The Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Essay The Kite Runner focuses on the life of Amir, a cowardly young boy part of the ruling caste of Pashtuns, and the son of a wealthy merchant residing in the outskirts of Kabul. At his side we see Hassan, his servant and best friend who is a member of the Hazara caste, a cultural group long persecuted in Afghanistan. As Amir tries to meet his father’s demands, we see the close relationship between the boys diminish, as ethnic and political tensions arise in Afghanistan. One day, a savage yet preventable attack is bestowed upon Hassan, an act that could have been prevented had Amir stepped in. Overcome with guilt and shame, Amir convinces his father to get rid of Hassan and his father, as he finds it almost impossible to confront them. Upon the beginning on the Soviet invasion, Amir and his father leave for America, leaving Hassan and his father behind. Years later, Amir is finally beginning to loose his feeling of guilt when he receives a call from an old friend residing in Pakistan. The dying wish of this friend requires Amir to go on a mission to Afghanistan, a mission which will finally allow him to face his demons and overcome his guilt once and for all. This book was written by Khaled Hosseini, a 40 year old Afghan American writer. Born in Kabul, his family moved to France in 1976 where his father worked in a government position. Hosseini’s family was suppose to return to Afghanistan in 1980, but was weary about the Soviet invasion. Instead, they requested political asylum and moved to the United States. Hosseini completed medical school at the University of California in 1993 and has kept a job as an internist since. The Kite Runner is loosely based on his life and his direct experiences with Afghan culture. Modern World Nations: Afghanistan Modern World Nations: Afghanistan is an informational text that covers the different cultural, social, political and historical aspects of the nation. In the book, we learn of the different racial groups that reside in the country as well as the different conflicts that arise within them. Different languages are explored such as Dari (a language that derives from Farsi) and Pashtun, a native language exclusive to Afghanistan and western Pakistan. The book also shows an in-depth look into the politics of Afghanistan, discussing the fallen monarchy of the past and the pro-Islamic policies of the Taliban of more recent times. The book concludes by covering the last two decades, primarily the Soviet Invasion and the rule of the Taliban, along with the horrors and harsh conditions they afflicted on Afghanistan. Jeffrey A. Gritzner, the chairman of the Department of Geography and the Asian studies program at the University of Montana, wrote this text. He is also an active member of the Association of American Geographers and has a great interest in world religions as well as global traditions and customs. B. CRITICAL ANALYSIS The Kite Runner The writing style of The Kite Runner is truly amazing, as it makes the reader feel as if they are witnessing the events firsthand. Written in first person, the reader joins Amir on his many journeys throughout his childhood and adult life. This point of view is particularly effective in this novel since Amir often has personal thoughts that we may not be aware of normally. For example, Amir is very fond of writing and story telling, a hobby that his father looks down upon. As result, Amir keeps his hobby a secret and writes his stories privately. In my opinion, the first person perspective is especially effective when a novel wishes to focus on its main character in detail and tries to reveal more then we would normally know. It is also effective when reflecting on how Amir feels about a particular event or situation as we can directly observe his inner thoughts and reactions which give us a more clear reflection of his personality. Another interesting technique used in this novel is the use of foreign words. In many conversations throughout the book, we see many of the characters speaking Farsi or using a Farsi word during a conversation or when referring to someone. In fact, Amir refers to his father as â€Å"Baba† throughout the entire novel (the equivalent of â€Å"dad† in Farsi). This technique is useful as it gives the reader a more realistic view on the story since all of the events are occurring in a foreign country where English is not the native language. Amir travels to a variety of places throughout the book and comes into contact with different ethnicities and cultures so it gives us a feeling of realism when we see the portrayal of accents or foreign words, since English is not the first language of many of the characters. Modern World Nations: Afghanistan This informational text is presented in a very clear-cut, direct manner. This is a positive attribute of such a book since it allows the reader to comprehend the facts without being sidetracked by colourful language or fancy terms. The author uses many statistics and graphs, along with maps and pictures to give the reader a true understanding of the cultural, geographical, and political aspects of Afghanistan. The book is written in a third-person perspective, the way most informational texts are since the author’s information in the book are not based on his first hand experiences. D. BOOK REVIEW AND PERSONAL RESPONSE * Since my non-fiction is an informational text, I was not able to find a review for it. As result, I will be doing a personal response on 2 articles for the Kite Runner. Article 1 The author of this review explains the happy beginning of Amir’s childhood, one where he and his friend and servant Hassan live together in harmony despite racial and socioeconomic differences. He goes on further to say that the book is very straightforward, since there are few plot twists and little use of complex language. I agree with this statement and feel that in the case of the novel, direct language allows the reader to focus more on the horrendous and tragic events that occur to not only Amir and his close family, but also the Afghans as a people. The review goes on to say that the contrast of pre-Soviet Afghanistan and the post-Soviet Afghanistan is an important and dramatic change. I agree that this distinction is a very important part of the novel since it demonstrates the vast changes that can occur due to a damaging and dominating political rule. The review also explains how the power of racism can affect children of young ages and tear apart long-term friends. Social pressures and a cultural attitude towards certain ethnic groups can poison a child’s mind at an early age and the novel does an excellent job of demonstrating the scars that are created due to these beliefs. Overall, I found this review to be insightful and interesting however, I think the author should have emphasized that the reader will learn a great deal about Afghan culture and traditions from reading this book rather than solely the tragic events that occur. It is important to note that since it gives the reader not only an interesting story, but an educational aspect as well. Article 2 The reviewer of this article, Tim Miller is a former history professor. As result, he includes the fact that this novel depicts the exotic and mystical culture of Afghanistan pre-Soviet invasion, which I think, is an essential point to mention. Another important thing he does is give a little background history on the author, Khaled Hosseini which is interesting to observe since the reader of the review will now have a better understanding of the author’s history and how and why he chose to depict the events in his novel. The reviewer goes on to explain a plot summary of the book without giving too much detail or information to spoil it for the reader which I think is an important skill when writing a book review. The style he wrote his review in is excellent as he makes the novel seem lively and interesting. Overall, I think this is a quick, insightful article that will get the reader interested and eager to pick up The Kite Runner. The fact that he explained the cultural aspect o the book alongside with a quick biography of the author is what makes this article better and more informative than the first E. LITERARY ESSAY The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is an epic tale that covers a variety of unforgettable and shocking events. The story begins with Amir, a well-off Pashtun boy who spends much of his childhood with his friend and servant Hassan, a boy of Hazara heritage. The boys are happy and the land of Afghanistan is happy; life is safe and prosperous for many Afghans. Amir’s father runs several successful businesses along the country and despite the difference of social class and ethnicity, the boys remain good friends. After the fall of the Afghan monarch, things begin to change. Pashtuns and Hazaras are beginning to act in violent conflict and the ways of Kabul become vulgar and grim. As cultural and political tensions grow in Afghanistan, Amir and his friend begin to grow apart. As a result of the deterioration of their relationship, Amir his father seek refuge in the United States upon the Soviet invasion, leaving Hassan and his father to fend for themselves in Afghanistan. Many of the events within the novel are the result of many realities that took place within Afghanistan during this time period. A prominent theme we see in both books is the contrast of life before and after the destructive Soviet invasion. Before the invasion of Russia, many Afghan residents were happy and the cultural differences between the Pashtun and Hazara people remained limited. After the Soviet’s began full-out war on the country, many Islamic groups recruited soldiers to fight in the war, excluding young men of Hazara descent. This form of isolation certainly can be seen as a cause for the discrimination against Hazaras since many Pashtun boys were brainwashed by their military leaders. Furthermore, many of the foot soldiers remained unaware that the Hazaras were not allowed to help join their groups and as result, felt that the Hazara were depending on them to save the country without contributing any form of help of their own. This issue is addressed differently in The Kite Runner since we do not see Amir or Hassan being faced with a situation that requires them to take part in any war. In the Kite Runner, a boy named Assef (who ironically, later becomes a Taliban leader), attempts to brainwash Amir into disassociating with Hassan. This is a different method of portraying how many Pashtuns pressured and brainwashed others into mistreating people of the Hazara race during and after the war. Another central theme that is dominant in both books is racism, and the negative impact racism within a society can have even among a very close-knit community. To understand that nature of racism in Afghanistan, it is important to understand the origin and physical traits of the two dominating ethnic groups in Afghanistan: the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. According to the informational text â€Å"Modern World Nations: Afghanistan†, the Pashtuns are a people of Indo-Iranian stock who reside in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. The Pashtuns tend to have Aryan features which include high cheek bones, pointy nose, and round eyes. The Hazara however, are of Mongolian heritage and have Oriental-like features. In addition to the differences in physical appearance, Pashtuns tend to be Sunni Muslims while Hazaras tend to be S’hiat. The racism also derives from the fact that Hazaras traditionally tend to be poorer and are considered a laborer class of people. We see how The Kite Runner demonstrates this fact by having Hassan and his father work as servants for Amir’s family. The Soviet invasion did not discriminate on these ethnic groups but upon the Russian’s depart; the Taliban took over the nation. Almost immediately, speakers within the Taliban government began to make outrageous statements against the Hazara people, claiming they are not â€Å"real Afghans†. The Taliban implemented a mass genocide of the Hazara people and ethnic cleansing went through with little intervention from outside sources. This historical genocide was portrayed in the Kite Runner, as Amir returns to the country years later to find the Hazara village Hassan was living in had been massacred. Overall, The Kite Runner is an accurate portrayal of life in Afghanistan during this time period. We see the many of the central characters in the novel torn apart by hate and bigotry, an unfortunate and true reality that has plagued modern day Afghanistan. We see the negative effects that a war has on a people and the harsh realities it can have on a nation and people. Brainwashing and negative propaganda can tear apart even the closest of friends and companions, a lesson that is thoroughly taught yet forgotten in history. Both novels also show how poverty and socioeconomic class can also influence the way we treat our fellow man. If the Afghans could have looked past the question of religious and cultural differences and unified during times of war, perhaps the nation could have pulled through and been one of success, rather than what it is today.

Perspectives of Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx Essay -- Sociology Compar

Perspectives of Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were full of evolving social and economic ideas. These views of the social structure of urban society came about through the development of ideas taken from the past revolutions. As the Industrial Revolution progressed through out the world, so did the gap between the class structures. The development of a capitalist society was a very favorable goal for the upper class. By using advanced methods of production introduced by the Industrial Revolution, they were able to earn a substantial surplus by ruling the middle class. Thus, maintaining their present class of life, while the middle class was exploited and degraded. At this time in history, social theorists like Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx challenged the aspect of social structure in their works. Emile Durkheim is known as a functionalist states that everything serves a function in society and his main concern to discover what that function was. On the other hand Karl Marx, a conflict theo rist, stresses that society is a complex system characterized by inequality and conflict that generate social change. Both Durkheim and Marx were concerned with the characteristics of groups and structures rather than with individuals. The functionalist perspective in society is a view of society that focuses on the way various parts of society have functions, or possible effects that maintain the stability of the whole. Durkheim developed the idea of society as an integrated system of interrelated parts. He wanted to establish how the various parts of society contribute to the maintenance of the whole. He also focused on how various elements of social structure function to maintain social order and equilibrium. Durkheim stressed that culture is the product of a community and not of single individuals. He argued that the ultimate reality of human life is sociological and not psychological. The sociological reality, which Durkheim called the collective conscience, exists beyond the individual and individual actions. Durkheim characterizes collective conscience as â€Å"a totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society forms a determinate system which has its own life† (Ritzer , 82). In Durkheim’s opinion a whole is not identical to the sum of its parts, thus society is not just a mere sum of individu... ...sband’s property (Ritzer, 63). Marx says that this corresponds precisely the definition of unequal division of labor in the modern society. Where an employer degraded a worker until the worker becomes the private property of the industry and therefore no different than a slave. Just as a slave is not free to decide whether or not to work on a given day, neither is the worker. Both must work in order to survive. Ultimately, many social thinkers in the history of sociology have challenged the topic of social structure in their works. Social thinkers like Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx have spent their entire lives formulating theories that would explain the status of individuals in societies. From a functionalist perspective sociologist like Emile Durkheim looks at society as a system with various parts that contribute to the maintenance of the whole. On the other hand Karl Marx, a conflict theorist, stresses that society is a complex system characterized by inequality and conflict that generate social change. Both theorists looked at a social system as a set of mutually supporting elements, unlike for Mark, it was hard for Durkheim to explain how change might occur in a society.

Sanofi-Aventis Pakistan Limited Pharmaceuticals vs Glaxosmithkline

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition In Pakistan, Sanofi-Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline are pharmaceutical companies that market popular products and carry very similar medications. Companies like these have the mission and responsibility of providing medicines and vaccinations to better people’s live in different countries and communities. One of the largest and leading pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan is the Sanofi-Aventis Pakistan Limited. The chains put most of their focus on therapeutic areas such as: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, central nervous systems function, metabolic disorders, internal medicine, and vaccinations (Sanofi, 2010). GlaxoSmithKline is also known for developing some of the nation’s leading global medicines in the fields of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The strategic management methods this manufacturer has chosen to use has made them a leader in the industry, among its competitors with respect to changing markets and growth trends. In 2007, the number one rated pharmaceutical company was GlaxoSmithKline, which has fount its continued success in making very wise business decisions like delivering almost 1 billion vaccines to developing countries in 2009 (GlaxoSmithKline, 2010). Diseases such as cardiovascular issues, thrombosis, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other major illnesses have been crucial public health issues for Pakistan because they have been proven to be a main contributor to the total global mortality rates. It is for this reason that companies like Sanofi-Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline have concentrated so much of their research efforts on those specific issues and areas. The result has resulted in a world-renowned reputation of expertise for both in the industry. The following paper will explain why the medications that are produced by the companies above are competitive in both domestic and global markets, and it will compare and contrast the quality management for these two organizations. Sanofi-Aventi’s is a multi-national organization and is currently the third-largest pharmaceutical group both France and Europe. It is an all-inclusive business as it conducts research, development, manufacturing, marketing the featured pharmaceuticals, and the company was formed in 2004 when the initial company, Sanofi-Synthelabo, bought out Aventis. Aventis had originally rejected the bids, and this turned into a three-month war until Sanofi-Synthelabo finally offered the acceptable bid of $54. 5 billion (Sanofi, 2010). After the bidding war was over, the Chairman of Sanofi-Aventis, Jean-Francois Dehecq, and the CEO, Gerard Le Fur, started the process of emphasizing the importance of customer service and their commitment to excellent service for the people who relied on their medications. Over the last several years, pricing and other various competitive methods and strategies of companies like these have been changing with technological developments, economic changes, federal legislation, and state drug substitution laws (Federal, 2010). With these impending changes, the overall market has undergone structural transformations as well that include the growth of the market for generic drugs, and company consolidations. The nature of this kind of competition is naturally subject to constant globally institutional and structural changes. GlaxoSmithKline has had a very notable history in the pharmaceutical industry as well since the early eighteenth century, and they are headquartered in the U. K. This company conducts business in the U. S. and boasts an estimated seven percent of the world’s total pharmaceutical market. Both company’s visions and plans were to become new, progressive companies were with great enthusiasm and vigor, as they had a clear vision of the desire to motivate the employees in almost 100 countries. Luckily, they already demonstrated an extensive portfolio of cutting-edge medications, reliable service to their patients and an overall commitment to the quality of life, so these factors enabled the company to continue to achieve their performance goals and meet the responsibilities they had to their communities. Coupled with evolving information technology and regular industry changes, there was and continues to be an increasing benefit and need for companies to choose and then charge differing prices to people in corresponding economic brackets. The competitive implications of these differential pricing tactics have offered companies like Sanofi-Aventi and GlaxoSmithKline the opportunities to spread their business over larger areas, more hospitals, and to involve themselves in other segments of demand by making themselves more flexible in the industry. These kinds of practices have probably changed the way they have partially because specific types of buyers as well as manufacturers have adopted and implement cost-controlling measures that are similar to those that have been used by traditional hospitals (Federal, 2010). The Sanofi-Aventis Industrial Affairs organization has been proven to be totally committed to providing the highest quality of service to its customers and patients, taking into consideration all of the current protocols of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) the company takes from its plants that are based at Karachi & Wah Cantt (Sanofi, 2010). As with almost any other organization, quality and the amount of productivity are very important and regularly monitored, and there is a great emphasis placed on maintaining Health and Safety codes in order to keep the employees safe on the job. During 2005, the Industrial Affairs department of Sanofi-Aventis continued to focus on committing their time and energy to providing the highest quality of customer service, while meeting their own production goals. GlaxoSmithKline has been experiencing their own specific challenges due to regulatory issues, patent expiration issues, and increased pressures that are coming from different healthcare providers that have created an environment of tension, lower growth rates, and higher risk for the company. They are addressing these challenges with three priorities: grow and expand on a diversified global business foundation, delivering quality products of high value, and finally simplifying the general operating model. The Pakistani pharmaceutical market has been and remains to be weighed down with financial and producing difficulties. Government regulations and control over fixed prices has made many of the drugs offered unaffordable to consumers, and this has resulted in people searching for what they need on the black market at increased prices, or the drugs have just disappeared completely. In this kind of high-tension environment, both global manufacturers and local foreign-owned companies have proven that they are not able to make the profits needed for capital investment. Currently, there are no formal public drug reimbursement programs, although patent laws became more regulated in December 2000 (Sanofi, 2010). In the year 2002, Pakistan’s regulation laws became even weaker than they had been. In reaction to this, the formation and recruitments of drug inspection teams were brought in to investigate the manufacturing and sales of fraudulent drugs, but unfortunately have not had satisfactory results so far, largely due to a lack of necessary resources and various bureaucratic complications. Though both Sanofi-Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline have been suffering from the declines of sales and the resulting losses in profitability for the past few years, the companies continue to make every effort to not only regain their positions in the industry, but to exceed expectations. The ways in which quality management can have major affects on the current position of both of these companies in both a domestic and the global market are to keep their focus on their core competitive edge and to work to further improve its internal controls within each company. The sales forces for any pharmaceutical company are considered to be the back-bone of the industry, and both companies will most likely begin to thrive when they create and develop a successful sales force to improve their future prospects as the economy improves

Paragraphs Essay

Paragraph 1 A good introductory paragraph. This summarizes the next couple of paragraphs and also has a certain intriguing appeal – it arouses the reader’s curiosity and impels him to read further. The first sentence, however, could easily have been dropped – the second sentence would make a more compelling introduction to the essay. Paragraph 2 Here the writer develops on the thread of diversity. Note that there is an emphasis on aspects that are important to an MBA course (strong analytical skills, math skills, work experience). The writer shows effectively that she has not been ‘wasting her time’ – besides earning a degree, she has earned valuable work experience and done something for the environment. Volunteer work is a strong advantage while applying to an MBA course – universities love people with a social conscience! (To a lesser degree, this is true if you’re applying to other graduate courses as well, as long as you show that your primary interest, now and in the future, is in the field you are applying to). At the same time, it is important that this experience appears genuine – so before making tall claims, make sure that you can substantiate them, preferably by actually doing some volunteer / social work. The last sentence ties the paragraph together. The argu ment ‘my experiences have shaped me’ is invaluable IF you have strong or unusual life experiences and in some cases can also partially compensate for an average or below-average academic record. Paragraph 3 We come to a shift in focus with this paragraph. The writer wraps up the ‘diversity’ thread well. Saying that she has a diversity of experience to offer, ‘among other things’, is a good idea – it implies that there is much more to her, qualities and assets that could not be described here because of space limitations It might have been a better idea to begin the next topic – ‘most important achievement’ in a new paragraph. The abrupt change of subject has a slightly disconcerting effect here. Paragraph 4 While this paragraph is ostensibly an introduction to the problem handled by the writer, it also makes two points, subtly – 1) she had been working in the family firm on a continuous basis and kept her eyes open to spot an area of improvement, 2) she is familiar with popular software packages and very comfortable with a PC. Paragraph 5 The first sentence risks sounding slightly pompous, but the writer’s earnestness comes through after reading the paragraph as a whole. Paragraph 6 Comes across as systematic, organized and thorough. Good qualities for any graduate applicant. Paragraph 7 This paragraph shows considerable maturity and learning from the event. A problem is not solved when you have a solution for it – implementing the solution is usually the biggest hurdle. Also, she realizes that company-wide changes rarely yield instant results, and must be followed up over a period of time to evaluate their effects. The last two sentences show that this project also had an effect on the company management’s thinking. Paragraph 8 Reflective paragraph on what she has gained from the project. She certainly seems to have been the driving force behind the project and it’s an impressive achievement. It might have been a good idea, though, to put in a line or two about how she learned to co-ordinate between various entities to get her job done. Good ending paragraph. Summary This is a mature, well-written application essay. Some of the ideas here are gold mines for other essays – describing how she founding and helping run FOE could be a whole essay by itself, and can be used to show how she used leadership and team skills (see Essay 5 – coming soon). Her experience in assisting in the implementation of an ERP system can also be used as an example of team skills and project management skills. MBA applicants have to write a number of essays for each school. It helps to have a bank of experiences to draw on. Writing a series of essays also means that you can afford to have a limited scope for each essay, and go a little deeper. We do feel, however, that this essay was a tad too limited on the ‘candid description’ of the writer. Diversity of experiences is an excellent point to make, but one more paragraph on other aspects of the writer’s personality would have strengthened the essay. Each application essay should answer the question asked in full. Note, however, that this writer says nothing about any liabilities that might influence graduate work. We have a tricky issue here – must you mention some liabilities just because the question asks for them? Here the writer chooses to ignore them and concentrates on qualities that will be an asset for graduate work. It might have paid off in this case because the essay basically asks, ‘How well are you suited for graduate work’. In an essay question of the type, ‘Discuss your strengths and weaknesses’ such a strategy would not work. Nevertheless, it’s a tough choice to make

Accomplishments of John Dalton essays

Accomplishments of John Dalton essays John Dalton once made this famous quote on his work concerning the atom, We might as well attempt to introduce a new planet into the solar system, or to annihilate one already in existence, as to create or destroy a particle of hydrogen. John Dalton was a British chemist and physicist, who developed the atomic theory upon which modern physical science is founded. Dalton, a Quaker, was born on September 6, 1766, in Eaglesfield, Cumberland County, England. He received education from the village school until age 11. He received tuition from Elihu Robinson, a wealthy Quaker, meteorologist, and instrument maker, who first encouraged Daltons interest in meteorology. At age 12 he was given a job to teach at the same school he attended. He worked on a farm for two years before he moved to Kendal where he taught with his brother. He also went on to teach at a Presbyterian Institute when he was 28 years old. A year later he was elected to the Manchester Literacy and Philosophical Society. Although he did not have a specific institution where he researched, Dalton began a series of meteorological research at the Lake District in 1787. His observations continued for 57 years, accumulating some 200,000 annotations and measur ements on the weather in the Manchester area. His first published book contained the first of his laws concerning the behavior of compound atmospheres. Dalton also wrote a book that has the first explanation of the dew point and hence the founding of exact hygrometry. In 1803 Dalton made his most important contribution to science, his theory (The atomic theory) states that matter is composed of atoms of differing weights and combine in simple ratios by weight. A physical clue to the theory was provided by the solubility of gases in water. He found through experiments that atoms of different gases have different weights. He showed how these atoms link together in definite proportions. An atom is any...

Boyle Heights Los Angeles Community Needs Assessment

Boyle Heights Los Angeles Community Needs Assessment Boyle Heights is a neighborhood located on the east side of Los Angeles (Healthy City, 2010). An initial assessment of the community revealed issues of poverty and crime. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Hollenbeck Division (2011), the majority of crimes committed in the Boyle Heights community are property crimes such as auto theft and burglary, however there are also violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated assaults (Los Angeles Police Department COMPSTAT, 2011). According to detective Antonio Macklin of the Hollenbeck police station in Boyle Heights, the majority of crimes are motivated by economic factors as Boyle Heights is a poor community (A. Macklin, personal communication, February 10, 2011). An initial drive and walk through the residential areas of the community of Boyle Heights revealed homes in various states of disrepair. The majority of houses are old. As one walks further along through the streets graffiti is visible. However, this is also a commu nity rich in cultural history. A further walk through the community reveals a historical museum, Mariachi Plaza, Murals depicting Mexican American Culture, Catholic Churches, and family-owned markets, restaurants and clothing stores. Despite crime in the area, children are observed playing in the streets, in the local parks and in their backyards. The community does have various parks and recreation centers as well as community centers. Community Characteristics Physical/Geographical Boyle Heights is located in East Los Angeles and its geographical boundaries are demarcated by the City of Vernon to the South, East Los Angeles to the east, Lincoln Heights and El Sereno to the north, Los Angeles River and Downtown Los Angeles to the West (City of Los Angeles, 2005). For the purpose of this needs assessment, the boundaries of Boyle Heights were narrowed to boundaries as defined by the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council website (2011) consisting of Marengo Street to the North, 25th stre et to the South, Indiana street to the East and the Los Angeles River to the West (Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council, n.d.). Boyle Heights is a mixture of residential areas, commercial areas, open space and public facilities (City of Los Angeles, 2005). According to data obtained from HealthyCity.org (2010), there are 12 Parks and Recreational Centers within a one mile radius of the Boyle Heights community. Additionally, Boyle Heights has a variety of small businesses punctuated by assets in the community such as White Memorial Medical Center, the extension of the Metro Gold Line and Los Angeles USC Medical Center, which according to the President of the Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, Alicia Maldonado, these assets have â€Å"brought improvements to the community, jobs for the residents, customers to the retail establishments and better health care (Boyle Heights Chamber of Commerce, 2011, p. 1)†. Former resident of Boyle Heights, Geneva Garcia, who resided in the area f rom the 1950’s until 2009, stated that â€Å"independent of the presence of gangs and crime in the area†, she has fond memories of her childhood and her life in Boyle Heights because of the many parks, recreational activities, sports and other community activities available to her (G. Garcia, personal communication, February 10, 2011). Ms. Garcia also confirmed that the majority of the community is Latino. This has further been confirmed through data obtained from the HealthyCity.org website and observation of the community.

Public Involvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Involvement - Essay Example A good amount of research has gone into exploring how patients can be incorporated into the Health Care Planning process. The underlying principle of shared decision-making is that professionals and patients exchange information about treatment options and preferences, and through negotiation find solutions to the existing problems. The involvement of patients in healthcare service planning and evaluation is thought to increase accountability to tax-payers, better identify and meet their needs, and broaden the value base underlying evaluation (Gagliardi et al. 2007). A recent government policy in the UK, issued in 1999 and reviewed in 2002, under the title of ‘Patient and Public Involvement in the new NHS’, has stressed the need â€Å"to involve patients, users, carers and the public in health and health services, highlighting the opportunities which the Government’s NHS reforms offer to develop effective patient and public partnership† (HSC 1999/210 p. 2). All over the world an awareness campaign has taken birth to understand the implications of public participation and their impacts. (Anderson et al. 2006). Pollitt (2003) used a quotation from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to list some of the motives the governments are trying to employ to enhance the quality of services. It states, â€Å"†¦if service users participate, then surely they will know best what they want?† (Pollitt 2003: p. 100). It is also to escalate the credibility of policy decisions in trying to make the general public feel part of the process. It states, â€Å"This is not just our "political" decision making, it is yours too, because you participated in it† (Pollitt 2003: p. 100). As Farrell (2004) points out, the outcomes of public involvement increases the confidence, understanding and skills of the people who participate. It also