Sixteen Candles Essays - African-American Culture,

Sixteen Candles The most popular and influential form of African-American pop music of the 1980's and 1990's, rap is also one of the most controversial styles of the rock era. And not just among the guardians of cultural taste and purity that have always been counted among rock 'n' roll's chief enemies--Black, White, rock and soul audiences continue to fiercely debate the musical and social merits of rap, whose most radical innovations subverted many of the musical and cultural tenets upon which rock was built. Most people refer to rap as a noise that black people make. Well it is not. Rap is defined as signifying, testifying, and shining of the titanic. Rap started in the south bronx section of New York.(Davey D. 7) Most of the rap that is heard today draws its rots from the jamacian art form known as toasting.(Davey D. 4) Another definitoin of rap which is most known, is saying rhymes to the beat of music. The main musical insturnments used in a rap song are, keyboards, turntables, drums, and musical bass.(busboy.com) The original rap started back in the 1940s with Cal Calloway. He is known for his signature Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-ho which was a chant from the Minnie Moocher In the 1940's, Calloway used a call and response format with his audience, which is one of the foundations of rap. (busboy.com) In the early 1800s, a new form of a music player came out, it was called the sampler. A sampler is an electronic device which can precisely replicate an existing sound or track of music. Today, we call this kind of device a drum machiene. Rappers use this machine to duplicate music tracks so that they dont have to have someone doing it for them all the time. This tool became verry useful in the music industry, today, almost all of the bands that you see in concert are using a drum machine, or a sampler.(busboy.com) Cinema and Television

Health policy as it relates to a health care program

Health policy as it relates to a health care program Abstract Survival in the health care world requires an informed person. Healthcare providers, administrators and patients are affected by decisions and health policies made on health care programs. Healthcare policies are closely tied with politics of United States where decisions are made to affect the entire population.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health policy as it relates to a health care program specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health policies are as a result of decisions made by many people in hospitals, the government, insurance industry, and some business corporations. Health care policies affect the effectiveness of service delivery in current health care programs. This paper seeks to highlight the influence of health policy on the development, operation, design, and effectiveness as it relates to the effectiveness of health care delivery systems of health care program. Introduction Health care programs offer the primary means of getting access to health care in the United States today. Designing of health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid involves extensive interactions among health insurers, health care providers, individuals, public and private sectors, and the government. Proposals in health coverage in general focus on their policy impact. Majority of proposals give only sketchy information about management. In addition, administrative costs stand for only a diminutive part of the total costs of a proposal (Darr Longest, 2008). Nevertheless, when matters of implementation are not addressed, expensive policies or programs fail to achieve their objectives. Health care policies affect the management and administrative issues, and this affects the effectiveness of health care programs (Morone, Litman, Robins, 2008). An important goal of health care programs is expanding access to inexpensive, high-quality health care (NAPA-NASI, 2009). This goal is met when heal th care policies provide a supportive environment. Health care policies affect planning, coordinating and implementation of healthcare programs.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It also affects the process of regulating health insurance, streamlining health care program markets, and the process of designing managerial organizations for health reform (Morone, Litman, Robins, 2008). Health care system in United States The three major issues facing the health care system of United States are access, cost, and quality. Improved access may quickly become expensive without slowing the increase of costs and without increasing the quality of health care (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Improvements quality and cost are consecutively likely to necessitate changes in the process of delivering health care. Financial access in health care is an important issue in United States; d ifferent financing models may have different implications on control of costs and performance improvement of the health care delivery system like Medicare and Medicaid (Angeles, 2009). The relationship between service delivery in health coverage and containing health costs is of utmost importance. Committed public administrators can make any health program to work on the ground. However policy makers can make the administrators’ task to be easy by considering administrative issues when creating proposals and legislations (NAPA-NASI, 2009). This is an important factor in creation of a successful health program. Administrative issues can either be specific to certain plans, or apply to a wide range of programs. The establishment of Medicare program in 1965 and the implementation of latest health care reforms experiences, gives some common lessons in planning for service delivery of health programs (Merlis, 2003). A case study of Medicare Medicare was signed into law in1965 by P resident Lyndon Johnson, and began offering benefits less than a year later in 1966. The program offered health care coverage to approximately nineteen million elderly people in US. Of the nineteen million, only half had previously had some form of health insurance. Medicaid, a joint federal-state program of medical assistance for poor people was also created. Medicaid created some significant alterations to disability benefits and social security retirement (NAPA-NASI, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health policy as it relates to a health care program specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The beginning of Medicare offers good instance of impact of health policy on healthcare programs. Implementation of Medicare had started earlier before the legislation was passed. Congressional leaders and administration had discussed the part of Medicare dealing with hospital insurance during the early 1960s. The prov isions of health insurance had been refined to assist administration. The program was supposed to begin in midsummer when hospital occupancy was low. Nursing homes coverage was supposed to start six months after hospital benefits to separate the two. A proposal to give beneficiaries a choice of benefit packages was rejected following its administrative complication (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Some aspects of legislation and health policies simplified the implementation of Medicare. An important policy aspect of Medicare was that it was a fully federal program that did not depend on the different interests and administrative capabilities of the states. It is important to note that there was a political agreement was not meant to reform delivery of, or payment for, health care. There was an agreement from the beginning of discussions that Medicare was to be administered by the Social Security Administration. This policy allowed the program to experience a tremendous success at the beginning. S ocial Security Administration had put in place a network of field offices for taking care of Medicare beneficiaries. The administration was supportive of the new program and was willing to take some chances to ensure its success (NAPA-NASI, 2009). The government of the day contributed a lot in designing of health policies. The federal government understood that Medicare was a main concern for the presidency of Johnson. The General Services Administration and the Civil Service Commission cooperated with Social Security to ensure the success of the program. The Social Security agency received additional funding, new staff and its training and new field offices. Social Security Administration devoted a small team to run Medicaid as compared to Medicare. In addition, its design and implementation was largely left to the states. The agency was left to implement and run the program without interference from the office of the president (Baucus, 2008).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The only notable major instance where the office of the president got involved was a few weeks before the launching of the program. The president was concerned about the likelihood of certain hospitals to be overwhelmed by a flood of newly insured elderly people. A system that was to track hospital occupancy rates was created to take care of this issue. The veterans and military hospitals were placed on standby, and plans were established to transport people. Eventually, capacity of hospitals proved more than enough to accommodate more people than it was anticipated (Darr Longest, 2008). The Social Security Administration developed consensus over policies via various informal task forces and working groups instead of depending on the formal federal rulemaking process. Proposed policies were presented to â€Å"the Health Insurance Benefits Advisory Council† after far-reaching staff work and discussions with all stakeholders. The agency took the council’s advice, althou gh it was not a requirement. Rather than in final regulations, policies were integrated in the conditions of participation for health care providers. In this regard, hospitals were required desegregate. Hospitals were required to comply with the Civil Rights Act by the federal officials (Ebeler, Van de Water, Dem, 2006). Policies were also designed to provide a tight time frame for the magnitude of the task. This facilitated implementation of Medicare in timely fashion due to the sense of urgency. The administration of Social Security was motivated to boost its morale. Offices were opened on evenings and weekends to allow more applicants into the program. The program also gained considerable support from advocacy groups and aging organizations. After enactment of the program, a lot of cooperation was obtained from all stakeholders (Etheredge, 2009). Regulation of health care programs and health insurance Health care programs have similar regulatory issues as other forms of insuranc e. The person covered under the healthcare program requires the program to provide a contract that meets realistic expectations about coverage. The individual also requires the health insurer to explain the nature of the cover being offered. As agreed in the health insurance policy, the individual requires his/her claims to be paid promptly and fairly. Before enrolling people into health care programs, the risks are assessed before the cover is granted. In ordinary health insurance programs, the insurer assesses the risks and may decide to decline the cover depending on risks (Hacker, 2007). Health insurance covers have had cases of fraud in marketing and claiming process. The government through state authorities has regulated the issuance of health insurance covers to protect the consumers. The federal government has also become more involved in financing and insurance of health care. Since the launch of healthcare programs, the authority of the states to control and regulate healt h insurance has been well established (Jost, 2009). The Supreme Court decided to put the health insurers under the federal control in 1945. The McCarran-Ferguson Act which enables the states to control insurance business was passed by the Congress. In each state, the insurance industry is regulated by a division of insurance or similar agency. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) controls and coordinates the regulation of multistate health insurance agencies. The model laws and regulations of NAIC usually act as the foundation for state policies. It also brings some degree of consistency to regulation of health insurance. Some premium taxes are imposed by the states on health insurers as a source of income (Hacker, 2009). The original emphasis of health insurance regulation was making sure that the financial accountability of insurers to pay claims was met. The federal bankruptcy code excludes insurers from its coverage and leaves the issue of assuring the solv ency of the insurer to the states. States have designed the process of managing insolvent health insurers and take care of their financial responsibilities. Traditional concerns of regulations are getting rid of deceptive advertising and marketing, follow-ups of consumer feedbacks, and review of health insurance policies (Monheit Cantor, 2004). Health insurers are faced with challenges when covering small groups since they pose threats of adverse selection. Small groups and individuals are sometimes denied the cover, have their covers cancelled or not renewed. High risk groups are sometimes given long waiting periods. Administrative activities, marketing and other expenses increase the cost associated with small groups and individual health insurance policies as compared to large groups (Van de Water Nathan, 2011). The state started to enact reforms of health insurance market associated wit small groups in 1990. Major changes included guaranteed issue and renewal of policies regar dless of health status of individuals. Restrictions on exclusions of existing health conditions were done to limit the difference in premiums. State regulators have to review premium schedules and insurance policies to ensure that they are in compliance and to limit on rates (Monheit Cantor, 2004). A few years ago, the states took deregulatory measures to assist the spread of high deductible health insurance plans. In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act approved tax subsidies for health savings accounts (HSAs) amid highly deductible health plans. The law did not obstruct any state insurance guideline. However, the states provided that the tax subsidies for HSAs would be accessible only in states that allowed high deductible plans (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Regulation of insurance has been a responsibility of the states for a long time. However, the roles of the federal government have grown in recent past. Federal regulation is primarily carried out through the income tax system, the Medi care and the Medicaid programs. The initial administrative rulings that employee contributions to health insurance plans sponsored by the employer are not taxable to both were confirmed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The tax subsidy has been conditioned on different legislation requirements although IRS gives little omission and has by and large been slow to create implementing policy or impose tax punishments for infringements. For instance, nondiscrimination provisions of the tax code forbid employers who are self insured from giving better tax favored health coverage to employees who are highly paid (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Presently, Medicare and Medicaid cover approximately a quarter of US citizens, and a third of health care expenses. The rules that regulate the coverage and payments for these programs constitute an important form of federal regulatory activity (Angeles, 2009). The result of failure to comply with the policies of the program is denial of program eligibility o r payment. In addition submitting inaccurate claims can results to civil or criminal penalties. Medicare is the largest purchaser and regulator of health care in the United States. This enables the program to exert a significant influence on the rest of the health care system (Ebeler, Van de Water, Dem, 2006). Public programs and private insurers have widely adopted the coverage policies and the payment system of Medicare. Majority of private health insurers follow Medicare’s lead in approval and adoption of new medical technologies. New payment mechanisms used by Medicare have been widely adopted by the private sector. For instance, the private sector has adopted the prospective payment system for hospitals and fee schedule for medical practitioners (Baucus, 2008). Medicare influences the way health care is provided through its participation conditions for hospitals and health plans. In addition, Medicare influences administrative procedures including reporting requirements and review practices of claims. State regulations that conflict with requirements of Medicare are generally preempted by the federal government. In this category are state regulations of private health plans that contribute in Medicare. States have the power to license and control the insurance agents and brokers dealing with private plans for healthcare. However, the states cannot control the organizations that provide the plans. On the contrary, federal requirements for Medicaid managed care organizations cannot prevent more strict state standards (Angeles, 2009). The responsibility of private health plans in Medicare was expanded by the Modernization Act of 2003. The act also broadened the federal preemption of state control of these plans. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 prohibits certain sales and marketing processes under Medicare Advantage plans and Prescription Drug Plans. According to state regulators, the present federal control structure for Medicare private does not sufficiently protect consumers. The state regulators have called for authority to impose state laws on marketing methods of insurers that sponsor them (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Medigap plans are the private plans offered to those already covered by Medicare to cover expenses that are not covered by Medicare. This plan is regulated by both state and federal government. A regulation model has been established as required by the federal law to include a standardized benefit strategy and marketing standards for all Medigap plans. The model has been incorporated in federal guidelines by the centers for Medicaid and Medicare services. States that are using the Medigap standards imposed by the federal law enforce them against the plans. In some cases, more strict standards are imposed by the states (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Payment responsibilities of medical services covered by both Medicare and other health insurance are governed by the federal law. Laws making payment by Medicare secondary to payment by health insurance plans sponsored by employers have been passed by the Congress. An excise duty is imposed for operating a health plan that goes against the regulations (Gluck Reno, 2001). The Employer Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) has the most important limitations of the federal government on regulation of health insurance by the state. The act takes over from the most state regulations applicable to health plans based on employment and subject to the federal law. However, the act does not apply to church or governmental sponsored plans. The implication is that the act’s preemption of state rules allows multistate employers to provide health benefits on a national basis. This is done without having to adapt their plans to specific state in which they function. Employers can steer clear of any state rule or taxation of its health plan if it assumes the plan’s financial risk and does not buy a cover for the funding of benefits. Particularly, it gets rid of state authorized benefits (NAPA-NASI, 2009). Initially When ERISA was enacted it covered mostly the pension plans and enforced no regulations on health insurance based on employment. The Congress then modified the act by adding comparatively few requirements. ERISA prevents the state regulation, but does not enforce much in the way of substantive regulation. This structure implies that self-funded employers have operated in a regulatory vacuum that is unreal. In order to provide continuance in some cases of employer-sponsored coverage that would otherwise be stopped, ERISA was amended by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) in 1985. The amendment required that employer with over twenty employees and who offer employers’ sponsored insurance covers to continue providing health insurance temporarily to employees who have lost coverage or stopped employment. In most cases, compliance with COBRA is impelled by the effort s of the Department of Labor and the risk of lawsuits posed by participants under ERISA (Darr Longest, 2008). To prohibit discrimination by employment-based group health plans in enrollment, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996. HIPAA curbs discrimination on the basis of health status. The act also limits the elimination of coverage for pre-existing health conditions and requires special enrollment in case of occurrence of such events. Without limiting the charges, HIPAA requires health insurers to avail and renew health coverage for small employers. Except under limited circumstances, health insurers operating in the individual market are also required by the act to guarantee restitution of coverage (Ebeler, Van de Water, Dem, 2006). Administrative responsibility is isolated in that the requirements of HIPAA are enforced under ERISA for employer-sponsored group health plans. As far as COBRA is concerned, the Department of the Treasur y has the power to impose an excise duty to enforce observance. Generally, states are accountable for implementing the necessities imposed on health insurance issuers in the individual markets. In addition, states may enforce more stringent regulations on health insurance issuers in some specific situations (Fowler Jost, 2008). Conclusion It is not possible to achieve a reformed health care system and healthcare programs without health insurance policies. Any proposal seeking to subsidize or direct health insurance must describe the insurance coverage to be subsidized, and set up measures for assuring that plans conform to the requirements. The financial responsibilities of the insurer and protection of consumers against errant insurers, fraudulent marketing practices, and denial of claims are very important in any healthcare program (Fowler Jost, 2008). It is important to note that the enforcement of a particular regulatory principle is a significant administrative issue. However , the appropriate content of regulation of health insurance is mainly a policy issue. The federal government does not have a significant administrative framework for regulating health insurance. On the contrary, states have substantial regulatory understanding and proficiency (NAPA-NASI, 2009). A number of regulatory approaches are possible if health insurance reform is to take place at the federal level. The federal government could adopt its own health insurance regulations and form an administrative framework to impose them. Although the federal government cannot constitutionally mandate states to enforce federal laws, it could provide financial incentives to the states to take regulatory and enforcement procedures (Gluck Reno, 2001). The federal government should exploit the states’ regulatory skills, experiences and administrative mechanisms for consumer protection. This can be approached by developing a uniform national standard for health insurance to be fundamentally imposed on states level. States should be given the mandate to impose the national standards against all health plans existing in the state. As the case foe Medigap plans, states should be allowed to create standards that are more protective of their populace. The responsibility of states in protection of consumers of health insurance is likely to become more sophisticated. Policy makers at federal level are required to identify the difference in the resources and potential from state to state. Policy makers should also ensure that the states have the needed resources to impose new regulations on health insurers. References Angeles. ( 2009). Improving Medicaid As Part of Building on the Current System to Achieve Universal Coverage. Washington: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Baucus, M. (2008). Call to Action, Health Reform 2009. Washington: Senate Finance. Darr, K., Longest, B. B. (2008). Managing Health Services Organizations and Systems. New York: Health Professions Pr. Ebeler, J., Van de Water, P. N., Dem, C. (2006). Improving the Medicare Savings Programs. Washington: National Academy of Social Insurance.. Etheredge, L. (2009, May 16). Government and Health Care Costs: The Influence of Research on Policy. Retrieved from University of Pennsylvania: www.upenn.edu/ldi/etheredge1.pdf Fowler, E. J., Jost, T. S. (2008). Why Public Programs Matter- and Wil lContinue to Matter- Even After Health Reform. Journal of Law, Medicine, Ethics , 36(4):670-76. Gluck, M. G., Reno, V. (2001). Reflections on Implementing Medicare. Washington: National Academy of Social Insurance. Hacker, J. (2007). Health Care for America. Briefing Paper No. 18. Washington: : Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Hacker, J. (2009). Healthy Competition: How to Structure Public Health Insurance Plan Choice to Ensure Risk-Sharing, Cost Control, and Quality Improvement. Washington: Institute for America’s Future. Jost, T. S. (2009). The Regulation of Private Health Insurance. Wash ington: NAPA/NASI. Merlis, M. (2003). The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Program Design, Reent Performance, and Implications for Medicare Reform. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Monheit, A. C., Cantor, J. C. (2004). State Health Insurance Market Reform. New York: Routledge. Morone, J. A., Litman, T. J., Robins, L. S. (2008). Health Politics and Policy. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning. NAPA-NASI. (2009). Administartive Solutions in Health Reforms: Administrative Issues in Expanding Access to Health Care. New York: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Van de Water, P. N., Nathan, R. P. (2011). Governance Issues for Health Insurance Exchanges. Health Policy Brief No. 1 (pp. 1-12). Washington: National Academy of Social Insuarnce (NASI).

Top 25 Book Report Ideas Ways to Create a Breathtaking Book Report

Top 25 Book Report Ideas Ways to Create a Breathtaking Book Report If you have the freedom of selecting a topic for your book report, check out our list of top 25 book report ideas and topics for a winning paper. Book report writing is a rather simple task, which doesn’t require considerable effort. However, if you are new to book report writing and have received your first writing assignment, we have something that might help you. While working on your report, please feel free to read the article on how to work on the book report. Top 25 Book Report Ideas Searching for book report template? Here is a great one below. BOOK REPORT TEMPLATE Here is a list of books that are believed to be very useful for all high school students (based on materials  of  NY Times and Lexington Public Library). Want to know more about book report format? Read the article below! BOOK REPORT FORMAT If you have the freedom of selecting your own book report topic and a  way to write it in, and you feel that you will need help with your project, we will be happy to assist. Just contact out customer support staff and they will help you through the ordering process. Place your order  right now!

The Article by Atul Gawande (2009) New Yorker Term Paper

The Article by Atul Gawande (2009) New Yorker - Term Paper Example Some scholars suggest that the system has drifted out of control: â€Å"Through no planned design or evil intent, our health care system has evolved in ways that better serve a myriad of economic, professional, and political interests than those of patients and families, and the larger public† (Mechanic, 2006, p. ix). Gawande, however, sees a much bleaker picture, and suggests that there are areas in America where doctors and administrators are financially tied into provision, and that this encourages massive amounts of over-treatment, with no benefit to patients. Gawande’s article describes a huge discrepancy in the per capita costs of medical care in two comparable districts, McAllen and El Paso, Texas, while there is no evidence that the higher cost location (McAllen) offers better care or achieves better results. This gives rise to a serious ethical problem: in El Paso patients have much lower rates of access to all kinds of tests and treatments, while in McAllen, t hey have much higher rates. The variation is due to doctor behavior, and not down to the demographics of the citizens, since the two regions are very similar. This is the kind of situation that led to the passing of the 2010 Health Care Reform bill which aims to extend health coverage to from 83% to 95% of the legally resident population. (Tumulty, 2010, p. 1) Unfortunately, however, huge variation in the way that this money is spent will mean that a fair and equal service is not likely to happen. From the point of view of justice, or fairness, such unequal practices cannot be defended, since all American citizens should have equal access to the benefits of our modern technologies. From a utilitarian point of view, there is a deviation from best practice, since in the McAllen hospitals there is little effort to gain the greatest benefit to patients for the lowest cost. Increasing the amount of testing in order to maximise revenue is the very opposite of ethical behaviour on the part of institutions where doctors earn more for ordering more procedures and tests. Gawande suggests that the problem lies with the structures of delivery, and describes the McAllen healthcare model as â€Å"as system that has no brakes† (Gawanda, p. 14). He cites the example of the Mayo clinic, where doctors receive a fixed salary, as a potential solution. Fewer scans are done, and more discussion between doctors takes place to minimize unnecessary treatments, all of which come with risks as well as benefits, and to try to ensure that patients have what they need, rather than what can be sold to them for profit. There is little incentive to cherry pick patients in this kind of system, and hospitals which follow this style find that overall costs are lower, and quality of care goes up. This analysis takes a refreshing look at the way the whole system is set up, and this gives the reader an overview of things rather than just the view of an economist, or a health professional, or an administrator. It highlights the error that patients, and some doctors, often make, in thinking that more testing is always good. The point is to do what is the best for the patient, and not what sustains the system. If there was more of this kind of benchmarking across hospitals with comparable patient characteristics, then perhaps more could be done to eliminate wasteful

INTRODUCTION MULTI-STEP SYNTHESIS LAB REPORT Essay

INTRODUCTION MULTI-STEP SYNTHESIS LAB REPORT - Essay Example Secondly it will require a description on the introduction, removal and transformation of functional groups so as to achieve expected functionality in molecule. Thirdly it requires knowledge of the centers of stereoisomerism that are created or influenced. The steps in any synthesis are more or less dependent rather than discrete. The assembly of the molecular framework is dependent on structure and functionality of starting materials that are available, selectivity both regio and sterio of reactions for combinations and loss or relocation of functional groups of intermediate compounds in assembling final products. In conclusion, a successful syntheses route must produce desired product in reasonable good yield and with efficiency in terms of time of reaction and also byproducts. Not all processes can achieve 100% yield. The protection of existing desired functional groups is importantly inclusive of blocking of undesired reactions and activating groups. Knowledge on the introduction and removal of such groups is

Phenomenology and the Eucharistic Mass Essay Example for Free

Phenomenology and the Eucharistic Mass Essay In the study of communications, reaching a common consensus on how to apply a shared and common understanding of communications seems to be a near impossible task. After being introduced to the seven traditions of communications by Craig in his essay â€Å"Communication Theory as a Field†, I choose to explore the tradition he categorizes as Phenomenology. My initial understanding on the study of communications were quite limited to the transmission view, dominated by a sender and receiver framework. Interestingly, the transmission model in it’s origin was culturally rooted in religion, and used as a tool for the dissemination of Euro centric religious values and practices globally. With advancement in technology, especially in the 1920’s, the North American perspective on communication shifted the transmission model from religion to science to reflect a multidisciplinary approach in to the study of communications. As a practitioner of what was once the transmission view, the Catholic Church had experienced tremendous religious propagation of its message through forcible transmission all over the world. Based on Craig’s essay, the Catholic Church of today then embodies traits of a ritual view of communication, and is aligned with religious communication, and expression such as fellowship, participation, community, communion, and common faith. The phenomenological model of communication shares characteristics with the ritual view that I will be exploring through the Roman Catholic Eucharistic liturgy. The phenomenological tradition described by Craig, â€Å" conceptualizes communication as dialogue or the experience of otherness† (p. 217). Communication in this tradition is not rooted in verbal transmission but instead a shared experience on plains that extend beyond tradition verbal or textual communication. For the purpose of this paper phenomenological tradition can be seen as a form of communication expressed metaphysically as well. Gadamers’ theory from â€Å"Truth and Method†, focus on tradition and language as a primary form of communication. His ideology is that: we are only able to make sense of ourselves and the world around us because our consciousness has been shaped by history and traditions in ways we are largely unaware of wareness expands our understanding of the tradition. His description of an I-Thou relationship as the question-answer logic that underlies hermeneutic experience creates communication by identifying, hermeneutics, â€Å"that lead to a dialectical process of interpretation and growth of understanding. As a phenomenological practitioner, this theory has very intrinsic value. Communication in this practice provides a very meaningful and existential experience that I am to able to engage in with my Creator, in the absence of any other person. As a Roman Catholic, I have had many questions about the way we participate in mass. My parents grew up on the island of Trinidad, in a devout Catholic community. The Spanish, that had at one time colonized Trinidad, were very committed to their mission of converting the indigenous people of the island. The spread Catholicism throughout the country was profuse, with community churches everywhere, (even building one across the street from my mother’s house), and adding a monastery and seminary college a mile further up the mountainside where my father lived. Catholicism was not just a religion in our community, it was a part of the culture, and employed many of the villagers as they worked for the seminary. My grandparents were in fact Hindu, and converted to Catholicism because of the strong influence and presence it had within the community. As a Roman Catholic child, I had been told to repeat, chant, and act with humility, adoration and reverence during mass. I did not understand what we were doing or what the intention was. I became harder and harder to find meaning in going to church. In my late teens I stopped attending mass because there was no intrinsic connection for me in my faith practice. I remained a spiritual and deeply rooted faith based person, but I could not come to terms with many of the teachings of my church. I stayed out of church for many years. At some point, I became curious about what it meant. I was not looking for a theological understanding per se, but instead, what did â€Å"it† mean? The chanting, the collective response in unison, the prayers itself. What was I blindly repeating every Sunday? I chose to study the teachings of the Catholic Church in university at Newman Theological College to gain a scholarly perspective. Many things became clear, although I did acquiesce on some ideological points, (my own hermeneutical experience). Inspired by my academic insights, I returned to church as a knowledgeable participant of the mass, understanding that as part of the community, I would belong to the collective voice of the fellowship of Christ. The Catholic mass is deeply enriched with both Phenomenological Theory as well as Semiotic Tradition. In some regard you must look at the semiotics in order to fully understand what is being communicated during certain points in the eucharistic liturgy. For the purpose of this paper I will focus on the phenomenological aspects. The Eucharistic liturgy is a two century old tradition, considered the real presence of Christ at the last supper carried out each Sunday, and is considered an integral part of Catholic worship. As Catholics we believe Jesus began a significant new fellowship meal that we observe to this day. It causes us to collectively and intrinsically share in the experience of his sacrifice through his death and resurrection. The description of the liturgy I’m presenting here reflects a very basic summation of the ritual. At the start of the liturgy we are asked to offer ourselves up, and surrender to God. As we participate in the Eucharistic Prayer we are in the act of giving thanks. The congregation is humbled as Christ is transubstantiated from man into the elements of bread and wine. We collectively mourn as Jesus is offered to the Father in sacrifice for the sins of man. We participate in the Lords Prayer, and a prayer for peace. The Holy Spirit is invited to come down upon us and unite the community of worshipers into one body as we prepare to accept the communion, and offer each other a sign of peace. As a community we should be considered one body, ready to receive Christ as a single body in the form of the host. Prior to accepting the communion we collectively humble ourselves stating our unworthiness and asking for compassion and forgiveness for our transgressions. As members of the congregation travel to the the altar, it represents a pilgrimage in this life from a journey of birth to death, and to the heavenly Father. Once each individual receives the host, we communally belong to the larger body of Christ. An aspect of the phenomenological theory of communication as seen by Buber can be practically applied in this example. The I-Thou relationship is present when looking at the relationship each individual member of the ongregation has with their Creator, or even Catholicism itself. The act of worshiping communally creates an experience and awareness of each other that reflects dialogue in Gadamer’s model of phenomenology. Prayer itself is a great example of the I-Thou relationship the Buber describes. Although it contradicts Gadamers â€Å"parallel concept of conversation emphasiz[ing] the object or subject matter of conversation that brings people together in dialogue† (p. 219). Buber also notes that, â€Å"dialogue can be entirely wordless, yet deeply meaningful† (p. 19), and talks about how sacred silence itself can be on page 227, which is evident throughout the moments of the liturgy in which individuals respond on an emotional level through reverence, humility, sorrow, or repentance. Burber’s theory of a person living life with an open mind, open to experience and in essence living the life of dialogue is what resonates most for me. My critical exploration into understanding the Catholic mass has supported my dialogue in prayer with my creator, as well as my participation as a member of the Catholic church. It would be assumed that since developing a clearer understanding of the mass, that I would be regularly attending. That is not the case. What I grew to understand is that I cannot effectively belong to the congregation if I am not intrinsically communicating through action, intention and prayer when I attend. For that reason, I go to church when I have a deeper calling to do so. My I-Thou relationship within my faith is not compromised as I connect to my creator in conversation and prayer every day, however, my I-Thou relationship with the other church goers would be compromised and lacking authenticity if I attend mass out of obligation.

The piece was based on the theme of jealousy, and although the play changed :: Drama

The piece was based on the theme of jealousy, and although the play changed and adapted DRAMA PART 1 ASSESSMENT My first piece of practical work is to be performed on 24th June 2005. The piece was based on the theme of jealousy, and although the play changed and adapted as it developed, we tried to keep the performance set on this theme. My contribution to the performance was as an actor. My specific role was the ghost or one of the main characters, and I narrated the play as it went on. I also had a small role as a schoolteacher. To help me in my performance, I studied the play A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller. This was very influential, and it helped our group make many decisions and choose the characters for our play. I also read the book Lies Hurt, But So Does The Truth by Aliyah Sapsard and Marion Boulicault, which helped me to understand one of the other characters in our play better, as their emotions were similar. The script of the film O, which is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello also helped to influence the characters in my performance. The final play I looked at was History Boys, and this play helped with the physical performance of the play. We projected short, filmed moving clips onto the back of the performance area to act as links between scenes, as they do in History Boys. As mentioned, the most influential play was A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller. This play was set in New York, America, in the late 1940s. This differs from out piece, which was set in England, in the present day. Even though we were using A View From The Bridge as our main influence, we felt that the story would work better set in the modern day, and it also meant that we didn’t have to adapt to a different location or time period for our piece. We could all draw on real life, to help our play. The characters that appear in our production are mainly schoolgirls. This is contrasting with the play we studied, as in A View From The Bridge; the majority of the characters are adults. Some of the roles they played, however, were similar to some of the roles used in our performance. In our piece, we had the character Emma Winters. She was admired by Alex, who looked up to her, and finally became obsessed. This is similar to A View From The Bridge, in which Eddie becomes obsessed by Catherine. In our piece, we also have the character