Both Psychoanalysis And Surrealism Unconscious Mind Psychology Essay

Both Psychoanalysis And Surrealism Unconscious Mind Psychology Essay The relationship between Surrealism and psychoanalysis cannot be debated because they share similarities that are evident. The following literature review will show that both psychoanalysis and Surrealism are based on the unconscious mind. While psychoanalysis attempts to explain that the human behavior is influenced by the feelings from the past that have been stored in the unconscious mind, Surrealism attempts to influence the thinking of the human mind by evoking the feelings of the unconscious mind by the use of visual arts. It was also found out that the psychoanalytical theory by Sigmund Freud comes in handy in explaining the relationship between the works of a surrealist with psychoanalysis. In addition to that, some of the surrealists works of art will be used to show how they influence the unconscious mind. Surrealism Sigmund Freud is known to be the father of psychoanalysis and through his work, the relationship between psychoanalysis and surrealism can be seen. Surrealism is a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or non-rational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or unexpected juxtapositions (Cherry par. 1). People who engage in surrealism are referred to as surrealists and the main activity that they are engaged in is art work, such as painting and writing of literature. The movement of Surrealists which involved writings and visual art was most prevalent in Europe and later on spread to other regions such as New York eventually having an effect on music, literature, visual arts, political thought, social theory and philosophy. Surrealism grew principally out of the earlier Dada movementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which produced works of anti-art that deliberately defied reason (Cherry par. 2). In her book, Bradley states that Dada predated Surrealism, and Surrealism survived Dada, but for a while, the two movements co-existed in a continuum of shared energy and excitement (12). The Dada movement shared a lot of similarities with Surrealism. For example, just like Surrealism, it ridiculed the way in which the way the complexities that existed in modern life were made to look secure through categorization and division. Dada artists declared everything to be in a constant and creative state of flux. They were interested more in a mental attitude than an artistic mo vement (Bradley 12). In other words, the followers of the Dada movement dwelled mostly on activity believing that it would eventually give rise to creativity. A closer look at the Dada art and creativity shows that they had the intention of provoking and arousing anger in the audience. However, Surrealism was associated with positive expressions in contrast to Dada movement which was mostly negative towards art. The members of the Surrealism movement were reacting against the destruction that was caused by a rational way of thinking especially in the European politics and culture. The spokesman of the movement, Andre Breton, stated that Surrealism was meant to be used to reunite the unconscious and conscious experiences completely so that the dream and fantasy world would unite. Through this unity, the rational world would be presented in the minds of people in such a way that there would exist not only an absolute reality -but also- surrealism (Bradley 14). Andre Breton first joined the Dada movement and engaged in the experimentation of automatic writing. This kind of literature involved spontaneous writing without the censoring of ones thoughts. As Breton continued writing, he managed to influence other writers to join him and with time they managed to make a team. It then dawned on them that automatic writing seemed to be an effective way of changing the society rather than the Dada way of attacking values, which seemed to be negative. Breton kept on referring to the works of Freud and saw that the source of imagination was the unconscious mind. He defined genius in terms of accessibility to this normally untapped realm, which, he believed, could be attained by poets and painters alike (Lusty 4). In that regard, great works of art and paintings have been produced today due to continuous thought processes and insights of the mind. In addition to that, Breton adds that the aim of Surrealism is to unite the internal reality and the external realityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and refusing to allow the preeminence of one over the other (par. 5). In order to achieve this, both realities need to be treated in a manner that is systematic in order for their reciprocal effects to be felt by individuals in an effective way. The coming together of different automatic writers formed a group that had the desire to revolutionize the experiences of humans including its political, social, personal and cultural aspects. They intended to do this by influencing people to be free from what they perceived as restrictive customs, false rationality and structures. Breton also added that the Surrealism is long live social revolution, and it alone! (Breton par.6) A few years later, the group of writers, led by Breton formed the Surrealist Manifesto. In this manifesto, Breton defined Surrealism as Pure psychic automatism, by which it is intended to express, verbally, in writing, or by other means, the real process of thought (par.13). Surrealists have come to believe that cultures from the non-Western regions of the world are a source of continuous inspiration for the activities of surrealists since they strike a balance between imagination and instrumental reason than the culture of the west. In addition, Surrealism has also had an impact on revolutionary and radical politics both indirectly and directly. The direct influence can be explained in the sense that surrealists may join or form allies with political groups, parties or movements. On the other hand, an indirect effect occurs when surrealist put an emphasis on the intimate link between freeing imagination of the mind, and liberation from repressive and archaic social structures (Lusty 3). Surrealists work, as stated earlier, was mostly about automatic writing which later on dwelled on visual arts. In fact, it seemed as if the Surrealism movement was all about a visual movement due to the many visual styles that were created by various artists in the movement. However, the movement came to find out that it can associate their visual images with ones individuality and at the same time use the images to bring out psychological truth. The artists did this by, for example, painting original objects that seemed to have a completely a function that is completely different from their intended use. This was done in order to evoke empathy from people that viewed it. An example of this process of a Surrealists work is the image of watches that sag as if they are melting (Bond 5). Such a work of art intends to reach deeply into the psychology of individuals and is made whole with ones individuality (Bond 5) Psychoanalysis explores the interconnection between the conscious and the unconscious mind. The psychoanalysis view holds that there are inner forces outside of your awareness that are directing your behavior (Cherry par.3) Sometimes individuals might act in ways that they may not be in a position to explain why they act that way and yet their actions may be explained based on unresolved feelings about the past caused by specific experiences or significant people in their lives. Such feelings can be explored or triggered with the help of psychologists and help the individual gain insight into his or her behavior or problems. In the field of psychoanalysis, it is widely known that Sigmund Freud was the person who first discovered psychoanalysis and he then came up with psychoanalytical theory. Most of his theories were considered to be shocking since he dwelt on the sexual desires of human beings and attempted to explain the human behavior based on these desires, which is why his theories raised a lot of controversies and debates. Actually, his work had a major influence on many disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, art, literature and most of all, psychology. Psychoanalysis is used to refer to many aspects of Freuds work and research; including Freudian therapy and the research methodology he used to develop his theories (Cherry par.4) Most of the theories that Freud formulated were mainly based on observations he made on his patients. Cherry agrees with this observation when she states that Freud relied heavily upon his observations and case studies of his patients when he formed his theory of pe rsonality development (par.5) When people are faced with thoughts that are immoral they engage in self reproach or some people may have paranoia towards certain images or certain people due to past experiences that are still engraved in the subconscious mind. The purpose of paranoia is thus to fend off an idea that is incompatible with the ego, by projecting its substance to the external world (Bell 13) Many of the behaviors of human beings can be linked to their past experiences and as Bell puts it, many people face a difficulty in managing intolerable ideas that eventuate in self-reproach (14).Some people manage to delete these ideas through the process of repression but for others, self-reproach becomes self-distrust and so the obsession person continues to check and recheck his own actions (Bell 14). In addition to that, the idea will always remain in the mind of the paranoia but the judgment that concerns the idea is transformed as reproach towards the individual that bears the idea. In this way, the individual will live thinking that people are judging him because of the bad ideas that are in his mind, yet in the real sense, he has become paranoid. When an individual projects such internal objects to the environment that surrounds him or her, then it psychologists refer to it as projection and one is said to be suffering from paranoia. This example is given so that the strong effect of the unconscious mind is demonstrated clearly. According to psychology, many people are unaware that the unconscious mind is very alive and the thoughts that are inscribed in this part of the brain play a significant role in shaping the general behavior of individuals. In order to clearly illustrate psychoanalysis, it is important to be in a position to differentiate the meaning of the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. These two are sections of the brain that store memory at long term or short term depending on the section. A precise definition states that the conscious mind includes everything we are aware of (Cherry par.1) When one can easily talk and think about the mental processing in his or her mind, then it is said that the individual is operating in the conscious mind. Physicians normally test the memory of their patients, especially those that have suffered a brain injury, by asking them if they can remember their names or if they can recall what happened shortly before the accident. If these patients are in a position to recall the incidents, then their memory is still intact since a section of the conscious mind includes the memory. Freud called this memory ordinary memory the preconscious (Bell 12). On the other hand, the unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness (Bell13) generally, psychologists say that the contents of this part of the mind are unpleasant or unacceptable, for instance, feelings of conflict, pain or anxiety. In addition to that, the unconscious mind will always influence our experience and behavior even though we are unaware of these underlying influences (Bradley 4) Psychoanalysis of the human mind will therefore help individuals understand why they behave in a particular way and they will also find out whether the unconscious mind is influencing their behavior. Breton was always corresponding with Freud in his works and in leading the movement of Surrealism. He especially showed a deep interest and a continuous reference on the theories that were presented by Freud. A closer look at surrealists paintings will reveal that there is an interconnection between Surrealism and psychoanalysis. As discussed previously, it can be noted that Surrealism was an artistic movement which was concerned with the nature of the unconscious and its connection with creation (Bond par.1) As the surrealists aimed to break the way of thinking that was conventional, their works attempted to highlight the the role of the unconscious in creativity in order to break new ground (Bond par.1) In addition to that, since the surrealists had an interest in the expressions and the functioning of the unconscious, and where the position of desire was in psychoanalytical theory, it was obvious that there would be attempts to associate a surrealists work with a theme that spelled out desire. In that regard, desire is treated in psychoanalytical terms. In support of this view, Bond states that The connection between surrealism and psychoanalysis cannot be understated (par.20) since psychoanalysis was seen as the means to the freedom of the mind of human beings. Since the unconscious mind is correlated with conflict, pain or anxiety, the work of surrealists, especially visual arts, attempts to evoke feelings that are associated with these three emotions. In fact, most of the work of surrealists aims to make its audience emotional and instill feelings of empathy. The main themes of Surrealism are psychoanalytic as depicted in the work of a surrealist. Lusty supports this view when she says that a series of psychoanalytic Surrealist themes, including narcissism, fantasy, masquerade, perversionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (1) From these themes, it can be said that many surrealists work depict perversion especially those that show the nudity of females. In the same light, psychoanalysis, which mainly dwells on the unconscious mind, demonstrates that this part of the brain stores up unpleasant memories some of which, according to Freud, are sexual in nature. Therefore, the way a surrealist work uses the unconscious mind for creativity in order to illustrate perversion by the use of nude paintings, may evoke associated feelings of the unconscious mind. This way, the surrealists succeeded in influencing the human mind by use of creative visual arts. Also the use of fantasy can be explained in the same way. In addition to that, the theater of Surrealists depicts the subconscious experience, moody tone and disjointed structure, sometimes imposing a unifying idea (Lusty 6) These surrealists wish to create a theatrical form that is direct and immediate, by linking the unconscious minds of performers and spectators (Bell 12) which seems to be ritualistic. In some of these theaters, feelings, emotions and metaphysical were expressed physically thus creating a vision that seems to share similarities with the realm of dreams. Thus it can be deduced that psychoanalysis has a deep interconnection with surrealists work since Surrealism depended mostly on imagination and linked it to psychoanalysis in order to produce great and creative pieces of art. Conclusion It can therefore be noted that the relationship between psychoanalysis and surrealism is real and it affects human beings since they both deal with the subconscious mind. The literature review has shown that Breton depended on the work of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, as he led the followers of Surrealism. In addition to that, Breton showed that he fully depended on psychoanalysis as he was doing automatic writing and painting. In that regard, the definition of surrealism is connected with art and the subconscious mind as they work hand in hand with the aim of expressing inner thoughts and influence the way of thinking of other human beings. Therefore, it is sufficient to state that surrealists are the people who are paint and do automatic writing, also referred to as literature. Moreover, the surrealists were known to be influential and they were very aggressive with their work of art since it was a way of expressing anger and ridicule to the peoples way of thinking. In other words, surrealism does not use the voice for expression but passes so many messages by the use of visual arts that seems so unique and creative. This kind of art helps surrealists to express emotions such as desire, love, hatred, despair, dissatisfaction and many more. It was also seen that they use abstract images in their work of art; images that one cannot expect can be used in a particular manner. An example of this was the use of a sliding wall clock on top of a table. Such are the kind of creative art that were used but with the intention of influencing the subconscious, just as psychoanalysis attempts to understand the feelings that are stored up in the subconscious. In addition, it was learnt that Surrealism grew from the Dada movement and the two movements shared some similarities. The only problem that Dada movement had is that it used its literature to attack the individuals of the society. This is what displeased Breton, who was then a member of the Dada movement and he would later turn out to be the spokesman of the Surrealism movement. Thus, the literature review has shown that Breton, together with a team of other automatic writers rebelled form the Dada movement since they were not pleased with the concept of leadership and they formed a Surrealist network that would be positive in its activities and movements instead of negative like Dada. In other words, Breton and his team chose art, a more subtle way of passing messages, as the theme of movement. This movement would later move from Paris to other parts of the world like New York. The relationship between Surrealism and Psychoanalysis was brought out clearly in the paper by showing that they both use the subconscious mind. First and foremost, the conscious mind is that part of the brain where one can easily talk about when asked what they are thinking about. On the other hand, the unconscious mind is the part of the brain that stores up feelings and emotions associated with it and this is the part of the mind that influences behavior. Moreover, psychoanalysts who try to understand why an individual is behaving in a particular manner will always explore the mind of a patient with the aim of uncovering the stored feelings in the unconscious. Psychoanalytical theory that was invented by Sigmund Freud dwells upon the unconscious mind. Sigmund Freud has stated that the feelings that result from the experiences all people go through are sometimes stored in the subconscious mind. Such feelings may, in many occasions, influence the way people interpret other situations that they go through in life without being aware that the subconscious mind is the one leading them to act and think in such a manner. The kinds of feelings that are stored in this part of the mind are normally unpleasant and Freud states that most of the time, the feelings are sexual. Freud further states that some individuals engage in self-reproach whenever they experience such feelings because they believe that they are unacceptable and wrong. This is what results in paranoia where an individual is self-obsessed with fear over issues and experiences due the influence of the feelings in the unconscious mind. The paintings of Surrealists had a connection with the unconscious. This is where the relationship between Surrealism and Psychoanalysis begins. The works of surrealist was painted in such a way that they would influence the way of thinking of human beings, which was thought to be conventional. Thus their work intended to bring out the role the unconscious mind played in creativity and thinking so that this way of expression by art, would break new ground. Moreover, it was seen that Breton kept referring to the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud in his work so that he would use the theme in the paintings. Thus this also was an indication that there exists a relationship between Surrealism and Psychoanalysis. Furthermore, it was shown that the main themes of the Surrealists work are psychoanalytic. The kinds of themes that seemed prevalent and shared a close relationship with psychoanalysis are narcissism, perversion, fantasy and masquerade. It is especially true to note that perversion seemed to be the central theme of their work especially when they did the paintings of women, this kind of paintings has raised a lot of controversy in the world today as the Surrealists were accused of being feminists. Moreover, the use of perversion may evoke associated feelings with the unconscious mind that people see as unpleasant, such as paintings of nudity. In addition, theaters that displayed surrealists work intend to make a connection with the mind of the audience and this is also a concept of psychoanalysis. This is how the surrealists used visual art to influence the human mind. In fact, it was not only the theme of perversion that was used to influence their way of thinking, but also themes t hat would ridicule politicians and other leaders in society to change their way of leadership and lead the society and its members in the right path.

Can Sri Lanka Apparel Industry Face Future Challenges?

Can Sri Lanka Apparel Industry Face Future Challenges? 1. Sri Lanka has traditionally been an agro-based economy from the ancient time. With the Industrial Revolution taking root in Europe and later spreading to the rest of the world, Sri Lanka too had to take its place in this scenario. Factory scale production of ready made garments in Sri Lanka had its beginnings in the early 1950s to become the largest industry in the Sri Lankan economy. During the pre-liberalization era (pre-1977), the domestic textile industry was essentially an import substitution industry confined to a few large-scale textile industries run by the government. The textile industry did not make much progress during this period. The garment industry has its origins in the mid- 1960s, but unlike the textile industry, the former was mainly run by the private sector. Initially, almost all of the garments produced were for the domestic market and there were hardly any exports during this period. A large share of the industry was in the hands of few companies. Since the importation of textiles was either banned or restricted, locally produced textiles mainly fed the garment industry. GARMENTS: All external and internal finished common clothing items such as shirts, T shirts, pants, dresses, sports clothing, fashion garments, under garments etc. APPAREL : finished clothing that can be considered as supporting clothing or accessories such as jackets, lingerie, leather clothing, knitted garments, shoes, hats, gloves, fashion accessories etc. 2. The period after the late 1970s saw a rapid expansion of the garment industry in Sri Lanka. The phenomenal growth during this period can be attributed to three major factors: a. The first is the market-oriented liberal economic policies introduced in 1977, which placed greater emphasis on the export-led industries. b. The second is the supportive measures taken by the government through the Board of Investment, such as duty free importation of industrial inputs, off-shore borrowing facilities, tax holidays or concessional taxation, etc. These measures together with the availability of labour- intensive industries such as garments. c. The next important factor which contributed to the Sri Lankan apparel industry is the Multi Fibre arrangement ( MFA ). AIM 4. The aim of this research is to discuss about the apparel industry in Sri Lanka and analyse the future challenges. CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: 1. The apparel sector had grown tremendously after introducing the open economy. Now it has become the leading export industry replacing the traditional tea and rubber. It is the most significant and dynamic contributor of Sri Lankan economy. 2. The major drawback in the Sri Lankan apparel industry is that it has not upgraded with latest technologies and modern consumer demands to compete with the other countries, mostly the South East Asian countries. National economy will definitely be affected if the country fails to address the drawbacks in the industry. 3. The aim of my research is to identify the weaknesses in the apparel sector and to suggest favourable and appropriate solutions to secure the industry. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 4. It is hypothesized that the reason for not upgrading with the latest technology and consumer demands is lack of capital, incompatible demands and high competition.    SCOPE OF THE STUDY 5. The scope of the study covers an assessment of the ready made garment industry in Sri Lanka taking three well known factories in to consideration. Factors that had been an impact to the industry will be identified through the research and the root causes of the problem will be then be identified. Recommendations will be made for the improvement. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 6. The required data for the research will be drawn from the following sources; a. Primary sources Primary sources will include information collected by interviewing resource personnel in the garment sector. b. Secondary sources Information will be gathered from relevant books, journals, the internet, treaties, conventions as well as international and local enactments of relevance. CHAPTER THREE OVERVIEW OF THE APPAREL INDUSTRY HISTORY   1. The textile and clothing industry had emerged from a modest beginning in the early 1950s A few pioneering industrialists who started out on an uncertain course at this time , confident their manufacture to only some popular items of garments and catered essentially to local demand. By the end of the 1950s there was a reversal in policies and the economy moved towards restrictions on imports and a policy of import substitution in industry began to be perused. While the major basic industries were reserved for the state; a wide range of consumer goods industries were opened to the private sector , which was provide with various investment incentives and a protected market. Over the decade of the 1960s as many as 300 categories of industrial products began to be manufactured locally. Among this range of products a major item was textiles and another ready made garments, though from the outset raw materials required for the garments industry were imported. 2. It was in the late1960s that Sri Lankas ready made garments began to break into export markets. Sri Lankas shirts had found acceptability in markets such as the UK and Soviet Union and a leading shirt manufacture began exporting up to Rs:2 million worth of product annually to the USSR, within the bilateral trade agreement between Sri Lanka and the USSR. 3. Around 1972 there was a change in outlook towards the industry as existing policy was altered to allow certain sectors to adapt an export oriented approach. Special foreign exchange allocations and other fiscal and tax incentives were offered to selected export oriented industries under this package. In the first six years of the 1970s over 2500 industrial units received approval from the Local Industries Approve Committee (LIAC) and of these nearly 2000 were in the product group of Textiles and Textile based industries. By the mid 1970s wage/ pries inflation and imposition of trade quotas on exports of traditional Asian Suppliers of made-up garments such as Hong Kong , Taiwan, South ,Korea and Singapore made Sri Lanka more attractive location for the industry. New units began to be established in collaboration with foreign capital/marketing, while production was being upgraded through import. 4. The period after the late 1970s saw a rapid expansion of the clothing industry in Sri Lanka. The impressive growth witnessed during this period can be attributed to two major factors. The first is the market-oriented liberal economic policies introduced in 1977. The market friendly economic reforms, which identified the private sector as the engine of growth, places greater emphasis on the export-led industries. 5. The second important factor which contributes to the remarkable expansion of the Sri Lanka textile and clothing industry is the Multi Fibre Arrangement ( MFA ). Sri Lanka is one of the countries that benefited from the quota hopping investments. The overseas manufactures of garment who relocated their production facilities in Sri Lanka include firms from both and Newly Industrialize Countries ( NICs) in East Asian and Europe. While the NIC firms moved their operations mainly as a means of quota hopping the motivation for producers of countries such as Germany and the UK to move into Sri Lanka was the rising production costs in their home countries. Given the ability to separate to different stages of the clothing industry, these overseas producers were able to disintegrate their production lines into low-cost countries like Sri Lanka without much difficulty. Investments by these two categories of foreign manufacturers fuelled the growth of the Sri Lankan clothing industry to a lar ge extent. In fact, the factories set up as joint ventures and wholly owned foreign companies account for almost half of the total exports earning from garments. MULTI FIBRE ARRANGEMENT 6. The Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) is a system of quotas designed to protect garment industries in first world countries by slowing down the pace of globalization. The MFA does not apply to the expanding garment trade between rich countries. 7. The MFA has had a complex but crucial impact on the development of the garment industry. In the Third World, by imposing limits on poor country exports, it encouraged investors to shop around for new countries. This because of the increase in volumes of ready made garment entering developed countries caused concern and eventually led the developed countries to seek the occurrence of The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ( GATT) to protect their markets. The reason for this concern was due to the fact that the industrialised countries never caused to be textile and garment manufactures because the industry employed a large number of women specially minorities and immigrants in the USA and Europe. GATT,s solution to the dilemma of the industrialised nations was the Multi Fibre Arrangements (MFA) which imposed quota restrictions on certain garment categories, there by limiting the quantity of apparels that could be exported to the developed countries by any single developing cou ntry. This curtailed the potential of countries like Hong Kong, South Korea, Mexico and Yugoslavia which were advanced textile manufactures. In turn it allowed countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to enter the industry with guaranteed markets. It was first introduced in 1974 and will end in 2005. As a result there was a world wide boom in the textile and apparel export industry in the mid 1980s. 200 GARMENT FACTORIES PROGRAMME (200 GFP)   8. In view of the infrastructure facilities and close proximity to the port and airport facilities etc. most textile and clothing manufacturers concentrated their operations in or around the Western province, where the countrys capital is located. As a result, unemployment one for the major problem faced by Sri Lanka continued to remain high in the other parts of the island. Growing unemployment resulted in youth unrest in most of the rural areas. Thus, in 1990,a Cabinet Sub-Committee recommended that garment factories should be opened in provincial areas other than the Western Province. Consequently, the 200 garment factories programme (200 GFP) was launched with the idea of opening at least one garment factory in each of the 200 Assistant Government Agent (AGA) divisions. The main incentive which encouraged the private sector to take part in this programme was quotas. For this purpose, the remote areas of the country were classified into three categories, namely non-difficult, difficult and most difficult. Quotas were allocated on the basis of the location for the industry. The more isolated and difficult the area, the higher was the quota allocated. While about 40 percent of the areas were identified as difficult, just over 40 percent fell within the most difficult category. The rest, just fewer than 20 percent, were classified as non difficult. In addition to quotas, the factories setup under the 200 GFP were also offered various other incentives such as tax holidays or lower corporate taxes, duty-free importation machinery and raw materials, loans from foreign currency banking units, etc. as the main thrust behind the 200 GFP was the high unemployment in the rural sector, each factory was intended to employ at least 500 workers. By the end of 1996, there were 154 factories in commercial operation under this programme, providing 76,821 employment opportunities.   CHAPTER FOUR THE ROLE OF TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN THE SRI LANKAN ECONOMY 1. The common features of developing countries are high rates of population growth, high rates of unemployment, low savings, insufficient capital formation, low investment, high capital output ratio, rudimentary technology and cheap skilled and unskilled labour. These countries are also mainly exporters of primary agriculture products. Further being too small to achieve economies of scale in their domestic markets, these countries have adopted export led growth policies which are designed to generate foreign exchange and expose the productive factors of the country to the stimulus of competitive influence. 2. The textile garment industry there for became the initial response of developing countries to this call for export led growth. Being a labour intensive industry requiring a small capital base. Production of textile and apparel shifted to developing countries in the 1960s. It provided employment for a large number of persons earned foreign exchange allowed for diversification of the export industry and paved the way for industrialization. Some countries attracted foreign investors by opening up free trade zones. Many critics called it textile led growth. 3. At the time Sri Lanka began to pursue liberal economic policies in 1977, the textile and clothing industry played only a minor role in the countrys economy. In the light of the broad based economic liberalisation and the benign impact of the MFA, the industry since then has recorded a remarkable growth and assumed a key role in the economy. While garments accounted for the largest share of all commodity exports (27 per cent) in 1986, it became the largest foreign exchange earner (US$ 0.4 billion) by 1992, by 1995; garments export exceeded US$ 1.5 billion, nearly half of all commodity exports. 4. Of the 21 percent contribution made by the manufacturing industries to the countrys economy in 1996, 40 per cent was from the textile and clothing sector. The growth of the garment industry was particularly rapid in 1992 and 1993 due to the attempts taken by the government under the 200 GFP decentralise the industry away from the Western Province. Although the textile and clothing sector registered a slow growth of 5.1 per cent against 14.8 per cent in 1995, it still accounted for 33.7 per cent of the growth witnessed in the private sector industrial output. (The slow growth in 1996 was primarily because of the continued power cuts due to prolong drought). According to the Ministry of industrial Development, there has been a total of 859 garment factories at the end of 2001 while the number of textile manufacturing firms stood over 140, with less than 10 companies accounting for most of the output. The largest garment factories (in terms of employment) were located within the free -trade-zones (FTZs) run by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOISL) the authority responsible for the promotion of foreign direct investment. 5. Today the textile and clothing sector has replaced the tea industry the traditional front line export industry as the leading foreign exchange earner. Specially, the growth of garment export has been highly impressive. For instance during the period 1980 to 1990 the value of apparel export increased from US $ 100 million to US $ 620 million. In terms of quantity, the exports grew from 52 million pieces to 212 million pieces during the same decade. Exports of garments, which were only 10 percent Sri Lankas total export in 1980, reached nearly half in 1993, registering in average annual increase of 30 percent. In 1996 the textile and clothing sector accounted for 46 percent of the countrys total export earning. Its share among the industrial exports reached as high as 63 percent. The highest growth, (21 percent) was in the woven fabric categories. 6. The textile and clothing sector has also been an outstanding source in generating employment opportunities. Being a highly labour intensive industry, this sector has been successful in absorbing a fairly large number of workers. By end of 2001, garment sector provided direct employment to approximately 391682 personal. The garment sector as whole represented about 14 percent of the 5.5 million of the countrys total employed work force. Approximately 40 percent of which was engaged in the textile and clothing sector. Of the total work force employed in the textile and clothing industry, more than 60 percent was with the clothing sector. CHAPTER FIVE PRESENT POSITION OF THE SRI LANKA APPAREL INDUSTRY MAJOR MARKETS OF SRI LANKA 1. Since more than 90 percent of exports from the Sri Lankas textile and clothing industries consist of ready made clothing, the focus here is on clothing. Sri Lanka currently maintains bilateral textile agreements in the context of the MFA with Canada, the EU and the USA. More than 90 percent of Sri Lankas exports of clothing are accounted by only two markets, the EU and the USA. The USA continues to account for about 60 percent of total clothing exports from Sri Lanka. About 90 percent of exports (by value) to the USA consist of quota items. The bilateral agreement between the US and Sri Lanka contains more than 30 quota categories, covering over 50 clothing items. While the quota performance against the US market is generally high, utilisation rate of certain quota categories such as knitted shirts and blouses, trousers, underwear, coveralls, and overall, terry and other pile towels etc. has reached almost 100 per cent during the recent years  [1]  . 2. The EU has been absorbing about 35 percent of Sri Lankas total exports of clothing every year. The largest buyer of Sri Lankan garments within the EU is the UK (about 45%) which is followed by Germany (about 20%), the Netherlands (about 9%), France (about 5.5%), Belgium- Luxembourg (about 5% ) and the rest Sri Lankas exports to the EU has been subject to quotas under four categories namely, trousers, blouses, shirts and jackets. The utilisation rate of quotas of the first three categories (most sensitive ones) during 1996 was 84 percent, 100 percent and 73 percent respectively, while the rate of the fourth category was nearly 30 percent. Canada continues to account for about 1.5 percent of Sri Lankas total exports of garments. While Sri Lankas bilateral textile agreement with Canada contains about 15 product categories under quotas. THE ABOLITION OF QUOTA SYSTEM 3. Sri Lankas apparel industry is now a major contributor to the countrys economy after its modest beginnings in the seventies. It represents 54% of our total exports and 71% of Sri Lankas total industrial exports. The garment exports make a direct contribution of 7% to the overall economy. The rapid growth of this industry could be attributed to the followings: a. A stable market because of the quota system. b. Low labour cost. c. Liberal economic and trade policies. d. Tax benefits and the concessions granted to the industry. 4. From its inception the quota system was a boom to Sri Lankas apparel industry. The availability of a stable market eliminated the danger of competition from established industrialists in the international field, and attracted direct foreign investment and helped Sri Lanka prosper in this industry. 5. Although the abolition of quota system in 2005 had a negative impact on the industry it also opened up an expanded free market. As such the future of the garment industry in Sri Lanka will depend on our ability to face competition. One third (1/3) of the total exports from Sri Lanka are done by 25 large scale manufacturers. These organizations are in a position to restructure and sustain themselves in a competitive market according to surveys. But the survival of the other small and medium scale industries is at stake, making the situation critical because these small and medium scale manufacturers are the biggest employers in the apparel industry  [2]  . SWOT FOR THE APPAREL INDUSTRY 8. Strengths.   The product quality level for the current market segments is considered high Reputation as a country which follows labour laws and good working conditions. The product price ranks second with large customers confirming that price quality relation of Sri Lanka is good On time delivery is the third best strength with effort towards reducing lead-times. Availability of skilled labour, educated and trainable work force and management of production capacity and ability to handle high volume orders are also considered strengths the Sri Lankan industry presently possesses. Apart from those the geographical size of the country facilitates easy movement with in the country serves a further advantage  [3]  . 9. Weaknesses. The weaknesses in the Sri Lankan industry can be listed down as follows; a. Lack of marketing skills with over dependence on buying officers, and allocation of quotas. b. Low level of marketing information, and knowledge about export marketing with hardly any marketing activities. c. Lack of fabric base and over dependence on input suppliers with long lead times d. Lack of a strong work ethic along with high absenteeism and labour turn over. e. Warm climatic condition of the country which reduces productivity f. Increasing cost of labour and availability of employment in other industries and foreign employment opportunities 10. Opportunities. To overcome the loss of orders due to the expiry of Multi Fibre Arrangement after year 2005, the position in the traditional export markets in the USA and UK by should be strengthened by establishing a strong relationship with distributors and buyers and developing an expansion strategy for the markets with good potential. Thereafter the opportunity exists to gain a higher market share by implementing an aggressive marketing strategy in the markets, where Sri Lanka has a weak positioning. Further there is a very good opportunity to capture a bigger market share in the EU: As at present Sri Lanka is not with in first 15 exporters to the EU. 11. Further opportunities exists in capturing the South Asian Market especially the High Price garments with designer wear and Intimate garments, a market where Sri Lankan Manufactures are now experts in producing and marketing. The available free trade agreements should be exploited in trade between India and Pakistan to export finished garments and to import fabric and accessories. It is also important to establish and identity for of Sri Lanka as a destination, which manufactures very high quality garments   12. Threats. The threats to the present Garment Industry are as follows; a. An intensification of the competition, especially from the sub Asian member countries, before and after the phasing out of the MFA. b. Improvement of the former socialist economies, who have a good textile industry and a large domestic Market which are highly potential and geared to meet the quality and delivery requirements especially from EU. c. The arrival of new competitors in the Asian sub continent such as Vietnam, Cambodia , Myanmar and Laos. d. Special advantages created for the USA market by the NAFTA, consolidation and other regional economic cooperation e. The increase in Sri Lankas labour costs at a faster pace than productivity f. The necessity to reduce lead time from the manufactures to the shop, and the distant suppliers inability to deliver the value added garments on time g. Successive government has not addressed the issue of low productivity, and even at this stage a government funded garment manufacturing and production management training institute has not been established and this posses a threat to the industrys future h. Geographical location of the country. Sri Lanka is located at the furthest end of the Indian Ocean, when compared with other competitive garment exporting countries, which export to the USA, EU and other wealthy nations. Almost all the countries, which are geographically located close to Sri Lanka are under developed and, low income countries struggling to survive. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE SRI LANKAN APPAREL INDUSTRY 13. In the recent past, the global garment industry has been subject to significant changes in terms of changes in consumer demands, changes in technology, and fierce competition. These changes have also filtered down to the Sri Lankan garment industry and there is now considerable pressure on the industry to each higher standard of production and service. 14. As the garment industry is a relatively low skilled and labour intensive operation, over time there has been a shifting of production from countries such as Hong Kong. South Korea and Taiwan to low wage countries such as Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. As this process of shifting (or shifting comparative advantage) has continued, Sri Lanka has gradually lost its low labour cost comparative advantage. 15. As the majority of Sri Lankan manufactures currently produce standard garments where competition is primarily based on price, Sri Lanka faces stiff competition from other developing countries of South and South East Asia where production cost is low (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). China has also emerged as a dominant force in the global apparel industry with its massive supply capability and low costs of production. These countries have a lower ranking in terms of cost of production in comparison to Sri Lanka. Given this situation, there may be a need for Sri Lanka to move some of its exports to the top end of the market as a reputable and dependable supplier of quality apparel in Asia. In the higher value clothing segment, countries such a Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan are serious competitors  [4]  . 16. While Sri Lanka s global market share has been recorded at 1.5 percent, more recent estimates indicate that there has been a marginal increase, and stands at 2 percent of the global garment market. During the period 1995 to 2000, Sri Lanka maintained a 19 percent export earning growth in the garment industry. If there is a lifting of the US tariff barriers for Sri Lankas apparels, then according to some commentators there would be a significant increase of exports. As mentioned earlier, although over 90 percent of Sri Lankas garment exports are destined for the USA and the EU, Sri Lanka does not rank amongst the top exporting nations to the EU. Sri Lanka ranked 20th and 16th place among suppliers of apparel products to the EU and the USA market, respectively, in 1998. The positive feature is that the Sri Lankan garment manufacturers, in general, have built up a good rapport and sound reputation the world over. It is a great advantage when compared to her competing neighbours. 17. Buyers now have a range of sources from which to choose, and countries such as Mexico (supplying to the USA) and Turkey (supplying to the EU) have the added advantages of being in close proximity to their major markets, lower transport cost and shorter turn-around times. Moreover, Mexico and free of quota restrictions access to their major markets. 18. One factor contributing to this reduced level of price competitiveness is the increasing cost of labour in Sri Lanka compared to other garment producing nations. Labour costs have been steadily increasing and currently constitute between 15-30 percent of total production costs in the average Sri Lankan garment manufacturing firm, highlighted the hourly wage rates of a number of garment manufacturing nations and indicated that Sri Lankas competitors currently have relatively lower wage cost structures. For those competitors who gave higher wage cost structures (and higher global market shares), their strengths lie particularly in their high levels of productivity. HOW SHOULD WE FACE THE COMPETITION? 18. The researcher recommends the following changes to preserve the garment industry in Sri Lanka. Developing Skills Of Labour Force The skill level on high speed machines have been found to be in sufficient. This resulted in low efficiency levels and low Needle Down Time. Which are two important performance measurements in the garment industry. Intensive training to upgrade skill level, parallel to technological advancement is important to gain a competitive advantage in the garment industry. b. Establishment of a Government Administered Garment industry related training institute. It is recommended to the government, at least at this stage to focus on this issue, and establish a dedicated training institute for all levels of employees in the apparel industry, as the future of thee industry and employment of 350000 personnel will purely depend on countries competitiveness on productivity and cost of labour. e. Increasing Needle Down Time (1) Use of Modern Machinery Needle down time could be increased through training and use of modern advanced machinery. Introduction of modern machines as under bed trimmers and computerised machines will speed up the sewing process and assist the operator to use other advanced facilities of the machines. (2) Reduction of secondary activities Needle Down Time (NDT)could be further increased by following General Sewing Data Standards, which indicates the ideal movements by machine operators to reduced idle time and speed up the sawing process. f. Backward Integration. Due to lack of modernisation and technological advancement in the textile manufacturing sector the garment industry has to depend for its requirement on imported fabric. Therefore to be competitive backward integration is necessary, but it requires high capital expenditure- is around US $ 25-30 million. In Sri Lankan terms this is a huge investment. Therefore it is prudent for Sri Lankan to concentrate from processing stage onwards and import grey fabric from abroad. Given proximity to Asian producers fabric can be soured with minimal lead time. Joint ventures, strategic alliances, etc. will be ideal if can be so arranged. g. Export Alliance. A group of small / medium sized companies with not so unique products and only limited funds available for export market development can form an export alliance. This group of entrepreneurs exporting can exploit the market much more professionally than an individual. In addition they can benefit by sharing the very heavy marketing expenses and the orders received from buyers. h. Product Quality. As the cost of fabric constitutes a major share in the unit cost of garments, a great deal of attention has to be paid for quality controls at the fabric level. An integrated approach in quality assurance in the process from fabric to garments can be a powerful tool in using quality as a differentiation strategy for competitive advantage. i. Management of Lead Time. Lead-time taken by Sri Lankan exporters around 60-120 days is a

Fashion and Women?s Movements in the Past Century Essay -- essays rese

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today’s American women are following centuries old traditions of rebelling against society’s outlook on women around. Earlier in America’s history, it was unheard of for a woman to be in both the public and domestic sphere. Women were forced to spend most of their life in the domestic sphere, and wear ridiculous clothes everyday. For a long time, women have been degraded and pushed around, causing women to initial movements to change the way society treats women. In America, â€Å"the land of the free†, women have to fight for their equal rights. Reformers, such as Fanny Wright, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer and many more have done so through their actions, and speeches. Nevertheless, in recent times fashion has become an available source of expression. It is a powerful tool to be able to be seen and not heard--but still get the message across. Since its humble beginnings, fashion has oftentimes just existed, but in the past century, it has existed as a form of expression, art, and liberation Now, women are still being influenced and challenged by the media and their peer, but slowly, more and more women are standing up for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the early to mid 1800’s, women were forced to squeeze into corsets made of whalebone, steel or buckram. It gave them the figure eight profile which resulted on a number of health problems, including their organs and body to become deformed. Over the corsets, women wore heavy layers of petticoats despite the weather. (Small Business Administration 3) Dresses emphasized the bust and hips, attempting to make women look very voluptuous. With the spread of commercialism, hundreds of new beauty products were introduced. These ever-popular restricting fashions were later outdated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This fashion was not comfortable in any sort of the imagination, and a social reformer, Wright started to make a difference. She originated a modified version of dresses in the Victorian Age. This new dress was described as â€Å"long-sleeved, high-necked, and loose-fitting tunic over a pair of baggy trousers† (Banner 23). Anthony, Stanton, Bloomer, and along others started to wear this new comfortable fashion. Bloomer promoted this new fashion which become known as â€Å"Bloomers† in The Lily; a newspaper for women promoting â€Å"women’s suffrage, temp... ...shion of the nineties, which did provide liberation. By the end of the century, homosexuality was accepted and commonplace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The future of women’s fashion is uncertain—in that shock value is harder to come by with each passing year. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, everything has been done before. This theory is coming closer to obvious reality, as fashion shows of recent years have visual throwbacks as late as the Victorian era. Although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost definite that women will use fashion as an important tool for expression and freedom in the future. Works Cited Banner, Lois W. Women in Modern America a Brief History. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974. Guerrilla Girls. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions.† Guerrilla Girls. 2005. 2 May 2005 . Small Business Administration. â€Å" Women’s History Month Amelia Jenks Bloomer.† Online Women’s Business Center. 16 Apr. 2002. 3 May 2005 . Thomas, Pauline Weston. â€Å"1950’s Glamour Fashion History 1950’s.† Fashion Era. 2005. 2 May 2005 . World Book, Inc. â€Å"The Rise of the Modern Women’s Movement.† The Modern Women’s Movement. 2004 ed. 1. 2 May 2005 .

john w booth Essay -- essays research papers

A History of John Wilkes Booth   The name of John Wilkes Booth conjures up a picture of America's most infamous assassin, the killer of perhaps the greatest president of the United States. However, J. Wilkes Booth (as he was known professionally) led a very prominent life as an actor in the years preceding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This period of his life is often forgotten or overlooked. The Booth family name in the nineteenth century was strongly identified with the American theater scene; there was no greater name among American actors at this time. Junius Brutus Booth, Sr. came to the United States from England in 1821 and established the Booth name upon the American stage. He left his legacy to be carried by his sons Edwin, John Wilkes, and Junius Brutus, Jr. All of the Booth children but one, were born out of wedlock. John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838 in a log house. The family home was on property near Bel Air, Maryland, twenty-five miles south of the Mason-Dixon line. Elder brother Edwin supervised his younger brother's upbringing. Later Edwin and older sister Asia would write about their eccentric brother's behavior. Francis Wilson, who wrote a biography of Booth in 1929, stated that Booth opened his stage career in 1855 at the Charles Street Theatre in Baltimore and began performing on a regular basis two years later. Once Booth embarked upon his acting career, he wanted the comparisons between himself and his late father to cease. It was a common practice of theater companies to retain actors who would complement a touring, star figure. Booth eventually became one the these star figures, with stock companies for one and two week engagements. Often a different play was performed each night, requiring Booth to stay up studying his new role until dawn, when he would rise and make his way to the theater for rehearsal. Booth began his stock theater appearances in 1857 in Weatley's Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia (the center for theater in this country at the time). According to one biographer, Booth studied intently in Philadelphia, but author Gordon Samples writes that Booth's lack of confidence did not help his theatrical career. William S. Fredericks, the acting and stage manager at the Arch Street Theatre, said the new actor did not show promise as a great actor. This negative opinion was also held by other Philadelp... ... putting together an operation, purportedly with Dr. Mudd and others, to capture the President and transport him to Richmond. By capturing Lincoln they expected to force the federal government to return Confederate prisoners of war who were confined in Union prisons and then return them to fight Union forces. After nearly five months of intense planning, the attempt to capture the president took place on March 17, 1865. Mr. Lincoln, however, disappointed the would-be captors by changing his plans. Instead of visiting a hospital outside of Washington, President Lincoln attended a luncheon at the National Hotel. This was the hotel Booth used as his temporary home while in Washington, DC. Two weeks later, the long Union siege of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia ended. The Union Army marched in and Confederate forces under General Lee moved west. One week later, on April 9, 1865 General Lee was forced by General Grant to surrender. These Confederate failures, along with the failure of Booth's capture plot, apparently gave Booth the incentive to carry out his final fatal plan. Five days after General Lee's surrender, Booth assassinated Mr. Lincoln inside Ford's Theatre.

Five Questions For Vladimir Lenin Essay -- essays research papers

Five Questions For Vladimir Lenin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most dedicated leader of the revolution, and future leader of the Bolshevik Party in Russia, was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. He was born in 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia, a small town on the Volga River, to a family of hereditary nobles that were not wealt but quite comfortable. Vladimir Ulyanov, who would later change his name to Lenin, was the third of seven children. His oldest brother, Aleksandr, was hanged in May of 1887 for having joined in a plot to kill Czar Alexander III. The czar signed a warra to have the five student conspirators executed. A year earlier, Vladimir’s father had died. Because of these cicumstances Vladimir experienced extreme grief. He died of a stroke in January of 1924 at his villa outside Moscow. I chose Vladimir Lenin to ite about because I felt that I didn’t truly understand what part he played in the Bolshevik takeover of Russia. In fact, I didn’t even understand what role he played in Russia, though I did know that he was associated with communism in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the University of Kazan, where Lenin majored in law, Lenin was expelled after only three months for taking part in a student protest meeting. He went on to work in a law office in St. Petersburg, where he joined the Social Democratic Party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In late February 1917 riots broke out in Saint Petersburg. A group of individuals assumed formal governmental powers and declared itself the Provincial Government of Russia on March 1. Lenin took the reins of the Bolshevik Party shortly after the Bolsh ik Revolution which overthrew this Provincial government. Lenin instantly created to pieces of legislation. One of them withdrew Russia from World War I. The other one nationalized personal property. From 1918 to 1921 Russia was torn by a civil war betw n the White armies and the Red Army of the Soviet government. In the summer of 1918 the Soviet government, under Lenin’s leadership, launched the Red Terror, a brutal campaign aimed at eliminating political opponents among the civilian population. The g ernment also introduced a series of economic policies in an effort to put socialist principles into practice and to respond to Russia’s pressing economic needs. However, these policies only weakened economic output.Widespread strikes and uprisings broke ut in c... ...the system?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I realized that once I was gone that the two sides of the party, one led by Trotsky and the other by Stalin, would have nothing in common because the platforms of these two communists were so different. I knew that the communist goals that I had tried uphold would be destroyed. While I was in office I was trying to make Russia prosper under communism. Once I was involved less in communism’s affairs and realized that I was going to die soon, I started thinking of what â€Å"The Party† would be like after died. Suffice to say, it didn’t look good. â€Å". . . . the two outstanding leaders of the present Communist Party can inadvertently lead to a split, and if our Party does not take steps to avert this, the split may come unexpectedly,† (Lenin 1) W O R K S C I T E D Hugley, Ronald. RUSSIA: A Concise History. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd.1972. Lenin, Vladimir. The Testament. Boston, Halshall, Inc. 1997 McNeal, Robert H., The Bolshevik Tradition. Englewood, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inc. 1975. Sherrow, Victoria. Life during the Russian Revolution. San Diego, Lucent Books, Inc.,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1998.

Assessment Of Equipment Diagnostic Radiology Health And Social Care Essay

Handiness and the usage of X-ray equipment in both private and authorities infirmaries is on the addition today in developed and developing states. Quality control of such equipment is of peculiar importance to forestall evitable high doses, radiation escapes and to guarantee dose optimisation. The consequences of quality control in this survey indicate that the end product measured in GHL ( M2 ) ranged between 0.0318 and 0.1192 mGy ( ma ) -1, while comparatively higher values which ranged from 0.0762 to 0.2156 mGy ( ma ) -1 was found in four other infirmaries. The tubing electromotive force truth measured indicates fluctuation among the infirmaries investigated. The divergence in electromotive force truth ranged between 0.9 and 10.9 % in the two units of GHL ( M1 and M2 ) . In the three other infirmaries the scope of divergences are 0.2 to 0.5 % ( PSH ) , 45.5 to 72.7 % ( NOH, the highest ) 22.9 to 23.3 % ( NARH ) . Both GHL ( M1 ) and PSH complied with the demand of  ± 5 % . As r egard timer truth, one-dimensionality of the tubing current and beam alliance ; NOH and NARH exceeded the acceptable bounds of  ±5 % ,  ±10 % and  ±3 % severally. The effect of non-compliance in most portion include: repetition exposures, more disbursals and more significantly, extra dosage to the patient.Keywords: Quality confidence, quality control, environmental monitoring, radiation, X-ray end productIntroductionIn Nigeria, X-rays is the most often used ionizing radiation in medical specialty despite progresss in magnetic resonance imagination and ultrasound techniques. It has maintained a cardinal function in diagnosing of diseases, hurt and in X-ray therapy. In consequence it is the largest manmade beginning of ionising radiation to the universe population ( ICRP, 1991 ; UNSCEAR, 1993 ; Muhogora and Nyanda, 2001 ) . X ray is the major subscriber to the effectual dosage of both the patient and the forces. Because of the radiological hazards involved, it is normally recomm ended that dosage to patient from X-ray be kept every bit low as moderately accomplishable ( ALARA ) with equal image quality ( IAEA, 1996 ) . In add-on, programmes for diagnostic imagination sections, irrespective of the size, should at least contain the undermentioned constituents: equipment quality control, administrative duties, hazard direction and radiation safety programme. Equipment quality control unit carries out rating of equipment public presentation to guarantee proper image quality, every bit good as patient and operator safety ( Papp, 2002 ) . Furthermore, radiation safety unit is to guarantee that patient exposure is kept every bit low as moderately accomplishable and that departmental forces, medical staff and members of the general populace are protected from overexposure to ionising radiation. Presently, there are far above 4000 X-ray machines in Nigeria ( Elegba, 2006 ) out of which less than 5 % are under regulative control. These thereby pose a great jeopardy to the patient, forces and challenges to the regulative organic structure in Nigeria. As a consequence of handiness of X-ray installations, some new while others are 2nd manus ( known locally as Tokunbo ) , there has been a changeless addition in the figure and frequence of X-ray scrutinies in recent times. In Northwestern part of Nigeria for illustration, a study of 124 establishments with beginnings of ionising radiation indicates that 203 X-ray installings were found with merely 90 sealed radiation beginnings ( Mallam et al. , 2004 ) . In the same study, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital ( ABUTH ) complex on norm carries out over 250 diagnostic X-ray scrutinies per twenty-four hours in the three infirmary installations located in Zaria, Kaduna and Malunfasi. The population of the open persons and the fre quence of exposure is an indicant that one-year collective dosage to patient can be rather important. The quality control ( QC ) programme comprises the regular testing that must be carried out on each major constituent of the system to guarantee optimal public presentation within the system ( West,1993 ) . In diagnostic radiology QC trial is carried out to guarantee that a high quality diagnostic image is produced for a minimal radiation dosage to the patient ( NRPB, 1988 ) . The major equipment in diagnostic radiology to which quality control can be applied include X-ray production, sensing, image processing and image viewing equipment among others. The equipment testing is coupled with everyday environmental monitoring and appraisal of image quality ( Oluwafisoye et al. , 2009 ) .( 1.1 ) Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority ( NNRA )Due to the hurtful effects of ionising radiation, the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority ( NNRA ) was established by the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act of 1995. This national regulative organic structure is charged with primary duty of atomic safety and radiation protection. The Act empowered the NNRA to categorise and licence activities affecting exposure to ionising radiation in peculiar, the ownership, production, processing, industry, purchase, sale, import, export, managing, usage, transmutation, transportation, trading, assignment, conveyance, storage, and disposal of any radioactive stuffs, atomic stuffs, radioactive waste, and any equipment breathing ionising radiation. In this respect, the NNRA in her papers made proviso for minimal demand for the equipment care in line with international regulative policies. As portion of the attempt at heightening safety in the usage of ionising radiation in Nigeria, the National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research ( NIRPR ) was established under the counsel of NNRA. The Institute trains forces in the radiation protection. The present measurings were conducted to look into the suitableness of the quality control trials and the stated tolerance degrees for assorted X-ray equipment at four Nigerian infirmaries. Additionally, environmental radiation supervising around the installations was carried out to determine the safety degree of both the patient and forces.( 2 ) MATERIALS AND METHODSQuality control trial ( kVp truth and duplicability, mAs one-dimensionality ) of four government-owned infirmaries, one general infirmary ( GHL ) , two specializer infirmaries [ Psychiatric infirmary ( PSH ) and National Orthopaedic infirmary ( NOH ) ] and one military infirmary ( NARH ) , all located in Lagos were carried out. The GHL has two functional X-ray units depicted as machine 1 ( M1 ) and machine 2 ( m 2 ) . The probe was carried out with the aid of the staff of the radiology section of each infirmary. Meanwhile, each of the X ray installations was used for both pediatric and big scrutinies. In all the infirmar ies there was no old exposure and QC informations available. The information use was done utilizing Microsoft Excel, 2003.( 2.1 ) Measurement of X-ray tubing Output and exposure clip merchandiseX-ray tubing end product is the sum of exposure, in millirontgens ( Mister ) delivered to a point in the Centre of the utile X-ray beam at a distance of 1 meter from the focal topographic point for 1 ma of negatron passing through the tubing. The end product expresses the ability of the tubing to change over electronic energy into X-ray exposure. X-ray tubing end product is the individual most of import parametric quantity to quantify radiation output ( Zoetelief et al, 2006 ) . The free-in-air exposure, FAE ( Mister ) was measured utilizing mill calibrated KV metre ( US made Victoreen X-ray trial device, theoretical account 4000 M+ ) obtained from the Department of Physics ( DOP ) University of Ibadan. The consistence of X-ray tubing end product with the tubing current ( ma ) or tube current exposure-time merchandise ( ma ) was measured for the scope of ma or ma values used in pattern. The sensor ( KV metre ) measures the mean, effectual and maximal extremum tubing electromotive force, power stage, exposure and exposure clip. This system determines the tubing electromotive force with truth of  ± 2 % ( Victoreen, 1995 ) . The internal ionisation chamber that measures exposure has volume of 36 cm3. The exposure clip is measured to an truth of  ± 2 % . The FAE ( Mister ) measured is converted into end product in mGy ( ma ) -1 by multiplying by a factor 0.00877/ ma ( Chang Jong and Hui- Yu, 1999 ) where ma in the denominator is the merchandise of the tubing current and exposure clip set at the clip of measuring of the end product.( 2.2 ) Environmental Monitoring and General ObservationsThe guiding rule used in all regulative paperss is that, radiation doses to the populace and to the people who work with radiation must be kept every bit low as moderately accomplishable ( ALARA rule ) . In kernel, radiation workers and the patient should be monitored at all times when working. The ground for this monitoring is to guarantee that the pattern being followed by the workers in their day-to-day modus operandi are safe and do non ensue in high doses being received. In the present survey, the dose rate at different points of involvement ( the console, entryway door behind the wall, patient waiting seats ) was measured with radiation sensor ( radiation proctor 4 minirad 1000+ ) . This device measures radiation dosage rate in ?Sv/ hour.( 2.3 ) Optical and Radiation Field Congruence/ Beam AlignmentThe beam control system is required for modulating the size of X-ray field country. Therefore, it plays an of import function in dose delivered to the patient because it controls the sum of patient surface country exposed to radiation and image contrast ( due to scattered radiation ) . The parametric quantities taken into consideration in beam control system includ e ; beam alliance, optical radiation field congruity, truth of the x Y graduated tables and illuminator bulb brightness. In this survey optical radiation field and beam alliance were examined.( 2.4 ) Ocular reviewsOne of the three parts of a quality control programme for a radiographic installation is ocular review. This portion includes look intoing the chief constituents of the equipment for proper operation, safety and good mechanical status. It is expected that they should include ; protective lead dress, lead shield of the cell wall, overhead tubing Crane, radiographic tabular array, control panel and other installations such as door and automatic visible radiation.( 3 ) RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONFive X-ray units in four infirmaries were investigated in the survey. Both the QC and environmental appraisal of the installations were carried out. Table 1 presents the radiographic equipment information at assorted infirmaries investigated. The old ages of industry of the equipment scope from 9 to 31 old ages, while the twelvemonth of installing is between 5 and 31 old ages. The consequence of age on the end product of an X-ray machine is good documented ( Mallam et al. , 2004, Ogundare et al. 2004 ) .( 3.1 ) X ray tubing OutputThe consequence of X-ray tubing end product at a distance of 1m each from the focal point of five X-ray units are presented in Table 2. The values of end product obtained in GHL ( M2 ) are comparatively low, those measured in GHL ( M1 ) are higher than those found in M2. It ranged from 0.0318 to 0.1192 mGy ( ma ) -1. However, higher end products are found at the same electromotive force in PSH and NOH. As an illustration, at 80kVp the end products are 0.0796, 0.1676, 0.2156 and 0.0762 mGy ( ma ) -1 for GHL ( M1 ) , PSH, NOH and NARH severally. The fluctuation in the end product could be attributed to the wave form, anode stuff, filtration, and tube age and anode surface harm. Knowledge of the end product value for a given X-ray tubing permit s the finding of both patient and movie exposures. It is besides used in the computation of Entrance Surface Dose ( ESD ) delivered to the patient at the point where the X-ray beam enters the patient. This dosimetry parametric quantity ( ESD ) gives the perspective appraisal of absorbed dosage to the patient. Although the entryway surface dosage is a hapless hazard index, it can be used to gauge the effectual dosage ( ED ) which better quantifies patient hazard ( Gkanatsios and Huda,1997 ) . The fluctuation in the end product among the infirmaries could take to fluctuation in doses delivered to the patients during the scrutinies. The consistence of X-ray tubing end product with ma was measured for a scope of ma for the five X-ray units at different electromotive forces. The consequences are presented in figures 1-3. Furthermore, consequences of end product measured at different kVp above 80 kVp ( GHL and NARH ) show strong correlativity with ma, nevertheless, the end products measured at lower electromotive force of 60 and 75 kVp indicate weak correlativity with ma. The X-ray tubing and the anode current are extremely stabilized at this point ( Suliman and Elshiekh, 2008 ) . The consequences of the tubing electromotive force truth for five X-ray units investigated are presented in tabular arraies 3a-3d. The tabular arraies show the tubing electromotive force set, the tubing electromotive force measured and the magnitude of divergence. It should be noted that the magnitude of divergence in kVp vary from infirmary to infirmary. In GHL, the divergence ranged between 0.9 and10.9 % for the two machines ( M1 and M2 ) . The scopes of magnitude of divergence for the three other infirmaries are ; 0.2 to 0.5 % , 45.5 to 72.7 % ( highest in this survey ) and 22.9 to 23.3 % in PSH, NOH and NARH severally. Both m1 ( GHL ) and PSH comply with the demand of  ± 5 % , while M2 ( GHL ) , NOH and NARH exceeded the demand. The grounds for higher divergence in kVp found in NOH and NARH are multifactorial. The European Commission recommended a high technique of 125 kilovolts IAEA ( 1995 ) which likely consequences in low doses, but the radiotherapists prefer the higher contrast thorax radiogram which consequences from low kVp. Earlier study indicated that increasing the tubing potency ( kVp ) from 8-13 kilovolt in lumbar and pectoral spinal column scrutiny resulted in a dose decrease of 26-36 % ( Martin et al, 1993 ) . The higher divergences outside the tolerance bound as obtained in the present survey show disagreements in kVp between the measured and the set values particularly if the tubings are non adequately maintained. Furthermore, the overly high divergence between the set and the measured kVp could cut down the image contrast ( Livingstone et al, 2004 ) . The unexpected elevated value of proficient parametric quantities which consequences from defective machine could impact both patient dosage and image quality. The tendencies found in GHL ( M2 ) , NOH and NARH require regular and repeated QC trials.( 3.2 ) Quality Control ( QC ) TrialTable 4 is the sum-up of the QC trials carried out on the equipment at different infirmaries. The kVp truth trials show conformity with acceptable bound in GHL ( M1 and M2 ) and PSH while NOH and NARH show non-compliance with acceptable bound of 5 % . As respects the kVp consistence, similar tendency is found in the infirmaries as those found in kVp truth. In footings of timer truth, it is postulated that exposure clip straight affect the entire measure of radiation emitted from an X-ray tubing. Therefore, an accurate exposure timer is critical for decently exposed radiogram and sensible patient radiation exposure. Both GHL and PSH met the the acceptable variableness bound. Since the timer truth in NOH and NARH are above the bound of acceptableness, it is expected that the radiation dosage delivered to the patient will be higher than the expected value required to bring forth the movie. Furthermore, the one-dimensionality of tubing current ( ma ) and beam alliance of both NOH and NARH fell abruptly of the acceptable bound of 10 % and 3 % severally. Regulation of X-ray tubing filament temperature ( along with the exposure clip find the quality of X raies in the X-ray beam ) is done with millampere picker in an X-ray generator. The beam limitation system is required for modulating the size of the X-ray field country. The mechanism contro ls the sum of patient anatomy exposed to radiation beam ( Papp, 2002 ) . This plays a cardinal function in patient dose and image contrast. The addition in country increases the production of the scattered radiation, hence higher patient dosage and wellness hazard. The non-compliance of optical radiation field and radiation field congruity may stem from the displacement in mechanism that moves the shutter, doing improper public presentation. This leads to higher patient dosage and repetition images ( consequence in more movies being used and more disbursals ) .( 3.3 ) Forces DistributionThe saloon chart in figure 4 shows the distribution of forces. It indicates that two classs of forces are losing ; Radiation Protection Officer/ Medical Physicist and Record Officer. The tendency is similar to the earlier work reported elsewhere ( Oluwafisoye et al. , 2009 ) . The tendency shows that radiation protection of the patients, visitants and forces is non the preoccupation of the direction of the infirmaries investigated. The absence of the record officers indicate that record maintaining at the infirmaries is far from being equal. A record maintaining system is necessary to document the quality control processs, the figure of culls and other activitie s traveling on at the X-ray units of the infirmary.( 3.4 ) Visual/ General ObservationsThe consequence of ocular observations is presented in table 5. It shows that all the basic constituents inspected were functional except LED index on the control panel found in GHL ( M2 ) . Table 6 shows the general observations carried out at assorted infirmaries investigated. Columns 1 and 2 show that the chief door taking to the X-ray room is non lead-lined. Columns 3 and 4 indicate that merely NOH has efficient 2nd door and lead-lined. The cells of the four infirmaries are efficient. This indicates that the interior decorator of the console put in topographic point equal steps that prevent the technicians from immaterial beams during exposures. The doors to the units lack automatic control, connoting that during the exposure the doors do non shut automatically as a consequence, controlled entree to the country where radiation exposure may be taking topographic point is non ensured. Lead apron was non provided in NARH. Nevertheless, the lead apron provided in GHL was non efficient. Regulation for good pattern stipulates that lead aprons and baseball mitts should be available in the radiographic room and have a lower limit of 0.5 millimeters of lead tantamount thickness ( Papp,2002 ) . It is besides apparent that technique charts were losing in all the units, an indicant that technique parametric quantities are chosen at random by the radiographers responsible for the exposure of the patient. This could take to hapless matching of patient size and technique parametric quantities. Furthermore, warning visible radiation was non provided in any of the units to warn visitants or other forces of the exposure traveling on in the X-ray room. The forces monitoring badge was merely available in NOH, bespeaking that forces dose supervising in GHL, PSH and NARH are non-existent.( 3.5 ) Dose degreeConsequence of environmental dose monitoring at the chosen locations within and in the immediate environment of each of the X-ray units investigated is presented in table 7. The consequences in all the five units indicate that the dose rate measured at the sofa are by and large really high. At the border of the cell the dosage rates recorded are greater than the background dosage rate by a factor of 7, 20, and 10 in GHL ( M1 ) , PSH and NARH, severally. The dose rate measured within the cell is comparable to the background. This status is safe for the radiographer ; nevertheless, the dose rate is high within the entryway door in GHL ( M1 ) and NARH, it is greater than the backg round dosage rate by a factor of 6 and 7.5 each. In add-on, the dose rate measured at the waiting anteroom of the patients is comparable with the background dosage rate in PSH and NARH, but higher than the background dosage rate by a factor of 10 in NOH. The high dosage rate experienced in NOH could be attributed to damaged door of the X-ray units. Another possible account for the high dosage rate at the waiting anteroom is the direct nexus between the anteroom and the X-ray machine. It is interesting to observe that there were no escapes experienced in the five X-ray units investigated as reported in the earlier survey carried out in Nigeria ( Oluwafisoye et al. , 2009 ) . Apparently, this present survey is the first QC trial and environmental monitoring attempts carried out in the five X-ray units in four infirmaries investigated. This is an indicant that the consequences are preliminary against which future measurings could be compared. Besides, the usage of thermoluminescent dosemeters ( TLD ) for the forces monitoring has ne'er been undertaken in the five units. Personnel monitoring is indispensable, since there is a nexus between the ionizing radiation and coevals of reactive O series [ ROS ] ( Cohen, 2002 ) . These ROS have been implicated in the etiology of over 100 diseases. Radiation is one of the major exogenic beginnings of free groups in adult male and it has been proved that ionising radiation produces ROS in biological system capable of destructing biomolecules such as DNA, lipoids, proteins and saccharide ( Olisekodiaka et al. , 2009 ) . Workers runing X-ray equipment are exposed to long term low doses of ionising radiation which may imp act their antioxidant position. Consequences of the QC trials and monitoring were sent to the direction of the four infirmaries investigated. In Addition, recommendations on the necessity of regular QC trial were forwarded to each infirmary for necessary actions.( 4 ) DecisionQuality control trials of five X-ray units are undertaken with intent of safety and dose optimisation in the X-rays Centres investigated. The ages of three out of five machines are good over 10 old ages. In add-on, the divergence of the measured kVp from set value on the control panel varied among the infirmaries. Two out of the five machines complied with the needed criterion of pattern, while three exceeded the demand. The QC trial carried out on kVp truth and consistence show non- conformity in two infirmaries. The distribution of forces show that, the preoccupation of the authorization of the X-ray unit investigated was the quality of the radiogram produced at the disbursal of safety of the patient. The fluctuation in the end product of th e assorted tubing is an indicant that doses among the infirmaries differ. In each of the X-ray units investigated there was no specialised installation to execute pediatric scrutinies and movie screening.

Poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

To read and understand the literature, it must be read slowly and using all the senses in it. Literature could teach us several things to understand life and their situations. The purpose of this writing is to discuss a literary work through a personal experience. The poem that will be discussed in this essay will be â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou. This is her famous poem ever known. This author is a very good writer, I am reading her poems for the first time and I liked her poems so much. This poem suggests that we can overcome difficulties in life, despite rejections and injustice. It also discusses racism and all the problems black people could have because of the discrimination and all the things that involve racism. It is a call for the blacks to be proud of their origin. The black person (the author), seems liberated from her color. This poem also tells to us the importance of being strong in front of the worst circumstances. And no matter the situation, you can overcome and learn from it. In this case, the author exposes the racism in the time of slavery. The poem has a very positive tone. Also, it is written for all type of people, I mean that anyone could read it and would understand its purpose very easily and quickly. The author says that no matter what, she will still rise. This poem has a lot of feelings; you can feel it when you are reading it. I think that the author had a painful past to have written this poem. Also, it is written for all type of people, I mean that anyone could read it and would understand its purpose very easily and quickly. You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise. † Maya Angelou in this verse openly shows the white people discrimination towards black. Everyone has had a moment of discrimination in life, where we have spent many negative things. I have being identified personally with the author. Although I was not present at the time of sla very, I have been a victim of much other discrimination. I have been a victim of many other negative things that I have passed. About a year and a half ago, I lost my boyfriend because of a chronic disease. Now, my dad has the same disease and that makes me feel very sad, because I'm living the same situation. It is a very difficult situation, because I am reviving all the things that I passed along his disease. But I have been overcoming and willing all of it with my Lords help. Sometimes, we feel that we can’t live with a very strong emotional charge. That is when we have to be reborn and rise as the author says in her poem. We have to rise and overcome all the problems and situations in our life even worse than the most. In conclusion, life is not easy as it seems. Life is full of obstacles and setbacks that we couldn’t avoid because fate wants it that way. I think that people have always to believe in themselves and don’t let other people to put them down. As the author, Maya Angelou has rise despite all the bad and painful that ever happened her life. We need to learn from this poem and take example. I think it's a very good poem to enhance and analyze the meaning of life and our purpose in it.