Australias National Identity and Wartime Experience

Australias National Identity and Wartime Experience Analytical Response Analyse, evaluate and compare the language used to represent Australias National Identity through wartime experience. For Australians, their national identity was forged through adversity and struggle. From federation, Australian troops have been involved in all major wars. It is this involvement that has shaped the image of Australians to both Australians and foreigners. Many different works have been represented Australians involvement in the First and Second World Wars as well as Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. Two of these works include the films Gallipoli (1981) by Peter Weir, as well as Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008). Not only have films represented Australias identity, but also books including: Kokoda by Peter FitzSimons and True Blue? On being Australian, edited by Peter Goldsworthy. Peter Weirs Gallipoli (1981) was a film that is like no other. Instead of portraying the Turks soldiers as the enemy, Weir places the British in that position. In fact, in the film, the Turkish are rarely seen. This is completely juxtaposed to other texts written about the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. So one could say that weirs intent was not to accuse the Turkish as the enemy, but the British. To portray this, weir used many techniques to establish and demonstrate their meaning. One theme in the film is Australias coming of age. This is shown throughout the film but is shown early on through the scene when Uncle Jack is reading by The Jungle Book and how Mowgli has grown up and has to leave his family; the pack of wolves that have raised him all his life. Just as Mowgli, Australia has grown up and no longer has to seek protection from England. In his interview on the special features of Gallipoli (1981), Mel Gibson said â€Å"Gallipoli was the birth of a nation† (Weir, 1981); this idea is also shared by many others including the British Generals at Gallipoli. â€Å"Though many were shot to bits, without hope of recovery, their cheers resoundedThey were happy because they knew that they had been tried for the first time and not found wanting.† (Manne, 2007). Loyalty is a value that Australians hold very dear. Weir links this value and waste of potential that Australia suffered. Weir draws a parallel between Australias sporting ability and their loyalty to the war effort, with a recruiter for the Light Horse calling the war the greatest game of them all (Weir, 1981). The opening scene shows Archie undertaking his pre-race routine; he then practices the 100 yard dash in record time. This image shows the potential that Archie could have had, yet he is loyal and joins the war effort. Then in the final scene, Archie is in the trenches at Gallipoli when the whistle for them to charge was blown. It shows Archie leaving his most prized items in the trench; his medal and his watch. The medal is symbolises Archies potential, what life could have been like and the watch symbolises that Archies time has run out and how he is now sacrificing his life for his country; the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate act of loyalty. Peter FitzSimons also refers to the sacrifice that is made by the diggers in Kokoda. †¦They died so young. They missed so much. They gave up so much: their hopes; their dreams; their loved ones. They laid down their lives that their friends might live. Greater love hath no man than this. (FitzSimons, 2008) This next scene depicts Archie running unarmed across the battlefield. This run is metaphorical, and is used again to show the potential of Archie. When Archie is shot, there is a freeze frame which creates the appearance that as though Archie is breasting tape. Another text that represents the Australian national identity is Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008). Australia follows the life of an English aristocrat that travels to Northern Australia in 1939 to force her husband to sell his failing cattle property. However before she arrives, he is murdered for his 1,500 head of cattle. The story then continues on with her taking over ‘Far Away Downs and competing for the Army beef contract. The film continues through the struggles of the outback and then finds the cattle ending up in Darwin and loading the cattle on the ship. It then moves into the segment that provides the war time experience; the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in 1942. Courage is the biggest value that is demonstrated inn Luhrmanns film. After the bombing raid by the Japanese, the drover and Magarri sail across to Mission Island to investigate whether Nullah survived. Though this is not historically correct, the Japanese never actually set foot on Australian soil, the act by the drover and Magarri was courageous because in the film this area was inhabited by two Japanese carrier divisions. The idea of courage as an aspect of the Australian identity is also shared by other composers in their representations of Australian identity. Robert Manne wrote that: â€Å"General Birdwood told the writer that he couldnt sufficiently praise the courage, endurance and soldierly qualities of the Colonials† (Manne, 2007). It was the courage shown by all ANZACs on the battlefields of Gallipoli that earned that the title of courageous and it has stuck with Australians through to present times. Courage was shown through the struggles that Australian diggers faced in World War Two; especially Kokoda. Alister Griersons film Kokoda also focuses on the topic of courage when the Australian diggers held of the advances of the Japanese army. It is commonly accepted that their bravery and courage helped to stop Australia from being invaded Japan. Through the works of many composers since Australias federation, Australias national identity has been represented and forged through wartime experience. From World War One to the present time; courage, loyalty and bravery have represented Australians. This has been shown through Australians willingness to protect their country and to rather die than surrender the ground they had so dearly fought for. The final aspect and most likely the most important, is Australians willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice. REFERENCES Barrowclough, A. (2008, November 18). Video Review: Australia,The Movie . Retrieved August 10, 2009, from Times Online: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5178513.ece FitzSimons, P. (2008). Kokoda. Sydney: Hodder Australia. Grierson, A. (Director). (2006). Kokoda [Motion Picture]. Luhrmann, B. (Director). (2008). Australia [Motion Picture]. Manne, R. (2007). A Turkish Tale. In N. A. Limited, True Blue? On Being Australian (pp. 63-65). Crows Nest: Allen Unwin. OHara, M. (2008). Australia Study Guide. Melbourne: Australian Teachers of Media. Weir, P. (Director). (1981). Galliopoli [Motion Picture]. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. (2009, August 1). Gallipoli (1981 film). Retrieved August 11, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_(1981_film)#Themes CONTEXT STATEMENT STRAND CONNECTION: Strand connection is English Communications Project TEXT CONNECTION: Text sources are Australia, Baz Luhrmann (Director), Gallipoli, Peter Weir (Director), Kokoda, Alister Grierson (Director), Kokoda, Peter FitzSimons and True Blue? On Being Australian (Editor Peter Goldsworthy) DECLARED PIECE: Critical Analysis SELECTION OF FORM: Essay INTENTIONS OF THE PIECE: The purpose of my response is to record my current understanding of the focus question in the strand: Australias national identity as represented by many composers in works about Australias wartime experiences. Reflective Response Which texts that represent Australias national identity through wartime experience had the greatest effect on me? There are many texts that focus on the topic of an Australian national identity. These range from colonial texts through to contemporary texts like Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008) and Peter FitzSimons Kokoda (2008). One thing that is commonly mentioned throughout the texts is that Australias national identity has been forged by wartime experiences. All but a few of the texts that I studied for this topic had a profound effect on me, whether they are fiction of nonfiction. From Gallipoli to Afghanistan, Australia has played a crucial part in every major world conflict since federation in 1901. Peter Weirs movie, Gallipoli (1981) is a good example of a text that represents Australias national identity and is a text that has a great impact on me. When Archie signed up to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), I thought about the potential that is being wasted and then thought about my potential in life, and whether it is being wasted.

Dinosaur Fossils in Antarctica :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Dinosaur Fossils in Antarctica Millions and millions of years ago the continents lay together as one super-continent known as Pangea. As time went on and the plates underneath the Earth began to separate, the continents land moved towards the poles where glaciation occurred. Glaciation is the process in which glaciers were formed during the ice age. Glaciation causes a drop in temperature which in turn causes water to freeze and form many layers of ice (http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/intro.html, 1). Due to this layering of ice that has occurred at both poles it has not been easy to discover new dinosaur fossils. However, in a press release of the National Science Foundation researchers, working in two distinct sites of Antarctica found what seem to be fossil remains of two different dinosaurs that had previously never been introduced to the world of science (http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/newsroom/pr.cfm?ni=52, 1). The two different dinosaurs were found in opposite areas of Antarctica. The first dinosaur found was uncovered on the James Ross Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula while the second dinosaur was discovered on the Antarctic interior on a mountain elevating nearly 3900 meters near the Beardmore Glacier. The discovery of these two dinosaurs was important for a couple reasons. First off, dealing with the dinosaur carnivorous dinosaur found off the James Ross Island the discovery was important was because not many dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Time Period had been uncovered in Antarctica. The second reason the finding of this fossil was important was because in the James Ross region of the Antarctic Peninsula there had previously only been six uncovered dinosaur fossils and this finding adds to that number. Lastly, it is a very uncommon to find a dinosaur that was so well preserved considering it died roughly 70 million years ago. In order for it to be in such good shap e it had to float out to sea and lie in the bottom of what was then an extremely shallow part of the Weddell Sea (www.sciencedaily.com, 2). When it comes to the plant-eating dinosaur found on the interior of Antarctica the discovery of this dinosaur was also important because of its rarity. William Hammer, who led the research team said from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois said, â€Å"This site is so far removed geographically from any site near its age, it’s clearly a new dinosaur to Antarctica.

The Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Joyce Carol Oates Where

The Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" All people experience changes in their life. Some of these changes are small such as the passing from one grade to another in school. Other changes are more intense, such as the transition from childhood to adulthood. In Joyce Carol Oates? ?Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?? Oates goes into depth regarding the transition from being a carefree, innocent child to adulthood. In the short story ?Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?? two separate worlds are drawn to the reader?s attention. The first is the normal daily life of Connie, a fifteen year old girl living in a home with her parents. Connie?s daily life is simple childhood. The second is the day Arnold Friend shows up at her doorstep and brings with him the difficulties of what the future holds. Connie is described as being an attractive fifteen year old girl whose actions are stereotypical of what one might expect from a girl her age. She spends her time listening to music, shopping, daydreaming, having fun, and trying to meet boys. Her friends share the same interests and when they are together they, ?would lean together and whisper and laugh secretly?. ( ) Connie puts on two different shows, one to her friends and a completely separate one to her family. ?Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home.?( ) Connie does not show any real affection ...

Violence :: social issues

Violence The last five years have seen an increase in the stand on violence in movies. As action movies with their big stars are taken to new heights every year, more people seem to argue that the violence is influencing our country’s youth. Yet, each year, the amount of viewers also increases. This summer’s smash hit Independence Day grossed more money than any other film in history, and it was full of violence. The other summer hits included. Mission: Impossible, Courage Under Fire, and A Time to Kill. All of these movies contained violence, and all were highly acclaimed. And all, with the exception of Independence Day, were aimed toward adults who understood the violence and could separate screen violence from real violence. There is nothing wrong with having violence in film. If an adult wants to spend an evening watching Arnold Schwartzenager Save the world, then he should have that right. Film critic Hal Hinson enjoys watching movies. In fact, he fell in love with movies at the same time that he remembers being afraid for the first time. He was watching Frankenstein, and, as he described in his essay â€Å"In Defense of Violence,† it played with his senses in such a way that he instantaneously fell in love with movies. . The danger was fake, but Hinson described that it played with his senses in such a way that he almost instantly fell in love. Hinson feels that most movie lovers were incited by the same hooks as himself. Movies were thrilling, dangerous, and mesmerizing (Hinson 581-2). Hinson says that as a culture, we like violent art. Yet this is not something that is new to today's culture. The ancient Greeks perfected the genre of tragedy with a use of violence. According to Hinson, they believed that "while violence in life is destructive, violence in art need not be; that art provides a healthy channel for the natural aggressive forces within us" (Hinson 585). Today, the Greek tragedy is not often seen, but there are other shows movies that embody and use violence. Tom and Jerry, The Three Stooges, and popular prime time shows including the highly acclaimed NYPD Blue and ER are all violent. There is a surplus of violent movies in Hollywood. Usually, the years highest moneymakers are violent. Even Oscar winning movies, those movies that are "the best of the year," have violence in them.

Dramaturgical Perspective

Dramaturgical Perspective The dramaturgical perspective was developed primarily by Sociologist, Erving Goffman who recast the theatrical metaphor dramaturgy into a sociological term, meaning that social life is like a drama or stage play where intricacies of social interaction could be observed and analyzed, and people can perform in a manner that communicates how they would like others to perceive of them. Goffman stated that, â€Å"All actions are social performances that aim to give off and maintain certain desired impressions of the self to others† (Crossman, 2012).Central to dramaturgy are the front and back regions. The front region is in essence the stage where the performance occurs. Examples of the front region are the teacher’s classroom, the public speaker’s podium, and the waiter’s restaurant dining room. It’s what the audience sees and the setting for a carefully choreographed and ordered performance. The back region is where all the ac tivity that audience does not see, that is crucial to the front region performance occurs (Monnier, 2010).Symbolic interactions are more related to how people look at things and how their perception affects their behavior. In America it is considered rude to blatantly stare at another individual, in certain parts of Africa, for example, that is not the case. Curiosity is a norm and it is not considered rude to stare (Henslin, 2011). Americans also have a much larger personal space bubble than many other cultures. An American doesn’t stand close enough to a stranger to accidentally brush up against them if they can at all help it.Someone from South America, who is accustomed to standing in close proximity to an individual he/she is conversing with may take offense if the individual they’re speaking to continues to move away. On the other hand, an American will likely feel quite uncomfortable participating in conversation with an individual standing closer than approxima tely two feet (Henslin). Therefore, symbolic interactions happen without much thought, which is different from dramaturgy, which is a well thought out and prepared way of conducting oneself.Ethnomethodology is the study of how people use their perceived commonsense to make sense out of life (Henslin, 2011). It’s the background assumptions individuals take for granted about the world that determine our behavior in our social life. They are culture driven, unstated rules that people tend to stand by and violate only with risk of offending or concerning others. For instance, a young man would probably not take a first date to a strip club.There’s no written rule covering that issue, but commonsense would tell him that would not be an acceptable behavior. Although ethnomethodology does involve some thought, it still differs from dramaturgy as it is largely influenced by societal norms rather than just what image they’re desiring to portray to others. A recent intera ction I had that involved dramaturgical concepts was an appointment with administration at my son, Vinnie’s school regarding his classroom placement for next year.Vinnie tests on the lower end of the reading spectrum and all of his teachers, past and present have commented that he has trouble staying focused and is easily distracted, but never causes any trouble; therefore, he tends to fall through the cracks. Having trouble with his current teacher holding him accountable for work completion has been an issue; therefore, I’m quite concerned about Vinnie’s placement next year. I carefully utilized the back region and prepared a spread sheet of my concerns along with specific examples, and readied myself to express them in a confident, respectful, but determined manner.I’d thought about questions and/or statements that would potentially be posed to me, and prepared as best I could on how to respond appropriately without wavering from the outcome I desired, which was a specific teacher. Along with myself, the Academic Director, Curriculum Specialist, and the Intervention Specialist were present at the ‘front region‘ meeting. Everyone was prepared with appropriate data. I stated my concerns, which were both acknowledged and validated, everyone was extremely courteous and showed appropriate concern for Vinnie and the issues I disclosed.Each person in attendance discussed issues pertaining to their own expertise regarding Vinnie and a consensus was reached. Everyone left the meeting feeling something positive had been accomplished, and each individual’s social performance seemed to accomplish exactly what they’d desired. A deeper sociological significance that resulted is that administration now knows that I am a concerned and very involved parent, but not overtly demanding without reason and/or the willingness to discuss and negotiate.I learned that administration is truly concerned about individual students an d will accommodate to the best of their ability in order to ensure the success of each. References Crossman, A. (2012). About. com: Sociology: Dramaturgical perspective. Retrieved from http://sociology. about. com/od/D_Index/g/Dramaturgical-Perspective. htm Henslin, J. M. (2011). Essentials of sociology: A down to earth approach (9th ed. ). Pearson. Monnier, C. (2010). Global Sociology: Social interaction. Retrieved from https:// globalsociology. pbworks. com/w/page/14711252/Social%20Interaction

Determining the Right Quantity of Food (Home Remedy) To Give a Diabetic Patient In Case Of a Hypoglycaemic Episode

Introduction This project is concerned with an innovation that would enhance care delivery in the community. The area of focus is the hypoglycaemic effects on diabetes patients and the use of home remedies to manage hypoglycaemia. Diabetic patients know what kinds of food they have to consume to keep healthy, and how to restore their blood sugar levels in case of a hypoglycaemic episode. According Frier and Schernthaner (2011), people may know the right food to give or take, but most do not know the right quantity. The biggest challenge, however, lies with those family members who may not even be aware of the right food and quantity of carbohydrates that push the blood sugar to the accepted levels (Ali, 2011; Boughton, 2011; Onwudiwe et al., 2011). Usually, it is recommended that patients take fast-acting carbohydrates with 15-20 gms of carbohydrates. The blood sugar level is rechecked after 15 minutes, which prompts another dose of 15-20 gms if the blood sugar level is still low (Fonseca, 2010). Determining the right quantity of food that contains 15-20 gms of fast-acting carbohydrate is a challenge (Onwudiwe et al., 2011; Ali, 2011). Consequently, an innovation that can easily guide people on how to handle instances of hypoglycaemic attacks at home using the right quantity of household ingredients will ensure that such attacks are handled appropriately. The Innovation Health care delivery can be enhanced through a variety of means depending on available resources, ideas and the patient’s health conditions. In this research, focus is on diabetic patients who suffer from hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia is a condition of low sugar levels than the recommended (Boughton, 2011). These patients can suffer from hypoglycaemic episodes anytime and anywhere. Because of that, their families, friends and other people around them should be aware of a quicker way to handle the situation. There are proposed means of getting out of the hypoglycaemic episode which includes taking foods and drinks that have fast acting carbohydrates (15-20gms). This is the best home remedy to the condition. Foods always recommended include; coke, table sugar, fruit juice, raisins, Lucozade, and many more (Boughton, 2011). The problem is, people may be aware of these fast-acting carbohydrates, but do not know the right quantity to take or give the patient suffering from hypoglyca emia (Boughton, 2011). The new idea is to provide a leaflet containing the quantity of fast-acting carbohydrates that these patients should receive. Examples are; eight ounces of skimmed milk, four ounces of soda or fruit juice, and five-six life savers candies. Hypoglycaemia Hypoglycaemia is the state of low blood sugar in the body. For diabetic patients, it is the episodes of abnormal low plasma glucose concentration that can cause harm to the patient. It occurs when there is too much insulin or too little glucose in the body all which may be due to; eating less than usual, taking too much insulin, more exercise than normal, eating later than usual, and medication interaction or due to an illness (Frier, Heller & McCrimmon, 2013). According to Yakubovich & Gerstein (2011), hypoglycaemia can either occur with or without symptoms. If the blood glucose level of a diabetic patient is ?70 mg/dL, then the patient should be concerned about hypoglycaemia and take necessary measures to increase the blood glucose level (Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011), since they are likely to suffer from life threatening conditions such as insulin shock. Hypoglycaemia is a common problem among diabetic patients. Boughton (2011) posits that both diabetes type I and II patients can experience hypoglycaemic episodes several times a week. Briscoe and Davis (2006) also postulate that about 90% of patients who use insulin experience hypoglycaemic episodes. Hypoglycaemia is commonly a complication of diabetes treatment. Current treatment guidelines recommend intensive glycaemic control. Hypoglycaemia, however, is a threat to the achievement of this state, both because of its occurrence and incidence. The need for intensive glycaemic control prov ed that some microvascular complications and some macrovascular complications could be reduced by comprehensive metabolic control. This kind of control cannot be achieved when the available treatment regimens cause hypoglycaemia (Briscoe and Davis, 2006). Because of the regularity of occurrence and the high likelihood of such episodes occurring at home, school or far away from the hospitals, diabetic patients should have a quick way of managing them. A common way of managing hypoglycaemic episodes is by administering fast acting carbohydrates. This will ensure increased body sugar levels (Briscoe and Davis, 2006). Leaflets provide access to such information easy and quick. They also act as health promotional devices. Why Is It An Innovation? People may have the needed ingredients to stop a hypoglycaemic attack around them, but making use of these ingredients can be limited if they lack knowledge. There are health sources with information about fast-acting carbohydrates and the right quantity that should be taken in case a diabetic patient suffers a hypoglycaemic episode at home. The main problem is that these foods may be available randomly, and not all their quantities can be remembered easily. Additionally, one may think that he/she has the right quantity to give the patient, yet such a quantity can be confused by the other. It is from such a problem that the proposition to develop a leaflet containing the recommended quantity was developed. With such leaflets at home, anybody can help the patient. The Need for the Innovation This innovation is one of the ways of preventing the damaging effects of hypoglycaemia. If a diabetic patient can detect low blood glucose levels early enough, the detrimental effects of hypoglycaemia that have been documented can be reduced. Hypoglycaemia has been associated with increased risk of mortality (Kalra et al., 2013; Werner, 2013; Mccoy et al., 2012; Cryer, 2012; Frier, Schernthaner & Heller, 2011; Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011, Heller, 2008). There are studies that have directly found links between hypoglycaemia and high mortality rates in diabetic patients and those that link it directly through other complications. According to Mccoy et al., (2012), severe hypoglycaemia has been associated with 3.4 times increased threat of death. This was a conclusion obtained from self-reports on hypoglycaemia. Additional information from patient-reported hypoglycaemia from hospitals could only mean that the risk is higher (Mccoy et al., 2012). Any health management officer would think of preventing hypoglycaemia so that this increased risk is reduced. One way of preventing it is through access to relevant information about its management. This proposed idea will contribute to the reduction of severe hypoglycaemic cases that may then lead to death. The same information about 3.4 fold risks is communicated in Cryer (2012). The study also indicates that hypoglycaemia is an impeding factor in the glycaemic management of diabetes. It damages the defences that can protect an individual from subsequent hypoglycaemia, therefore, causes recurrent hypoglycaemia. It causes morbidity in many with advanced type II diabetes and in most people with type I diabetes. It prohibits the maintenance of euglycemia and reduces the quality of life; the benefits of glycaemic control are never realized by the patient. Cryer (2012) also reviewed information from various reports about hypoglycaemia and found out that one in every ten or one in every twenty-five people with type I diabetes die from hypoglycaemia. It concluded that hypoglycaemia episodes need not to be life threatening for them to cause devastating effects (Cryer, 2012). This only emphasises the impact that this proposed innovation may have on diabetes patients. It has the potential of preventing any devastating effects, including death. Hypoglycaemia also has other health effects, for example, the effect on the cardio -vascular system, which in turn contributes to increased mortality. According to Frier, Schernthaner and Heller (2011), hypoglycaemia cause hemodynamic changes such as peripheral systolic blood pressure, and increased heart rate, reduced peripheral arterial resistance, a fall in central blood pressure and increased stroke volume, myocardial contractility and cardiac output. If such high work load finds an already weakened heart, like the ones found in type II diabetic patients with coronary heart disease, dangerous consequences should be expected. Hypoglycaemia has also been associated with abnormal electrical activity in the heart, therefore, has high chances of causing sudden death (Frier, Schernthaner & Heller, 2011; Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011). All these evidences support the importance of preventing hypoglycaemia, at all levels. Prevention or good maintenance of blood glucose levels can enhance t he quality of life. Risks and Benefits of the Innovation Provision of the leaflets is a way of providing high-quality information recommended for self-care and helps in decision-making. In this case, there will be a variety of fast-acting carbohydrates with the right quantities. A patient may get tired of taking non-diet soda all the time, and decide on other options such as fruit juice, glucose tablets, and honey. The leaflets will improve: health literacy, clinical decision making, patient safety, care experience, self-care, service development, and access to health advice for both the patient and the family members (Greenwood, 2002). Research evidence has shown that chronic conditions cause anxiety, but understanding of the condition and how to manage and treat it improves the ability of the patient to cope with the condition or to recover from it. It is for this reason that the leaflets with information on what to take when attacked by an episode of hypoglycaemia are very important for diabetic patients. Patient information leaflets merge information (Lowry, 2005). The leaflets also act as health promotion devices and will assist nurses in their health education and promotional activities (Greenwood, 2002). This innovation has other advantages, such as they contain information relevant for the individual, ensure consistency of information, are cheap and easy to produce and can be easily updated. This proposed innovation would also allow readers to work through their own pace. According to Lowry (2005), they provide the carer and the patient with a focus for shared knowledge and discussion, and can also be used as a resource to healthcare organizations for informing their new staff members. In order to ensure that the leaflets have specific information specific to an individual patient, it will make use of a structure that allows for a variety of options to be included. Disadvantages of Leaflets Some are usually produced for general issues, therefore not individualised. This may be a problem to diabetic patients who need special attention or have specific restrictions when it comes to taking some fast acting carbohydrates. Some may be allergic to some foods. This may not be a problem in this case since the leaflet will provide a variety of food and their quantities. The leaflets can remain unused unless those they are meant for are motivated to use them. In the case of managing hypoglycaemia among diabetic patients, for those who do not suffer hypoglycaemia, these leaflets may remain unused. To avoid this problem, here will be monitoring of the use of the leaflets (Lowry, 2005). The leaflets may do more harm than good if they are badly produced. There are specific recommendations on how to produce a health information leaflet. If the leaflets are, for example, produced in a manner that can lead to the misconception of information, they may not achieve their aims as expected (Lowry, 2005). This will be avoided by a series of tests with the draft leaflet to ensure they are not misunderstood. Leaflets can be lost or misplaced easily. A proposed idea to eliminate this is to encourage the users to stick some of them on walls where they can easily be seen and have others in their bags, or wallets. Those that require professional attention may take longer to update and may also be costly. It needs some groundwork done before the resource is developed. As in the case of the proposed leaflet, there will be the groundwork needed to determine those with diabetes in the community, the number of the patients, and complications that they suffer. Groundwork will also find out about the family members around, their current self-care practices, and other important information that can inform the development of this health promotional resource (Lowry, 2005). Potential Resources Needed to Implement the Innovation A research study will be conducted on the community to find out the number of people with diabetes, what they know about hypoglycaemia and how they currently manage the episodes. There is also need to prepare for an education program for these people and their family members on how to manage such episodes and get the neighbours, and friends involved. One can experience a hypoglycaemic episode unexpectedly and can need help. It is important to know how to relay relevant information, and quick to the person that the patient may seek help. Resources needed, therefore, are; Field researchers or interviewers Health educators or just nurses Financial resources to undertake the research and educational program activities The innovation development and implementation have about five main stages. There is the planning stage, the writing stage, conducting final checks, the consultation, and finally the distribution stage. Planning This is the initial preparation stage where the leaflet developer will consider the kind of information he or she will need, and for what purpose, the kind of resources, needed and the people who will be involved. It will entail identification of those who will be involved and how each of them will be involved, for example, the research will need interviewers who will seek specific information from the patients. The person has to state why specific information is needed from a clinician, patient or carers. It is while planning that the individual should review all relevant and available information from relevant sources, for example, the NHS, peer-reviewed journal articles and Diabetes associations. He or she should also think of distribution methods, for example, if the leaflets will be given to the patients directly, placed on the rack where they can easily be accessed, emailed, or even just posted (NHS, 2008). Writing This stage involves writing down patient information and assessing its effects. One can look for recommended frameworks to guide the development of patient information. With the evidence from previously conducted research, the leaflet should contain the right information and should be easy to read. It involves a series of writing and testing until the right product is finally produced. When assessing readability, the developer can check the draft against leaflet development guidelines, and then check with team members, and maybe members of the public. When assessing whether it is good for patients, the developer can test it on people who are not familiar with the condition. The draft can also be checked by clinicians, patient support groups, experts, to confirm that it is right for the targeted patients (NHS, 2008). Conducting Final Checks Whatever is to be done in this stage depends on the contents in the leaflet and the purpose of producing such leaflets. In this proposed innovation, the leaflets are meant to improve patient self-care. Final checks may include confirming the patients’ and family members’ numbers and checking if the information conflicts with other information from influential and reliable health sources (NHS, 2008). Consultation In this stage, the draft is given to the patients and interested groups for feedback. Changes can be made depending on the responses received from the parties (NHS, 2008). Distribution This stage is all about identifying the right distribution strategies in relation to the aim of developing the leaflets. For example, if the leaflets are meant for improving self-care, the healthcare professional will have to think of how these leaflets will reach the targeted patients. The perfect method is to deliver each leaflet to each patient and family members after consultation with them, and educating them on its benefits. They should also be informed about the whole project of improving health care delivery. The stage also involves monitoring to identify how the information is used, and if there is a need for any improvements (NHS, 2008). Additional resources that will be needed are; writing materials, human resource for distribution, and financial resources for distribution and other project activities such as testing the leaflet draft. Implementation Difficulties There are no current implementation difficulties except for finding adequate resources to conduct the research in the community and identify the patients. It may also be difficult to convince all diabetes patients to come to educational programs on how to manage hypoglycaemia alongside the management of diabetes. According to the NHS guideline, the best approach is educating the patients and their families on a one-on-one basis, but this is expensive and time consuming. It may depend on the patients’ visit to the hospitals, which is an unsure way of reaching the patients. Leadership and Management Skills Needed The leadership and management skills belong to one category of management which is; project management. Under this category, these skills can again be classified under technical project management skills, general management skills, and leadership skills (Hallows, 2002). Technical project management skills are such as project planning and execution skills. Planning skills gives one the ability gather and assess information for estimates, identify dependencies, develop a work breakdown structure, assign and level resources, and analyse the risks among other abilities. Project execution skills give one the ability to develop estimates at completion, gather and evaluate data, prepare meaningful reports, and monitor the progress of the project (Hallows, 2002). These technical skills are very important for planning and execution of the proposed project. Project leadership skills involve managing the expectations and relationships of the participants. Hallows (2002) indicates that project m anagement leadership requires the ability to engage the main stakeholders involved in the project in each phase. An example, is, in the planning stage, the project manager has to get all the relevant departments involved, and any other parties that will be involved. Like in the leaflet development case, the project manager has to find a way of engaging the patients, the carers, family members and the health care organization supporting or sponsoring the project. The project manager can decide when it is necessary to share ideas, and the communication strategy that is necessary for attainment of the objectives of the project (Hallows, 2002). The project manager of this proposed project should have the ability to convince others about the benefits of the project, and explain the value of their roles. General management skills are such as; the ability to listen, delegate, goal setting, time management, communications, negotiation, and meeting management. There is also the need for huma n resource management skills. Project planning and implementation will require people to perform different duties. The performance of the project depends on the employees’ activities, without good management skills, the outcome of the project may be affected negatively (Hallows, 2002). References Ali, Z. H. (2011). Health and Knowledge Progress among Diabetic Patients after Implementation of a Nursing Care Program Based on their Profile. Journal of Diabetes and Metabolism, 2:121. Boughton, B. (2011). Patients with Diabetes Lack Knowledge about Hypoglycemia. Medscape Medical News. Retrieved from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/740881 Briscoe, V. J. and Davis, S. N. (2006). Hypoglycemia in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Management. Clinical Diabetes, 24 (3): 115-121. Cryer, P. E. (2012). Severe Hypoglycemia Predicts Mortality in Diabetes, Diabetes Care. 35(9): 1814-1816. Fonseca, V. (2010). Diabetes: Improving Patient Care. New York: Oxford University Press. Frier, B. M., Heller, S. and McCrimmon, R. (2013). Hypoglycaemia in Clinical Diabetes. (3rd Ed.). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons. Frier, B. M., Schernthaner, G. and Heller, S. R. (2011). Hypoglycemia and Cardiovascular Risks. Diabetes Care, 34(2): S132-S137. Greenwood, J. (2002). Employing a Range of Methods to meet Patient Information Needs. Nursing Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingtimes.net/employing-a-range-of-methods-to-meet-patient-information-needs/200054.article. Hallows, J. E. (2002). The Project Management Office Toolkit. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Heller, S. (2008). Sudden Death and Hypoglycaemia. Diabetic Hypoglycemia, 1(2): 2-7. Kalra, S., Mukherjee,J. J., Venkataraman, S., Bantwal, G., Shaikh, S., Saboo, B., Das, A. K. and Ramachandran, A. (2013). Hypoglycemia: The Neglected Complication. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 17(5): 819–834. Lowry, M. (2005). Knowledge that Reduces Anxiety: Creating patient information leaflets. Professional Nurse, 10 (5): 318-320. Mccoy, R. G., Van Houten, H. K., Ziegenfuss, J. Y., Shah, N. D., Wermers, R. A. and Smith, S. (2012). Increased Mortality of Patients With Diabetes Reporting Severe Hypoglycemia. Diabetes Care. 35(9):1897-1901. NHS. (2008). Quality and Service Improvement Tools. Retrieved from: http://www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/patient_information.html Onwudiwe, N. C., Mullins, C. D., Winston, R. A., Shaya, F. T., Pradel, F. G., Laird, A. and Saunders, E. (2011). Barriers to Self-management of Diabetes: A qualitative Study among Low-income Minority Diabetics. Ethnicity & Disease, 21: 27-32. Werner, J. (2013). Diabetic Status, Glycaemic Control & Mortality in Critically Ill Patients. ESICM News. Retrieved from: http://www.esicm.org/news-article/Article-review-ESICM-NEXT-Diabetic-status-Glycaemic-Control-Mortality-WERNER. Yakubovich, N. and Gerstein, H. C. (2011). Serious Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetes: The Role of Hypoglycemia. Circulation, 123: 342-348.

Giovanni Boccaccio Essay

Im going to write an essay on Giovanni Bocccaccio and tell about him and his works and their affect to the middle-age literature and the literature today. As my sources Im going to use the illustrated history of Europe, wikipedia, http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/giovanni-boccaccio.htm and http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Giovanni_Boccaccio.aspx. Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? When did he live? What is he known of? How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian Renaissance humanist, author and a poet. He lived during the years 1313-1375. Giovanni Boccaccio was born near Florence in Italy. His father was a successful banker, who wanted him to have a practical education and to follow his footsteps as a wealthy businessman. His father often took Giovanni with him to business trips, so he could see what his life will be like when he grows up. Giovanni Boccaccio studied banking and religious law, although he was not very interested in them. Later on he even said that he regretted the time that was lost in these studies. He was more interested in literature and classical learning. His father never supported or accepted his plans on literature. He always thought that Boccaccio should have been a respected businessman. It is believed that Boccaccio was tutored by Giovanni Mazzuoli and received an early introduction to the works of Dante from him. When Boccaccio and his father moved to Naples in 1326, Boccaccio found many teachers at the university and at the court. He learned Italian poetry, ancient mythology, astronomy, and Greek. He also began to do what he really wanted to do, which was writing. Boccaccio and his father left Naples in 1341, because they escaped the plague and because Boccaccio`s father had to go work to Florence. Boccaccio did not want to leave Naples, because he didn’t like Florence that much. However, he spent the rest of his life in or near Florence. There he composed his most famous works such as the Decameron and the Famous Woman which were revolutionary at the time. In the autumn of 1350 Boccaccio received Francesco Petrarch as his guest in Florence, whose biography he had written shortly (De vita et moribus, F. P.). It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. He supported and encouraged Boccaccio to go on with his passion for literature. Giovanni Boccaccio was also influenced by many others. In his lifetime he had three children, even though he was never married. Mario and Giulio were born in the 1330s. Violente was born in the 1340 ´s. Giovanni Boccaccio died in 1375 from the causes of various illnesses, obesity and finally heart failure. By the time he died he had made many works that even today affect our lives. When did he live? Giovanni Boccaccio lived during the late middle-age period to the very early renaissance. Boccaccio was ahead of his time. He was one of the first humanists with Patrarch. Renaissance was a cultural movement that was roughly in the 14th to the 17th century. As a cultural movement, it was all about literature, science, art, religion, and politics, and a resurgence of learning based on classical sources. Giovanni Boccaccio was one of the first writers of renaissance. This shows how revolutionary his work was already in the 1330 ´s. What is he known of? Giovanni Boccaccio was a very revolutionary figure of the time, because he used females in his works as main characters, which was a new idea. Later other authors copied this idea. His work are very precious to us, because they tell us a reliable picture of the life in the late middle-ages as it was. Giovanni Boccaccio’s most known work is the Decameron, that he made between the years 1348–1351. It tells about ten young men and women, that escaped the plague to a remote villa near Florence. The word Decameron is translated to ten-days, which refers to the fact that they spent ten days telling stories in the villa. During the ten days they share 100 tales about topics such as love, trickery, and fortune. These tales form a larger story which can also be read alone. The Decameron was very popular at the time. Readers enjoyed its lively speeches, wordplays and intense plots. Giovanni knew how to mix humor and romance into one working piece. In this work Boccaccio gathered material from many sources: the French fabliau, Greek and Latin classics, folklore, and observations of contemporary Italian life. The prose of the Decameron, in its balanced, rhythmic cadences, became the model of Italian literary prose. Many other writers later used the Decameron in different ways in their own works. The church did not like the Decameron. On Famous Women he wrote about women who became learned, wrote, and even had battles and ruled kingdoms. Boccaccio’s moral approach to history suited both medieval and Renaissance readers. Which is also a reason that he was so famous and respected. Later renaissance writers used the books as sources for their own works once again. His most famous poem is probably II Filostrato, published in 1335. It tells about Calcas, a Trojan prophet who had foreseen the fall of the city and joined the Greeks. Shakespeare got the inspiration for Troilus and Cressida from the II Filostrato. Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy that Shakespeare made in 1602. Boccaccio was also a very well educated man. Boccaccio shared his knowledge and love of the ancient world with others. In Genealogy of the Pagan Gods that he wrote between the years (1350–1373), he created a complete catalog of pagan mythology. This book became a major reference work for much of the Renaissance. Giovanni Boccaccio also had a huge respect to the study of ancient Greek literature. He established a position for a professor of Greek at the University of Florence. He encouraged the new professor to translate the great Greek writers Homer and Euripides into Latin. Through his writings and his share to the study of the ancient world, Boccaccio had a lasting impact on the Renaissance and on the rest of the western history. Some selected example ´s from Giovanni Boccaccios works: II Filostrato (1335), Filocolo (1337), Teseida (1341), Comedy of the Florentine Nymphs (1342), The Amorous Vision (1343), La Fiammeta (1344), Life of Dante (1355), Fates of Illustrious Men in Latin (1360), The Decameron (1348-1351), The Famous Women (1374) How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Giovanni Boccaccio ´s affect to the literature of that time and today is huge. He wrote about things that nobody else had the courage to write about at the time. For example about woman as the main characters that had power to decide about important decisions and had a high position in the community. The Famous Women is a good example of his revolutionary way of thinking. It is a collection of biographies of 106 historical and mythological women, as well as some of Boccaccio’s Renaissance contemporaries. Giovanni Boccaccio had a big impact on other authors and poets, who used his work as source material. For example Geoffrey Chaucer ´s, Shakespeare ´s, and John Dryden ´s works were influenced by Boccaccio ´s works. He and Petrarch are said to be the founders of humanism. Giovanni Boccaccio was a man that basically protested against the morals at that time by writing about woman and other revolutionary things. He was ahead his time and was respected by many fellow authors. His works were famous and are is still precious to us, because we can take a realistic view of the late middle-ages through his work. Many other authors also got inspired by Boccaccio ´s work and still do.