Read the three articles in the instructions . Then, write three Assignment

Read the three articles in the instructions . Then, write three synopsis of the work - Assignment Example uses direct communication). He comments that the concepts of high-context and low-context cultures and polychronic (i.e. multitasking) versus monochronic time (i.e. one thing at a time) orientation are useful, but ambiguous. The next theory comes from Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. These dimensions pertain to: power distance, individualism /collectivism, masculinity/femininity and uncertainty avoidance (Dahl 12). Dahl commends the model for its simplicity and widespread application on different cultural interactions. Dahl also explains Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s seven value orientations. These orientations are: universalism versus particularism; communitarianism versus individualism; neutral versus emotional; defuse versus specific cultures; achievement versus ascription; human-time relationship and; human-nature relationship (Dahl 14). Dahl explains the connections between these orientations and other intercultural theories. In addition, Dahl describes Shalom Schwartz’s Schwartz Value Inventory (SVI). SVI has two categories: individual-level analysis and cultural-level analysis. Dahl concludes that there is no one theory of cultural dimensions. In the article, â€Å"What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job-Seekers,† Randall S. Hansen and Katharine Hansen discuss the major skills and values that employers desire from their employees. They want to help job-seekers become more employable for target employers by explaining these skills and values and how the latter can appear in resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Hansen and Hansen discuss that the top main skills that employers want from employees are: communication skills, analytical/research skills, technical literacy, flexibility, interpersonal abilities, leadership and management skills, multicultural sensitivity, planning and organizing skills, problem-solving/reasoning/creativity skills, and teamwork

Constitution in USA Essay Example for Free

Constitution in USA Essay A constitution is either a written (codified) or unwritten (uncodified) body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is acknowledged to be governed. Generally, a constitution is only written after a major event. In the case of America their constitution was written in 1787, after the American Revolutionary War came to a close. There are a number of issues with America’s constitution which make it, arguably, unfit for the 21st century. The most apparent issue with the constitution is the overall ambiguity that it’s based upon. Take for example the eighth amendment which forbids the federal government from imposing cruel or unusual punishments on American citizens. However, what’s classed as a cruel or unusual punishment? Many have argued that capital punishment can be seen as a cruel punishment, which has led to some states, such as Illinois, abolishing the death penalty altogether. Though, despite eighteen states abolishing the death penalty so far, there has been no move to amend the constitution to include the death penalty as an example of ‘cruel punishment’. Another example of an ambiguous amendment is the first amendment which protects the right to free speech as well as freedom of religion. However, how far this amendment applies has been questioned on numerous occasions. For example, Texas passed a law which prevented flag desecration (burning of the American flag), however the Supreme Court overturned the Texas law due to it violating citizen’s first amendment right as flag desecration is seen as an expression of belief, which the first amendment protects. This has led to numerous calls for flag desecration being outlawed via a constitutional amendment, however just like the eight amendment this would be incredibly hard to achieve. This is purely due to how difficult it is to amend the American constitution. The American constitution’s amendment process is long and difficult, which is mainly due to it requiring a supermajority. A supermajority is where 2/3rds of both houses of Congress have to agree to the amendment put forward. Even if either house falls short by one vote, the amendment is dropped. This process was made to be hard intentionally by the Founding Fathers. This was  because they believed that the constitution shouldn’t be constantly changing, and so they created the need for a supermajority to stop the federal government from making rash, in the moment, decisions which they could grow to regret later on. However, it is this founding belief that has made the constitution, arguably, untenable for the 21st century, which can be contributed to Congress’ explosive growth over the last 200 years. For example, in 1789 there were only 65 Representatives in the House of Representatives, which grew to 435 by 1963 and plateaued due to the House of Representative s being capped in 1911. This is an increase of 370 over a period of 174 years (meaning that there were two new Representatives every year). This continually increased the amount of people who had to work in unison to pass constitutional amendments, and as evidenced by the 1911 Act which capped the size of the House of Representatives, America grew far more than the Founding Fathers had originally intended. The constitution can also be seen as unfit for the 21st century due to an ever increasing political pace, as well as rapidly changing circumstances which have led to very different outcomes when compared to the British political system. This can mainly be seen with gun control which is protected in America by the second amendment (â€Å"Right to bear arms†) despite the amount of shootings which have occurred in recent times. An example of this would be the Sandy Hook shooting, which occurred on December 14th 2012 at an elementary school in Connecticut. This caused nationwide outrage which in turn caused support for disarmament groups to increase. However, after several months the support fell away and no constitutional amendments were put through, despite pledges and campaigns from Barrack Obama and Joe Biden. Now, when compared to England, there was a shooting spree in a Dunblane Primary School in 1996. Following national outrage, much alike that caused by Sandy Hook, guns were criminalised by an Act of Parliament, which was significantly easier to do as the UK does not have a written constitution, rather an unwritten one which is drawn from several sources. However, despite the faults with the American constitution, it must be fit for purpose if it still exists. This is because if it wasn’t fit for  purpose, and didn’t work at all, it would have been scraped by one of the American administrations after its conception. This is mainly aided by the argument that the constitution’s ambiguity is what allows it to adapt to changing circumstances as well as its ability to change without formal review. What is meant by this is the fact that the Supreme Court can uphold or repeal earlier decisions made in relation to the constitution, meaning that if the correct decisions were repealed the constitution could be drastically changed.

The Strong Character and Unavoidable Destiny of Oedipus Rex Essay

The Strong Character and Unavoidable Destiny of Oedipus Rex    Oedipus the King, by Sophocles is about Oedipus, a man doomed by his fate. Like most tragedies, Oedipus the King contains a tragic hero, a heroic figure unable to escape his own doom. This tragic hero usually has a hamartia, a tragic flaw, which causes his downfall. The tragic flaw that Sophocles gives Oedipus is hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), which is what caused Oedipus to walk right into the fate he sought to escape. Oedipus' pride pushes him toward his tragic end in the initial journey, when he kills his father, in the episode of the sphinx, and in his adamant search for truth.      Pride like that of Oedipus has been the downfall of many great leaders.   Oedipus is blinded by his arrogance and won't accept the fact that he can't avoid his fate. His pride first affects him when he is told about what his fate has in-store for him. Oedipus explains to Jocasta that he was told that he "was fated to lie with [his] mother and show to daylight an accursed breed, which men would not endure, and [he] was doomed to be murderer of the father that begot [him]. When [he] heard this [he] fled" (Sophocles 45, 1.792-4). Ironically the pride that caused him to attempt to avoid his fate, put him on a path to it.    On his trip away from Corinth, he unknowingly met with his father, King Laius. When Oedipus tells Jocasta of his encounter he says that he met with a carriage at an intersection and they fought over the right of way. He also mentions one man (King Laius) struck him and said that: "He [King Laius] was paid in full and ... my stick had struck him backwards from the car and he rolled out of it. And then I killed them all"   (45, 1.801-13).... ...ppen. Oedipus' fate might have been avoided if Oedipus was not the type of person he was Oedipus was a tragic hero. Sophocles, instead of killing Oedipus in the end of the novel, chose to give Oedipus a fate worse then death. Oedipus found out who he was and that he killed his father and slept with his mother. His tragic end was a result of his hamartia, hubris. His pride was what caused him to attack the carriage and kill his father, which led to him marrying his mother. He could have ignored the mere right of way argument, but the person he was inside couldn't. His self-confidence and pride, turned into arrogance, and caused him to curse himself. Ironically the traits Oedipus had which led to him becoming a rich and powerful king ultimately led to his tragic end. Perhaps if Oedipus had been a different person inside, he might have been able to escape his fate.   

Abusive Relationships: Why Stay in the Relationship and What Determines Leaving Essay

It is often asked why a woman doesn’t leave an abusive relationship. Society tends to assume that the decision is as simple as a normal break-up, if not easier because there is an obvious reason to leave. But there are many factors involved into the relationship and many things to consider when making the decision to stay or to leave. In abusive relationships, what determines staying and what determines leave? It is estimated that annually 3 million occurrences of domestic violence occur and that one in four women will become a victim of such violence. Of those victims, more than four people are killed daily as a result of domestic violence (DVRC). With abuse possibly escalating to a point of death, why would a spouse stay in a relationship? Conclusions have been drawn as to why a woman might stay in the relationship, including internal and external resources. The external resources would include such things as an income, social support, housing etc. Internal resources would include a person’s self-esteem, mental health status, whether they suffer from depression or anxiety. Pamela Choice and Leanne Lamke stated that different theories needed to be taken into consideration when observing a women’s decision to stay or leave. The theories included learned helplessness, psychological entrapment, the investment model and reasoned action or planned behavior. Learned helpless is a situation where the victim feels she had no other options, that not matter what she does the situation will remain the same. Psychological entrapment is where a women tries to make the relationship a nonviolent one, but instead the violence continues causing her to feel that she should have tried harder. This situation often leaves the woman feeling that a nonviolent relationship is attainable and questioning if it is worth the investment, and if so, she then feels that there is too much invested thus far to leave, in turn causing the feelings of entrapment. The investment model determines whether maintaining the current relationship is worthwhile, is she better off to leave and is she satisfied in the relationship. Finally, the reasoned action model is where a women is able to determine if she is able to actually leave, is it within her control and is it more beneficial for her to leave than to stay in the relationship. External forces also contribute to a woman’s decision to leave. Establishing employment, housing and other essential tasks also become extremely difficult during the separation from an abusive partner (Bell 2007). With such struggles, within two months 60% of women end up returning to their partners (Bell 2007). In Carlson and McNutt’s study observing partner abuse and mental health, they looked at the women’s personal history of abuse. Whether or not she been exposed to violence as a child or as an adult. Also the effects the abuse has on a women’s mental health including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. They found that many battered women had low levels of social support which in turn lead to higher levels of depression and more difficulty with problem solving. In a self-evaluation, many of the participants reported higher levels of symptoms for anxiety and depression (Carlson 2002). Women in an abused relationship tend to have a certain level of dependency upon their partner, causing them to feel trapped. Women who are more likely to be economically dependent and unemployed (especially with children) are at a higher risk of being in an abusive relationship (Bostock 2008). Bostock et. al studied what reasons were involved in a woman decision to stay in a harmful relationship. They investigated twelve women from rural Northern New England between the ages of 21 and 56, on various aspects of the relationship. Theses aspects included how the abuse began, the ways of abusing, the impact of the abuse, what factors contributed to recognizing the abuse as intolerable and what helped in gaining independence. They concluded that a women’s reason for stay was fear of the abuser, a feeling of commitment to the relationship and insufficient funds or resources. To help leave the relationship the women studied pulled upon their sense of hope, humor and spirituality and reclaiming their identity (Bostock 2008). In 1976 Richard Gelles studied abused wives and why they stay. In his article he stated that women do not break off a relationship for a number of reasons including negative self-esteem, the belief the husband will reform, economic hardship, difficulty of employment, surviving alone, the children’s wellbeing (economically) and the stigma with divorce. He also discovered that a woman would be more likely to stay in an abusive relationship if she had been exposed to abuse as a child, growing up with idea that it is allowed for a man to hit his wife. Another contributing factor to a women’s decision to stay is a lack of outside resources, not seeing many alternatives to the current situation. If the abuse is inconstant and not considered severe, then she will remain with the spouse (Gelles 1976). The decision to leave an abusive relationship was studied by Michael Strube in 1984, and his work was cited through many other journals. The population consisted of 251 women of low to middle income, varying in age from 17 to 69 to have been exposed to moderate of life threatening violence. Of the 251 women, 177 had decided to leave the abusive partner and those who stayed reported doing so because of love-the abuser promised changing behavior, economic hardship or lack of resources. Strube concluded that a woman was more likely to remain with the abuser if the violence was considered less frequent and less severe. Also, if the woman was exposed to violent models as a child she was more likely to remain as opposed to women who had not. But women who had previously been in an abusive relationship were less likely to remain in another relationship, because they had developed intolerance to the abuse. Strube also found that women with fewer resources, such as economic and social support were less likely to leave. Studies have found though that ending a relationship does not end the abuse, violence is often high is situations where the women is separate from the abuser as opposed to if she was involved in a relationship. Another factor involved is how the separation occurred rather than whether or not the separation occurred (Bell 2007). The decision to leave a relationship is difficult it becomes increasingly difficult when the partner is violent. The women, individual mentally have to â€Å"prepare† themselves as such to leave the relationship, and evaluate every aspect of their life and their future. Without sufficient support and resources leaving a dangerous and harmful situation is virtually impossible. To seek the support and resources a certain level of self worth and esteem is essential, providing the woman with an appreciation for her future.

Concept Paper on Medical Aid Schemes

MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY Concept paper on the proposed State Universities Medical Fund Distribution List Mrs. V. Chirasha / Deputy Registrar (Human Resources) Author Mr. S. Masiyiwa / Lecturer, Department of Insurance & Risk Management 1. Introduction Healthcare finance and services providers in Zimbabwe were not spared by the economic downturn of the past decade. Most medical aid societies, practically collapsed when co-payments demanded by service providers exceeded their global limits on benefit payaments. For example, patients were being asked to pay Z$10 billion cash as o-payment and the medical aid society would only pay Z$1 million according to their tariffs. This mismatch, saw many clients, the state universities included, canceling their membership to such schemes and retaining the risk themselves, either funded or unfunded. The introduction of the multicurrency system in February 2009 brought the much needed stability to various sectors of the economy. However, the system was not backed by significant foreign currency inflows and as a result economic activity has remained subdued. Many organizations are currently operating below capacity and are downsizing to remain afloat. This development has significantly reduced inflow of contributions to medical aid societies, who although operating, are still to fully recover and offer full scale benefits. 2. Recent developments Contributions made to medical aid societies are made on the understanding that â€Å"if you do not use it you lose it†. This is understandable as medical aid schemes are basically risk pooling and sharing solutions and premised on the concept that the misfortunes of a few should be met by fortunes of many. However, the tight liquidity situation is forcing many entities to adopt innovative risk management strategies intended to retain as much cash as possible and only outsource those risks that exceed their risk appetite. The economic challenges of the past decade, we faced as a nation exposed the limitations of insurance as a risk financing mechanism. We have all learnt that insurance is not â€Å"THE† solution but part of the solution and that there are also equally good alternatives to insurance. Some medium to large scale organizations have since created self administered insurance schemes to cater for a variety of risks they face in their operations, e. g. material damage, health, funeral, superannuation, etc. Cell Insurance Company has spearheaded the adoption of the concept in Zimbabwe through its â€Å"rent-a-cell† captive arrangement and today it administers a lot of these schemes. However, a worrisome development in Zimbabwe is the transfer of the superannuation and morbidity risk to the employees by cash strapped or unscrupulous employers. Recently most if not all of the state university staff had no membership to any medical aid or health insurance scheme. They were paying for their health and related expenses from personal resources. The extent to which this approach could be used was obviously limited due to the low salaries and allowances staff is currently receiving. The state universities have started receiving funding from the fiscus and renewed their membership to medical aid societies. However, the concept is still the same: if you do not use it, you lose it! How many times have been to the doctor lately, once, twice or none? Literally, medical aid societies are getting richer at the expense of the members, university staff included. Retaining in-house the contributions state universities currently pay to various medical aid societies and health insurance schemes could make a difference to the underfunded institutions. 3. Suggestions for the state universities It is against the above background that I propose that the state universities should consider setting up a unified independent medical benefit fund to finance health and related risks the state university staff are exposed to on a daily basis. It is also proposed that both the employer (state universities) and the employees should make periodic contributions to the fund, the employer paying 80% and the employees meeting the balance of 20%. 4. Costing basis According to latest personnel records, the state universities employ about 3100 in total. Costing of commercial health and self insurance schemes is based on the â€Å"law of large numbers†. The larger the statistical base, the more accurate the loss ratio becomes. Many schemes operating in Zimbabwe today actually started as in-house schemes with even fewer numbers, e. g. FLIMAS and First Mutual. The 3100 university employees constitute a sizeable number, to allow for costing of the proposed medical benefit fund. In addition to the level of benefits required, existing university clinic utilization figures should be analysed and included in the costing model. 5. Advantages of the proposed scheme The proposed scheme has the following advantages: – Contributions to the fund should be lower as members will not pay for medical aid society or insurer’s administration and profit margins. – Interest from the investment of funds will accrue to the benefit fund – Any profits will accrue to the benefit fund Benefits can be tailor made, improved and enhanced with time as the fund grows – There will be no disputes with medical aid society or insurers over claims settlement – There would be a strong incentive by members to reduce claims and control losses – Global limits can be increased easily with minimum or no increase in contributions fr om the employer and employers – Improvement in staff morale can be achieved thereby increasing productivity and the restoration of financial independence and dignity. 6. Disadvantages of the proposed scheme The proposed scheme has the following disadvantages: – The claims statistics, which are used to decide on contributions will come from a narrow base – A catastrophic loss (although remote) could occur in the formative years and wipe out the fund. However, catastrophe cover can be separately arranged with leading reinsurers for a very low premium to cover the fund against an accumulation of claims above the expected budget in any given accounting period. – Individual small claims may not affect the fund too much but their aggregate effect may have catastrophic effects. Catastrophe cover, described above can also mitigate this risk – There will be need to employ additional staff to handle the fund’s administrative matters. True, but use of existing clinics and facilities at state universities should reduce the number of additional staff required. – There may be a temptation to dip into the fund and pay for unrelated activities. This must be resisted by the board of management/trustees. In any case the business of the fund should be separate from that of sponsoring universities. If the †dip† is to be allowed it should be a loan based on prevailing commercial bank loan terms and conditions. – Benefits from the basic insurance principle of spreading risk will be lost. From the foregoing, it can be concluded that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The disadvantages, although real, are highly theoretical and remote. 7. Establishment of a technical working committee To expedite the process a technical committee consisting of representatives from the state universities should be set up. The committee should consist of both management representatives (50%) and employee representatives (50%). This intended to ensure buy in at the early stages and also incorporated the various stakeholders’ interests and ideas in the scheme. 8. The mandate The technical committee must be mandated to carry out the following tasks: 10. 1 Drafting of the constitution The proposed benefit fund will be run according to its Rules and Regulations as enshrined in its Constitution. The technical committee will be responsible for drafting the Rules and Regulations, which will include, inter alia: ) The name and objects of the proposed benefit fund b) Board of management/trustees, appointment and composition, meetings, its powers and functions c) Membership issues e. g. eligibility, application, termination, deprivation of membership, etc d) Subscriptions e. g. level, frequency and mode of payment of subscriptions. e) Beneficiaryship e. g. eligibility, application and termination of benefi ciaryship. f) Schedule of benefits e. g. nature and amounts of benefits, eligibility for benefits, waiting periods, claims for benefits, rejection of claims, ex-gratia payments. ) Assets, liabilities, rights and obligations of the medical fund h) Actuarial valuation i) Dissolution/wing-up of medical benefit fund j) Amendment of rules e. g. power, requirements for amending the rules k) General information for members e. g. benefit exclusions, lodging of members’ complaints and requests, payments of awards not supported by receipts, payment of service providers, list of approved providers, letters of guarantees for services provided outside Zimbabwe, shortfalls, travel cover on holiday, business or study. ) Promotion of the medical fund for acceptance by target service providers and establishing working relationships with them 2. Benefit design The technical committee must develop a number of benefit options which members can choose from. I propose the following plans, that I h ave christened, for want of better names, the university premier plan, university medium plan and the university standard plan. a) University Premier Plan This would be similar to the CIMAS Medexec Plan/PSMAS Pinnacle Plan and is meant to provide executive benefits for the principal officers and senior management. ) University Medium Plan This would be similar to the CIMAS Private Hospital Plan/ PSMAS Select Plan and is meant to provide members who want global limits higher than those provided under the University Standard Plan described below: c) University Standard Plan This should be the entry point and would be similar Excel Plan from PSMAS which currently covers most staff. The plan will pay for consultation and treatment received from Government, Mission, Municipal & Private Hospitals, general practitioners and specialists up to a limit, per person per annum 3. Registration of the fund with the authorities The technical committee should be mandated to register the proposed medical benefit fund in terms of the Medical Services Act, Chapter 15: 13 and any other applicable and relevant legislation. 9. Administration The technical committee should consider the following issues that affect the efficient running of the business of the proposed medical benefit fund. 9. 1. Location of registered office and other offices. This could be either in Harare or Bulawayo with satellite offices at all state universities. Any other center could be considered for the location of the head office. My suggestion is based on the density of service providers in Harare and Bulawayo. Most members would be referred to these big centers for specialist medical tests and treatment. Existing facilities could be used as satellite offices e. g. the existing clinics could be expanded and resourced to offer a variety of services normally available from general practitioners. This will save on costs. 2. Staffing issues Additional staff will be required especially for the head office. This will include the principal officer, finance manager, membership and claims administrators. However, they should be very few, because most of the work will be done from satellite offices. Initially there may be a lot of work when the office is set up but that should stabilize with the effluxion of time. 3. Finance and claims administration This could be centralized at head office and payments to service providers and refunds to members made once every fortnight i. e. only on two occasions per month. 4. Dispensary It is advisable to buy the essential drugs from source and keep them in stock for use by members. It will also save on costs. Railmed currently operates such a facility countrywide for the benefit of railway employees scattered across the country. The state universities should use the existing clinics for a similar purpose. Alternatively, mutually beneficial arrangements (drug schemes) can be made with leading private pharmacies to allow members’ access to drugs without paying for them upfront. 5. Approved provider network For the members to benefit, the scheme should be promoted for broader acceptance by as many service providers as possible so that members are not inconvenienced in the time of need. The management of the medical fund should promote the scheme and establish working relationships with all health service providers. This can also save on cost as it is possible to negotiate preferential rates. 6. Access to technical advice The state universities have a large pool of experts on their payroll. The technical committee should tap on that expertise. This will not only serve on cost but show the world that we can use knowledge to the benefit of mankind and practice what we preach! 10. Conclusion Emerging trends in risk management indicate that more and more organizations are electing funded risk retention strategies in an effort to contain cost and get more value for their money. State universities should embrace the philosophy and design and implement robust enterprise wide risk management strategies that mitigate the risks they are exposed to. For a start, establishing a unified independent medical benefit fund to finance the morbidity risk university staff are exposed to will be a good step in that direction. Proposed State Universities Medical Benefit Fund Benefit Limits Schedule General Practitioners, Specialists, Public & Private Hospitals) | |Services |Benefit Limits (US$) | | |General Practitioner |Paid in full | | |Physician specialist |Paid in full | | |Hospitalisation | | | |Prescription drugs | | | |Rehabilitative services | | | |Haemodialysis |Paid in full | | |Chemotherapy |Paid in full | | |Chronic disease drugs |Paid in full | | |Dental services | | | |R efraction |Paid in full | | |Optical |Paid in full | |Maternity |Paid in full | | |Family planning | | | |Hearing aids | | | |Pathology |Paid in full | | |Radiology |Paid in full | | |Blood transfusion |Paid in full | | |Psychiatric care |Paid in full | | |Prosthetic appliances | | | |Ambulance |Paid in full | | |Air Evacuation |Paid in full for life threatening situations| | | |only subject to prior authorization by board| | | |of management/trustees | | |Foreign treatment |Local benefit limit apply subject to prior | | | |authorization by board of | | | |management/trustees | ———————– [pic]

King George III Biography

King George III Biography George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland during the American Revolution. Much of his reign, which lasted from 1760 to 1820, was colored by his ongoing problems with mental illness. During the last decade of his life, he was incapacitated to the degree that his eldest son ruled as Prince Regent, giving name to the Regency Era. Fast Facts: King George III Full Name:  George William FrederickKnown For:  King of Great Britain and Ireland during the American Revolution, suffered from acute and debilitating bouts of mental illnessBorn:  June 4, 1738 in London, EnglandDied:  January 29, 1820 in London, EnglandSpouses Name: Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-StrelitzChildren: 15 Early Years Born June 4, 1738, George William Frederick was the grandson of Great Britain’s King George II. His father, Frederick, the Prince of Wales, though estranged from the king, was still the heir apparent to the throne. George’s mother, Princess Augusta of Saxe-Goethe, was the daughter of a Hanoverian duke. Although sickly as a child- George was born two months prematurely- he soon grew stronger, and he and his younger brother Prince Edward moved with their parents to the family home in London’s exclusive Leicester Square. The boys were educated by private tutors, as was common for the children of royalty. Young George was precocious, and he could read and write several languages fluently, as well as discuss politics, science, and history, by the time he was an adolescent. Heritage Images / Getty Images In 1751, when George was thirteen, his father, the Prince of Wales, died unexpectedly, following a pulmonary embolism. Suddenly, George became the Duke of Edinburgh and the heir apparent to the British crown; within three weeks, his grandfather made him Prince of Wales. In 1760, George II passed away at the age of seventy, leaving 22-year-old George III to take the throne. Once he became king, he soon realized it was vital for him to find a suitable wife to bear his sons; the very future of the empire depended on it. Seventeen-year-old Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the daughter of a duke, privately educated, and had no scandals attached to her name, making her the perfect bride for a king. George and Charlotte did not even meet until their wedding day in 1761. By all reports, the two of them had a mutually respectful marriage; there was no infidelity on either of their parts, and they had fifteen children together. Charlotte and George were avid patrons of the arts, and were especially interested in German music and composers like Handel, Bach, and Mozart. During the first few years of Georges reign, the British Empire was financially shaky, due in part to the aftershocks of the Seven Years War (1756 to 1763). The British colonies were generating little revenue, so strict tax laws and regulations were enacted to bring extra money to the crown coffers. DEA / G. NIMATALLAH / Getty Images Revolution in the Colonies After decades of no representation in Parliament, and resentful of the extra tax burdens, the colonies in North America rebelled. Americas founding fathers famously detailed the transgressions perpetrated against them by the King in the Declaration of Independence: The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.   After a series of setbacks in North America, Georges advisor Lord North, then the Prime Minister, suggested the king take a break from trying to handle the dissent in the colonies. North proposed that Lord Chatham, William Pitt the Elder, step in and take power of oversight. George refused the idea, and North resigned following General Cornwallis defeat at Yorktown. Eventually, George accepted that his armies had been defeated by the colonists, and authorized peace negotiations. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Mental Illness and the Regency Wealth and status could not protect the king from suffering extreme bouts of mental illness- some so severe that he was incapacitated and unable to make decisions for his realm. George’s mental health issues were well-documented by his equerry, Robert Fulke Greville, and Buckingham Palace. In fact, he was heavily monitored by staff at all times, even while he slept. In 2018, the records were made public for the first time. In 1788, Dr Francis Willis wrote: â€Å"H.M became so ungovernable that recourse was had to the strait waistcoat: His legs were tied, he was secured down across his Breast, in this melancholy situation he was, when I came to make my morning Enquiries.† Scientists and historians have debated for over two centuries about the cause of the famous â€Å"madness.† One 1960s study indicated a link to the hereditary blood disorder porphyria. People suffering from porphyria experience acute anxiety, confusion, and paranoia. However, a 2010 study published in the Journal of Psychiatry concluded that George probably didn’t have porphyria at all. Led by Peter Garrard, professor of neurology at St. George’s University of London, researchers did a linguistic study of George’s correspondences, and determined that he suffered from â€Å"acute mania.† Many of the characteristics of George’s letters during his periods of illness are also seen in the writings and speech of patients today who are in the midst of the manic phase of illnesses like bipolar disorder. Typical symptoms of a manic state are compatible with contemporary accounts of George’s behavior. It is believed that Georges first bout of mental illness surfaced around 1765. He spoke endlessly, often for hours, and sometimes without an audience, causing himself to foam at the mouth and lose his voice. He rarely slept. He shouted unintelligibly at advisors who spoke to him, and wrote lengthy letters to anyone and everyone, with some sentences being hundreds of words long. With the king unable to function effectively, his mother Augusta and  Prime Minister Lord Bute  somehow managed to keep Queen Charlotte unaware of what was happening. In addition, they conspired to keep her ignorant of the Regency Bill, which decreed that in the event of George’s full incapacity, Charlotte herself would then be appointed Regent. Some twenty years later, after the Revolution had ended, George had a relapse. Charlotte was, by now, aware of the existence of the Regency Bill; however, her son, the Prince of Wales, had designs of his own on the Regency. When George recovered in 1789, Charlotte held a ball in honor of the Kings return to health- and deliberately failed to invite her son. However, the two of them formally reconciled in 1791. Although he remained popular with his subjects, George eventually descended into permanent madness, and in 1804, Charlotte moved into separate quarters. George was declared insane in 1811, and agreed to be placed under Charlottes guardianship, which remained in place until Charlottes death in 1818. At the same time, he consented to his empire being placed in the hands of his son, the Prince of Wales, as Prince Regent. Grafissimo / Getty Images Death and Legacy For the last nine years of his life, George lived in seclusion at Windsor Castle. He eventually developed dementia, and didnt seem to understand that he was the king, or that his wife had died. On January 29, 1820, he died, and was buried a month later at Windsor. His son George IV, the Prince Regent, succeeded to the throne, where he reigned for ten years until his own death. In 1837, Georges granddaughter Victoria became Queen. Although the issues addressed in the Declaration of Independence paint George as a tyrant, twentieth-century scholars take a more sympathetic approach, viewing him as a victim of both the changing political landscape and his own mental illness. Sources â€Å"George III.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/british-history/george-iii.â€Å"What Was the Truth about the Madness of George III?†Ã‚  BBC News, BBC, 15 Apr. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22122407.Yedroudj, Latifa. â€Å"Mad King George III Mental Health Records REVEALED in Buckingham Palace Archives.†Ã‚  Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 19 Nov. 2018, www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1047457/royal-news-king-george-III-buckingham-palace-hamilton-royal-family-news.

Free Essays on Self Portrait With Cropped Hair

Significance of Frida Kahlo’s â€Å"Self Portrait with Cropped Hair† Frida Kahlo became an important figure in the women’s movement not because she fought for women’s rights in an organized way, but because of the way she lived her life. Her experiences, the things that happened to her in her life combined with her nature and strength of character made her famous and known world wide as a modern woman. She would come to represent many complex qualites and behaviors: strength and resilience in the face of tragedy and continous phyisical pain, her own bisexuality, her passionate and difficult relationship with her husband as well as her ability to create herself and her daily life through her art. (Barnet-Sanchez, 2) This revolutionary Latino painter was born July 6, 1907, in Mexico. She was an independent charming child with a fiery temper. She suffered from polio when she was 6, and this left her right leg permanently smaller. Her determination and strong will helped her to built up her strength to overcome this difficulty. Frida adored her father and they were very close and it was with his help that she overcame her obstacles to become a pre-medical student at the prestigious National Preparatory School, where she was one of only 35 girls out of 2,000 students. Later, she falsified her date of birth by 3 years. Her birthday now happened to coincide with the birth of the Mexican Revolution, as Frida always considered herself a child of the revolution and she wanted to be known as a woman of modern Mexico. (Tuchman, 2) A devastating bus accident irreversibly altered Frida’s life in 1925 when she was only 18. She was riding with her boyfriend when the bus collided with a trolley car, killing several people and seriously injuring many others. Frida was found in the wreck, covered in blood and severely injured. A metal rod caused a deep abdominal wound and leaving her unable to have children. This would fact would ... Free Essays on Self Portrait With Cropped Hair Free Essays on Self Portrait With Cropped Hair Significance of Frida Kahlo’s â€Å"Self Portrait with Cropped Hair† Frida Kahlo became an important figure in the women’s movement not because she fought for women’s rights in an organized way, but because of the way she lived her life. Her experiences, the things that happened to her in her life combined with her nature and strength of character made her famous and known world wide as a modern woman. She would come to represent many complex qualites and behaviors: strength and resilience in the face of tragedy and continous phyisical pain, her own bisexuality, her passionate and difficult relationship with her husband as well as her ability to create herself and her daily life through her art. (Barnet-Sanchez, 2) This revolutionary Latino painter was born July 6, 1907, in Mexico. She was an independent charming child with a fiery temper. She suffered from polio when she was 6, and this left her right leg permanently smaller. Her determination and strong will helped her to built up her strength to overcome this difficulty. Frida adored her father and they were very close and it was with his help that she overcame her obstacles to become a pre-medical student at the prestigious National Preparatory School, where she was one of only 35 girls out of 2,000 students. Later, she falsified her date of birth by 3 years. Her birthday now happened to coincide with the birth of the Mexican Revolution, as Frida always considered herself a child of the revolution and she wanted to be known as a woman of modern Mexico. (Tuchman, 2) A devastating bus accident irreversibly altered Frida’s life in 1925 when she was only 18. She was riding with her boyfriend when the bus collided with a trolley car, killing several people and seriously injuring many others. Frida was found in the wreck, covered in blood and severely injured. A metal rod caused a deep abdominal wound and leaving her unable to have children. This would fact would ...