrieved from http://gateway.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca Websites: Citizenship and Immigration Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/research/index.asp Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/10604/6921-eng.htm#aut Galameau, Diane. Morissette, Renà ©. (2004). Perspectives on Labour and Income. Immigrants: Settling for less? Vol.5, no. 6 This online article talks about the hurdles of highly qualified immigrants with respect to finding an appropriate job in Canada. The writers discuss the factors influencing this state of things and make a comparison of these immigrants to their Canadian born counter parts. Interviews: Informal interviews have been carried out. Neighbours, friends and some close relatives have been informally interviewed with respect to the subject matter. Additional Readings: (Biles, Burstein Frideres, 2008). Immigration and Integration in Canada: In the Twenty-first Century. Kingston, ON: Queens University Publications Unit. (K. Dewalt, 2002; B. Dewalt, 2002). Participant Observation: A Guide for Field Workers Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Glazer, Myron.(1972). The Research Adventures: Promise and Problems of Field Work. New York: Random House. Hellman, Judith, A. (2008). The World of Mexican Migrants: The Rock and the Hard Place. New York: The New Press. Jankowski, Martin, S. (1991).Islands In the Street: Gangs and American Urban Society. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. . .

Testing the Theory of the Oedipus Complex :: Psychology Psychological Experiment

Abstract from Paper: ___________________________________________________ THEORY: If a subject in the experimental group shows more aggressive behavior toward his father and increased affectionate behavior toward their mother after receiving the subliminal messages and the control group shows no increase when shown neutral messages, then it will be proven that the Oedipus Complex does in fact exist in the unconscious. To prove this we bring the behavior out from the unconscious to the sub conscious through the subliminal messages. These boys have repressed these feelings for so long because it is too painful for them to deal with. ______________________________________________________ Research Paper Begins Here   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The positive libidinal feelings of a child to the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved. It is a pattern of profound emotional ambivalence, a troublesome mixture of love and hate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Oedipus Complex occurs during the phallic stage, from roughly ages 3-6 years. Freud believed that during this stage boys seek genital stimulation and develop both unconscious desires for their mother and jealousy and hatred for their father, whom they consider a rival. It was said that boys felt guilt and lurking fear that their father would punish them, such as by castration. Freud also believed that conscience and gender identity form as the child resolved the Oedipus Complex at age 5 or 6, but this actually happens earlier. A child tends to become strongly masculine or feminine without even having the same sex parent present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud argues that all sons unconsciously desire to kill, even if they love, their fathers. He found his own unconscious wish to murder his father in his intensive self analysis in 1897, shortly after the death of his father.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud says it is only the male child that we find the fateful combination of love for the one parent and simultaneous hatred for the other as a rival. Freud believed Oedipal was a normal part of human psychological growth and it is during this stage children produce emotional conflicts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other psychoanalysts believed that girls experience a parallel called the "Electra Complex". This comes from a Greek legend of a women named Electra who helped plan the murder of her mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Oedipus Complex originates from a myth about a Greek hero named Oedipus, written by Sophocles. Oedipus was the son of Laius and Jocasta who in the fulfillment of an oracle unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. When Oedipus and Jocasta realize what has happened, Jocasta hangs herself and he rips the golden brooches from his dead mothers gown and plunges them deep

Batman & Joker

The Joker is conventionally viewed as the villain of The Dark Knight, but his actual role is far more complex. The entire film is an examination of the nature of duality, but not necessarily polarity. The duality of The Dark Knight is more problematical: while issues such as good versus evil and life versus death are addressed, the usually clear cut divergences are given unexpected dimensions. The centerpiece of this complexity is the Joker who acts more as a force of amorality than immorality.The version of duality that is explored in the film is the element that elevates it far above typical comic book fair. While the very basis of comic book plot history is good versus evil in the form of hero versus villain, ultimately the villain that is most threatening to Batman is not the Joker, but the man who begins the film as a figure that even Bruce Wayne admits is more heroic than Batman: Harvey Dent. It is Dent’s actions that leave Batman running through the night with the polic e hot on his heels.Of course, it is the Joker’s actions that lead Dent and Batman to this climax. The Joker is the repository of duality and is at the same time the personification of the rejection of the easy route of polarity. Rather than act merely as a villain, the Joker’s role is ultimately as unknown and mysterious as the dual claims he makes about the origin of his cars. The Joker’s duality can even be extended to suggest that he is both good and evil or neither good nor evil. The Joker is chaos and disorder and anarchy.Those are words that generally have a negative connotation, but out of chaos and disorder and anarchy arrives something different. That something may be worse, but it may also be better. The point is that nobody can predict the outcome. The Joker himself asserts that he has no plan, likening himself to a dog who would not know what to do with a car if he ever actually caught one. Considering the Joker’s affinity for being less than truthful, that claim may be subject to questioning, but even if he does have a plan, it hardly matters.After all, he is no more in control of the outcome of his plans than anybody else. The most profound scene in The Dark Knight is one that provides insight into the Joker’s role as a force for amorality. When he’s having his conversation with Harvey Dent in the hospital the Joker observes that a convoy of soldiers dying is ignored because it is all part of the plan, but a Mayor being assassinated is a tragedy that creates chaos for an entire city. He’s right, of course, but what he’s really saying is that society has its priorities completely out of whack.A convoy of soldiers dying should be more important than the death of one person. The Joker’s tossing off Gotham City into chaos is an act of extreme duality. It is both bad and horrific in the here and now, but ultimately it may potentially serve the greater good by revealing to the city and its citizens just how out of whack their priorities really are. The Joker’s amorality is viewed as psychopathic and sociopathic and villainous, but there is little question that he manages at least one very vital positive outcome. His actions reveal the corruptibility of Harvey Dent.Surely, it is better for Harvey Dent’s own dark side to surface, as a result of the Joker’s actions, before he gains too much power than after. From this perspective, the Joker must be seen not as a villain, but as a positive force for good. He must also, at the very same time, still be viewed as force for evil. He is both and yet neither. He is the very quintessence of the concept of duality, containing both darkness and light and the mystery of each. If Martians were to visit the earth there are certainly many films that could accurately convey human culture.The first film to show Martians should be a film that reveals the potential for good and evil of our species. This idea should be pursued to give aliens an understanding of the complexity of our genetic makeup. Schindler’s List is the perfect film for this because while it obviously shows the darkest corners of humanity’s capacity for evil in the person of Amon Goeth and the scenes involving the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto and the concentration camps, it also works to reveal the flip side of that coin in the person of Oskar Schindler himself.Schindler’s List is worthy of being viewed by aliens precisely because it does not try to hide the depths to which humans have sunk; it also works to let them know that one us can change the world. Another film that Martians should view as insight in humanity is Airplane. Humor, of course, may very well be a peculiarly human trait that is not duplicated anywhere else in the universe, but this idea seems unlikely. It is important to show alien life forms how vital laughter and comedy is to society, and how it has been throughout history.There are funnier movies, of course, but Airplane contains visual gags, verbal humor, and non-stop bits that perhaps more than any other movie show the full range and extent of the type of humor enjoyed by human beings. While it is true that aliens may not â€Å"get† it, showing them this kind of movie is a way to introduce alien species to what may be one of the most identifiable characteristics of our race. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a film that conveys another important element of humanity; our thirst for knowledge and the quest for an understanding of what is beyond our own limited span of intelligence.While the special effects may serve to induce laughter among actual space travelers, Stanley Kubrick’s monumental film showcases how humanity has been capable of imaging that which we do not know. The film reveals our own internal logic as far as space travel and how it might be carried out, but it suggests that we understand the connection between ancient events and time and sp ace far into the future and far away.In addition, 2001: A Space Odyssey might, with its limited dialogue and reliance on music and visual effects, be the best choice for reaching an alien intelligence that cannot understand our language. And for that very reason, D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance is also a film that should be used to greet Martians. The lack of dialogue as a result of it being a silent movie is just one reason for its inclusion, but perhaps even more important is the content.The film tells four different stories from four different time periods and so represents an adequate attempt to let the Martians get a glimpse of human history. Since religion is such an important aspect of humanity, the story of Jesus Christ as told in Intolerance is quite obviously a significant story to show alien visitors. The modern story’s tale of how a man turns to a life of crime because of societal pressures works in much the same way as Schindler’s List to assert the co mplexity of our species. Each segment of the Intolerance extols the virtues of love and respect and mutual understanding.Perhaps nothing would be more apt to show aliens visiting this planet than to show them a story made of four different components that suggest that despite our failings and despite the fact that evil actions are committed on a daily basis, the underlying foundation that has kept humans alive on this planet for thousands of years is the capacity to meet our failings directly and work through them to evolve and become ever more civilized. A civilization that can address the concerns of a species from an alien world can be most perfectly realized through the history of cinema.

To what extent can Tybalt truely be blamed for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

To what extent can Tybalt truely be blamed for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Tybalt is shown as a villain in Romeo and Juliet but how much can he really be blamed?Tybalt is a proud and patriotic Capulet cousin, his name reflects his personality (tybalt means the prince of cats) he is a rare swordsman and fights with honor, although he does take personal insults very far he can be viewed in two ways, first as a racist, prejudiced against the Montagues or second as an honorable man who fights for family and what he believes to be right, Mercoutio describes him as"More than prince of cats, I can tell you. O, he isthe courageous captain of compliments. He fightsas you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, andproportion; rests me his minim rest, one, two, and thethird in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk button,a duellist, a duellist; a gentleman of the very firsthouse, of the first and second cause," (2.4.26)The Reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets W...In scene 1 act 1 Rioting has broken out between the two families, Tybalt must be held responsible for turning down an offer of peace from the Montagues,"What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:Have at thee, coward!" (1.1.72)However following the riot Tybalt and indeed all Capulets and Montagues are issued a warning that if violence is broken out again someone will pay the price"If ever you disturb our streets again,Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace." (1.1.97)In this Tybalt does receive a warning so although he can be blamed for exacerbating a fight in act 1 scene 1 he cannot be further punished.Some would believe that Tybalt does not really listen to the Princes warning which shows a lack of respect for...

A Decisive moment Essay Example

A Decisive moment Essay Example A Decisive moment Essay A Decisive moment Essay A Decisive moment BY blatse97 a decisive moment As the car pulled up to the detached two-storey house, Quinn got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. The house was almost trembling due to the volume of the music playing inside and intoxicated bodies loitered at the front door and on the front lawn of the house. The sight only confirmed Quinns decision not to drink. This looks amazing! Quinns friend Molly squealed. Looking at Molly, Quinn immediately felt underdressed. Molly sported a low-cut t-shirt paired with leather short shorts and heels so high she towered over Quinn. Quinn opted for a safer option, wearing skinny Jeans, a sparkly top and her favourite flat pumps. As they walked into the house Quinn winced at how loud the music was. Soon the were approached by a man with shaggy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Hello ladies, Im Jake and this is my party. Jake said with a grin. Molly giggled girlishly at him while Quinn gave him a tight smile. Would you like me to introduce you to everyone? Jake asked. Molly nodded vigorously at him while Quinn Just tagged along. Jake led the two girls into a room with three other men in it. Quinn felt apprehensive Just looking at them. She knew that she shouldnt have been there since she was still only in her sophomore year in high school and this was a college party that Molly had dragged her to. When they sat down the men immediately pulled out small bags filled with white powder. Quinn felt her breath hitch, she knew it was drugs. The men offered her some but she politely declined. Molly happily accepted even though she had never taken drugs before. Quinn nudged Molly trying to knock some sense into her but Molly Just turned, looked Quinn up and down and said, prude. Quinns heart sank, this wasnt her best friend. She got up and stormed out of the room. Not knowing where she was going she ended up sitting by herself in the back garden. All ofa sudden the music stopped and there were shouts from inside. Quinn heard things like Call an ambulance! and No! Well get busted! . Curiosity got the best of her as she made her way inside. She pushed her way through a cluster of people to find Molly seemingly unconscious on the floor. Everyone Just stood and looked at her. Quinn still felt anger towards her for treating her the way she did but she was still her best riend. Quinn decided to help Molly. She called an ambulance and then Mollys parents. She made one of the men carry Molly outside the house into the fresh air and wait for the ambulance. No less than five minutes later the ambulance arrived and the paramedics lifted Molly into the back. When the paramedic asked who was travelling with her Quinn immediately said she was. Once at the hospital Mollys parents met them. They immediately questioned Quinn, but she told them that she would let the doctors explain as she wasnt sure. Two hours later a nurse came out nd told them that Molly was in a stable condition, that she was extremely lucky that Quinn called an ambulance as soon as she did and that she should be awake the next day. Later that night as Quinn lay awake in bed she thought back over the nights events. She had gotten in a lot of trouble with her parents who hadnt known where she was that night but she thought, it was so much better helping Molly and getting caught than if she had left Molly on the ground in the hands of the college students. Quinn vowed never to attend another college party again until she, herself was in college.

Best Buy Company, Inc Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Best Buy Company, Inc Analysis - Case Study Example There are few factors which can effect the company i.e economic forces, social forces, cultural and environmental forces, Political, legal and governmental forces, technological forces, and competitive forces. There always been ups and downs in the economy. Either there is inflation or deflation. If the GNP is higher in the economy the income also increases and people can spend their incomes on different items. From last few years US is enjoying healthy economy. That factor is helping the retail industry as well. In future Best buy company profit may increase by as the trend shows. â€Å"Increasing GDP would be good for companies like Best Buy; however the smaller increases in GDP can have a negative effect on not only Best Buy’s sales, but Best Buy’s stock price if investors predict that GDP will fall in the future.†Ã‚  Best Buy Company is also socially committed and believes in literate people about technology. They are socially responsible. The company spent $ 13 million in teach Awards for the school to aware them from the new technologies about the classrooms. They also gave scholarships to the students all over the world. â€Å"Best Buy stores have awarded over $13 million in scholarships to nearly 11,000 students nationwide.†In this modern world, where every day new technologies are coming up and frequently they are becoming outdated. Under this scenario, the Best buy company has to keep itself up to date and must have to keep watch on the new technologies.... Social Forces: Best Buy Company is also socially committed and believes in literate people about technology. They are socially responsible. The company spent $13 million in teach Awards for the school to aware them from the new technologies about the classrooms. They also gave scholarships to the students all over the world. "Best Buy stores have awarded over $13 million in scholarships to nearly 11,000 students nationwide." (http://communication.bestbuy.com) Technological forces: In this modern world, where every day new technologies are coming up and frequently they are becoming outdated. Under this scenario, the Best buy company has to keep itself up to date and must have to keep watch on the new technologies. In this way the company can survive under intense competition. Legal and governmental Forces: Wisconsin State Attorney General's office took a serious civil action against Best Buy Company In 2005. They stated that the company is violating the consumer protection law by misleading the people about service plans, supplemental magazine subscriptions etc. Competitive forces: Where the company is enjoying healthy profits, there the company is also facing intense competition. The biggest competitors of Best Buy Company are Dell, Wal-Mart, Circuit City and all those retailers which are supplying those products on reasonable prices. The company should also bring some changes in their business to stay in the top line. Like, they should also offer their products online as other companies are doing. "To help overcome online competitors, Best Buy allows consumers to purchase their items online. Consumers then have an option of

What Led to the Loss of Many lives During the Waco Siege Research Paper

What Led to the Loss of Many lives During the Waco Siege - Research Paper Example The result of the 51-day siege resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people including 4 ATF agents. The 4 agents died due to gunfire exchange with the members of the Cult on the first day of the raid. The agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms had waited until the last day of the expiry of the warrant issued by a Texas judge on the Mount Carmel establishment. Surviving members of the Koresh organization have always blamed the ATF and the federal officials for the handling of the situation. The justice department, which came under fire after the events have always pointed the finger at the Branch Davidian’s and their suicidal attempts for the massacre.... The report suggests that Koresh had wives who were in teen years and the raid was carried out in order to save the young children. Evidence also suggests that Koresh punished the children in the compound and told them it was a privilege for them to have sex with him. Food was also withheld from children who went against his orders. The assumption by the department according to the report does not indicate if the abuse continued even during the 51-day siege, in which the Justice department authorized the use of CS gas in order to stop the siege. However, Tausch (33) argues that the real reason for the raid as indicated by the warrant was to confiscate the weapons held by the Branch Davidian’s because of failing to pay a small fee. Tausch further argues that the reason unearthed by the justice department after the raid were fabricated to show that the ATF, the FBI and the Justice Department were right to invade the private Christian commune (72). Reavis (1o7), supports Tausch ar gument that the ATF and the justice department are to blame for the loss of the many lives at Waco. He argues that the ATF and the local police unit were much disorganized and no one was in total command during the raid on the first day. He argues that the loss of 4 officers and 16 others who were hurt could have been avoided if there was good communications. He further argues that Koresh was intimidated by the ATF and the other agents involved in the raid because they came guns blazing. Reavis also argues that the ATF did not walk to the doors of the Koresh establishment to serve him the warrant but instead, they went for a firefight. This prompted Koresh to fight back. In addition to this, the FBI who took over the running of the mission after the first day, kept communication with Koresh

Solvability Factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Solvability Factors - Essay Example Solvability factors, therefore, are the elements or situations that directly or indirectly affected the resolution of a crime which, as defined above, constitutes arresting and charging the offender or perpetrator. The following are solvability factors identified in the investigation of crimes such as homicide. The first group of factors involves those associated with the crime incident (Keppel & Weis, 1994). One factor is the commission of another crime. For homicide, these include robbery and breaking and entering which may aid in the investigation of the primary crime. Another factor is the time of the commission of the crime. Crimes that are perpetrated at broad daylight or at a time wherein many people are up and about will have a higher solvability due to the possibility of witnesses. Another factor under this category is the place of the crime. Crimes committed in residential areas are more likely to be solved than those committed in non-residential areas (Keppel & Weis, 1994). The second group of factors includes those associated with the vic... The third group of factors is the law enforcement organizational factors. Different strategies, regulations and other characteristics of crime detection agencies play an important role in the resolution of a crime. One factor is the amount of time that is devoted for a particular case. It is only logical that one investigator can handle a certain number of cases for a given period of time while it is quite understandable that an investigator can be more focused and be efficient when handling one case at a time (Wellford & Cronin, 1999). Another factor under this category is the number of agents or detectives for a particular division who can handle the same types of crime. When a certain investigator handling a case cannot, for any particular reason, pursue the investigation then assistance or replacement by another capable investigator is necessary (Muozos & Muller, 2001; Wellford & Cronin,1999). Another factor is the existence and efficiency of support staff that can increase the performance and rate of accomplishment of the details and processes undertaken by an investigator. Related to this is the separate function of data or evidence analysts that can help tackle the clues and questions posed by the data or evidences. Lastly, an important solvability factor related to law enforcement practice is teamwork inside the unit which roughly translates to good cooperation and communication frameworks among colleagues (Riedel & Rinehart, 1996). The fourth group of solvability factors falls under the crime scene factors. The foremost factor in this category includes the rapid or timely security of the crime scene and other places that may be

Use of Acupuncture for Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis Essay Example for Free

Use of Acupuncture for Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis Essay Lateral epiconylitis is a commonly encountered condition resulting from minor injury to the extensor muscles of the forearm, which originate from lateral epicondyle of humerus. This condition is characterized by pain and tenderness over the lateral epicondyle of humerus. Pain is typically present upon the resisted dorsiflexion of the wrist, middle finger or both (Buchbinder, Green Struijs, 2007). Lateral epiconylitis is known by many analogous terms like tennis elbow (TE), rowing elbow, tendonitis of the common extensor origin, peritendonitis of the elbow etc. In the United Kingdom, the incidence of tennis elbow in general practice has been estimated to be about four to seven per 1,000 persons a year (Buchbinder et al). Though TE is a self-resolving condition its symptoms can persist for as long as 18-24 months. Pain of tennis elbow can interfere with normal day to day functioning like carrying objects, lifting and gripping things etc. Though pain of TE can be initially cured with various conservative treatment modalities and rest, it can frequently recur after resumption of activity. Thus TE can cause significant amount of chronic pain and disability, which can lead to considerable morbidity and financial cost (Buchinder et al, 2007). Thus there is a need for an efficient treatment modality for TE. Till date, physicians and physiotherapists are uncertain about the exact etiology and best management option for patients with TE. There are several conventional therapies which are being used for treatment of TE. These therapies are believed to relieve pain, promote tissue healing and improve joint mechanics. These conventional therapies include anti-inflammatory medicines [NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and corticosteroids], physiotherapy interventions (such as stretching and strengthening exercises), cast immobilization, ultrasound therapy, using ice packs, neural stretches, deep friction massages, surgery etc (Trinh, Philips, Ho Damsma, 2004). Various non conventional therapeutic modalities like acupuncture, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation etc have also been used for treatment of TE. In 1992, Labelle et al attempted to perform a quantitative meta-analysis in order to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of above mentioned treatment modalities (both conventional and non-conventional) for patients suffering from TE. They considered the results of 18 clinical trials conducted in the period from 1966 to 1990. From their analysis they concluded that the various randomized and controlled trials, which they had analyzed, were of poor quality and did not provide sufficient scientific evidence to support or oppose the therapeutic benefit of any of these conventional or non-conventional treatment modalities. Labelle et al (1992) did find some weak evidence supporting the beneficial effect of ultrasound therapy in comparison to that of placebo therapy in treatment of patients with TE. More recently, a systematic review of the literature, comprising of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of various treatment options for TE was carried out by Assendelft, Green, Buchbinder, Struijs, Smidt, (2003). They have suggested significant beneficial effect of NSAIDS (both topical and oral) in comparison to placebo in the providing short term relief from pain in patients with TE. However they found little evidence regarding the beneficial effect of NSAIDS (both topical and oral) in providing long term pain relief. While the use of topical NSAIDS was not found to be associated with significant side effects, use of oral NSAIDS, typically aspirin was associated with significant side effects like gastro-intestinal bleeding etc. This review found limited evidence regarding the beneficial effects of steroid injections in comparison to placebo, local anaesthetic agents, elbow strapping or physiotherapy. Assendelft et al also found insufficient evidence to support long term or short term beneficial effect of treatment modalities like acupuncture, physiotherapy exercises, orthoses (elbow strapping), extra corporeal shock wave therapy and surgery. They have recommended long term use of oral and topical NSAIDS and physical therapies (elbow strapping, physiotherapy, etc and avoidance of provoking activities as the first line of treatment, especially in the early stages of the disease.   They have also suggested the use of corticosteroid injections as second line therapy for providing relief from pain. However the pain relief provided by corticosteroids is usually temporary in nature with the pain recurring again after a few months. Thus they have suggested that the patients receiving such therapy should be counselled about not subjecting the extensor muscles to increased activity during the pain-free period resulting from use of corticosteroid injections. On the other hand, Bisset, Paungmali, Vicenzino, Beller,   Herbert, (2005) from their systematic review of literature, comprising of studies evaluating   the effectiveness of   various physical interventions (non pharmaceutical or   non-surgical therapeutic modalities) for treatment of TE have shown short term benefit   with the use of physical interventions like ultrasound therapy, ionisation, and acupuncture. However no evidence of long term benefit due to these therapeutic modalities was observed in this review; benefit due to these interventions was usually seen to last between two to eight weeks. Bisset et al observed insufficient evidence regarding the beneficial effect of manual therapy (involving manipulation of elbow or cervical spine), use of elbow strapping and physiotherapy exercises in the management of TE. They also observed the presence of sufficient evidence that disapproved the beneficial effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy and laser therapy in the treatment of TE (both in short term and long term). However they have indicated the requirement of larger studies in future in order to confirm this finding. Since no clinical study till date has been able to demonstrate definite clinical efficacy of any conventional therapeutic modality in treatment of TE, there has been increasing trend towards the use of non-pharmacological treatment modalities, especially acupuncture, since last two decades, for alleviation of chronic pain due to TE. One major advantage of using acupuncture for treating   pain of TE over the conventional anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDS (oral or topical), corticosteroids etc is that it is free from the numerous deleterious   side effects commonly associated with the use of these drugs. Also the evidence supporting the use of these conventional pharmacological interventions is no better than that supporting acupuncture [National Institute of Health (NIH), 1998]. Despite the growing popularity of acupuncture in treatment of pain related to lateral epicondylitis, presently, there is little evidence which confirms the efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of tennis elbow. The studies conducted until now have produced conflicting results. Bisset et al (2005), in their systematic review of literature considered four studies evaluating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in treatment of TE. Three studies out of these four compared acupuncture with placebo whereas one study compared acupuncture with ultrasound. The overall evidence considered in this review supports short term beneficial therapeutic effect of acupuncture over placebo in patients with TE. Two studies, (Fink, Wolkenstein, Karst, Gehrke, 2002; Molsberger Hille, 1994) which compared acupuncture with placebo are described below in details. Fink et al (2002) conducted a study to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in   treatment of TE. They also tried to compare the therapeutic effects produced by stimulating selected acupuncture points (as defined by traditional Chinese acupuncture) in contrast to those achieved through stimulation at non-specific points (these puncture points were at least 5 cm away from the traditional Chinese acupuncture points). The results of this study indicated that use of acupuncture with correct location and stimulation, in accordance to the recommendations of tradition Chinese acupuncture helped in significantly alleviating the pain, reducing disability of arms, shoulders and hands (measured through DASH questionnaire) and improving the strength of the extensor muscles in the patients suffering from TE. However these therapeutic effects (pain relief and muscle strength) of acupuncture were less evident in long term. In this study, at the time of follow-up after two months, though the overall functioning of the arm was observed to be better in the treatment group as compared to the control group, the differences in pain intensity and muscle strength were no longer found to be significant. The main aim of the study by Molsberger Hille (1994) was to find out whether acupuncture showed an intrinsic analgesic effect even after only one treatment session in comparison to that of placebo treatment for TE pain. In one single session of acupuncture treatment, patients in the treatment group were treated at a non-segmental distal point on the fibulo-tibial joint of the homolateral leg. The painful area of the elbow itself was not needled. The depth of insertion was 2 cm and during the procedure of needling, the patient was asked to move the painful arm. Patients were treated for a total of 5 min. Overall reduction in the pain score was 55.8% in the treatment group and 15% in the placebo group. After one treatment session, 79.2% (19 patients out of 24) patients in the treatment group reported pain relief of at least 50%, whereas in the placebo group only 25% patients (6 patients out of 24) reported pain relief. The average duration of analgesia after one treatment was 20.2 h in the treatment group whereas that after placebo was 1.4 h. All these results show that acupuncture has a statistically significant intrinsic analgesic effect in the clinical treatment of TE pain, which exceeds that of placebo treatment.   Since this study dealt with short term analgesic effects of acupuncture, further studies need to be carried out in future in order to evaluate the long-term therapeutic value of acupuncture for treatment chronic tennis elbow. Davidson et al (2001, cited in Bisset et al, 2005) conducted a study to compare the   therapeutic effect of acupuncture with that of ultrasound treatment in patients suffering from TE. Though significant improvement in two outcome measures i.e. pain reduction and disability prevention were observed in both the groups, no statistically significant differences in terms of these outcome measures were observed between the two groups. Thus this study indicates that there is no difference in therapeutic benefit between ultrasound and acupuncture in patients with TE. However it is difficult to reach to any definite conclusion from the results of a single study. More studies are required in future in order to arrive at a definite conclusion. In a publication by the NIH in 1998, it was determined that the results of various studies conducted till date has been promising enough to support the use of acupuncture as an adjunct treatment or an alternative to classical conventional therapeutic modalities for patients with TE. Trinh, et al (2004) conducted a systematic review of literature regarding use of acupuncture in treatment of TE, using the best evidence synthesis approach (BESA), which aimed at qualitative analysis of clinically homogeneous studies. The results of this review strongly suggested that acupuncture was an effective therapeutic modality for attaining short-term pain relief in patients with TE. Though there was a great deal of clinical heterogeneity between various studies considered in this review, five studies out of six studies considered in this review indicated that acupuncture treatment was more effective compared to placebo treatment. The studies conducted till date have failed to provide us with definite results. This can   be attributed to a variety of factors like: flaws in study design, heterogeneous treatment protocols, small sample size, inherent difficulty in the use of appropriate controls etc (NIH publication, 1998). Selection of method for performing the procedure in control group for these studies poses to be a difficult problem. Method of performing the   procedure in control group is important because the insertion of placebo needles itself results in inherent analgesic effect due to release of local ?-endorphins (opioid like substances), which can influence the outcome of the study too (NIH publication, 1998). Future research is recommended to resolve the issues discussed above. Thus there is a need for large scale, well-designed, multicentric, randomized control trials in future that will use standardized treatment protocol and appropriate methods for performing the procedure in controls. It is evident from the above discussion that various studies which aimed at assessing the   efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of TE had employed different processes for performing acupuncture, in terms of location of puncture points, depth of insertion of needles, the number of needles used, duration of treatment etc. In order to arrive at a definite conclusion regarding the efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of patients with TE and in order to maximize the chances for a successful treatment with acupuncture, there is a need for a uniform, accurate and complete description of the most effective method to be used for performing acupuncture in patients with TE. With this in mind, Webster-Harrison, White Rae (2002) conducted a study in order to develop a standardized treatment protocol for acupuncture therapy in patients with TE. They adopted a modified Delphi’s consensus technique to combine the opinions of fourteen British acupuncture experts into a standardized treatment protocol. This protocol contained eight items pertaining to the treatment of TE using acupuncture and has been described in table 1. The various items considered in this protocol were: selection of acupuncture points; length and diameter of needles used; depth of insertion; duration of treatment; interval between successive treatments; whether the needle should be stimulated or not; the type of response to be achieved upon stimulation and number of treatment cycles needed. Use of this protocol in randomized multicentric trials conducted in future is likely to give accurate results (Webster-Harrison et al). Conclusion From the discussion in this paper it becomes apparent that till date no study in published   literature has been able to demonstrate long term beneficial effects of any pharmacological, surgical or physical therapy in comparison to that of a placebo therapy for treatment of patients with TE. Among various non-pharmacological therapeutic options, acupuncture presents an effective and safe adjunct treatment or an alternative to classical conventional therapeutic modalities, especially in cases where these conventional therapeutic modalities had previously failed (NIH, 1998). Presently, the optimal treatment option for patients with tennis elbow in clinical care largely remains unclear. Acupuncture appears to be a lucrative treatment option for both clinicians and patients. However, the therapeutic benefits provided by use of acupuncture are not supported by sufficient evidence, at present. There is a need for well designed, high quality research studies, especially randomized control trials in future, in order to help in establishing the appropriate place for acupuncture in treatment of patients with TE in modern medical practice. References Assendelft, W., Green, S., Buchbinder, R., Struijs, P., Smidt, N. (2003). Extracts from concise   clinical evidence: Tennis elbow. British Medical Journal, 327, 329-340. Bisset, L., Paungmali, A., Vicenzino, B., Belle, E., Herbert, R.D. (2005). A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on physical interventions for lateral epicondylalgia. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(7), 411 422. Buchinder, R., Green, S., Struijs, P. (2007). Tennis elbow. American Family Physician, 75 (5),   701-702. Retrieved on 30 June 2007 from http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070301/bmj.html Fink, M., Wolkenstein, E., Karst, M., Gehrke, A. (2002). Acupuncture in chronic   epicondylitis: A randomized controlled trial. Rheumatology, 41(2), 205 209. Labelle, H., Guibert, R, Joncas, J., Newman, N., Fallaha, M., Rivard, C. (1992). Lack of scientific evidence for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis of the elbow: An attempted meta-analysis. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 74, 646–51. Molsberger, A., Hille, E. (1994). The analgesic effect of acupuncture in chronic tennis elbow   pain.   British Journal of Rheumatology, 33(12), 1162-1165 National Institute of Health (1998). NIH consensus conference: Acupuncture. Journal of   American Medical Association, 280, 1518–24. Trinh, K.V., Philips, S.D., Ho, E., Damsma, K. (2004). Acupuncture for alleviation of lateral   epicondyle pain: A systematic review.   Rheumatology, 43, 1085–1090. Webster-Harrison, P., White, A., Rae, J. (2002).Acupuncture for tennis elbow: An e-mail   consensus study to define a standardised treatment in a GP’s surgery. Acupuncture in Medicine, 20(4), 181-5.