Analysis of Healthcare Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of Healthcare Leadership - Essay Example In the healthcare sector, the provision of quality healthcare has always been a key point of concern. The reason is that in healthcare, the lives of patients and their future lie in the hands of hospital practitioners like doctors, nurses and the support staff. All of these fragments of the hospital structure work together in liaison with the administration to ensure that quality service is provided to better the lives of the patients. To achieve quality; however, flexible and appropriate leadership styles need to be applied to ensure that the whole hospital structure's coordination effects service provision. To bring about this quality also requires effective leadership styles that aim to address any resistance to change and flexibility. In leadership, understanding the application and development of leadership theories prepares a healthcare manager in his tasks of predicting, explaining ad controlling operations. I challenge the validity of Kumar’s support for the transforma tional style of leadership and propose that the contingency style of leadership is the best option for ensuring change through the engagement of those resistant to it. Good leadership in health care has increasingly become a major issue as stakeholders have made the realization that through effective leaders, institutional change can occur. Robin Kumar in Leadership and Healthcare proposes that the transformational style is most effective in leadership since it attracts followers to own change.

The Physiology of Fitness Essay Example for Free

The Physiology of Fitness Essay What is an acute response? An acute response is an immediate response to exercise. Acute exercise will last throughout the full length of your training session. During the training session our bodies begin to respond to the exercises we are doing and begin to feel the changes within our bodies and mind due to physical strain and stress of the physical activity in lots of different ways. Musculoskeletal response Increased blood supply: the increased blood supply occurs in the body due to the increase in demand for more oxygen and this is due to the working muscles needing more oxygen and energy during exercise. With there been an increase in blood supply that means there will be greater amounts of oxygen been delivered around the body at a faster speed due to the heart pumping blood around the body at a faster pace. Increase in muscle pliability: Muscle pliability is the stretchiness of your muscles and connective tissues. When muscles become warm they become more pliable and this helps reduce the risk of an individual becoming injured during exercise and this is because the muscles contract quickly when the body is exercising. When the muscles are contracting they produce heat which then a=makes the muscle more pliable. The warmer the muscle becomes the further you can stretch it each time without the muscle becoming weakened or injured. Increased range of movement: Synovial fluid is the result of joint movement and allows joints to move without them rubbing together and causing friction. During exercise joint changes occur and this is because the synovial fluid becomes less viscous (the measure of thickness of a fluid) so therefore the range of movement at the joint will increase. Muscle fibre micro tears: When muscles are put under pressure whilst exercising tiny tears occur. These tears within the muscles cause swelling, which then puts pressure on the nerve endings which causes a lot of pain. To help strengthen the muscles and help repair the micro tears you need to rest and you can strengthen the muscles  by training. Energy systems Everything in our bodies requires energy and our body mainly needs energy to move. Energy can be generated in different ways and this is depending upon the duration or intensity of the exercise that the individual is performing. Phosphocreatine: The ATP-PC system can also been known as the alactic acid system. During exercise the ATP-PC energy system works between 1-10 seconds long it usually consists of different sport activities like: high jumpers, long jumpers, javelin and shot putters. This energy system doesn’t produce lactic acid and it works without oxygen. When the body has been doing exercise your body uses the energy source ATP. When ATP has been used within the body this energy system is the first fuel to be called upon the body to resynthesize ATP. ATP-PC utilizes Phosphatecreatine and this then allows high intensity muscle contractions. The maximum storage this energy can take up without the individual training is less than 8 seconds in duration. So this means tha t this energy system can work at a high intensity but only for a short period of time! There are ways in which Creatine phosphate (CP) can be increased within the human body and that is through training. By training levels of CP will increase by: †¢Speed training †¢Creatine loading Both of these delay the use of the lactic anaerobic system but even though it delays it still gives 15 seconds of energy stored in the body. The ATP is stored in the muscle and liver and this can produce energy quickly. Nerve impulses in the body trigger the breakdown of ATP into ADP, however for this to continue ad for the body to continue to use this energy system, the ATP must be resyntesized /rebuilt and this comes from the splitting of phosphocreatine. When the ATP is used, it is rebuilt but this will only happen as long as there is phosphocreatine available within the body. Energy is released from the phosphocreatine breaking off and from this it resynthesizes in the mitochondria and the ADP adds on the phosphate to remake ATP. The ATP-P system doesn’t provide a lot of energy but it is used for quick and powerful movements. For example: A 100m runner would use the ATP-PC system due to the fact that the athlete would need a short powerful burst of movement to be able to get off the blocks quickly. Another example  of this energy is for a shot putter. They would use this energy system because they don’t need a lot of energy for their sport, all they need is a short powerful burst of energy to be able to get a strong, powerful thrown and to be able to throw the shot-putt a long way. All these different sporting examples last up to 8-10 seconds and this is the energy production. The speed of energy production for Phosphocreatine is very fast, although the amount of ATP produced is very limited. The time it takes to recover from the ATP-PC energy system is 30 seconds up to 4 minutes. The phosphocreatine works when your body is working at high intensity at around 90-100%. The strengths of the Phosphocreatine system is because the source is stored in the muscles and liver so it can produce energy very quickly using a short burst. This means that there will be a higher force of contraction. There are also no waste products within this system. Another advantage/strength of this energy system is the recovery time. Phosphocreatine recovery time is shorter than the others which mean that the athlete can perform the event again quickly. For example: shot putters use this energy system because they have to perform 3 throws within a short period of time, so because the recovery time is between 30 seconds to 3 minutes this is the perfect energy system due to the fact they need to recover quickly to be back to their top level of performance. To improve the force of contraction, an athlete should do plyometric training and Creatine loading, this will increase powerful movements. There are some weaknesses of the Phosphocreatine system and there are: the amount of ATP that is produced is limited. It is limited due to the Creatine been stored in the muscles and liver. Although it gives a short burst of energy it only lasts around 8 seconds which is a weakness if it is used for endurance events because it wouldn’t be able to produce an explosive and powerful movement. A marathon runner wouldn’t be able to use this Phosphocreatine system because it only releases a short burst of energy of about 8 seconds whereas marathon runners need to use the aerobic energy system because the duration is unlimited and the oxygen will never run out. Lactic acid: This energy system is used without using any oxygen. It is used for activities that use large amounts of energy over a short period of time. The glycogen stored in the muscles helps the breakdown of ATP to become ADP  with no oxygen involved. Seen as though the glycogen is stored in the muscles and liver it is available quickly. This system provides ATP when ATP-PC runs out. ATP-PC lasts for a few seconds; the lactic acid system is an anaerobic energy system which allows 2-3 minutes of work. In the lactic acid system the process to produce ATP is not as fast as ATP-PC which makes contractions slower. When oxygen is not present the end product of glycolysis is lactic acid this causes the muscles to fatigue. Anaerobic glycolysis but it is then less efficient in producing ATP than aerobic glycolysis but is needed for a large burst of energy lasting a few minutes. The speed of the energy production in the Lactic acid system is fast, the energy source is glycogen. Although the amount of ATP produced is limited. Lactic acid is the by product in the production of waste products. This anaerobic energy system is used when the body is working at a moderate intensity of 60-95%. The length of time it takes to recover when the Lactic acid system has been used is 20 minutes up to 2 hours. For example: This energy system would be used for events and sports such as 800m, football and rugby games. The Lactic acid energy system would be used when an athlete is performing the 800m because you need a large burst of energy but you need it to last for a few minutes, as you do for a football, rugby game. Although all these sports would use all of the energy systems in some form. You would also use this anaerobic energy system for football/rugby game because the glycogen is stored in the muscle and liver so it is available quickly and the time is takes to recover is short so it can keep replenishing itself throughout the game. The strengths of the Lactic acid system is that is produces energy quickly, compared to the aerobic system because that releases energy slowly but lasts for an unlimited duration whereas the lactic acid system is a high intensity but for a long duration. This system lasts longer than the Phosphocreatine system because the lactic acid system uses glycogen stores which aid the resynthesis of ATP. The weaknesses of this system are that it doesn’t last as long as the aerobic energy system because the glycogen stores are limited which means it doesn’t produce energy for as long. Another disadvantage is that it causes lactic acid within the muscles which causes muscle soreness and fatigue which could lead to a drop in intensity. Aerobic: The aerobic energy system is the energy system that uses oxygen; it uses large muscle groups continuously over a period of time. Aerobic glycolysis and fatty oxidation is the resynthesis of ATP from carbohydrates and fat. Aerobic glycolysis uses glucose from the stores of the body. Glucose and oxygen are transported by the working muscles by the blood. These substances are then used by the body to produce energy. These substances are then used by the body to produce energy. This process creates the by-products carbon dioxide and water. This energy system is used for intensity exercise because this system uses oxygen. This allows unlimited duration at low intensity. Aerobic energy system uses long chain stores of glucose, this then break up further into glucose which is then used as a fuel within the body. This happens through the process of glycolysis and then in to the Krebs cycle where here it completes the oxidation of glucose, this creates more ATP. The chemical process in which it goes through, an aerobic glycolysis occurs is when Creatine Phosphate runs out, the muscles call upon the stores of glucose (glycogen). This system creates a waste product which is called Pyruvic acid. The body deals with this by the oxygen breaking down the Pyruvic acid into carbon dioxide and water. However if activity levels are too intense and not enough oxygen can be inspired then the Pyruvic acid is not broken down and it then converts into lactic acid. The speed of energy production for the aerobic energy system is slow but the amount of ATP that is produced is unlimited. This is why this energy system is used for marathon runners and cross country runners because they need to use large muscle groups within their body but for a long period of time. They also use this system because the amount of oxygen produced is unlimited so they can produce energy forever and ever without the oxygen never running out. This is why the lactic acid system and Phosphocreatine system isn’t used for long distance runners because the oxygen will run out. The advantages of the anaerobic energy system are that the system will work for an unlimited period providing glycogen stores and oxygen with high enough levels. This system lasts longer than the other two which allows an athlete to maintain high workloads for longer period of time. Another advantage would be that it can respond to high workloads much more quickly than the aerobic system meaning it can last for longer periods of time. Furthermore the anaerobic energy system is capable of supplying fuel to the cells even  when there is an oxygen deficit, which means that even when there is low oxygen the cells will still get some energy. The disadvantages of the anaerobic system are the fact that due to the lack of oxygen, glycolysis takes place which is catabolic (destructive) to the muscle cells if the process continues for too long. Lactate and hydrogen ions are produced. The lactate is used to continue energy production (current theory), while the hydrogen ions irritate the muscle tissue and chemically limit muscle contraction. This creates the burning sensation and the heavy wooden feeling in the muscles. Another disadvantage to this energy system would be that the system cannot supply energy for extended periods. When fully trained, an athlete can sustain sub anaerobic threshold intensities for 1 to 1.5 hours. Fuel resources are used up very rapidly and the body cannot synthesize fats and protein quickly enough to supply this system so, glycogen and carbohydrates must be used. Energy continuum: The term energy continuum is used to describe the types of energy system that are used during various physical activities. Energy is obtained through food and this is particularly carbohydrates and fats. This energy is transferred from the food into the proteins that are in the muscles. By the body doing this it will help determine the capacity at which intensity the body will exercise for. †¢The energy continuum is the interaction of the 3 energy systems to provide energy to resynthesize ATP. It shows the predominant system or percentage of each system dependant on their intensity and duration of the activity. †¢The most dominant energy system within our bodies would be the ATP/PC. At the beginning of exercise all three energy systems start however as we begin to exercise the PC (Phosphate Creatine) is used up meaning the lactic acid system then takes over. After this (depending on the intensity of the activity), the lactic acid/aerobic energy system is reached between 1-3 minutes. The aerobic system now becomes the main provider of energy for the ATP resynthesis. Describe the cardiovascular and respiratory systems responses to acute exercise Heart rate anticipatory response: This means the rate that the heart reaches before the start of exercise. When the body knows that it’s about to do exercise, the heart rate increases even though no exercise has  been done yet. Nerves release chemicals in the body which adjust the heart rate to increase the heart rate. This is because the body knows exercise is about to be done therefore the heart rate increases pumping more oxygenated blood to the muscles ensuring that the muscles already have a sufficient supply of oxygen for when they begin to exercise. Activity response: The activity response is very similar to the heart rate anticipatory response. At the start of exercise, nerves in the medulla detect cardiovascular activity. The nerves then send out chemical signals which increase the heart rate and the strength at which the heart is pumping. This makes more blood travel to the working muscles faster which is vital as the blood contains oxygen which ensures the muscles can carry on working. Regional blood flow is also altered to meet the requirements of blood needed at working places. This means that the working areas such as the quadriceps when running will have a higher blood flow coming to it than un-working areas such as the kidneys. Increased blood pressure: There are two types of blood pressure and these are known as systolic and diastolic. One of the body’s acute responses to exercise is to increase the blood pressure. This is because the demand for oxygenated blood to the working muscles increases therefore the amount and speed of the blood going to the working muscles must also increase. There are mechanisms in place which prevent blood pressure getting too high as this can cause a heart attack and possible death. Vasoconstriction: Vasoconstriction is when the body notices a change in temperature and begins become to come cold and it does certain things to ensure the body doesn’t lose too much heat. The blood vessels of the body constrict which means they decrease in size and this ensures as much heat as possible remains in the body as there is a smaller surface area and the blood flow decreases. Vasodilatation: Vasodilatation is one of the mechanisms the body has in place to ensure it remains at a safe temperature. It is the opposite of vasoconstriction in the way that vasodilatation functions to cool the body down. When the body notices the temperature is too high, the blood vessels will dilate which means to increase in size in an attempt to increase the blood flow. The larger surface area allows more heat to diffuse out of the body and therefore cools the body down. Control of breathing (neural): When an individual is doing exercise their body  needs more oxygen to be brought into our to the fact the demand for oxygen increases from the working muscles in order to carry on working. This is why our breathing rate increases when we are doing exercise. More oxygen is brought in by the increased breathing rate which goes on to be diffused into the blood and transported to the working muscles. If breathing rate didn’t increase, there wouldn’t be enough oxygen to meet the demands of the working muscles and exercise wouldn’t be able to take place. Control of breathing (chemical): Within our bodies there are things called chemoreceptors and these are what help to detect an imbalance of carbon dioxide levels and oxygen levels in the blood. Chemoreceptors are hydrogen ions that measure the pH levels of the blood. If something is not right, this hydrogen ion can tell the breathing rate to increase to ensure that the blood becomes neutral again. Increased tidal volume: Tidal volume is the measure of the amount of air inhaled and exhaled with each breath we take. During exercise, the tidal volume increases a significant amount. This increase happens as the breathing rate has to meet the huge demands of oxygen needed by the respiring muscles. The increase of the tidal volume allows a bigger intake of oxygen and also a bigger exhale of carbon dioxide which is produced by the working muscles and needs to be out of the body as it is a waste product.

Assertion of Indianness in Amish Tripathi’s Trilogy

Assertion of Indianness in Amish Tripathi’s Trilogy In the present times, with expanding globalisation, the world is getting closer. Prospects for Indian writings in English, in this scenario, have also expanded. English is gaining popularity and the same has become a language of upper and middle class Indians. Indian writings in English are not only popular among these classes of Indians but are also being read across the world. Contemporary Indian writers who write in English try their best to show themselves as much rooted as possible in Indian Culture and assert their Indianness. In this paper, we’ll analyse Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy to explore his assertion of Indianness. Amish Tripathi is known for his mythological fiction writing in the era when other writers mostly highlight contemporary family values, moral values, customs, culture and many other aspects to emphasize Indianness in their writing, Amish Tripathi has chosen mythology to assert the Indianness. In this study, we will also look at Tripathi’s views regarding Indianness and see how far has he succeeded in asserting Indianness in his trilogy. Before we move ahead it is necessary to understand the concept of Indianness. India is a land of co-existing multiple cultures and traditions. U.S. Rukhaiyar and Amar Nath Prasad in Studies in Indian Poetry in English state that â€Å"Indianness is a particular, individualistic ‘life-attitude’ and ‘mode of perception’ † (149). They further quote Prof. V.K. Gokak who describes Indianness as â€Å"a composite awareness in the matter of race, milieu, language and religion† (149). Thus, Indianness can be considered as the summation of diverse cultures of India and ideology and ideals which composes India. Amish Tripathi’s first book of the trilogy, The Immortals of Meluha was published in 2010 followed by The Secret of the Nagas in 2011 and The Oath of Vayuputras in 2013. Tripathi appears to be a devotee of Shiva (S. Pandit). Although, during his youth he was an atheist but he returned to faith, when started writing these books (S. Babbar). He became religious to the extent to regard religion as a trope to define Indianness. Tripathi defines Indianness in Verve as follows: The Indianness of India lies in our religiosity. I wouldn’t restrict it to any particular religion, since we have practically every religion in the world existing within India. It is our attitude towards religion. Simply put, our deep religiosity defines the Indianness of India. Now, if his turning religious is only for getting a wider readership in India where majority of people are religious or if he truly felt it, is something we don’t know. But, certainly his trilogy occurs as a persuading text for our not-much-caring-about-religion youth to attract them to become religious. His first book begins at ‘Mansarovar Lake’ in Tibet in 1900 BC where Shiva is the chief of a tribe called ‘Gunas’. The story begins when Shiva along with his tribe decides to move to ‘Meluha’, an organised (read more cultured and prosperous) kingdom with facilities and comfort, to avoid attacks from a neighbouring tribe called ‘Pakratis’. Shiva meets the immortal Meluhans that follow the path set out by Ram and call themselves ‘Suryavanshis’. Soon on an occasion, Shiva drinks ‘Somras’ that gives Shiva a blue throat. There was a prophecy that Suryavanshis believed in. According to which the blue throated one, the ‘Neelkantha’ will gain them victory over their rivals, ‘Chandravanshis’ who have hired evil assassins, the ‘Nagas’ to attack and conquer Meluha. Shiva, there, also meets a beautiful girl named Sati and marries her. Sati is kidnapped by a Naga in front of Shiva. As a result, Shiva soon learns that ‘Chandravanshis’ are not the real evil and marches to the land of Nagas in search of evil in The Secret of the Nagas. That land of Nagas is shown as occupied by deformed beings. During his quest he meets Kali, sister of his wife Sati and Ganesh, the first son of Sati. In The Oath of Vayuputras Shiva gets to know about the ill effects of Somras. It has caused reduction in the water level of Saraswati River and the waste formed during the manufacture of Somras was put in the Tsangpo River, which has caused plague in a place called Branga. Also, the birth deformities of Nagas were caused by it. After learning that Meluha is the heart of producing Somras, Shiv attacks Meluha. He acquires ‘Pashupatiastra’ from Vayuputras, a tribe led by previous Mahadev, Rudra that avowed to support Neelkantha, and destroys Devagiri, the capital of Meluha. Amish Tripathi makes use of the ancient Indian mythology of Shiva, but blends it with fiction. According to A Glossary of Literary Terms by M. H. Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham, mythology â€Å"is a system of hereditary stories of ancient origin which were once believed to be true by a particular cultural group, and which served to explain why the world is as it is and things happen as they do, to provide a rationale for social customs and observances, and to establish the rules by which people conduct their lives.† Mythology may be considered to be history by a few people, but one could argue that it is fiction and therefore there is no single version of mythology. It is generally twisted and turned according to one’s belief. Indian Mythology, in the same way, provides a way of life for Indians. Tripathi refers to the mythology of Shiva that can be found in the epic called Shivpuran. Encyclopaedia Britannica provides glimpses of Shiva’s stature in Hindu or Indian culture as: Shiva, (Sanskrit: â€Å"Auspicious One†)†¦one of the main deities of Hinduism, whom Shaivas worship as the supreme god (Shaivism). Among his common epithets are Shambhu (â€Å"Benign†), Shankara (â€Å"Beneficent†), Mahesha (â€Å"Great Lord†), and Mahadeva (â€Å"Great God†)†¦Shiva is represented in a variety of forms: in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Skanda, as the cosmic dancer (Nataraja), as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Shiva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female (Ardhanarishvara). As Bhairava, he is often depicted as a Dalit (formerly called an untouchable) and accompanied by a dog. He is both the great ascetic and the master of fertility, and he is the master of both poison and medicine, through his ambivalent power over snakes. As Lord of Beasts (Pashupati), he is the benevolent herdsman—or, at times, the merciless slaughterer of the â₠¬Å"beasts† that are the human souls in his care. Tripathi takes up traditional Indian mythology, which is regarded as factual history by some especially religious ones and as fiction by others, and creates his own fiction. The story that Tripathi weaves is such that it includes major characters and events related to Shiva in the ancient Indian mythology but modifies the traditional narrative. The actions, the narrative, signs and codes of traditional mythology are changed to the extent that they â€Å"are reduced to names, vague references and symbols, while the poetic abilities of the author are hampered by religious sentiments† (Eric M. Gurevitch). Shiva although embodies the same power and same status but the manner in which events associated with him takes place are altered. Ganesh, traditionally believed to be Shiva’s own son is shown here as a child bore by Sati, Shiva’s wife, prior to their marriage. So what we can see is that Tripathi plays with traditional mythology that we know about. Also, Tripathi has shown his characters not as Gods but as humans. Shiva, Sati, Kali, Ganesh, Kartik, they are all there in human believable form unlike their projection in Vedas and Puranas where they had supernatural powers. Shiva is the chief of a Tibetan tribe and others also have human forms. However, these humans that Tripathi depicts are too perfect for being a human. For example, Shiva is always morally correct. His relationship with Sati is never shown as a relationship of passion that a human being might have. Therefore, we can say that the values that a traditional Shiva possess are not violated by Tripathi. He is a God-like person. Thus, we see a fine balance of Tripathi’s own imagination and traditional ancient Indian mythology. Since Mythology, on its own, has no rigid boundaries and could be moulded or transformed up to any stretch of imagination of writer himself, these novels provide an alternate mythology for the Indian reader. However, for a non- Indian reader who is not well acquainted with traditional mythology of India, this trilogy can serve as the only mythology of India. Tripathi in his novels has also tried to amalgamate ancient Indian mythology with recent history and contemporary reality. The relationship between Meluha, the land of Suryavanshi’s and Swadeep, the kingdom of Chandravanshi’s reminds the readers of the relationship between India and Pakistan. Chandravanshis constantly attacked Suryavanshis which is reminiscent of terrorist attacks by Pakistan (Eric .M. Gurevitch). Also, Pakistanis uphold the symbol of moon which again links it to the Chandravanshis, where ‘Chandra’ means moon. Although, Tripathi by showing that Chandravanshis are not the real evil is highlighting that Pakistanis may be misunderstood by Indians. One can also say that the tensions between Meluhans and Nagas replicates the tension between India and China or Indian government and the Northeastern Tribes of India. ‘Naga’ is an actual tribe in northeast India. The Nagas in the story are neglected, feared and looked at as enemy because of their abnormality. Kali and Ganesha were abandoned by Meluhans because they had an extra pair of hands and an animal head. Kali and Ganesh attacks Meluhans to assert their independence and to mark their identity. It resembles the strife that we constantly see between north-east Indians and rest of Indians because of their Mongoloid looks that are uncommon outside north-east India. Tripathi also brings in International tensions in his fiction. The picture of Meluhans producing toxic Somras that causes deformities in Nagas reminds us of World War II, where USA dropped Atom Bombs upon Japan that causes various deformities in Japanese of radiation affected areas till date. Another aspect that makes his mythological fiction in tune with contemporary world is the introduction of scientific dimension. When Shiva reaches Meluha for the first time he sees that Meluhans use modern equipment like showers etc. They also excel in medicine. And apart from this, they are advanced enough to produce Somras which is told to be a chemical compound, which if taken in undiluted form can be poisonous. Also, the two Asrtras, ‘Brahmastra’ and ‘Pashupatiastra’ mentioned in the books can be seen as a product of modern science. The Pashupatiastra is a missile (possibly nuclear fission missile) of Pashupati (another name of Lord Shiva in traditional Hindu Mythology), used to destroy specific targeted area, while the Brahmastra is a missile (possibly nuclear fusion missile) of Brahma which does not have a controlled effect. (Sreedharan 778) It is clear that Tripathi indulges in all the above aspects as he is aspiring for larger readership. New generations that are inclined towards science and the older ones that still holds on to mythology, both are attracted towards this amalgam that Tripathi has created. With this, he is reviving interest of young generation, which is overshadowed by scientific reasoning, in mythology by justifying mythology through science and warfare technology. This combination of science and mythology that Tripathi uses, makes his novels and the ideas that he infuses in them as more acceptable to the reader. Despite above, one cannot ignore his conspicuous argument that he is trying to show in his Trilogy about Indianness that we’ll see later in this paper. Furthermore, Tripathi also showcases Indian values, traditions and customs efficiently. Throughout the series, we see that there is commitment in each and every relationship portrayed. The relationship between Shiva and Sati is a strong bond which is not broken even when Shiva gets to know about Ganesha. Sati and Shiva both are equally respectful to each other. Similarly, Shiva is a true friend. He doesn’t let his position as a chief come between him and Bhadra. He always wonders â€Å"Why does he keeps forgetting that he has been my closest friend since childhood? My becoming the chief hasn’t really changed anything.† (The Immortals of Meluha 13) Apart from this Indian salutation of ‘Namaste’ is constantly used in the books along with the gesture of bowing down and touching somebody’s feet out of respect. Though Tripathi claims to assert Indianness through his trilogy, one needs to understand his notion of Indianness and his literary practice, which could be disappointing for some readers. Even though he expressed his version of Indianness in Verve referred above where he seems to believe that Indianness is defined by religiosity and all the religions evoke the idea of Indianness, but while writing this Trilogy, he completely ignored all other religions but Hinduism. This fact emphasizes that to become more Indian, Hinduism is the only way. Hinduism might be a way of life for majority of Indians, but Indian culture cannot be defined in terms of Hinduism only. Indian culture is a diverse cultural and is formed by different communities having different faiths. Also, what about those citizens of India that are non- religious. Are they not true Indians? By giving himself to a single faith, despite his claim of multiplicity of religious faith, Tripathi seems to be propagating Hinduism. Exc ept this, he takes all the right steps as he blends in all the other elements to make his trilogy acceptable for most readers spreading across all the age groups and nations. Thus, though it seems that Tripathi has been able to assert his version of Indianness by resorting to mythology, where he relates it to contemporary reality and also by showing traditions and customs practiced in India. But he definitely could not provide true idea of Indianness which embodies the idea of ‘unity in diversity’. He appears to believe that if one wants to be more Indian, then one should embrace his or her religiosity. According to this statement, he clearly seems to neglect the group of non- believers in India. However, even if we ignore the fact that he has neglected the group of non-believers in his ideology of Indianness, he by not involving other religious beliefs, has not been able to implement his ideology successfully in his works till date. Despite this approach, Tripathi has succeeded in garnering commercial success but he also apparently has succeeded in propagating Hinduism. Moreover, it is important to see that while writing this Trilogy, he has considered Hindu mythology as Indian mythology, which could possibly be because Hinduism is originated from India, while other religions like Christianity and Islam did not. Religions like Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism have their roots in some way or the other in Hinduism. However, his considering Hindu mythology as Indian mythology led to ignoring all the other mythologies of India, even that of native tribal communities of India. He has neglected the diversity of Indian culture. And that is why it is difficult to say that Tripathi has been able to assert Indianness successfully and justly. We can still hope that he might include all those categories of so far neglected people in his upcoming works and will be able to present a more justified, true and acceptable picture of Indianness because Tripathi’s novels have a huge readership including young generation across the world. His representation of Indianness in a truer manner will help these readers to get a better and near to truth picture of India. Works Cited Abrams, M.H., Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 10th ed. Delhi: Cengage Learning India Pvt Ltd, 2012. Print. Babbar, Sonakshi. â€Å"Writing changed me from an atheist to a Shiva bhakt: Amish Tripathi†. Hindustan Times 10 September 2011. Print. Gurevitch, Eric .M. â€Å"Implausible Deniability – Reading Amish Tripathi’s ‘Shiva’ Trilogy: Eric Gurevitch†. Kafila. 28 April 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. Pandit, Shruti. My books are Shiva’s blessings. The Times of India 12 June 2012. Print. Rukhaiyar, U.S., and Amar Nath Prasad. Studies in Indian Poetry in English. New Delhi: Sarup Sons, 2002. Print. â€Å"Shiva†. Encyclopaedia Britannica. n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014. Sreedharan, M.S. Bharatiya Vigyan Manjusha. New Delhi: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 2005. Print. Tripathi, Amish. The Immortals of Meluha. Chennai: Westland Ltd, 2010. Print. . The Secret of the Nagas. Chennai: Westland Ltd, 2011. Print. . The Oath of Vayuputras. Chennai: Westland Ltd, 2013. Print. â€Å"The Indianness of India†. Verve Volume 20, Issue 8, August 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.

Women in India Essay -- Gender Roles, Misogynistic Societies, Oppressi

Historical records show evidence of a continuing trend of women across the globe becoming victims of misogynistic societies. The oppression faced by women on a continual basis has led to a fight for equal rights in each sphere of society. However, there has been limited success and more failures than one wishes to recall, and women continue to be oppressed in nearly all aspects of life, from political to personal and from public to private. It is essential to address and comprehend that the foundation for women's inequality today, is patriarchal cultures, which are majority of the time, founded on patriarchal religions. Women are not considered to be fully equal human beings deserving of the same dignity, rights, and treatment as men. Women are, instead, valued for providing sex to men — whether as wives or as prostitutes — and then for their ability to spend their entire time keeping house, preserving the family, and raising children (Cline, 2007). Most cases of inequ ality to this extent are present in third world and developing countries such as India where women are victims from birth as they are marginalized as second class citizens in the patriarchal community. The patriarchal culture of India is an excellent example of a culture where a woman has always been the sole property of her father, brother or husband without any will of her own. The majority of the time, women in India are victimized at the hands of these relatives. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every hour that ticks by in India inflicts more brutality on women, with two rapes, two kidnappings, four molestations and seven incidents of cruelty from husbands and relatives (The Times of India, 2008). Such staggering statistics are rooted in a combina... ... involvement in disputes over dowry transactions may result in members of the woman’s own family being subject to criminal proceedings and potentially imprisoned. Moreover, police action is unlikely to stop the demands for dowry payments (Hitchcock, 2001). Married life is something that young women around the world look forward to, but for most women in India it results in being a nightmare through which they have to fight to survive. Majority of the women are brought up with very orthodox morals, so they are not very likely to ever defy the male figures in their lives even if it means that it will cost them their lives. The newlywed brides who bring with them an adequate dowry or are fortunate enough to find good in laws do not go through the horrors that some face, but could possibly have to deal with other pressures which are pushed upon them by their in laws.

How Musical Artist Attempt to Persuade their Audience :: Politics Artists Political Persuasion Essays

How Musical Artist Attempt to Persuade their Audience For years, musical artists have attempted to use their influence to push their audience towards certain political views. From Country Joe in the 1960’s to Eminem in the present day, artists have used lyrics and/or actions to try to persuade their listeners. Whether they were effective or not, is another question, and in most cases would be difficult prove. The four artists that we decided to focus on were Country Joe and the Fish, Eminem, and P. Diddy. The following paper is divided into sections to make it easier to focus on each artist separately because they are so different. Finally At the end we come together to explain how they are alike by sharing at common goal; to persuade their audiences. County Joe and the Fish and Artists of that Time Period In the 1960s, a combination of politics, music, and youth helped to make it one of the most memorable decades. Artists such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Country Joe and the Fish, took advantage of their poetic license by writing lyrics full of love, peace, political progress, and hope for change. Concerts like the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock brought potential voters and youth together to unite their views and to voice freedom. Such performers as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Country Joe and the Fish used their songs to present their political views. . According to Bill Belmont's research of the band, Country Joe and the Fish started as a political band for entertainment. In 1965, members of the Free Speech Movement of the University of California - Berkeley organized a number of demonstrations against the war in Vietnam. Using experience from the Civil Rights Movement, the organizers always provided entertainment before or after the march to grasp the public’s attention. At this time, folk music was making a comeback and bands were forming ( Belmont 1). Belmont goes to describe how Joe McDonald, the lead singer of Country Joe, was editing a magazine he had created, Rag Baby, and ran out of ideas for writing material. He then had an idea of creating an issue where the contents were voiced and eventually ended up recording a record. The record consisted of two songs by a group featuring Joe, named â€Å"Country Joe and the Fish†, and two songs by local singer, Peter Krug. One of the songs by Joe's group, â€Å"I Feel Like I’m Fixin To Die Rag† became so popular that Joe decided to form a rock band under the same name of â€Å"Country Joe and the Fish† ( Belmont).

Sports Narrative - Wrestling :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Wrestling CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, echoes through my head as I walk to the middle of the mat. "At 160lbs Aidan Conner of La Junta vs. Rodney Jones of Hotchkiss." All I can think of is every bead of sweat, every drip of blood, every mile, every push up, every tear. Why? All of this: just to be victorious. All in preparation for one match, six minutes. For some these six minutes may only be a glimpse, and then again for some it may be the biggest six minutes of their life. Many get the chance to experience it more than once. Some may work harder and want it more than others, but they may never get the chance. All they get is a moral victory. Every kid, every man comes into the tournament with a goal. For some is to win, for some is to place, others are just happy to qualify. These six minutes come on a cold frigid night in February at a place called the Pepsi Center. Once a year this gathering takes place when the small and the large, the best of the best, come to compete in front thousands of people. I am at the Colorado State Wrestling Championships. Ever since the previous season I had my standards set high. I had placed fifth, which was all right for the time being, but I knew as time went on I needed to push myself and increase my level of wrestling. I decided that I would do whatever it took, through thick and thin. I traveled to small local tournaments in Colorado, and a couple out-of-state tournaments, I even traveled to Delaware. It didn't really matter how I did at these tournaments because it was just all practice until February. So, I lifted and wrestled just about every chance I got. It was all in preparation for one match, six minutes. Starting the season as the second ranked wrestler in the state, I was just where I wanted to be, noticed, but not the "top dog". I did well during the season; not losing to anybody in the 3A classification. I didn't do quite what I wanted, but I wasn't going to complain. A broken hand after the second weekend of competition didn't help any, but I fought through it and kept my eyes set on one opponent, one goal, one match, six minutes.

Cause and Effect of Cigarette Smoking

It is mandatory for this message to be printed on every pack because of how serious the effects of smoking are and how easy it is to become addicted to smoking them. There are millions of campaigns and advertisements against cigarette smoking communicating to the world that this terrible habit causes many illnesses ultimately leading to death. But a threat to health obviously does not seem to be a good enough reason for people to quit anymore, people somehow block this important information and ignore all of the possible consequences they are facing themselves with when they continue to smoke. The purpose of this essay is to discuss some of the many effects of cigarette smoking, including the broadly mentioned possibility of developing cancer or dying. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. Cigarette smoking is directly responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer cases in the United States annually. Both non small cell lung cancer and small lung cancer can be caused by cigarette smoking, cigar smoking and second hand smoke. It can be difficult to diagnosis lung cancer early because the symptoms often do not present themselves aggressively until the disease is in advanced stages, which puts people in an even worse situation. If cancer is found, the doctor will take the time to do some staging which is determining whether it has spread to other parts of the body such as the brain or bones. One of the stages is referred to as Stage 0 non-small cell lung cancer which is also called carcinoma. It is the earliest stage that lung cancer can typically be detected but unfortunately for people bound to consume this cancer, it is rarely found at this stage, and when it is, it is normally an incidental finding when testing is done for some other reason. Lung cancer should be completely curable at this stage, meaning not in all cases. With that being said, many people with stage 0 lung cancer, have or will develop second primary cancers. 20 percent of all deaths from heart disease in the United States are directly related to cigarette smoking. The heart is the most important organ in the body, pumping blood, life-giving oxygen and nutrients to all tissues of the body. If the pumping action of the heart becomes inefficient, vital organs like the brain and kidneys suffer, like a chain reaction. Death will occur within minutes if the heart stops working altogether. It is astonishing how life itself is completely dependent on the efficient operation of the heart and people still decide to take up the habit of smoking, leading to this disease. There are many kinds of heart disease, each of them affecting the heart in several ways, one of them being coronary artery disease which is directly related to smoking. Coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, creating blockages in the vessels that nourish the heart itself. Atherosclerosis occurs when the arteries become clogged and narrowed, restricting blood flow, ultimately starving the heart of oxygen and other vital nutrients it depends on to work properly. Lungs become damaged due to reactions to irritants entering the airways and alveoli and lead to emphysema. The major cause of emphysema is smoking. When people are exposed to cigarette smoke, the air sacs of the lungs create defensive cells known as macrophages, which eat the inhaled particles. Macrophages are stimulated to release materials which can destroy the proteins that allow the lungs to expand and contract, called collagen. This causes difficulty for a person to exhale so the next breath taken is started with more air in the lungs. The trapped old air takes up space so the alveoli, tiny air sacs in lungs, are unable to fill with enough fresh air to supply the body with the appropriate oxygen. This causes someone to be short of breath and diminishes the ability to properly exhale. Will all of the information provided in the world and all of the advertisement including the warning posted on every pack of cigarettes against the use of these harmful vises, you would think we would have less smokers, but that is incorrect. You would also assume that with all the damage that comes with smoking over the years, including death; that we would have fewer smokers, but again, that is incorrect. People still insist on putting themselves in harm’s way and continue to be smokers.