Professional Roles And Values Essay Example for Free

Professional Roles And Values Essay My personal nursing mission statement is changing and developing as my career advances, however, one core piece will remain constant. I will strive to provide the best, safest, most ethical and compassionate nursing care that I can for all patients and family members with whom I come in contact. I began my post-high school academic career as an accounting major. I enjoyed the challenge of manipulating a report until I had balanced. I thought I had found my calling. As my first semester was nearing an end, I found myself contemplating the thought of sitting behind a desk all day. I wondered if I would find fulfillment in this work as a career? The more I pondered this thought, the more I realized that this was not the right career path for me. I saw images of the medical assistant program in the catalog at the school where I was attending. I could not shake the thought of the medical field for a profession. I attained my medical assistant degree and worked in the field for 10 years. The longer I worked, the more I realized that there was more that I wanted to do, but my current degree restricted me from going further. I researched nursing school programs and selected one with a night/weekend program that would allow me to continue working full-time during my studies. I have a family that I needed to continue to provide for and this seemed to be the best fit. My nursing school decision was fortified when I was selected for an award by the nursing faculty from all four semesters for excellence in the clinical setting. After graduation, I began my nursing career working as a case manager for orthopedic worker’s compensation patients. During this time I gained critical knowledge of the importance of clear documentation, the ever-changing requirements of insurance companies and an extra measure of compassion for patients whose lives were often changed by traumatic injuries. This time helped me to develop personally and professionally as a nurse. From there I went on to develop an in-office infusion program for  gastroenterology patients suffering from Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. This experience helped me to learn valuable organizational and time management skills. I also learned a vast amount about the challenges of GI issues for patients of every age. This opportunity gave me leadership skills, as I was responsible for a program that serviced two locations, management of nursing staff and medical assistants. I also learned a very human side of nursing, as my patients visited me every eight weeks and were here for two to three hours at each visit. I got to know them as individualsmothers, fathers, children, students and employees. They became part of my life. To date there are nearly 70 patients for whom I am responsible. My next endeavor begins in one week. I will be leaving my â€Å"baby† to one of the nurses I have trained, to embark on a new challenge. I will be learning to work in a surgical setting, at an ambulatory surgery center. I know this new opportunity will push me to grow further as a nurse, as I seek to learn critical care. I hope to develop a new level of compassion and expertise that I can then use to provide comfort and reassurance to the patients for whom I am responsible. I am excited about this new challenge and look forward to all that I can bring to it. I believe nursing should cause us to change and grow; to stretch us to reach new levels of education, knowledge and compassion. I will strive to continually learn as my career progresses to better myself and provide the highest level of care for my patients. What is the functional difference between a regulatory agency, such as the board of nursing, and a professional nursing organization? While there are some overlapping concepts, for the most part they are very different in function. Both regulatory agencies and professional nursing organizations are concerned with equipping nurses in ways to provide the best, safest, most effective and ethical care. They differ in that a regulatory agency is just that, regulations. They set up rules that govern the way in which a nurse provides care to their patients. These regulations are not suggestions, but requirements that are expected of all nurses in all situations. Regulatory boards are not made up of â€Å"memberships† like a professional nursing organization. Regulatory agencies require certain standards for individuals to achieve to be licensed to provide nursing care. The public can gain reassurance about the nursing profession from knowing that nurses are regulated by a board of nursing. Professional nursing organizations (PNO), on the other hand, are optional memberships. One can choose to be part of an organization that will help to advance oneself in a specific area of nursing, such as the American Academy of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN), the American Nurses Association (ANA), or the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). (Monster staff) The list of PNOs is quite extensive and includes organizations for most any nursing specialty. PNOs also seek to shape health policy or public policy related to health matters. (unknown1) Professional nursing organizations work to advance public awareness of their branch of nursing or the nursing profession as a whole. They also seek to draw public attention to the nursing profession as a whole. There are many factors in a nursing code of ethics that guide how I choose to practice as a nurse. I will now explain how two components of a nursing code of ethics taken from the American Nurses Association guide my personal nursing practice. First I will look at, â€Å"The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.† (American Nurses Association) This principle has affected me personally, in that in my current position of developing an infusion program for my office, I have been responsible for evaluating patients for the appropriateness of care in this setting. I am required to look at their health conditions, their emotional status and their insurance to determine if they meet the abilities of our in-office staff to provide excellent, safe, compassionate c are. It is imperative that I am non-judgmental and look at each patient as an individual. Their personal health needs must be foremost in my mind when I decide if we can care for them appropriately or not. It is a lot of responsibility and very difficult at times. I do believe I have been successful in this in that we have nearly doubled the number of patients we care for in the last six months. Second, †The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with  the nurses obligation to provide optimum patient care. In my current role, I am responsible for over-seeing other nurses and medical assistants in provision of care for our patients. It is imperative that I am certain that we are providing care that is within our scope of practice. Often, in an office setting, the doctors get comfortable with the skills of their nursing staff and request tasks, expecting that we will take care of them properly. I must be certain that orders are properly documented and signed by the providers and that I am not doing or asking others to do tasks that are not within our scopes of practice. On a weekly basis I find things that need to go back to the provider for clarification or reassignment for management by appropriate staff. This is paramount to assure safe care and ethical treatment of patients, as well as protection of staff from inappropriate expectations. In my upcoming role as a nurse in a surgical setting, I will be working daily with an interdisciplinary team of ordering physicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, LPNs and many others. My practice will be guided by the following four divisions from the American Nurses Association: 1) nurses and people, 2) nurses and practice, 3) nurses and the profession, and 4) nurses and co-workers. (Lyons) First, as discussed in provisions 1-4, nurses and people considers all people, not just patients. This means I will consider families and other people involved in the patient’s care or life. Nurses and practice, from provisions 5-8, will require me to stay educated and aware of the current standards of practice and ethical guidelines by which a nurse should practice. According to provisions 5-9, by following the guideline of nurses and the profession, membership in PNOs will be important in helping me to stay aware of current standards for the specialty in which I am working, as well as current healthcare policy or legislation that is being negotiated. As a professional nurse, it will be important for me to be involved in advocating for the policy that I believe best suites the patients for whom I care. Lastly, as outlined in provisions 5-6, nurses and co-workers is of significant importance. New nurses often hear, â€Å"nurses eat their young†. I do not believe this should ever be the case. Our job is to guide and educate our patients. Why then, wouldn’t we be willing to help those fellow nurses in their work and development? I will seek to help my  fellow co-workers, whether they are nurses, LNAs or other professionals to provide the best care and maintain a healthy work environment in which all co-workers are valued for what th ey have to offer. One nursing theory that has influenced my nursing practice to date is Dorothea Orem’s â€Å"Self-Care Theory†. In Orem’s theory, she states that a person’s well-being is based on whole person health, to include both physical and mental health. In addition, she takes into consideration the social and interpersonal aspects of the person’s well-being. This theory is based upon individuals being responsible for their own care and the care of their family. This theory impacted my nursing practice significantly during my time as an orthopedic nurse case manager. It was of the utmost importance that patients took responsibility for their health, both for the sake of their physical status, as well as for the maintenance of their position at their place of employment. Orem’s theory also states that individuals need to be aware of potential health problems. This is important in worker’s compensation case management because patients needed to be aware of their ability to perform their work tasks. This sharing of information helped me to be a greater advocate for my patients with their providers and employers. As I continue on into a surgical setting, this theory will also be important as patients will need to know what to anticipate after their surgery physically, emotionally and socially. The nursing figure who immediately comes to mind as having an impact on my nursing practice is Florence Nightingale. I have known of her since my childhood, even before I knew I would grow up to be a nurse. I did not study her closely until I began nursing school. The reason I have selected Florence Nightingale is that she had such a significant impact on ground-breaking theory that led into today’s aseptic techniques. Ms. Nightingale led a team of nurses who helped to reduce the mortality rate for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War by two-thirds. (Unknown) Thanks to her careful attention to detail and relentless desire to help others, she studied the unsanitary conditions under which her patients were being cared for. She then developed new hygiene practices that created lasting impact on today’s medical profession. This information is the ground work for what  will guide my aseptic practices in a surgical setting, as well as those that I used working in wound c are in the orthopedic specialty. They are the basis for infection control in all healthcare settings. She was far ahead of her time. I recently had a situation with a patient where I had to exercise beneficence and respect for autonomy. My patient was having a reaction to an infusion of a medication called Remicade. This was her first dose being done in this clinical setting, and her second dose overall. Within the first 15 minutes of her infusion, I watched as she went from talkative and seemingly fine, to flushed, diaphoretic and shaky. I called the physician to get his input. He advised that I continue with my plan to hold the medication and run normal saline for a period of monitoring. We would reassess in 20 minutes to see if we could restart her infusion. As the end of the 20 minutes of normal saline was approaching, the patient seemed to deteriorate. She began to have rigors. This was not a typical infusion reaction. It was not listed in any of the research or clinical articles of which I had read. I called the physician back. As I did so, the patient expressed concern about whether or not he was going to s end her to the hospital. She desperately did not want to go. Over the last 5 months, she had been in and out of the hospital for extended periods of time. The thought of returning there frightened her. The physician suggested that she should go to the emergency room. As she expressed concern about going, he glanced at me. He then requested that I consult with her ordering physician. Upon calling the ordering physician, I could have expressed concern about her condition. I could have told him that I thought the other physician was correct. However, there was something in her request that seemed very controlled. Her vital signs were stable. I knew I was surrounded by help if it was needed. I trusted the patient’s request to remain autonomous. The ordering physician also felt that the patient would benefit from staying at the infusion center if she was physically able. I assured him the situation was under control and that I would transfer her immediately if her condition worsened. The patient stayed with me for monitoring for another 2  ½ hours. Her condition improved and she was able to safely return home without having to visit the emergency room. Beneficence is â€Å"action that is done for the benefit of others†. (Pentilat) I believe I acted with beneficence in making this decision to keep the patient with me. I believe the stress of a transfer to the emergency room may have made her condition worse and may have caused her to be admitted again. I have seen this patient since then and she has assured me that the extra time I had given her in the office impacted her both physically and emotionally. It is situations like this that make me truly love my job. It is times like this that I know nursing is not a job, it is a calling. REFERENCES American Nurses Association. Code of Ethics. (2015) Retrieved May 8, 2015 from http://www.nursingworld.org/Mobile/Code-of-Ethics Monster staff. The Ultimate List of Professional Associations for Nurses. (2015). Retrieved May 8, 2015 from http://nursinglink.monster.com/education/articles/11850-the-ultimate-list-of-professional-associations-for-nurses Nursing Excellence, The Online Newsletter for Childrens Nurses, e-Edition, Issue 9, Code of Ethics for Nurses, Jo A. Lyons, MOB, BS, RN-BC, Retrieved May 8, 2015 from http://www.valleychildrens.org/PRESSROOM/PUBLICATIONS/NURSINGEXCELLENCE9/Pages/CodeOfEthicsForNurses.aspx Pentilat, S., Beneficence vs. Non-maleficence. (2008) Retrieved May 9, 2015 from http://missinglink.ucsf.edu/lm/ethics/Content%20Pages/fast_fact_bene_nonmal.htm Unknown1. Differentiating the Roles of Regulatory Bodies and Associations for Health Professionals, A Background Document. (Feb. 2010) Retrieved May 8, 2015 from http://www.nursing.ubc.ca/Scholarship/RNNetwork/do cuments/Differentiating%20the%20Roles%20of%20Regulatory%20Bodies%20and%20Associations%20%20-%20Feb%202010.pdf Unknown2. Florence Nightingale. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 07:54, May 09, 2015, fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/florence-nightingale-9423539.

Indian Hegemony in South Asia

Indian Hegemony in South Asia India has been given a tag as the Regional Hegemon of South Asia. If not formally,then atleast the intentions are tagged as possessing hegemonic tendencies. This paper looks at the concept of Hegemony, Regional, the various reasons responsible for such a view and the various outlooks. I also throw light on the foreign policy of India to stress on the non-hegemonic tendencies of India. India believes in peaceful coexistence. The most important aspect which I wish to bring out is the change in the international scenario that makes Indias hegemonic status tough to survive. SOUTH ASIA A general outlook and evolution South Asia is the southern region of the Asian continent. South Asia typically consists of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Some definitions may also include Afghanistan, Burma, Tibet, and the British Indian Ocean Territories. Iran is also included in the UN subregion of Southern Asia,  [i]  although many sources consider Iran as being part of West Asia. South Asia is home to well over one fifth of the worlds population, making it both the most populous and most densely populated geographical region in the world. The region has often seen conflicts and political instability, including wars between the regions two nuclear-armed states, Pakistan and India. While the South Asia had never been a coherent geopolitical region, it has a distinct geographical identity. The boundaries of South Asia vary based on how  [ii]  South Asia is defined. South Asias north, east, and west boundaries vary based on definitions used. South Asias southern bord er is the Indian Ocean. The UN subregion of Southern Asias northern boundary would be the Himalayas, its western boundary would be made up of the Iraq-Iran border, Turkey-Iran border, Armenia-Iran border, and the Azerbaijan-Iran border. Its eastern boundary would be the India-Burma border and the Bangladesh-Burma border. Most of this region is a subcontinent resting on the Indian Plate (the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate) separated from the rest of Eurasia. It was once a small continent before colliding with the Eurasian Plate about 50-55 million years ago and giving birth to the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau. It is the peninsular region south of the Himalayas and Kuen Lun mountain ranges and east of the Indus River and the Iranian Plateau, extending southward into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea (to the southwest) and the Bay of Bengal (to the southeast).The region is home to an astounding variety of geographical features, such as glaciers, rainforests, valleys, deserts, and grasslands that are typical of much larger continents. It is surrounded by three water bodies the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Almost all South Asian countries were under direct or indirect European Colonial subjugation at some point. Much of modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar were gradually occupied by Great Britain starting from 1757, reaching their zenith in 1857 and ruling till 1947. Nepal and Bhutan were to some extent protectorates of Great Britain until after World War II. In the millennia long history of South Asia, this European occupation period is rather short, but its proximity to the present and its lasting impact on the region makes it prominent. The network of means of transportation and communication as well as banking and training of requisite workforce, and also the existing rail, post, telegraph, and education facilities have evolved out of the base established in the colonial era, often called the British Raj. As an aftermath of World War II, most of the region gained independence from Europe by the late 1940s.Tibet at times has governed itself as an independent state and at other times has had various levels of association with China. It came under Chinese control in the 18th century, in spite of British efforts to seize possession of this Chinese protectorate at the beginning of the 20th century. Since 1947, most South Asian countries have achieved tremendous progress in all spheres. Most notable achievements are in the fields of education; industry; health care; information technology and services based on its applications; research in the fields of cutting edge sciences and technologies; defence related self-relianc e projects; international/global trade and business enterprises and outsourcing of human resources. Areas of difficulty remain, however, including religious extremism, high levels of corruption, disagreements on political boundaries, and inequitable distribution of wealth. However,a combined effort by the nations has helped the nations in overcoming the various obstacles and settling the disputes peacefully. India has played a major role in the development of South Asia as a region of resources,technology and even as a power to some extent. However,at several occasions the actions of our nation have been seen as steps taken towards the goal of becoming the Regional Hegemon. HEGEMONY Hegemony is a term defined as the leadership(formal) especially of a state within a group of states. This is how any standard dictionary would define hegemony  [iii]  . In Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, political theorists Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe define hegemony as a type or form of political relation in which a given collectivity performs some kind of social task which is not natural to them  [iv]  .However, the term hegemon is generally used in a negative sense to signify dominance, coercion or influence in the vaious fields. India has often been accused of possessing hegemonic tendencies in its foreign affairs and policies by various writers and nations altogether. A countrys foreign policy, in general, aims to achieve three basic objectives-securities, stability, and status (George Liska ). George Modelski in his book A theory of Foreign Policy defined foreign policy as the system of activities evolved by communities for changing the behaviour of other states and adjusting their own activities to the international environment  [v]  . In this sense any country big or small, which endevours to further its policies to achieve its desired world order is hegemonistic. The word hegemony is pejoratively used when the great powers practice policies in seeking predominance over others. Literally hegemon means a leader who seeks predominance over others. This requires the existence of some subordinate states too, whose politics and policies hegemon would try to influence. In the Ancient World, Sparta was the hegemon (leader) city-state of the Peloponnesian League, in the 6th century BC, and King Philip II of Macedon was the hegemon of the League of Corinth, in 337 BC, (a kingship he willed to his son, Alexander the Great); in Eastern Asia, it occurred in China, during the Spring and Autumn Period ( 770-480 BC), when the weakened rule of the Zhou Dynasty lead to the relative autonomy of the Five Hegemons who were appointed, by feudal lord conferences, and were nominally obliged to uphold the Zhou dynastic imperium over the subordinate states. In late sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century-Japan, hegemon applies to its Three Unifiers   Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu   who exercised hegemony over most of the country. In the modern world hegemony has contours in imperialism. Imperialistic powers all over their empire had hegemony. After Second World War the beginning of cold war led to a grouping up of countries in t wo major camps. The groups had strong NATO countries as well as weak countries like Pakistan. Weak countries, which entered into such alliances to secure themselves from the hegemony of other countries, were subjected to veiled hegemony, and military bases of the stronger countries were often accommodated there. This has been an accusation for India too for several years. India has been accused of being influential in policies of different nations by making them dependent on it in terms of economy, military strength, resources and even in the political aspect. REGION AND REGIONAL What precisely is meant by the region which is specified in the term Regional Hegemony. We talk of South Asia as a region. Amitava Acharya in his Regional Worlds in a Post-hegemonic Era says Regional world subsumes regional order and regional institutions, as well as economic regionalization. Regional Worlds are not just material constructs.  [vi]  They offer sites for ideational and normative contestations, resistance and compromises, involving both states and civil societies which transcend regional boundaries and overlap into other regional and global spaces. Regional worlds are not autonomous entities, nor purely subsets of global dynamics. They create, absorb and repatriate ideational and material forces that make world politics and order. This definition brings out the important aspect of the term regional which are economic, ideational and so on. It is true that regional worlds are not autonomous entities since nations within a region are not only dependent on each other b ut are also affected by as small factors as the water problem which a any day take a bigger form. The policies of one nation affect the other in some way. Winston Churchill and Walter Lippmann were of the view that world order could best be attained by regional spheres of influence. Robert W.Cox in his Gramsci,Hegemony and International Relations: An essay in method, talks of the different phases in the world hegemony where he mentions the period of U.S hegemony from 1945-1965 and then mentions the phase which starts from 1965 which was characterized by the fall of the U.S hegemony with the rise of the third world and the fragmentation of the world economy  [vii]  . Amitava Acharya puts up a question asking whether the end of US hegemony might open the door to the rise of regional hegemonies such as East Asia under Chinese, South Asia under Indian, the Caucasus and Baltics under Russian, and southern Africa under South African, west Africa under Nigerian and south America under Brazilian, dominance. Would the end of American hegemony be replaced by such distinct or over-lapping regional hegemonies? Such questions have often come up and have forced the nations to think of any single nation progressing at a higher speed as a potential hegemon. In his Tragedy of Great Power Politics, John Mearshimer argues that great powers, including rising or aspiring great powers seek to achieve regional hegemony, a goal more necessary and attainable than global hegemony  [viii]  . It is true that in todays bigger than before world, global hegemony is a distant goal though some still vouch for the U.S hegemony. The point of concern comes to the fear of regio nal hegemons due to Hegemony often being understood as a first step towards imperialism. Regional imperialism of a kind in limited sense can not be avoided. If a country is bigger or stronger its foreign policy stakes would be higher and its objectives are to be set accordingly which may or may not be compatible with the interests of other regional states. South Asia as such did not have any real issues, however a psychological scare of big brother often posited smaller states in this region in defensive posture more as an over reaction. India is one such example of a state caught in a dilemna. INDIAS FOREIGN POLICY- non hegemonic When India got liberation from the imperialistic rule of British Empire in 1947, it was to adopt a policy, which should fulfill its aspirations of a changed world order and thereby confer a status, provide the country an economic stability and security to its borders. The ideological cover of non-alignment and panch sheel was best suited for this. One of the basic tenets of Panch sheel is peaceful co-existence, which implies non-interference in the internal matters of neighbors. In an effort to achieve its objective of word order where new nation states could progress together was to be the objective of Indias Foreign policy. Thus the hegemony over the neighboring states or in South Asia couldnot have been a part of Indias Foreign Policy. On the contrary it was against the policy of peaceful co-existence and Panch sheel. Indias efforts to allay the fears of its neighbors was one of the highlights in all these fora, be it NAM conferences or other international symposiums. Indias forei gn policy of non-alignment and its assumed role of third world leader however is one of its strength. But in a natural corollary to this surrounding countries felt weak and insecure due to natural fear lest India start acting as big brother in the region. Though Indias foreign policy of non alignment was more aimed at providing a new world order where the new states could survive without participating in the cold war between the super powers of post world war era, a big brother scare among the smaller countries is logical and could not have been avoided. There are various reasons that have led to these fears. WHY THE TAG? Countries that surround India, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bagladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma are nowhere at par with India, be it in their size, population, economic development or skilled human resources. The natural resources available in theses countries also do not make these countries competitive. India dominates the whole area geographically. She is the only country that shares a large coast line with all the other six states while none of them have common borders with each other. China after the occupation on Tibet in 1950,reached the borders of the Asian subcontinent but faces problems of accessibility due to the difficulties of the northern terrain. K.M.Pannikar said Geography constitutes the permanent basis of every nations history. It is true since it is because of the rich geographical features that India possesses, landlocked nations like Nepal and Bhutan can hardly survive economically without Indias cooperation. Pakistan and Bangladesh too are dependent on India for water supply. Giantism as called by John.P.Lewis has its far reaching regional ramifications. The enmity with Pakistan continues since the partition days and is yet much behind India in all aspects other than nuclear status and that too is unclear. Three wars with Pakistan have almost established military supremacy of India in South Asia. In 1971 war India could successfully achieve its objective of dismembering Pakistan from various issues in spite of opposition of United States of America. Inspite of the various attempts of friendsihp including the recent cultural cross border efforts through Aman Ki Asha, Indo-Pak meetings always end up as what Nawaz Sharif had once described as zero meeting. Pakistan still doesnot grant India the status of MFN (most favoured nation) though SAFTA has been in force for some time now. Although Indias self-perception might be that it has acted with considerable restraint in prior crises with Pakistan, for example, in the 2002 standoff after the attacks on the Indian parliament, in the 1999 Kargil crisis and even in the1971 war, from the Pakis tani perspective the trauma of disintegration suffered in 1971-when India significantly assisted in the creation of Bangladesh-overshadows all Indian actions. China, though not a part of South Asia plays an important ole in the affairs of the region. China remains what Andrew Hurrell calls the best example of pragmatic accommodation  [ix]  and inspite of being a true friend and permanent member in the United Nations Security Council has often participated in discouraging Indias development in military, or as the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council or in the India-Pak wars or even the increasing friendly ties of India and U.S. India is a growing power and is a major market for Chinese goods as well as a major service provider at the global level. Hence, China has often displayed its displeasure at Indias hegemonic tendencies. Nepal is more or less dependent on India for its economic development. Nepals overtures with China in order to have an independence from the shadow of India could be an example of this over defensive posturing. India and Nepal have had a friend ship treaty since the days of King Tribhuvan. The treaty facilitated both countries to have trade across their borders without much of custom formalities. Nepals economic dependence on Indias economy and its geographical land locked position impelled Nepal to have this treaty. Nepal however never stopped searching for alternatives such as route to the sea through India and Bangladesh to increase its international trade. Invitation to China to build roads in Nepal was one such step to send a clear message that their country has other options too and as efforts to avoid dominance by one nation. Bangladesh came into being almost with the single handed initiative of India. Even their Mukti Bahini was trained by Indian Army. Soon after liberation from Pakistan, Bangla Desh started pursuing a policy to exert independence in its foreign policy. The fanatic elements in Bangla Desh however were not satisfied with this subtle and gradual posturing and assassinated their first President Sheikh Mujiburrahman for his being pro-Indian. Governments successively after his assassination had to pursue Controlled Anti Indian Stance in their Foreign policy in order to satisfy their domestic compulsion in expressing opposition to Indian hegemony. Sri Lankas foreign policy has been more independent in the region. However its domestic compulsion and gradual increase in the power of fanatic Buddhist elements in its politics and their pro-majority policies have complicated the domestic politics. This led to rise of Tamil resistant groups in Sri Lanka and then their establishment of a limited control over the Tamil majority areas in Northern and North eastern Sri Lanka. Indias limited role of sending IPKF to restore Sri Lankan control over these areas was also be seen as an effort to prove its hegemony in South Asia. Mohammed Ayoob wrote in India matters, that given its advantages in terms of both technically skilled manpower and command over the English language by a substantial section of the working population, India has the capacity to play an increasingly important role in the sphere of service industries. He also brought in another aspect which could have been responsible for the fear of Indias role as a regional hegemon  [x]  . It could be the strengthening ties between India and U.S. Ayoob brings in an interesting reason for the close bonds between India and U.S. He says Indian and U.S. concerns do not coincide merely on the issue of maintaining a stable and secure order in Asia in general and in South Asia in particular.A major threat to both regional and global stability and securitycomes from a particular variety of terrorism that has targeted both India and the United States. This is true that post the twin tower attacks in U.S,terrorism gained importance all over the world which owes it highlight to U.S because the 11 September attacks proved that terrorism could shake the super powers too. Hence,started the Indo-US friendship which continues and the signing of the nuclear deal was another step towards the friendship. That was another reason which made the neighbours uneasy about Indias increasing power. The question was whether India was trying its hand at friendship with the hegemon to follow it.  [xi]   Absence or weak democratic institutions in these countries, and Indias established democracy has further weakened the ties countries surrounding India. Nepal has had Monarchy for most of the part in last sixty years. The intervals of democratic governments there have so far not been able to establish a workable democracy. Pakistans army still calls the shots even if democratic governments come into power. Bangla Desh has had its own problems with democracy where the successive governments after being elected have tried to wipe out opposition, more of an inheritance from Pakistan. Sri Lanka has had democratic traditions which have weakened, off late, due to the rise of the fanatic elements in politics and government as well. Perhaps, Kants Perpetual Peace works here too in increasing the suspicions of other nations regarding India. The establishment of SAARC meant to have closer regional cooperation could not allay the fears of smaller states around India. It is more used as a forum for venting the feelings against India in a veiled manner. Before each SAARC meeting the diplomatic channels would have been working overtime to manage this in place of finding new avenues of regional cooperation. However the platform is often used to malign the Indian image by doing an all year roun survery of Indian intrevention in the affairs of other nations and that highlights the hegemonic tendencies of India. Indias role of being party to good offices and mediation in managing international crises could be another reason for the rising suspicions. Initially,oweing to the non-aligned status,India was accepted as a mediator by several belligerent states like in the Korean War,South African apartheid and so on. But the Bangladesh crisis was seen as an unnecessary intervention by Pakistan and even the Sri Lankan crisis which later led to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Many such interventions were seen as a display of unwanted disciplinary acts by India just like U.S played the role of a police man in the world scenario post world war. Indias new nuclear status has been seen as a disapproving move by Pakistan , China and several other nations of the world. The world today is basically divided on the basis of nuclear haves and have-nots. India joined the club with its first peaceful nuclear tests in 1974. India refused to sign the discriminatory treaties like NPT and CTBT and went ahead and signed the much criticised nuclear agreement with USA. USA came forward to accept India as a major global player and made an attempt to delink Indo-US relationhship from its relaionship with Pakistan. It was held that Indo-US civil nuclear deal was designed to serve Indian security needs and provide a basis for the development of bi-lateral relations with the USA. Though India declared its intention to sign similar nuclear cooperation treaties with other countries too and that her decision was not against any other nation, Indias nuclear status was not taken in good spirits by te neighbours and even beyond the neighbourhood. Indias role in Afganistan has often been seen as a hegemonic tendency. In the GIGA working papers,Melanie Hanif discussed the Indian involvement in Afganistan and said that India as a rising regional power is the only country in the region that might possess the capabilities,the willingness, and the legitimacy for a long-term engagement in Afghan security.  [xii]  India provides scholarships for Afghan students and fosters its commercial ties with the country, something which has, however,been hindered by Pakistans denial of direct access. India has also offered training to the Afghan National Security Forces, but this has not been realized due to Pakistani opposition.India is committed to development and infrastructure projects in various sectors in Afghanistan, especially the reconstruction of overland roads. In terms of soft power, Indias asset is the high popularity of Indian music, movies and television shows in Afghanistan. With a view to military capabilities, India has en hanced its presence in Central Asia through the establishment of its first airbase outside India, in Farkhor/Aini, Tajikistan.All this points to Indias willingness and preparedness to become more involved in the attempt to reconstruct and stabilize Afghanistan. Although most of the external parties are likely to accept a prominent role of India in Afghanistan,two important veto players remain, one within and one outside South Asia: Pakistan and China. IS INDIA A REGIONAL HEGEMON? All these reasons together see India as a regional hegemon. The tag has resulted in both seeing India as a leader as well as a threat. More than a threat, it is the suspicion and anxiety of other nations, which has given India the tag. Power is seen as a zero sum quality. The power gained by one nation is the loss of the other. India with all the resources and power is hence seen as an expansionist maybe not in the earlier imperialist ways but by means of soft power and mediation. However, it is highly doubtful to call India as the hegemon because hegemony would mean supremacy in decision making and policy making for all the other nations of the region. Pakistan is a major example of Indias faulty hegemony. Andrew Hurrell talks of the potential great powers in the world and calls them BRICs, i.e. Brazil, Russia, India and China.  [xiii]  He says that countries like Brazil, India and China are acquiring enough power to change the face of global politics and economics. However, he also brings out another aspect. He says that though these nations have the capacity to become great powers, these nations share certain uncertainties especially regarding the behaviour of the leader, United States. A second characteristic that these nations share is a sense of vulnerability. It is true for India too. Though the size may increase options and like every other nation, India too may have a belief in its natural right to an influential international role yet it is aware of its vulnerability. When Hurrell talks of India as a great power, he questions what would happen if the developing country identity of India comes into conflict with the aspiring great power identity. This argument brings the as pect of Indias aspirations for being a great power, which would be the aspirations of any nation. Any nation has the goal of being counted among the influential ones. That does not necessarily imply hegemonic tendencies. The most important aspect is the recognition. For India to be a regional hegemon, it is a precondition that other nations acknowledge the position desired. To be a hegemon, India would need the support and recognition by the entire region. This is highly unattainable in todays times of globalization and freedom. All the nations are sovereign and are free to take their decisions on the basis of their national interests. There is interdependence but not domination. There is the whole process of settlement of disputes by mediation but the mediator remains only that and nothing more. The world today is anarchic where there is no overarching authority. There are sections that advocate for some authority but there is no such authority present. Even United States, which could be called once the leader or the hegemon, is met with opposition now by developing nations like India. The Gulf War met with a massive opposition and international pressure. India is nowhere near USA in any development al field. In his book The Production of Space, Henri Lefebvre posits that geographic space is not a passive locus of social relations, but that it is trialectical   constituted by mental space, social space, and physical space   hence, hegemony is a spatial process influenced by geopolitics.  [xiv]  This is true because inspite of being a huge nation India is still behind Japan in the technology aspect. If we look at Asia, we have China as a competitor. Infact, though China is not a part of South Asia, it is very much a part of the decision making process. Whether we talk of the Indo-Pak relations or the Kashmir issue which had affected almost all the nations of South Asia in some way, China ha always had a say. It is quite powerful and enjoys a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. It could always be called as the hegemon of Asia if we consider development and relations with U.S to be a criterion for the tag. China has for years maintained a balance in is re lation with the west in spite of it being a communist nation. In spite of being a communist nation, it enjoys a special place in the world. That is power. The benchmark for every Indian step is the Chinese strength. SOUTH ASIA: INDIAS RESPONSIBILITY? K.P.S.Gill in the article Freedom From Fear Regional Security India can redeem South Asia, called South Asia the most volatile area of the world, as the epicenter, the new locus of terrorism, as the venue of a resource-sapping and futile arms race and of a possible and devastating nuclear confrontation  [xv]  . Gill says India is the regional giant of South Asia and accepts that it has been thought of as an ambitious regional hegemon. India is the home to a resurgent economy, led by sections of the hi-tech manufacturing and information technologies sector, has attracted significant and growing international investments and multinational participation. Much of this globalization, though, is still within the category of speculation and predatory capitalism, rather than a deep structural reorientation or long-term commitment by international partners. India is also home to the largest pool of technical and skilled manpower in the world, though its quality may be somewhat uneven. Despite these drawbacks, the countrys potential to seize the opportunities of the new technological revolution is unquestionable. Gill says that India being on the way to the developed status has to take the responsibility of bringing up the entire region. To do this, it must accept the notion of its own centrality, not as hegemon or big brother, but in processes of genuine friendship and shared concerns with its neighbours. But, before doing that India would have to deal with the suspicions regarding Indias interventions and initiatives. This true because even the slightest initiatives taken by any nation for the progress of another nation, are looked at as expansionist and hegemonic tendencies. In the absence of direct imperialism and old forms of power, a new term has come up and that is Soft Power which has been discussed by Joseph Nye is what operates today. In todays times, power has changed its face. It is no more confined o traditional instruments like military and economic assistance, because they are rarely sufficient to deal with the new dilemmas of the world politics. Today multinationals are the ne w sources of the co-optive power. India has gained a lot from these multinationals. As India liberalized her economy, these multinational corporations entered t

The marketing communications campaign of marks and spencer

The marketing communications campaign of marks and spencer The marketing communications campaign of Marks and Spencer Introduction The current revolution in information technology and rapid globalisation have made the marketers face many marketing communications options (Newman Patel ,2003).Integrated marketing communications campaign is one of options, Which can be used to create added value for potential consumers and influence directly purchasing patter. The IMC, which is defined, according to Duncan (2002), as ‘A cross -functional process for creating and nourishing profitable relationship with customers and other stakeholders by strategically controlling or influencing all the messages sent to these groups and encouraging data driven, purposeful dialogue with them† The IMC is important issue because the companies can not afford either the financial or reputation damage which is caused by the poor planning or implementing of the IMC (Brassington pettitt,2006).On the other hand, the planning and implementing the IMC campaign is a complicated process and involves a wide range of management tasks (Caemmerer, 2009). As a result, this paper aims to show the steps which should be followed in the planning and implementing the IMC and to apply these steps on Marks and Spencer as a case study from real life. Finally, some recommendations will be given to improve the performance of MS. Literature review Identifying the target audiences The planning the IMC, according to Kotler Keller .should start with clear determining of target audience ,who is a group of people is aimed by marketing communications campaign , because it is vital step. Then, answers should be provided on the following questions: What are the choice criteria, which are used to evaluate the products? What are motivated them to buy the products? What make them response to the competitors, products? (Jobbe, 2007). Ø Situation analysis Competitor analysis : To analysis the competitors, according to Aaker and McLoughlin (2007), a group of questions should be answered: Against whom do we usually compete? What are their objectives and strategies in terms of brand? What is their image and positioning strategy in terms of brand? What have been the marketing communications of the competitors in the past? What impact have they had? What are their future plans? Market analysis: Ø Defining the marketing communication objectives Mean what the marketing communications are supposed to achieve, according to Blythe (2000), there are many objectives: Image building campaigns: Those are intended to communicate a specific status for the product, as well as to emphasis ways that it could complete the lifestyle of the client. Unique selling proposition (USP): that is the one attribute of the product which it differentiates the product from the competition. Positioning: the strategies which focus on the ways that consumers distinguish the products comparing with their perceptions of the competitors products. Direct response: instant response is wanted from the consumer in respect of purchase, a request for broacher, or a going to the store. Ø Managing the elements of the mix Deciding what is the media which will be used to convey the message of the IMC campaign. There are five elements of promotional mix Advertising: any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products in the prime media .It takes place in many forms such as, television, press, posters, cinema and radio (Pickton Broderick, 2005). Public relations: are â€Å"the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to creating and maintaining mutual understanding between an organization and its publics † Direct marketing: is the message, which can be prepared to appeal to the addressed customer. It takes place in my forms such as direct mail, telemarketing, internet marketing (Kotler Keller, 2006). Sales promotion: the activities which aim to temporary increase in sales. They take place by many forms such as buy one get one free, free sample and money off coupons. Personal selling: this is designed to meet the consumers needs by communicating face to face between the buyer and seller (McGolrick, 2002). Ø Setting the promotional budget Putting the promotional budgeting is one of the most important and difficult steps in Planning the IMC campaign because, according to West, Ford Ibrahim (2006) ,If the companies have spent too much on the promotion program this could reflect negatively on the profits whereas, if they have paid out too little marketing opportunities would be get lost. There are, according to Jobber and Fahy (2006), four methods, which are usually used to set the promotional budget: percentage of sales, matching competitors expenditures, objective and task and what can be afforded? Ø Evaluating the IMC campaign It is important step, according to Palmer (2004), because it can provide feedback to inform the future activities and make the managers more adjustment when they plan the promotional activities if the objectives are not being achieved. Apply on the MS Marks and Spencer has been the Britain most-respected and leading retailer for long time. Besides, it is one of the most recognizable brands in the UK and operates about 6stores in the UK Identify target audiences: MS has focused on fashionable males and females from different ages who have enough money to spend on the trendy dress and want to enhance their social image between their peer. Ø Analysis the situation Analysis the competitors: The main competitors of MS, GAP, HM, and Top shop, which are distinguished by fashionable clothes and they has focused on the trendy of fashion .As a result, they are called fashion retailers not clothes retailers In terms of Gap, which operates 4,171stores worldwide and the target market is 15-35 age groups. Gap promotes nationally towards young fashion consumers. Promotional campaigns do differ, however. Gap has entered above the line into a programme of intensive primetime television advertising. (Newman Patel, 2003) Concerning HM Analysis the market: Fashion market, which is considered as one of the most profitable, dynamic and competitive area in the UK (Newman Patel, 2003) .The fashion market is considered dynamic because consumer behavior in this market is distinguished by a sudden desire to buy and fluctuating customer tastes. Therefore, new opportunities are available in front of the companies and advertising agencies in this market to create added value for their potential consumers and influence directly their purchasing pattern by integrated marketing communication (Newman Patel, 2003). The fashion market is competitive market because, according to Moore (1995), growing the market shares of foreign fashion retailers in the UK, such as Gap and Benetton and reforming some fashion retailers like, Next. Ø Defining the marketing communication objectives MS has had two objectives in its marketing communications campaign. It has tried to show that its products have been characterized and differentiated from the competitors products by its high quality, stylish, great value (USP) and to enhance the perceptions of consumers in terms of quality and fashion( MSs annual report, 2008). Ø Managing the marketing communications mix At the end every season from each year, MS carries out marketing communications campaign. On 8 November 2007, MS launched marketing communications campaign and used the advertising (TV, cinema and the internet) as essential promotional tool in addition public relation (the website) and sales promotion (bonus). The ad, which is called Christmas Belles, was created by the advertising agency, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y R, and was executed by a group of models. The models are Erin OConnor, Elizabeth Jagger, Twiggy, Myleene Klass and Laura Bailey who are well known names representing different age groups and each gorgeous model is wearing different clothes from MS range including lingerie and accessories . In addition to Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas who was chosen to attract the attention of menswear next to womenswear (Visit4inf, 2007). The song of the ad is called it is the most wonderful, which is singed by the artist Andy Williams The message, which has been conveyed by the campaign of MS, is â€Å"Quality worth every penny†. Besides; MS has tried to tell its target audiences that it has built its reputation in respect of quality since 1940 by establishing strict criteria which it continues to follow today. In other words, it has enhanced historical attributes of quality. The ad was screened on the TV, which could provide higher levels of awareness and reach to a large number of target audiences. Besides, it also was launched in the cinema because the commercial shown in the cinema made a stronger impression on the consumer .It was possible because it allowed for a longer advertisement that was also within cinematic technology in an artistically advanced package. At the same time the ad was launched on the internet to support the TV and cinema launch. Moreover, the viewers were sending the advertisement to each other by Email .Consequently, the commercial internet was effective in two ways spreading the message between the consumers and cost. Hence, a lot of viewers had seen the ad on YouTube during a few weeks. The new Website was Launched and it was connected to the campaign message .It was used as a complementary tool of TV and cinema .It was flexible and a reasonably cheap technique of getting an extensive target audiences and the company can get feedback from consumer by it (MSs annual report, Caemmerer; 2008, 2009). The last promotional tool, which was used by MSs campaign, is bonus which is considered as a type of sales promotion and it was used to encourage the target ardencies of MS to spend more. Ø Setting the promotional budget At the end of 2007 the marketing expenditure was  £145m more than half of expenses spent on the advertising (Birtwistle, 2007). Ø Evaluating the IMC campaign There are many evidences of success the marketing communications campaign of MS .First of all, The market share of MS in terms of clothes increased from 9,8% 2007 to 11, 2% in 2008 approximately 1,4%9 =  £4,095m (see figure 2).

Research :: essays research papers

Research Skills Activity 1. Diversity Issues in workplace teams. A group of regional human resource professionals continually has made workplace diversity an ongoing educational item for its members. "Diversity in many aspects came about through attempts to address race and gender," said Scott Holsman, chapter president of the Human Resources Association of Mid-Missouri. "But they're also finding out there's more to diversity than those two issues. There's a rise of understanding on how teams work together, and I think we're moving toward more a substantial look at the role diversity plays." (Friedman, 2002, p.1) As part of a yearly look at diversity issues in the workplace, members of Holsman’s group attended a half-day conference early last week. Plummer spoke about diversity issues to about 60 of the group’s members. Diversity â€Å"is a topic because it’s a reality today,† said Holsman, who works for Express Personnel Services in Mid-Missouri. â€Å"The leading companies really understand that diversity is many things, and it’s not just a gender and racial thing. A team is made up of different talents, and the challenge is to optimize those talents to get the most benefit for an organization.† (Friedman, 2002, p.1) 2. Case Studies in Object Oriented Programming Pi is n debugger written in C+ +. This paper explains how object-oriented Programming in C+ + has influenced Pi's evolution. The motivation for Object Oriented programming was to experiment with a browser-like graphical user interface. The first unforeseen benefit was in the symbol table: lazy construction of an abstract syntax-based tree gave a clean interface to the remainder of Pi, with an efficient and robust implementation. Next, though not in the original design, Pi was easily modified to control multiple processes simultaneously. Finally, Pi was extended to control processes executing across multiple heterogeneous target processors. (Cargill, 1986, p.350) The subject of this paper is the impact of object-oriented programming on the structure and capabilities of a complicated piece of software - a debugger called Pi. The paper begins with observations about debugging in general and a description of Pi, to motivate the introduction of object-oriented programming. When the design of Pi began, object-oriented programming was chosen as a means of achieving a style of user interface. But the application of object-oriented techniques throughout had unforeseen benefits with respect to symbol table structure, multi-process debugging and target environment independence. (Cargill, 1986, p.350) 3. Current Political Trends in Singapore. Though being politically stable and popular, the government of Singapore has not been leading without dissentient voices.

Flaws In Twains Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

Flaws in Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is by any means a classic. However, there are several flaws. First of all the coincidence that everything happens with in my mind detracts some from the story. The other major problem is that the book seems to drag on and on the closer you get to the end, as if Twain had a page quota to fill and was not worried about the story. The other problem brought up on our hand-out was Huck's lack of seriousness in what was a very serious situation for Jim. As for the coincidence part, it appears most obviously as you read towards the end. For example Huck ends up at Aunt Polly's, and I was thinking, yeah...right those chances are about one in a million. And then after Huck tells Aunt Polly that he is Tom, Tom shows up...uh-huh, I bet. It is things such as those I just mentioned that make it very difficult for me to read a book without becoming frustrated. It is probably because I am used to real life and like it or not real life is just not that perfect. My other gripe was that Twain seems to ramble on and on and on an..... To me it seems as if the story that he was writing became faint shortly after the time when Huck says, â€Å"It's me. George Jackson, sir†(pg. 95). I do have to give him that the feud was interesting filler, but you can only take so much filler. Then when John Wayne (The Duke) and Elvis (The King) come along there seem to be four or five stops along the river that except for one little detail, are the same. Please excuse the jump back, but how coincidental is it that you have a Duke and a King on the same raft in the middle of the Mississippi river (yes I do know they are not really royalty but that does not matter)? Even during all of this complaining I have done I did find humor in such things as when Huck was observing some local â€Å"loafers† and their discussions about borrowing and lending chewing tobacco. â€Å"Here, gimme back the chaw and you take the plug.† (pg. 138). I can just picture four or five guys laying around chewing tobacco with spit/tobacco juice running down their chins, probably in dirty overalls with no shirts on underneath and boots, to complete the look, three or four days of beard waiting to be shaved, and oh yeah, a nice old straw

Britain in the second World War Essay

Britain in the second World War: the Evacuation of British Children Explain the differing reactions of people in Britain to the policy of evacuating children during the Second World War. There were a variety of reactions towards the evacuation of children in World War 2. Everyone was affected by the evacuation but the main reaction was that it was needed. I am going to look at different groups and what their reactions would have been towards the evacuation. Firstly I think I should look at the children themselves. Many children would have wanted the evacuation, as they would be concerned for their safety. Children would naturally be afraid of air bombings and the sound and sights of bombs would horrify them. If it meant they were safe I’m sure they wouldn’t mind leaving their homes. Well I definitely think that the more mature children would definitely not mind leaving. Many children then lived in poverty, and would not get to go on holiday; this would then be like a long holiday for them. Many children enjoyed the evacuation as they experienced new sights and new surroundings. An example of this is in the † A Coursework Sources Booklet On : the evacuation of British children in the Second World War†. On page 6 source 14, a boys says, â€Å"instead of having to play cricket in the garden, we went bird nesting†. This suggests that the boy did not enjoy playing cricket, but was enjoy himself more when evacuated. But I’m not forgetting this is only the reaction of one boy. But there were some children who would get homesick or not enjoy themselves. This can be expected when you put young children into new surroundings and they would have been scared. In the booklet, page 4, source N it quotes â€Å"And hot water from a tap. And there was a lavatory upstairs. And carpets. And something called an eiderdown. And clean sheets. This was all very odd. I didn’t like it. it was scary. † This shows that even though this person was now living in better conditions, they were not happy were they were and they would rather be home. I think it depended on your host. If you liked them, then you would likely enjoy yourself. If you didn’t like them the majority hated it. I will now look at the reaction of the mothers. I think the majority of mothers would have felt the evacuation was correct and would have felt reassured that the Government was taking some action and getting the children to safety. The mothers would also like the evacuation because they would benefit. They could now concentrate more on work now and in the view of the economy this was an advantage of the evacuation. Knowing that their children were now safe and weren’t in danger of their school being bombed, they could work more efficiently and harder, therefore producing more artillery for example. If the mothers were working harder at work they would be tired at home and therefore if the children were away they wouldn’t have to worry about them misbehaving, or getting into trouble, but they could now relax more. Also they would be better off financially, they may be getting better wages as they had time for over-time, and the didn’t have to spend money on the children or as much food etc. But some mothers may not like it as much as others, as they may worry about their children being away from them. They may worry that their temporary â€Å"parents† did not treat them well or feed the well etc. Some may feel that they would be safer at home â€Å"though this was obviously no the case). They may also find themselves very lonely, their husbands had gone and now their children, and there now would be less help around the house Also mothers are very protective of their children and they may worry that their children may get ill or hurt, and if this was the case they would feel they should be there to care for them. I now think it is appropriate to look at the reaction of the fathers. As with the mothers I feel the majority of fathers would welcome the evacuations, as they could respect that it was for their safety. They would welcome it as it would be very comforting knowing their children were safe, and they knew that if they felt this way they could fight with more heart, effort and overall increase moral. So contributing to the war effort.

Expository Essay: Body Image Essay

Most women could agree that it can be rather frustrating and sometimes difficult to find the perfect clothes for that perfect fit. Oftentimes many women may feel they look fat in their skin tight jeans, or do not have nice, shapely legs to wear those cute short shorts during the summer months. Some women may have some extra padding they would like to conceal, whereas others may want the extra padding. There are specific body types for all women, and when people refer to body types they may refer to a pear shaped body that entails acquiring a slender neck, narrow shoulders, small bust line, a shapely waist, and generous lower hips and full thighs. Some women may have a round figure, which may give them a giving bust, fuller back, generous middle, narrow hips, and slender legs (which many women may love to have). In any case, many plus sized women face conflict concerning selecting clothes; however, there are numerous options that can flatter any body type. Accentuating Assets For those women who know they have a grand set of brilliant, voluptuous breasts, remember that cleavage is a much more tasteful and yet sexy way to go then trying to show full breast for the world to see. Instead, try wearing a slinky halter neck dress or shirt to skim modestly over breasts and show off any curves. Also investing in a well fitted bra will also help in accentuating those brilliant beauties. At hand, there are countless women with amazingly shaped, long, slender legs and many women with nice, toned arms. A woman with long, shapely legs could be wearing above the knee  skirts or short shorts. Women with the nice toned, muscular arms should try wearing more sleeveless shirts or dresses to show off those shapely toned muscles. For women who seem to have that excess skin under the arms, try opting for a shirt with fitted sleeves just above the elbow to help minimize any sagging they may not want seen. Women are continually trying to focus always on hiding what they do not want to be seen. However, instead of trying to focus on hiding what they do not like about their body, they should try to focus on what they do like most and in turn; the observer will focus more on the positives rather than the negatives. Remember, focusing more on showing off the goods will derail the audience in trying to focus on any flaws a woman is trying to cover up. Jeans and Pants It is true for some women that the pants or jeans they buy just do not look or feel right on  their body. Do they feel they make them look larger than they are? What if these pants or jeans make them look even slimmer then they want to look? There are numerous diverse styles of jeans and pants that will look amazing on any figure. For women who worry about their waistline, maybe try pants that sit low on the hips, which will help to slenderize the trouble area. Slacks that sit just below the naval will make a woman’s midriff seem longer and more slender, according to a contributor at (http://weightloss.about.com). If a woman is trying to hide thighs, saddlebags, or a big booty, she should try opting for a slightly flared or boot-cut style jean or pant. This type of style will in turn help draw attention away from those problem areas. According to Falcon (2011), another marvelous idea to help hide those unwanted thunder thighs: try a pair of skinny jeans with a tailored blazer, a longer shirt, and high heels. Flat-front pants and a side or back zipper can help flatter the figure. For those women trying to hide the tummy area, try to avoid pockets and tight pants, for they will only draw that unwanted attention to the midsection. Dresses and Skirts Some women believe they are feminine and sophisticated in a nice flowing dress whether it is a glamorous formal gown to something as simple as just a  wrap around. However, it can be sometimes difficult to find that perfect dress or skirt that will look perfect on a woman and appeal to her body type. A woman can never go wrong with an A-line cut dress. According to a contributor from (www.ehow.com), these styles flow naturally over the stomach and hips, and will draw attention to the waist at the smallest part. When looking for glamorous gowns  look for a dress that flows with the natural curves of the body. Falcon (2011) says that scoop necks, sweetheart cuts, and even off-the-shoulder are especially flattering. A woman who may be on the heavier side should try to stay away from gowns that could leave her looking plump, so instead stay with thicker lined fabrics (example would be a stretch satin) that will help in concealing those unattractive ripples. Angie (2008) suggests that for women who want to conceal their stomach area more could lean toward a printed wrap dress, which helps in defining the waistline while the print camouflages the stomach area. Many women struggle with below the waistline areas like the hips and thighs. Women can solve this by looking for dresses that create volume on the bottom. Pencil style and bias-cut skirts are frowned upon slightly for any woman and her body type. These styles tend to cling to the body more and emphasize those areas she does not want noticed. Colors and Patterns Not only do the right clothes make a difference, but colors and patterns can play a big role as well. If a woman is wide around the middle she may want to avoid any horizontal striping on clothing. Wide horizontal striping is a huge NO for wide figured women! Vertical stripes are wide-reducing friendly, and they also give off a more professional look as well. However, maybe there are women who need or want to look a little wider? That is alright and by all means horizontal stripes could be their best friend. However, try not to overdo it or get too carried away. Less is more. Also pin stripes and tunics give off an attractive lengthening look to a woman’s body. As far as colors are concerned, even though black is the number one choice in  color for slimming the body, it certainly does not have to be the last. Jewel tone colors like garnet, cobalt, and even plum are great colors to experiment with. Women can even try colors like navy blue, burgundy, or even a dark brown. A splash of color can help lively up any person’s mood. However, if black is her favorite color try dressing it up a bit with a nice colored belt, jewelry, or even a great pair of shoes (Falcon, 2011). Accessories Many women love to accessorize. Accessorizing the outfits should be fun for everyone and are the final finishing touches to a great ensemble. However, there are women that like the simple look, so if they are not into accessorizing, a simple pair of earrings of their choice or a necklace can help to simplify their ensemble. Quite a few women like the belt look and, will use that as an accessory. The secret to wearing belts is to wear them above a woman’s natural waistline according to Falcon (2011). Waist high belts can make an ensemble look good. Scarves seem to be a trendy new look for a woman dressing casual or if she is going for a more elegant style. Wool scarves are best worn in winter, while cotton scarves with bright colors are well suited for the spring and summer. Silk scarves are very exotic and can add some elegance to any dress. Beautiful, bright, and exotic silk and linen scarves will not only liven up any wardrobe, but add that summery euphoria to a womanâ€℠¢s personality. A woman’s shoes are her very core – alright maybe not her core but close to it. She should always finish an outfit with a great pair of shoes. High heels are nice in that they elongate, making a woman look taller and leaner. Open toed shoes can give those thighs and calves a slimmer look than wearing a closed toe shoe that would give off the opposite illusion. Women should avoid ankle straps if their legs are already slim. However, for those women who want to add a fuller appearance, ankle straps are their friends. When concerning wearing boots, the knee-high boots, or boots that fall just below the knee have become a popular trend for short skirts according to a contributor from (http://www.wikihow.com). Whatever the style shoe or boot a woman should be sure the shoe or boot is comfortable for her and emphasize  what she wants to accentuate the most. In all, a woman should have fun experimenting. Women can mix and match to suit any kind of ensemble. A woman can even come up with her own styles that better suit her and how comfortable she feels wearing what she chooses. Remember, there are numerous styles out there that will fit any body style, whether a woman has a pear shaped body, hourglass, or even round. It is just a matter of living happy and confident not only on the inside but on the outside as well that will really grab a person’s attention. References Falcon, A. (Copyright 2011). Fashion How Tos: Plus-Size No- No’s Busted: How to Wear Tricky Looks. http://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/tips How to Dress to Make Yourself Look Skinnier [Anonymous]. (Last edited December 28, 2010). http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-To-Make-Yourself-Look-Skinnier Glass, V. (Copyright 1999-2011). How to Wear Clothes That Make You Look Slimmer. http://www.ehow.com/how_2618_wear-clothes-make.html Scott J. R. (Updated September 28, 2009). 10 Tips to Looking More Slender. http://www.weightloss.about.com/cs/ourtoptopics/a/aa05124a.htm