Professional Development of the Nursing Professionals Essay Example for Free

Professional Development of the Nursing Professionals Essay In 2010 the Affordable Care ACT was signed into law. With these laws, the United States is being provided an opportunity to completely redesign its health care system. The model includes heath care that is easier to access, affordable by all, higher safety standards, and higher quality with improved patient outcomes (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). The United States’ health care workforce is largely comprised of nursing professionals. Their role can be pivotal with the reorganization, but are faced with a number of barriers. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the IOM responded to the need for the assessment and transformation of the nursing profession by producing a report which provides recommendations for the future of nursing. Within this report, four key messages were created, the first three being our focus today: * Nurses should use their education and training to its fullest extent * Nurses should expand their education levels and training via seamless, progressive educational models * Nurses should play a leadership role with other health care professionals to reorganize health care * Improved medical health records data and containment systems for more efficient planning and policy creation (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). Obtaining an RN degree should be only the beginning of the lifelong learning process for nursing professionals. Obtaining a higher degree level (BSN or above) should be a smooth process which is encouraged and rewarded. The report recommends licensing, certifying and accrediting bureaus create mandatory competencies and evidence of skills mastery as a complement to the degree program and board exams (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine,  2010). This will ensure effective critical thinking processes and increase patient safety. Creating a more diverse nursing population will open otherwise previous barriers to this vastly expanding field, while allowing the patient population to widen their views of what nursing really entales. After all, the nursing population should be as diverse as the patient population. Finally, educating nursing students alongside other health professionals, including physicians, throughout their nursing careers will encourage them to become future lead ers working collaboratively together. (Cresaia Friberg, 2010) The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will challenge health professionals to create a more patient centered system. Opening new opportunities for expanding the nursing role and scope will help to bridge the gap in care for chronic conditions, preventative medicine, palliative care, and coordination and transition of care (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). By delivering care to the community and focusing on wellness, prevention and education, healthcare will again be reinvented and adapt to the growing needs of the communities. Creating new careers and scopes of practice for advanced degree nurses will enable patients to have easier access to health care, and more affordable care. Advanced degree nurses are known to provide longer consultations, and provide more education-based, preventative medicine, and increase recall (Laurant, Reeves, Hermens, Braspenning, Grol, 2009). With the nursing profession continuing to change, more nursing leadership roles are evolving. Though the community is not accustomed to visualizing a nurse in leadership capacity, all nurses must become leaders in order to transform the current working model into the patient centered model. More leadership skills and positions will be necessary to design, implement, evaluate and advocate for the future of health care needs. Working alongside physicians and other health professionals require these leadership skills to achieve a targeted outcome. This also transcends to the care environment by ensuring evidence-based improvements are implemented. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 will provide an opportunity for the health  care system in the United States to be completely redesigned. With nursing being the largest health care profession, nurses can assist with obtaining the objectives in the IOM report which suggests recommendations for the future of nursing (Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine, 2010). Allowing nurse to use their education and competencies to their fullest, more higher degree level nurses will emerge. By expanding their education and training, more leaders in nursing will be created and new opportunities will arise. Community oriented, wellness and disease prevention will be crucial to the growing community needs. By placing Nurse Practitioners in these areas of expertise, cost will be lowered and patient satisfaction, as well as outcome will rise. Furthermore, working as a partnership with physicians and other health care professionals will create a more collaborative working environment and provide b etter patient outcomes as well. References Cresaia, J., Friberg, E. (2010). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier. Laurant, M., Reeves, D., Hermens, R., Braspenning, J., Grol, R. (2009). Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care. The Cochrane Library. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001271.pub2/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+4+Feb+from+10-12+GMT+for+monthly+maintenance Robert Wood Johnson, Institute of Medicine. (2010, October 5, 2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (Institute of Medicine). : Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing.

Gourmet Pasta Brand Analysis

Gourmet Pasta Brand Analysis Name- Charanjot Sethi Introduction:- As I have done in the first assessment how to prepare the audit for gourmet Pasta and in this assessment I am going to do conduct a audit to see progress of that business and I would use all this sales records and their financial records that has been increase or decrease by the last one year or two years. The many types of pasta in your kitchen have traveled a long road. Soon after early man began to plant grain, woman began to grind flour; shape or cut lumps of dough, and throw them in the soup. Thus was pasta invented at different times and in different parts of Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean Scholars and others have traced-and imagined-lines of migration and influence, but they look more like fussily than spaghetti. Along the journey from prehistoric dumpling to tagliatelle al ragà ¹, neat timelines are few; the most rewarding route will be a tour of scattered highlights. Conduct an external audit:- Data and information is classified as their qualitative or quantitative. As that gourmet Pasts Company was using flyers in local letterbox but that was only junk mail anyway. It can be easily to measured and analysis to determine quantity or extent of factors being investigated. Quantitave data is focused on words and observation not numbers. as that pasta company gives us their sales records for that year of 2009 which are showing that how was their sales going on into that time in the market. External audit:- EXTERNAL AUDIT is an audit conducted by an individual or firm that is independent of the company being audited. These independent auditors audit the books of a company generally once per year after the completion of the companys fiscal year. Their role is to give an opinion of the financial statements reflection of the status and operations of the company being audited. Based on what they witness during the audit they will also produce, for management and board utilization, a management letter. Although a financial statement audit is the most common type of external audit, external auditors may also conduct special purpose audits which might include; performing specific tests and procedures and reporting on the results, a less intensive review, and compilations. An external marketing audit covers issues such as economic factors, demographic factors, technology factors and legal factors. Economic factors: gourmet pasts company thinks about their sales that has a big change from last years and they are not having a up to date staff that who could provide all the information as they mentioned in the case study one of their staff member do not know how to attended phone call for the take away orders and that effects the business most. They are not achieving short, medium and long term expectation of their business in regards of their staff and their credit availability. Demographic factors: according to the demographic that area has most of the people between age group of 25-50, and young professional who live close to the location and their income over $60000. I think they have to be careful because they are getting trouble with their competitors that next to them and they all are busy all the time that affects a lot on gourmet pats restaurant. Technological factors:-gourmet pasta have problem about their parking area that have big impact on people having access to the restaurants at night. They should provide new products and they could change their names according to their types. They could start doing online services and need to update their business and services that they are providing to the customers. Legal factors:-according to me they have to follow the rules and regulation according to the government if they changing their price list they should mentioned in advance to their regular customers because it impact the business lot. They have to keep in mind what are the new rules and make sure they are following them according to the government. External micro factors:- those factors that meet audit requirements include:- Market characteristics:-  that is the trend of market for restaurants is headed towards a more sophisticated customers. The restaurants patron today relative to yesterday is more sophisticated in a number of different ways. As now days the preference for high-quality ingredients is increasing as customers are learning to appreciate the qualitative differences. Customer need:- sartos pasta is providing with a wide selection of high-quality pasta dishes that are unique and pleasing in presentation and utilize top-shelf ingredients. Sartos gourmet pasta seeks to fulfill some benefits that are important for their customers. Competitors factors: as the owner of pasta restaurant explained that their competitors, had built a large 30 seat outdoor eating area and that it seemed to be full every time he went past and looked in and also one of the franchise chains, pasta bite, had opened up in the adjacent suburb giving the local customers greater options in pasta. Conduct internal audit: Internal audit is a dynamic profession involved in helping organizations achieve their objectives. It is concerned with evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes in an organization. To do this, internal auditors work with management to systematically review systems and operations. These reviews (audits) are aimed at identifying how well risks are managed including whether the right processes are in place, and whether agreed procedures are being adhered to. Audits can also identify areas where efficiencies or innovations might be made. Internal audits are organized under an ongoing program of review and advisory activity this is based on the strategic needs of an organisation. In the course of their role, internal auditors work across all areas of an organisation. In addition to core areas of financial control and IT, they review the tangible aspects of operations, such as an organizations supply chain or IT systems; as well as more intangible aspects such as organizational culture and ethics. In fact, any system that has an impact on the effective operation of an organisation may be included in internal audits scope. The criteria to be used:-in the internal audit we are focusing on sales analysis, SWOT analysis, product development, profitability and efficiency. they all are mentioned below:- SWOT analysis:-a swot analysis examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the business. As we strengths and weaknesses are factors that are able to control by the business. They both need to be consider from the perspective of the customers and should only be assessed based on their ability to assist or prevent the business in meeting market needs. Opportunities and threats exist independent of the business and are often beyond its control. Pasta company owner has to match internal strengths with external opportunities to create the best competitive advantage. Sales record:-as the company financial record staff member gave me the detail about the actual sales of 2009 which is below:- Segment Budget-2009 Actual-2009 individuals 120,000 121,000 families 150,000 112,000 Take away 180,000 203,000 Total 450,000 436,000 Functional efficiency, internal interface and:- Gourmet pasta restaurants owner need to make sure that their relationship between sales and marketing are good and they are working effectively or he need to bring some changes in. to make sure everything working properly he need to check all the service are up-to date and products and their technological skills are changed according to the new time basis. He should know that their staff members know all the service how to answers on the phone and how to serve people with reasonable manners and that would impact his business with positive way. He should know about all the problems that are happening into the business and he need to consternate on them and they need to be fixed such as manufactured, fiancà ©, purchasing and new product development. Marketing system:- Marketing system is a set of procedures and methods designed to generate, analyze, disseminate, and store anticipated marketing decision information on a regular, continuous basis. An information system can be used operationally, managerially, and strategically for several aspects of marketing. A marketing information system can be used operationally, managerially, and strategically for several aspects of marketing. We all know that no marketing activity can be carried out in isolation, know when we say it doesnt work in isolation that means there are various forces could be external or internal, controllable or uncontrollable which are working on it. Thus to know which forces are acting on it and its impact the marketer needs to gathering the data through its own resources which in terms of marketing we can say he is trying to gather the market information or form a marketing information system. This collection of information is a continuous process that gathers data from a variety of sources synthesizes it and sends it to those responsible for meeting the market places needs. The effectiveness of marketing decision is proved if it has a strong information system offering the firm a Competitive advantage. Marketing Information should not be approached in an infrequent manner. If research is done this way, a firm could face these risks: Opportunities may be missed. There may be a lack of awareness of environmental changes and competitors actions. Data collection may be difficult to analyze over several time periods. Marketing plans and decisions may not be properly reviewed. Data collection may be disjointed. Previous studies may not be stored in an easy to use format. Time lags may result if a new study is required. Actions may be reactionary rather than anticipatory. And the owners of that business have to control all those kind of risk and problems that affect the business. Marketing productivity:- Measuring too much can be as bad as no measurement at all. ECI will assist you in navigating through the data and research maze of marketing analytics. The result of our data architecture audit is clearly defined key performance indicators that explain and clearly correlate to long- and short-term marketing and business success. To secure transparency and up-to-date overviews of your marketing performance we will support you in the implementation of extranet and dash-board solutions. Technology will not only increase productivity in the day-to-day marketing process, but also secure ownership of information and models related to your significant marketing and media investments. The system will track your investments from allocation of funds for marketing all the way to the profit and payback. The output of the process will be clear input to future briefings.

Financial Analysis Of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc Finance Essay

Financial Analysis Of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc Finance Essay Krispy Kreme Financial Analysis Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc is business that is involved in retail and wholesale of packaged sweets and doughnuts. Its initial business is franchising and also owning Krispy Kreme stores. At the beginning of 2010, they had 224 outlets in America and 358 shops all over the world. The company has four segments of operation; company stores, KK supply chain, international franchise stores and also stores franchised in America. In Krispy Kreme depreciation analysis, there are various methods used to calculate depreciation and these methods include; units of production, double declining balance and straight line (Warren 2008). Krispy Kreme uses the straight line method to calculate depreciation on their assets such as buildings, equipment, machinery and also leasehold equipments. The straight line method of calculating depreciation results in a constant annual depreciation charge.They make a breakdown of depreciation of all their assets and it consists of buildings, equipment, machinery, leasehold improvement, construction that are in progress and also land. In 2002, the total gross property and equipment was $156,484,000 and in 2003 it was $252,770,000. What had accumulated depreciation was $43,907,000 in 2002 and $50,212,000. Finding the net property and equipment is calculated by taking the gross amount for equipment and property and subtracting the depretiation that has accumulated. Krispy Kreme also uses SFAS-142 to account for all the intangible assets. In this method, intangible assets that have indefinite life are not amortized, since they will be subject to impairment test. By using SFAS-142 it results in more volatility in the reported income since impairment losses can occur irregularly in varying amounts. In the reports it is clear that, in reporting Operating Cash Flows Krispy Kreme uses the Indirect Method. In 2001 the money that was provided for operating activities was $32,112, 000 and the money allocated for dividends was $7,005,000. The money that was used for operating activities was more than the paid for dividends. The company decided it will pay cash dividends in 2002 and 2003. The item used in reconciling the difference that is between net income and cash flow from operations is the increase from expenses of $7,966,000, while in 2002, the highest value item in reconciling the difference between net income and cash flow from operations was $13,317,000 increase in receivables; in 2003, the highest value item that was used to reconciling the difference between net income and cash flow from operations is the tax benefit from the exercise of nonqualified stock options which was $13,795,000. The highest amount for investing activities was $37,310 for additions to property and equipment. In 2003, the highest amount for investing activities is $83,196 and was used for additions to property and equipment. So, cash outflow in investing activities increased in 2003. The highest amount for financing activities in 2002, is the cash inflow of $17,202 these are the proceeds from stock sale. In 2003, the highest amount for financing activities is the $2,170 cash outflow that is meant to repay the companies long term debt. There is an improvement in Liquidity from 2002 to 2003, this is evident by the increase in the cash flow provided to operating activities which increased from $36,210 in 2002 to $51,036 in 2003. The Company funds the capital requirements by using the cash that is generated from the business operations. As it is well stated in the report, We funded our capital requirements for fiscal 2000, 2001, and 2002 primarily through cash flow generated from operationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Over the past three years, we have greatly improved the amount of cash we generate from operations. We believe our cash flow generation ability is becoming a financial strength and will aid in the expansion of our business. By the using the financial ratios, Krispy Kreme has a good financial healthy with a lot of growth prospects in the market; in using the Liquidity Ratios, The Companys Current ratio has grown from 1.94 in 2002 to 2.36 in 2003. The Quick ratio has grown from 1.63 for 2002 to 1.96 for 2003. Cash ratio has grown from 0.42 for 2002 to 0.54 for 2003. The increase in liquidity ratios in the years 2002 and 2003 is an indicator that company has improved in ability to repay short term debt and also good message to the company investor and prospective investors. In the Long Term Solvency Ratios, the Total Debt ratio for Krispy Kreme has grown from 0.27 for 2002 to 0.33 for 2003, and the Debt-to-Equity ratio has grown from 0.36 for 2002 to 0.50 for 2003. An increase in Debt-to-equity ratio is an indicator that company uses debts to run its operation. As the cost of debt is less than the cost of equity so WACC of the company will reduce down. A high debt-to-equity ratio puts a company at the risk of solvency if the debt is not managed. The Times Interest earned ratio has dropped from 127.25 for 2002 to 31.75 for 2003. High increase in debt-to-equity ratio and drop in Times Interest earned ratio are indicators that the company ability to pay its long term debt is put into question. The Asset Utilization Ratios for Krispy Kremes Inventory Turnover, has decreased from 22.49 for 2002 to 18.83 for 2003 and the Day Sales for Inventory has increased from 18.61 for 2002 to 23.31 for 2003. This is an indicator the inventory is not as well managed in 2003 as it was done in 2002. The Receivables Turnover ratio has decreases from 16.87 for 2002 to 16.05 for 2003 and the Day Sales in Receivables has increased from 24.89 for 2002 to 25.52 for 2003. The Total Assets Turnover ratio has also deteriorated from 1.85 in 2002 to 1.48 in 2003. The ratio indicates efficiency of utilization of assets has reduced in 2003. In the Profitability Ratio for Krispy Kreme, although the companys Profit Margin has increased from 6.69% for 2002 to 6.81% for 2003, the Return on Assets has declined from 10.33% to 8.16%, and also the Return on Equity have also gone down from 14.06% to 12.25%. But EPS of Krispy Kreme has increased from 0.49 for 2002 to 0.61 for 2003, which is a rise of 24.5%. Companys profit margin and EPS have both increased in 2003 when compared to 2002; this is even when the increase in profit margin is not significant. Krispy Kreme has been able to generally control its costs of sales. The Costs of sales are growing slower than the growth in sales. The growth in the operating expenses is less than growth of sales in both years 2002 and 2003. In 2002 and 2003 percentage increase in income tax is higher than percentage change in sales. The Net profit increase in percentage terms is more than the increase in the amount of sales increase. This is an indicator that there is an efficient operation of Krispy Kreme. Increase in percentage of the General and Administrative Expenses is more than increase in sales in both years 2002 and 2003. The company say that this is the case due to the massive expansion program that they have embarked on and thus they have incurred cost by hiring more employees by paying their salaries and other related costs. The number of shares which are outstanding has increased from 54,271 thousand to 56,295 thousand in 2003; this is a rise of 3.73%. Krispy Kreme has allowed 10,000 shares of preferential stock but has not gone forward to issue them. There have not been any dividend payments since 2001 by Krispy Kreme. Therefore the Yield from Dividend s is 0% for 2002 and 2003. There is an increase in Earnings per share from $0.49 for 2002 to $0.61 in 2003; this is an evidence of potential for the growth of the company. The assets of the company have also grown in 2003. This helps to indicate that Krispy Kremes stock is a Growth Stock and helps to explain the investors have not been paid any dividend. This is well stated in the report as is well explained, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We intend to retain our earnings to finance the expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable futureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Dividend Payments are restricted by our bank credit facilitie s to 50% of our net income for the immediately preceding fiscal year Like a lot of companies globally, there is an increase in the number of challenges that affect operations of all companies in the market. Some of the challenges that are facing Krispy Kreme are; increase in competition, there are changes in customer preferences and tastes, the abilities of Krispy Kreme to manage growth, the quality of the franchise stores that are in operations, also the delays in the opening of stores and changes in technology. The price and also the availability of the raw materials necessary to run their operations is also a major challenge to Krispy Kreme. The human resource that is hired by the company is the most important asset and thus they should ensure that they help the company to overcome all the challenges. The staff must work hard by developing strategies that position Krispy Kreme for success in the future. The management must drive the company to success, this will be possible by the managing accounting ensuring they maintain well and report all the f inancial results to the managers. These reports should be both nonfinancial and financial reports and in them they should include; projections, company estimates and forecasts. Krispy Kreme is a company that is growing well and has a health financial position. The company has a solid capital investment worldwide and its cash flow is commendable. The cash flow is used to fund a lot of operations and is very important to the company. The Improvement in liquidity ratio is a good sign for the company and a growth by 24.5% in EPS shows that the company is growing. The decision by the company not to pay dividend in 2002 and 2003 is wise since the company has embarked on expansion program. The major concern is the ability of the company to service its long term debts; the company should also improve its utilization of assets and efficiently manage its inventory.

My Favorite Seasons: Summer and Winter Essay example -- Personal Narrat

If I had to choose my favorite season it would be a very difficult choice. All four seasons are unique in their own special way, such as the climate, scenery, and activities. Although I enjoy the warmer months of summer, I also enjoy the cooler months of winter. In a sense, I have narrowed my favorite seasons down to two; summer and winter. The biggest difference between summer and winter is the climate. One of the main attractions of summer is the warm weather. I like being outside on a bright sunny day, and letting the sun warm my body. I also like that we get an occasional thunder storm. The excitement fills the air when I see the thunder clouds rolling in. The sound of thunder, and the lighting shows that come from the storms are fascinating. On the other hand winter i...

Free Siddhartha Essays: The River and the Mind/Body Dichotomy :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

The River and the Mind/Body Dichotomy in Siddhartha In Herman Hesse's work Siddhartha, the primary physical symbol of division is the river. One side of the river represents "geist", or a realm concerned with the spiritual world. The second side represents "natur", the natural world where the flesh is engorged with pleasure and earthly satisfaction. Siddhartha begins on the spiritual side of the river. He is in training to become an excellent Brahmin like his father, much is expected of this intelligent and attractive young man. Yet Siddhartha feels a rumbling in his body and mind. His soul is not satisfied with the answers that he has received about problems in life. He feels the need to live his home in order to find these answers. He is willing to sacrifice security for insecurity and danger. His travels renew and strengthen his spirit. The structure of the story is centered around the apparatus of "iterative-durative time", a technique in which the author follows a loose linear chronlogy, with each part covering approximately twenty years, while only about one or two of those years are described in any detail. The effect easily lulls the reader into a perception of the passing time. He first spends time with a roving band of asceitics, forest-dwelling nomads that prefer to live a life of extreme sacrifice and self-denial. Siddhartha masters their art and goals, but shortly decides to move on after only a few years. He is not able to find his quest for salvation and understanding on such a path. Throughout his journey, his friend Govinda stays by his side. He decides to leave the town with him, come with him and practice with the ascetics, and then agrees to leave with him to seek out the Illustrious One, Gotama. Siddhartha does not find the answers to his spiritual queries here either, and decides to move on again. This time Govinda, his "shadow", decides to stay and make a niche for himself. Siddhartha strikes out on his own, crossing the center symbol of the river with the help of the boatman Vasudeva. After crossing the river he encounters an Indian woman who encourages him and allows him to kiss her nipple. His experience with the "natur" world has begun, hi s experiences of the sense being heightened and readied for a sensual deluge. He remains on the sensual side of the river for twenty years and in that time impregnates his seductive teacher and partner Kamala.

Method of Radical Doubt

The method of doubt that is used to attain certainty was formulated by famous Western philosopher Rene Descartes (Burnham & Fieser). It was initially formulated to be a method for religion, science, and epistemology (Burnham & Fieser). He lived in the 16th to 17th century, and created works on mathematics and physics (Burnham & Fieser). His method of radical or hyperbolic doubt was a product of his being a radical skeptic. This position means that Descartes did not readily accept anything as true. Moreover, he did not immediately classify anything as knowledge. Thus, contrary to the inclinations of philosophers and thinkers of his time, he never believed in anything unless they passed his test of indubitability (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes vehemently denied the prevailing concepts of his time, as put forward by the Aristotelian, Scholastic, and Medieval traditions (Burnham & Fieser). This gave birth to his determination to be a radical skeptic, which for him allowed him to start anew in his quest for a philosophical foundation (Burnham & Fieser). However, it is important to note that Descartes’ radical skepticism is different from the position of other skeptics, which is doubting for the sake of doubting. Feature Article Relative Rates:  Free-Radical Bromination Being a radical skeptic, Descartes desperately searched for true knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). For him, knowledge is based on truth and indubitability (Burnham & Fieser). A certain proposition would only be accepted as knowledge if it were true and does not entertain doubt (Burnham & Fieser). For example, one’s knowledge of a table is brought about by his belief that it is true and real. Descartes formulated a criteria of knowledge based on clarity and distinctness, which gives a person confidence in his determination of whether a statement is worthy of being accepted as true knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ radical skepticism is characterized by his comprehensive rejection of the reliability of accepting ideas as truth or knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). He is known for the wide-ranging premise that truth is not represented by a person’s ideas (Burnham & Fieser). For him, ideas cannot be automatically classified as truth (Burnham & Fieser). Quite the contrary, ideas obscure a person’s perception of the truth. (Burnham & Fieser). Thus Descartes rejected all ideas that are susceptible to doubt. In this connection, he likewise excluded mere wishes or opinions from real knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). For him, such dubitable ideas could not serve the purpose of determining the foundation for philosophy or knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ method of hyperbolic doubt was explained in detail in his work published in 1641, entitled Meditations on First Philosophy, wherein he discussed issues regarding the existence of God and the distinction between mind and body (Burnham & Fieser). In this book, Descartes concluded that there is at least a doubting being whose existence is independent of its body; namely, himself (Burnham & Fieser, 2006). Descartes’ method of hyperbolic doubt consists of several stages (Burnham & Fieser). First, it involves the identification of a class of knowledge that is unreliable because it is not credible (Burnham & Fieser). This class of knowledge refers to sensory information, or those gathered from sensory stimuli (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ choice of doubting sensory knowledge is based on his stand that sensory knowledge has been known for failing in the past (Burnham & Fieser). Furthermore, Descartes claims that there is a distinct possibility that it will still fail in the future. Moreover, he referred to optical illusions, which are sensory knowledge that is based on deception. They make a person believe that his perceptions differ from what truly exists in the world (Burnham & Fieser. For Descartes, therefore, sensory knowledge cannot be trusted. Descartes next subjected his own ideas to radical doubt (Burnham & Fieser). This he did by imagining that there exists a God who deceives him into thinking his thought, beliefs, and perceptions. (Burnham & Fieser, 2006). However, due to Descartes’ strong belief in God, he later replaced the idea of God as the deceiver to avoid disagreeing with his Christian belief, and conjured the idea of a malevolent demon who deceives him (Burnham & Fieser). Under this test, Descartes was able to conclude that even his own ideas cannot be trusted because they can still be doubted, since they could have been implanted in his mind by the malevolent demon (Burnham & Fieser). Finally, Descartes settled with the conclusion that he exists (Burnham & Fieser). This conclusion he reached through mental intuition, because he noticed that there were statements that are presented to his mind with sufficient clarity and distinctness that there is no reason to doubt them (Burnham & Fieser). This gave rise to his famous phrase, â€Å"I think therefore I am,† or â€Å"Cogito ergo sum (Burnham & Fieser).† This cannot be doubted, because the fact that he doubts shows that there is an existing entity who performs the doubting (Burnham & Fieser). If he did not exist in the first place, then there is no being whom the malevolent demon would be deceiving (Burnham & Fieser).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In sum, Descartes arrived at one conclusion using his method of radical doubt. This conclusion is that it is the indubitable truth that he is a thinking entity that exists (Burnham & Fieser). Works Cited Burnham, D. & Fieser, J. â€Å"Renà © Descartes (1596-1650).† The Internet Encyclopedia of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Philosophy. 2006. 1 Apr. 2007 .      

Southeast Asia

2. What are some of the ways in which power manifests itself in Southeast Asia? Illustrate your answer with at least 3 examples. The concept of power is one that has existed in Southeast Asia for a long period of time. Unlike that of the Western regions, where power is more of a concept and is intangible, power in Southeast Asia is more concrete and real. Power is defined as the possession of control or command over others (Dictionary. com, n. d. In the context of Southeast Asia, power is gained through control of powerful items or valuable resources, as this would usually translate to wealth, a higher position within the social hierarchy, and hence more command over other people. In Southeast Asia, the focus is on accumulating more command and control, instead of just exercising it. Due to the long history of trade and migration within Southeast Asia itself, these concepts have inevitably become a coherent and homogenous one. My essay will seek to show the various ways that power is manifested, particularly in three different levels within a nation state.Firstly, power exists on a national level via certain nation state political models. Secondly, within a nation state, power manifests in different groups of religions, as religious beliefs have influenced how they attempt to both acquire and accumulate power. Thirdly, power exists among individuals, in the idea of merit and social mobility throughout one's social hierarchy. Firstly, the most evident way that power is manifested in Southeast Asia is on a national level, through nation states' political systems. One such political system is the mandala system, where power is centralized and drawn towards the sacred core.One might imagine this visually as a series of concentric ever widening circles, with state authority fading as the circles widen. What mattered was the sacred centre, not the borders (Tambiah, 1970). This political system was typically found in Pre-colonial nation states in Southeast Asia. For e xample, in the 13th Century, King Suryavarman II spread its Mandala polity throughout the state of Angkor by building the renowned ‘Angkor Wat’ among many monasteries and temples in the centre of the state (Dellios, 2003).Thereafter, advantaged by its location on the northwest shore, Angkor relied successfully on trade of its wet-rice agriculture to produce great amounts of wealth, enough to support a population of a million people (Dellios, 2003) In this aspect, power is recognised in the form of wealth, as many people saw ‘Angkor Wat’ and its surrounding temples as the sacred centre that drew the wealth towards the core of its nation. Because Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II, many people also acknowledged him as a manifestation of god, someone with immense power.In a mandala polity where power diffuses further away from the centre, these people tried to get closer to the centre, hence giving King Suryavarman II even more command and power over them. A more recent example of a region following the mandala system can be found along the Thai-Burmese border, where the Akha, a tribal upland ethnic minority, reside (Tooker, 1996). Under Thai law, the lands which the Akha and other upland groups occupy are owned by instead owned by the state. This insinuates that power is directed towards the centre, in the lowlands where the state resides.On the other hand, the Akha, who reside by the highlands and are thus further away from the centre, have much lesser power. For instance, the Akhas suffered from occasional forced labour, extortion by government officials and forced migration (Tooker, 1996) by the state. In this context, the state has command over the Akha tribe and this allowed them to control the Arkas' resources, such as human labour, and wealth in the form of money. This is thus consistent with the mandala model, whereby the centre is most crucial and the borders are less important because power is drawn to the core.Furthe rmore, villages surrounding this state tend to be aligned such that their hierarchically highest individual, the ‘founder-chief’ is centrally located within their village (Tooker, 1996) . They believed this would usher in prosperity because it was aligned with that of the cosmos, which in this case was associated to the central core of the state itself. This reinforces another characteristic of the mandala political model, the patchwork construction; where smaller centres surrounding the core could preserve a greater deal of autonomy for acknowledging the potency of the central state.Secondly, looking within a state itself, power is also manifested among different religions in Southeast Asia, as religious beliefs have continually influenced the way southeast Asians try to both acquire and accumulate command and control. One way is through the acquisition of sacred or mythical objects, which they believed were associated with power. An example of such an object is the kr is, a unique ancestral dagger with a wavy blade, which was considered the paramount prestige weapon across many religions in pre-independence Indonesia, particularly in the Binamese culture (Hitchcock, 1987).Here, the kris was seen to contain magical and sacred powers, believed to be bestowed by the gods, making it a sacred object that is coveted because of its devine connection. Hitchcock also noted that it was crucial for the personality of the kris to mesh positively with the personality of its owner, which i feel is important because of their aim to accumulate more power from the kris. Furthermore, in the Binamese culture, where imperial status was often inherited, the royal kris was a prized heirloom that visually depicted a genetic relationship to the former ruler (Hitchcock, 1987).In this aspect, the kris can be seen as a symbol of a ruler's mandate to the rule. Hence, the kris can be considered as a powerful object because possessing it granted a ruler with overwhelming comm and and control over the people. The power of the kris is further exemplified when you consider the social status of its manufacturer, usually known as a smith, in traditional times. For instance, let us examine Java, where in the past, a smith had a very high social status, considered to be just below the government of princes and having an honoured position in court (Wrassers, 1940).Wrassers (1940) even goes a step further to examine the ancient times, where the roles of a smith and prince more or less coincided, to the point that their relationship was sometimes likened to that of brothers. Hence, we can see that a kris was considered so sacred and powerful in Java that the manufacturers association with it vaulted his social status to the very top of the hierarchy, indirectly giving him more power in the Javanese society. Another way in which religious beliefs have influenced the acquisition and accumulation of power is through certain religious practices, such as those of the M ien people of Thailand.For example, in their Mien wedding ceremonies, a medium, together with the groom and his father, are required to offer spirit-money to the ancestors by kneeling in front of a bed of corn and burning the spirit-money on it (Jonsson, 2004). These spirit-money, often made of paper, is burned and thus considered transformed into the realms of spirits. In this case, power is manifested in the form of money and wealth, as these exchanges with ancestor spirits brought honour and wealth into the spirit world and in return, urged blessings and wealth for the Mien household.The idea being that having more money and wealth would vault one higher up the social hierarchy, hence giving them more authority and control over those of a lower social status in the hierarchy. I feel that this depicts a patron-client relationship between the spiritual ancestors and the descendants of the Mien household. The spiritual ancestors, who reside in the spiritual realm, are the patrons as they possess spiritual and divine power because of their ability to bestow a household with wealth.The descendents are then the clients who benefit from this wealth bestowed upon their household, but the amount of benefits received will depend on how much resources, in this case the spirit money, they can offer these ancestors. Thirdly, power is also evident when we focus on individuals within a state itself. It exists in the idea of merit and social mobility, because merit traditionally denotes the position and degree of mobility one has within the social hierarchy (Adams & Gillogy, 2011, p. 5) One is in a disadvantageous social position if he or she lacks merit, but the more merit one accumulated, the greater ability he had to move up the social hierarchy and gain power and control over those below this social hierarchy. In Thailand, merit is directly linked to the amount of resources that one owns. Thus the two ways to move up the social hierarchy is either through accumulating more resources independently, or forming a patron-client relationship with another possessing greater resources than yourself (Adams & Gillogy, 2011, p. 2). It is a patron-client relationship because the leader has to reciprocate the benefits he accepted from the client. Forming this patron-client relationship is usually preferred as it is much easier. When many such relationships are formed with the same patron, the resources of the group increase and they grow in size and stability, hence denoting more merit and power within the social hierarchy. Adams and Gillogy (2001) also noted that the resources are first distributed to those close to the leader, and diminishes down the scale.Hence, we can see that social mobility is prevalent as individuals can ascend from the bottom of the Thai social hierarchy as long as he could find the correct patron and accumulate sufficient merit in the form of resources. This idea of merit and social mobility also exists in Laos, where merit is linke d directly to wealth, and the most effective way of obtaining merit is through doing virtuous and moral deeds. This is because Laotians believe that wealth can beget to wealth via the mechanism of merit.One example would be religious offerings, such as daily offering of food to the monks or grand donations to sponsor temple buildings (Adams & Gillogy, 2011, p. 41) . They hope that their donations will increase their merit, thus bringing them wealth and other positive outcomes, in this and the next life. This possibly explains why large donations are rarely anonymous, as the donor wants to be recognised for his contribution and eventually accumulate as much merit as possible.Hence, we can see that in this context, obtaining merit is important for Laotians because it increases their wealth and ultimately gives them an opportunity to move up the social hierarchy, thus gaining control over those now below them. This is also consistent with the idea of social mobility, in that it is not difficult to move up the social hierarchy in Laos as long as one accumulates sufficient merit. In retrospect, looking at modern Southeast Asia, while some new ideas of power have been introduced, such as those in the form of nuclear weapons and fear, some of these traditional ideas are still very relevant today.For example, elements of a sacred centre and religious beliefs exist till this day in Thailand. Sitting in the middle of the grand palace of Bangkok is the Emerald Buddha of Thailand. This key relic was captured from a Lao king by a Thai king in the 18th century and has since served as a marker of the Thai monarchy (Adams & Gillogy, 2011). It is a sacred relic with a history that both represents and embodies the king of Thailand's power because the Buddha is seen as divine and sacred in Buddhism, Thailand's main religion.In conclusion, power manifests differently across the three different levels of a nation state. Firstly through political models of a nation state itself, se condly through religious influences of a religion within the nation state, and lastly in the idea of merit and social mobility among individuals of the nation state. However, even though they manifest in different ways, ultimately the aim of accumulating more command and control is still unanimous throughout Southeast Asia. Total Word Count: 1996 Words ? Bibliography Adams, & Gillogy. (2011). Everyday life in Southeast Asia.Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Dellios, R. (2003). Mandala: From Sacred Origins to Soereign affairs in traditional Southeast Asia. Gold Coast, Australia: Bond University : School of Humanities and Social Sciences : Centre for East-West Cultural and Economic Studies. Dictionary. com. (n. d. ). Power. Retrieved Retrieved September 13 2012, from http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/power Hitchcock, M. (1987). The Binamese Kris: Aesthetics and Social Value. 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