Academic Motivation, Resilience and the At-Risk Student

Academic Motivation, Resilience and the At-Risk Student Introduction The topic of investigation was academic resilience and motivation and how it relates to the at-risk student. Motivation and resilience are two key factors students need in order to achieve academic success. Students with motivation and resilience perform well in school and have a developed sense of self-efficacy. Successful students can see the connection between school and future goals, and are more likely to perform tasks even when they become difficult (Berger, 2013). This is characterized as resilience. These students are able to achieve academically and will most likely persist to graduation. Students who are not succeeding academically have a higher potential of failing or dropping out of school (Donnelly, 1987). These students are considered at-risk. Characteristics of the at-risk student include: low academic achievement, low self-esteem, males, minority, and low socioeconomic status (Donnelly, 1987). How does family background affect the at-risk student? According to Donnelly, Students who are both low income and minority status are at a higher risk [of failing]; their parents may have low educational backgrounds and may not have high educational expectations for their children (Donnelly, 1987). Berger states, at-risk students are more likely to experience behavior issues, lower attendance rates, poor grades, lack direction, and fail to use self-regulation strategies (Berger, 2013). If students are engaged in school are they less likely to drop-out? Berger (2013) suggested when students are engaged in school and have positive connections they may be able to overcome many of the barriers that exist in order to achieve success while in school and persist until graduation. How does motivation and resilience effect graduation rates? While much work has been done to improve graduation rates over the past eight years, resilience and motivation are two essential characteristics students need in order to persist in school academically. When students experience positive interactions with teachers and other adults, motivation and engagement will increase (Berger, 2013). Students want to see the connection between the task and how it connects to their future. Students need to feel supported in order to be successful; positive connections with parents and teachers are imperative in order for students to succeed. Statement of the Problem At-Risk students are more likely to fail and drop-out of school because they lack motivation and resilience academically. When students leave school before completing requirements, the consequences are dire. Students who leave school early are often left with little options later in life. They more likely to experience lower wages in life, and are less likely to attend college. Should the at-risk student attend college, they are much less likely to complete school compared to their peers, who are 83% more likely to finish (Berger, 2013). When are students mostly likely to fail? According to Finn and Rock (1997), investigating early behavior and academic patterns one may be able predict academic success in later years. Reaching students early is important when confronting barriers. Forming positive connections with caring adults is also necessary for students to build resilience and motivation. The purpose of this study is to investigate counselor intervention programs and the effect of motivation and resilience in at-risk 9th grade students. At-risk is defined as students who are under-achieving academically, have lower attendance rates and who have experienced behavior issues. Will students who have positive attachments to teachers or counselors perform better than students who do not? Statement of the Hypothesis Prior research has shown that positive school experiences and encouraging relationships at school have had a positive effect on at-risk students engagement and motivation (Scheel et al., 2009). Therefore, it is hypothesized if at-risk students are involved in a counseling intervention program then there will be an increase in academic achievement, students will experience less behavior problems, and students will experience an increase of motivation academically. References Berger C 2013 Bring out teh Brilliance: A Counseling Intervention for Underachieving Students.Berger, C. (2013). Bring out the Brilliance: A Counseling Intervention for Underachieving Students. Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 86-89. 201703241158141438499809 Donnelly M At-Risk Students. ERIC Digest [Supplemental material].20170325140827109581351Donnelly M 1987 At-Risk Students.Donnelly, M. (1987). At-Risk Students. ERIC Digest, 21. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from https://www.ericdigests.org/pre-928/risk.htm 20170325141053517867326 Finn J D Rock D A 1997 Academic Success Among Students At-Risk for School Failure.Finn, J. D., Rock, D. A. (1997). Academic Success among Students At-Risk for School Failure. The American Psychological Association, 82(2), 221-234. 201703241224041284194231 Scheel M Madabhushi S Backhaus A 2009 Academic Motivation of At-Risk Students in a Counseling Prevention Program.Scheel, M., Madabhushi, S., Backhaus, A. (2009). The Academic Motivation of At-Risk Students in a Counseling Prevention Program. The Counseling Psychologist, 37(8), 1147-1178. 20170324122636560129761

Legal And Ethical Issues In Mental Health Nursing Essay

Legal And Ethical Issues In Mental Health Nursing Essay This assignment aims to critically appraise an ethical conflict in relation to the care provided to a patient. It will explore how ethical decisions are reached and how they can directly influence patient care. To achieve this aim the author will examine a case study of a patient whose care he was involved with whilst in placement. We will look at how, after an episode of self-harm, the patient refused any medical treatment for the wound and how this posed an ethical dilemma for the nursing staff involved in their care. Using the application of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) (Great Britain (GB) 2005) and an established model for ethical decision making, we will look at how the decision of whether or not to enforce treatment for the wound was formulated and implemented. Ethics can be seen as the study of human conduct and morality (Buka 2008). It is about people reasoning, thinking and applying a process of reflection (Adshead 2010); however these people may have opposing views, values and experiences on which to base their moral judgements to define what is the right and wrong course of action (Hendrick 2009) and the principles used to decide this, not only by the individual but also within social groups and societies. (Adshead 2010). From this we can surmise that ethics is a complex system of reflective thinking, which is used in the search for a standard that can be used to judge your own actions, or the actions of others, within your own moral code. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008) stipulates that nurses must respect a patients right to confidentiality at all times and ensure that the patient is informed about how information concerning them is shared. In accordance with this the name of the patient has been changed and permission has been sought from the patient to use them in the case study. Case Study. Anitas story. Anita is a young woman with a primary diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder borderline type as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO 2010). During a one-to-one therapeutic session Anita disclosed that she was having strong urges to self-harm. As such the therapeutic session concentrated on exploring her feelings surrounding her impulses, alternative coping mechanisms to manage her thoughts of self-harm and strategies to help maintain her safety upon the ward. As she felt that the pressure of being constantly watched would unsettle her further, thus not allowing her to manage her own feelings, it was initially agreed to place Anita on intermittent observation (as opposed to constant) within the scope of the policy on safe and supportive observations of the service that was caring for her (Oxford Health 2010). This approach was agreed in collaboration with Anita and the wider team as a way of her taking responsibility for her own decisions and actions. Later in the shift Anita approached staff and stated that she had overwhelming urges to self-harm and that she had acted upon them. She was taken to the clinic room where the wound could be cleaned and assessed. Anita presented with a laceration to the inside of her thigh which was deep enough to expose the adipose tissue beneath, however was not deemed by the medical staff to be life threatening. Staff explained to Anita that the wound was deep enough to require stitching although not life threatening and advised her that she would need to attend the minor injuries unit of the local general hospital for assessment of the wound. At this time Anita, due to her mental state, could not fully appreciate the nature of the wound and felt that she needed to punish herself further by refusing treatment. The nurses on duty cleaned and bandaged the wound and allowed Anita time to consider the implications of her decision further. When Anita had calmed the nurse had a discussion surrounding the implications of not having the wound sutured such as infection, Anitas possible need to attack the wound in the future and pain relief issues, However Anita maintained her decision not to have the wound sutured. Following a wider team discussion around whether Anita understood the severity of the wound, thus having capacity to make a decision to refuse treatment, the Responsible Clinician (RC) spoke to Anita and attempted to persuade her to have the wound sutured. As Anita was still refusing to have the wound sutured the RC decided that an assessment would need to be carried out to ascertain whether Anita had the capacity to decide to refuse treatment. Upon completion of the assessment it was decided that Anita did have capacity to make decisions surrounding treatment at that time, within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act (GB 2005). This decision was reached due to Anita being able to understand the information being given to her, being able to retain the information and weigh it up to make a decision to refuse treatment. Although this appeared to be an unwise decision, which felt uncomfortable to the team, it was agreed to monitor the wound, keep it clean and dry and continue to talk to Anita about her thoughts and feelings surrounding getting medical treatment for the wound. This collaborative approach allowed Anita opportunities to explore her emotions, thoughts and feelings and promote her autonomy whilst still allowing her to decide to have the wound sutured should she change her mind. The main legal and ethical dilemmas that can be extracted from this case study are whether the Anitas capacity to make decisions about her treatment should be overridden by use of the Mental Capacity Act (GB 2005) and whether Anitas ability to make autonomous decisions surrounding her care should outweigh the nurses obligation towards beneficence. The Legal Dilemma. Mental Capacity. What legal dilemma can be hypothesised as underpinning the decision making process of the mental health professionals in this case? Anita initially made her decision to refuse treatment shortly after self-harming. Self-harm has been strongly associated with borderline personality disorder (Motz 2008) where thoughts of self-loathing and self-punishment are common precipitators; the act of self harm can be seen as a symptom of internal turmoil, an expression of internal pain or as controlling factor to maintain a level of care (Grocutt 2009). This may indicate that Anita was under a great deal of distress at the time, which could have affected her capacity to make sound decisions; however her later decision of continuing to refuse treatment was based on her own morals and values towards her body that may have included these thoughts of self-loathing and the need to be punished. Although a person, under part four of the Mental Health Act (GB 2007) can be treated for mental disorder with out their consent, it is important to note that a physical problem can only be treated without consent should the person lacks capacity or treatment is deemed to be in their best interests under the auspice of the Mental Capacity Act (GB 2007, MIND 2009). To help determine whether Anita has capacity, The Mental Capacity Act (2005) sets out a two stage functional approach. Firstly the practitioner needs to ascertain whether the person being assessed has some sort of disturbance of the mind and, if such a disturbance exists then it must affect their ability to make decisions when they need to (Department of Constitutional Affairs (DoCA) 2007:45). If this is not the case then the person cannot be seen as lacking capacity under the Act (GB 2005, DoCA 2007). In considering whether Anita needed to make the decision around treatment, we can see that, as the wound was not life threatening, it was decided to allow her time to settle and re-approach the question of treatment. The Mental Capacity Act (GB 2005) is clear in expressing that capacity is time and decision specific. In deciding that the decision could be made at a later time not only complies with the Act but also promotes Anitas autonomy. As the wound could be safely managed in the s hort term upon the ward the decision to allow Anita time to weigh up the information was the correct one to make. Conflicting ethical principles and dilemmas Lakeman (2009) points out that an ethical dilemma occurs when there are a multitude of alternative courses of action to deal with a particular situation. Conflicting moral principles may create difficult ethical dilemmas for nurses by having to contravene one moral obligation to uphold another (Beauchamp Childress 2009). Anitas ability to make autonomous decisions surrounding her care should outweigh the nurses obligation towards beneficence. However this may not feel entirely comfortable for the nurse. In mental health nursing, autonomy is sometimes overridden in the interests of promoting the principle of beneficence (Lakeman 2009). Which can make the nurses ethical dilemma difficult to manage due to balancing the two valid ethical principles of autonomy (respecting and supporting decisions making) and beneficence (relieving or minimising harm in the best interest of the patient) (Hendrick 2004, Beauchamp Childress 2009). To answer the question we need to examine how the dilemma sits within an ethical theory and the principles that apply. Beauchamp and Childress (2009) devised four basic moral principles which function as guidelines for professional ethical decision making. The principles of autonomy (freedom to act on your own belief), Nonmaleficence (obligation to avoid doing harm), Beneficence (providing benefits and help) and Justice (fair distribution of benefits, risk and cost) which are derived from a duty based theory of Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804) (Beauchamp Childress 2009). Principle 1 Autonomy. Respect for autonomy flows from the recognition that all persons have unconditional worth, each having the capacity to determine his or her own moral destiny. To violate a persons autonomy is to treat that person merely as a means: that is, in accordance with others goals without regard to the persons own goals. Beauchamp Childress (2009: 103) after Kant Autonomy is the freedom and ability to act in a self determined manner (Butts Rich 2008: 42) and the right of a rational person to achieve personal decisions without any outside interference. Therefore the principle of respecting autonomy concerns the nurses acknowledgement of, and obligation in respecting, Anitas decision over her own life. It may be that Anita is already feeling a loss of autonomy or disempowerment by the very nature of being a patient upon a secure ward and being under the Mental Health Act (GB 2007) and the restriction of her basic autonomous decisions such as when to eat, sleep or who she resides with. Therefore it may need to be considered whether Anitas is refusal of treatment is something that she feels in control of, thus a way in which she feels empowered. Principle 2 Beneficence. Morality requires not only that we treat persons autonomously and refrain from harming them, but also that we contribute to their welfareà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[is therefore]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a moral obligation to act for the benefit of others. These beneficial actions fall under the heading of beneficence. Beauchamp and Childress (2009: 197) Beneficence can be seen as actions to benefit and promote the welfare of others (Butts Rich 2008). All actions that are performed by nurses can be regarded as having a moral dimension, most of which are for the benefit of the patient (Edwards 2009). The NMC Code of Professional Conduct is clear in stating that nurses have an obligation to both protect and promote the health and wellbeing of patients as their primary consideration (NMC 2008:2) and this is no different for mental health nurses working with patients who self-harm. This statement clearly incorporates the principle of beneficence and shows that the nurses in the case study are considering whether Anita should have medical treatment for the wound enforced upon her due to the principle of beneficence as described due to the worries of the wound becoming infected if not sutured. The dilemma. When nurses experience the ethical dilemma of having to enforce treatment irrespective of a patients right to autonomy, they can be seen as working in a paternalistic manner (Butts Rich 2008). In Anitas case, the nurses worry, that the consequences of the wound becoming infected, is driving their desire to treat the wound irrespective of Anitas wishes. However, although the actions on behalf of nurses is clearly driven by obligations towards beneficence, nurses need to weigh up the harms and benefits of enforcing treatment before acting in such a way as to produce the best outcome for Anita (Edwards 2009). A paternalistic approach is frequently used to infringe upon a persons right to autonomy. This infringement is supported by the principle of beneficence, which is the argument frequently used to impose treatment on patients whether they want it or not (Buka 2008: 29). Should the decision to treat Anita for her self harm regardless of her wishes have gone ahead, there may have been a risk of impacting on the nurse-patient therapeutic relationship. This relationship is built upon trust as well as purposeful and effective communication (Buka 2008) and is considered to be the cornerstone of nursing care (Lakeman 2009, Pryjmachuk 2011).Therefore the nurses would need to consider future risk as part of the ethical decision making process. Enforcing treatment on Anita may produce barriers to the therapeutic relationship such as difficulties in trusting the nurse in the future, disengagement from therapeutic communication, opposition and rejection of future treatment, increased self harming behaviours due to the trauma and hostility towards others (Kettles et al 2007, Byrt 2010), all of which may stop Anita from telling the nursing team when she self-harms in future episodes of distress. This raises the principle of Nonmaleficence (doing no harm), in this instance to the therapeutic relationship, wellbeing and care of Anita. The decision to manage the wound on the ward and allow Anita time to calm and consider her options is, in the authors opinion, the correct course of action to take. As the wound was neither life threatening or of such a degree that it could not be safety managed upon the ward enabled the staff to consider the possibility of enabling Anita to make an autonomous choice. In considering Anitas wishes and agreeing a management plan to care for the wound incorporates both principles of Anitas autonomy and the nurses obligation towards beneficence. Beneficence could be interpreted to incorporate the patients autonomous choice as the best interests of the patient are intimately linked with their preferences [from which]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are derived our primary duties towards them (Beauchamp Childress 2009:207). If the nurses obligation to act beneficently is informed by the patients choices and preferences, then the respect for the patients autonomy will ultimately override any paternalistic actions on the part of the nurse (Beauchamp Childress 2009). This would not only encourage a supportive nurse-patient relationship but also provides care that is holistic, develops Anitas confidence in being able to negotiate her care and allows her to take greater personal responsibility, This in turn will promote empowerment and hope which will improve the potential for recovery and discourage overly oppressive practices. The practice of paternalism is now generally discouraged in health care (Butts Rich 2008) and is considered unjustifiable in cases where the patient has capacity to make a decision (Edwards 2009, Beauchamp Childress 2009). Conclusion. Every decision that a nurse makes concerning the care of a patient needs to be considered from an ethical base. Any decision made from this ethical viewpoint has a higher probability of producing the best outcome under any given circumstance. The conflicting principles of autonomy and beneficence that have been presented within this case study would both be ethically and morally correct courses of action to take. From this we can surmise that a morally correct course of action may involve two opposing principles being applicable in any one situation. A large proportion of moral and ethical dilemmas that are faced by nurses stem from the conflicting principles of autonomy and beneficence. However, the nurses ability to critically appraise risks and benefits will help them to make decisions that are beneficial to the patient involved. In encouraging autonomy for Anita involves taking risks on the part of the nurses which may go against their principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence. However with collaborative working practices this case study has shown that solutions can be found in even the most complicated of nursing dilemmas. Word Count 2733.

Should Britain Join The Single Currency? :: essays research papers

The debate has waged for several years now, ever since news of a single European Economic Union came first surfaced nearly fifteen years ago. The idea was simple, and focused on allowing multi-national European countries greater ease, and cost effective benefits when trading between countries. In a sense, the EEC was trying to implement an economic model similar to that of the United States, where amongst all fifty of the states there existed a single currency under a central federal bank that controlled the national interest rate level and other currency issues. Thus trade between the states was eased, promoting companies both with nation-wide interests, and those wishing to build from regional to nation wide platforms. However, since the official launch of the â€Å"Euro† in January of 1999, Britain, along with Sweden and the Dutch population, have chosen to remain isolated from this conglomerate, creating what many term a â€Å"two-speed† European economy. But why d oes the Britain business sector choose to remain isolated from this currency? This essay will attempt to examine both the positive and negative aspects of joining the single currency, while analyzing the forces behind Britain’s involvement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So what exactly are the benefits of a single currency for Britain’s business sector? First of all, firms that export a lot to other countries within the euro zone don't have to bear the costs of exchanging profits into their home currency anymore. Multinationals also save a lot of money if all their subsidiaries trade in the same currency. Smaller firms suddenly are finding customers in regions they thought they could never be bothered to export to. The disappearance of these transaction costs is bound to boost economic growth, and will make goods cheaper for consumers. And even the weak euro has been a boon for the euro zone, as its exports to the United States and the UK have become more competitive. The Financial Times noted, while the value of the euro has been decreasing, exports have risen from 50 billion euros, to now 75 billion euros annually.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore, one currency across Europe increases the urge for companies to do business across the continent. For a start, it is easier to raise the cash to do a deal. Secondly, the fact of the single currency makes it easier to do business in other European countries, encouraging companies already lured by the prospect of boosting their revenues by entering new markets.

Essay on Stephen’s Heroic Quest in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ma

Stephen’s Heroic Quest in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...His mother said: -O, Stephen will apologise. Dante said: -O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes.    This utterance, which comes at the climax of the short first passage that Joyce presents to us, defines the heroic quest that Stephen (and/or his latent identity as mythic Daedalus) must undertake. He is, in this instance, bound by a strict commandment from "above" (from the towering grown-ups above him, from the air-borne, attacking eagles), from the poets of the past , and - most superficially   from his elders, to perform an act of "apology". Stephen seals this cosmic agreement with his little song:    Pull out his eyes, Apologise, Apologise, Pull out his eyes.    Apologise, Pull out his eyes, Pull out his eyes, Apologise.    Stephen internalizes his predicament   or legacy - by chanting the words that descend to him from layers of higher authority. He shapes the received words with his own voice (whether it be "out loud" or only inside his head), compresses /extractions phrases from the longer syntax, and utilizes rhyme in a patterned repetition. (In short, he has applied a "craft".)    If his mother, a temporal and merely parental figure, initiates young Stephen's artistic covenant in a mundane way, "Dante" (whose "real" identity in Stephen's world is sparsely revealed in this passage) is the accidental and incidental avatar of an old poet, or the "poetic tradition", or the artist-creator that Stephen (or Joyce, if we treat this work as autobiographical) must become. The implied historic Dante serves as a representative, for Stephen and Joyce, of the poetic c... ...e University of Windsor Review.   vol.1,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   no. 1.   Spring, 1965.   1-15. Rpt. in Twentieth Century Literary Criticism.   ed. Dennis    Poupard.   Detroit:   Gale Research Company, 1985.   16:229-234.    Litz, A. Walton.   James Joyce.   New York:   Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1966.    Peake, C.H.   James Joyce:   The Citizen and The Artist.   Stanford:   Stanford University Press, 1977.     Ã‚  Ã‚   56-109.    Pope, Deborah.   "The Misprision of Vision: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man".   James Joyce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   vol.1. ed. Harold Bloom. New York:   Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 113-19.    The World Book Encyclopedia.   New York: World Book Inc., 1987.   3.    Wells, H.G.   "James Joyce".   The New Republic.   March 10, 1917.   34-46. Rpt. in Twentieth    Century Literary Criticism.   ed. Sharon K. Hall.   Detroit:   Gale Research Company, 1980.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3:252.   

A Universal Game of Literacy Essay -- Reading Writing Language Essays

A Universal Game of Literacy "The blank page is nothingness-the silence- on which the words enact their epic journey, which is both a quest for a meaning and a creation of meaning." O. B. Hardison The Bible introduced the concept of God as a creator of the universe. In contrast, Darwin's theory supplanted the idea of a single creator orchestrating all extant processes by affirming the role of chance in shaping the reality. According to Darwin's story, random events create chaos in the universe and then re-establish order characterized by certain patterns of life. Like the changes in the environment, the emergence of specific patterns cannot be predicted. Yet, no matter how chance might shape reality, language adapts to mirror all of the changes. Consequently, by molding language to reflect the emerging patterns of life, chance begets new meanings. Building bridges between time and space and arranging the patterns created by chance inside these domains, language contains the expression of meanings. Therefore, using language to describe the surrounding world, we control the universe. The role of language in the formation of reality also makes us reconsider our notions of self an d freedom. Fueled by chance, random memes generate new patterns. As Dennett contends, memes need human minds in order to live and "reproduce" (give rise to a new idea, thought or meme). As soon as a meme assumes a trivial meaning, it is supplanted by other memes. Once a meme is anchored in a brain, it is "processed" and changed in compliance with the idiosyncrasies of that particular brain. Then, it is passed to other brains. According to this description of memes, an individual cannot generate germinal memes without being influenced by ... ...ht in an effective way, those who have mastered to the art of expression elicit emotions and thoughts from the audience. The ability to achieve this grants immortality to the text and its creator. Random events inspire new meanings, contained in words. Arranging words to transmute time and space, people manage to control the universe. Giving us the freedom of thought, language allows us to impose order on the surrounding world, thus enabling us to create reality and grow. Having the ability to transmute the environment according to our own volition, are we free to do whatever we want? Are we entitled to the right to do so? References: Daniel Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (New York, N.Y.: Touchstone books, 1996) George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-four (London: Penguin Books, 1990) Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000)

Cartoon and Japanese Society Essay

Japan’s animation boom began in the summer of l977, when the movie Uchu Senkan Yamato (Space Cruiser Yamato) captivated teenagers and young adults to emerge as a major box-office hit. The success of this sci-fi â€Å"anime† prompted a fundamental shift in the cultural status of animation. Even before Space Cruiser Yamato, Japan had produced a considerable number of animated films, but they were generally regarded as children’s fare or, at best, family entertainment; the few adult-oriented animated movies were not successful commercially. Space Cruiser Yamato was the first anime to demonstrate that the medium need not restrict itself to kiddies fare. Following suit, from the late l970s, Japan put out a steady stream of animated films geared to young adults, including Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Galaxy Express 999) and Kido Senshi Gandamu (Mobile Suit Gundam). Most of these were commercial successes as well, although critics dismissed these as exploitation films pandering to teenage taste. The attitude of film critics changed abruptly, however, with the 1984 release of Kaze no Tani no Naushica (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind), a film whose artistic quality was widely regarded as more than sufficient to hold the attention of adults. With this movie, writer-director Miyazaki Hayao overturned the conventional image of the anime director as a versatile hack, and was soon crowned as anime’s first genuine auteur. Of course, not all anime rose to the level of non-juvenile entertainment or art. In fact, in the late 1980s, with young adult anime showing signs of staleness, the focus began to revert to children’s films. Nevertheless, the genre never relinquished the commercial foothold it had gained during the young adult anime craze; furthermore, Miyazaki began to enjoy a large degree of freedom in his filmmaking, as did several other directors who subsequently achieved the status of anime auteur. The results of those efforts, particularly the anime produced by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, are not simply movies with high box-office potential; they are in many instances artistically superior to the live-action films made in Japan, and they have won growing legions of fans overseas. During the 1990s, animation, spearheaded by the work of a few anime auteurs, emerged as the face of Japanese film, positioning Japan as the worlds undisputed â€Å"anime superpower. † And in 1997 — a full twenty years since anime took off — animation’s preeminence over live-action films in Japan was more apparent than ever. In a matter of months after its release, Mononoke-hime (Princess Mononoke), Miyazaki’s latest film to date which was then alleged to be his last directorial effort, broke every box-office record to become the biggest domestic movie hit of all time in Japan. In the languishing field of young adult anime, the avant garde sci-fi work Shin Seiki Evangerion (Neon Genesis Evangelion) scored a major box-office hit and won a huge cult following. Moreover, children’s anime are as popular as ever. In all, it appears that anime has taken center stage in the Japanese film industry, pushing live-action movies into the wings. Kenji (2002) opined that Animation became popular in Japan as it provided an alternative format of storytelling compared to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike America, where live-action shows and movies have generous budgets, the live-action industry in Japan is a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Asians. The varied use of animation allowed artists to create characters and settings that did not look Japanese at all Now a bit about how animation gets to wherever you are today. In the dusty yet not-so-long-ago time, when old cities began to get overweight and thus suburban areas started to be a new synonym for the term ‘eyesore’, the post-LSD generation of the Northern hemisphere imported anime from the Land of the Rising Sun at approximately the pace of a snail-mail package sent from Alabama to Tibet. The riotous 1970’s has just received enlightenment in this field of concern — the quicker-witted Americans in the industry started to stop calling non-human-non-nature-non-animal motion pictures ‘cartoons’ and have used the word ‘animation’. Naturally the content of slim boxes of taped animation movies embarking there was then called ‘Japanese animation, and for the convenience of those who tend to misspell anything more than three-lettered it was promptly squeezed into ‘Japanimation’, so no wonder that they still misspell it. Anyway, no derogatory wink was involved in the term ‘Japanimation’ — it’s just a matter of geoprofile for the product that has come in faster and in bulk during 1980’s. The malicious intent is not there, if you really are so paranoid about such things; it is for instance in the term ‘Japornimation’, for which the Yoshiwara might have had an influence (i. e. modern sexually explicit and repulsively bloody anime movies). Meanwhile, in 1990’s someone (probably the same person who snail-mailed from Alabama to Tibet) informed the Northerners that the Japanese themselves have always called the thing ‘animation’. From then on ‘animation’ often replaces ‘Japanimation’ in the lexicon, but it didn’t blast the old word out of circulation — usually attached to the ‘Old School’ of diehard, seasoned, loyal and zealous anime fans (‘otaku’) among the Americans, it is still valid to use ‘Japanimation’ today in any case of generally useless elaboration such as this, plus the term ‘anime’ is seen as too wide to refer to just the characteristic Japanese product — ‘anime’ could mean the entire baggage this planet must carry in the form of every kind of animation, including Beavis & Butthead.

A Civil Action Essay

‘A Civil Action’ is a legal thriller, well-directed and presented in such a way that manages to create certain mood of extreme anxiety and fear, which all the more increases the tension level to filter throughout the movie. If you think that watching a movie in which lawyers are seen reading doesn’t sound exciting, you will have to give a second thought. The director, Steven Zaillian of ‘A civil action’, has managed to maintain the suspense and thrill throughout the movie. There have been lots of movies based on the water as subject but here water looks so ominous as it never had felt before. Jan Schlichtmann (John Travolta) is a lawyer who is greedy and runs a law firm that has only one aim and that is of getting profitable cases. Right in the first scene, Schlichtmann talks about which would be better for his business, whether a dead black or a dead white or a dead cripple or a dead kid, and while stating all this his voice is subtle cold. The film is all about the case of 12 dead kids who died due to contaminated drinking water, which is because of two main food companies. Schlichtmann accepts this case in order to get a good payoff. Because he believes and says once in the movie, â€Å"A lawyer who feels compassion for his client is worse than a doctor who recoils at the sight of blood†. The lawyer from the food company’s side starts with idiosyncratic and strange way so that Schlichtmann takes him too lightly. And when the trial proceeds, viewers start feeling the excitement and anxiety of what next was going to happen. Schlichtmann is seen gathering information for his case and spending lot of time and resources for the sake of them. So much so that his company runs of fund and they use credit cards, try to et loans and even buy lottery tickets to fight this case. Anne Anderson (Kathleen Quinlan), the spokesperson of the families whose kids died, is seen almost pleading and is quite sympathetic with the families. ‘A Civil Action’ is a story of the case but in the end the question does not arise about that is the winner. Even in the final sequence in the courtroom there is no slowdown as such and finally one feels that it was a story of Schlichtmann who turns to be a considerate human being slowly along with fighting for the case. During this journey he comes in ontact with Jerome Facher who is a strong attorney but always bounces a ball on walls and carries a suitcase that is trodden up. This act of Facher proves to be of assuredness eventually and his appearance itself makes other lawyers nervous. The ending gives the impression of the real creativity of the filmmakers and they don’t leave the viewers behind with a cheap one. So instead of giving any stereotyped ending, the director leaves it in mid-air and the thrill remains till the end. The direction of the movie is so intense that every time water is poured in the glass, a ringe of fear develops in viewer’s mind. In one scene Schlichtmann is standing on a bridge and water is flowing underneath, and the sound effects created here makes the viewer feel as if there is a dead secret in the water itself. Travolta has done an extremely good job and is seen quite convincing and of course very powerful. Travolta portrays the role of a man, who understands in the end that money is not the whole thing, in earnest and effective manner. This film is worth seeing for those who love thriller, which includes palpable suspense and tension throughout.