The Complete Guide to Amazon Affiliate Links

The Complete Guide to Amazon Affiliate Links Affiliate marketing became an online trend when online retailers found that they could add a new sales channel to their portfolio. By working with publishers of online content, marketers were able to find a means of producing third party verification for their products.Affiliate marketing is popular among bloggers, v-loggers, online personalities and content producers. These producers are able to successfully sell the products that they recommend to their online communities. Some content producers find affiliate marketing to be a great way to monetize their websites.Amazon was an early believer in the online affiliate marketing program. The company launched its Associates program in 1996. Amazon knew that many websites could benefit from being able to link to the millions of products available on Amazon.com and its subsidiaries. To entice web developers and content producers to join in, Amazon keeps their program free and offers a competitive tiered incentive scheme.There are many be nefits to Amazon’s affiliate marketing program for both Amazon and producers. Amazon has huge brand recognition. People who are directed to Amazon.com know exactly which website they have landed on. Amazon also does not limit its commission only to low value products. If a member of the program can sell 100 TVs in addition to 100 pairs of socks, they will be rewarded well. Finally, Amazon is one of the biggest online resources for shopping. All of these benefits translate into an inclusive experience for Amazon, producers and shoppers.The way Amazon’s affiliate program works is simple. For every customer that you direct to Amazon.com, you will get a percentage of the sales. If you sell more products, you will receive a higher percentage. The current rates on Amazon range from 4% to 15% and there is no limit on the number of sales you can earn money from. © Shutterstock.com | Twin DesignIn this article, you will learn about 1) setting up Amazon affiliate links, 2) four ways to buy on Amazon, 3) tactics for making money through affiliate links, and 4) how to promote products on Amazon.SETTING UP AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKSTo get started with Amazon’s affiliate program, you will need to sign up through the link on Amazon’s affiliate program website. Signing up for the program is free of charge and only takes a few minutes. You normally have to wait a day before you receive confirmation from Amazon that you are a full-fledged member of the program. After you are fully registered for the program, you will need to integrate the program with your website. Integrating these links with a WordPress site could not be easier. It can be done in only three steps.First, log in to your new affiliate account. Once you are logged in, you should click on the Links Banners. From here, you should select the Product Links option.To feature a product link in a new content post, all you need to do is search for the product you are looking for in the search function and then click on the product you want to feature. Once you have found it, you simply have to click on the Get Link.The Get Link function will automatically generate a code that you can copy and paste into your WordPress article. All you need to do is paste it where you want the link to be seen.FOUR WAYS TO BUY PRODUCTS ON AMAZONOne of the greatest aspects of Amazon’s program is that it is very versatile. You are not required to use one particular format to participate in the program. In fact, you can take part in the program through four different advertising methods.Links:Links are one of the most popular ways to run affiliate marketing programs because they push the customer to visit the site without being an overt advertisement. Links are easy to use. The link will be set up to take the visitor directly to the product on Amazon. The link also hosts your Associate acc ount. This helps Amazon keep track of where their customers come from. It also helps them keep track of any sales that you have earned.You can choose to include embedded text links, image links or even a combination of text and images.Banners:Banners are a more transparent form of advertising. They often serve as a visual reminder of promotions happening at Amazon.com. Banners are stylish can be integrated into any part of your website.aStore:The Amazon aStore is a product that is offered to every Associate involved in the program. The main benefit of the aStore is that you can set up an online store without having to worry about design, software or taking payments. Visitors will complete their payment with Amazon.com.Your aStore will be unique to your account. You can use your aStore to highlight the products that you are interested in or that are aligned with your brand or content. You also have to option to include all Amazon products in your store if you choose.Setting up the aS tore is very easy. When you decide to set up your store, Amazon will take you through a four-step process. You can have your own store operating in a manner of minutes.The aStore is a free benefit of the Amazon program. You do not need to pay any money to open the store or to keep it running. It is probably one of the fastest and easiest ways to open an online store.Widgets:Amazon offers the opportunity for their affiliates to include Amazon widgets on their website. Widget is a generic word for standalone code that will redirect users to a larger application or program.A widget is just another way to redirect your customers to Amazon.com from your website. They are more visual than links. Widgets are also more targeted than banners.You can show customers exact products through your widget. Widgets provide another way for you to advertise your relationship with Amazon without going down the road of a traditional advertisement. Customers can see what your store offers without having to leave your website. This makes customer interactions with widgets more meaningful.It is fairly easy to set up a widget for your Amazon store. You can reach everything you need from your associate account. When you set up your widget you can either curate a list of products or allow Amazon to select some products for you.Some of the widget styles that you can set up include: wish list, deal of the day, slide show, or MP3 clips.Depending on how much you want to customize your widget, you can have it all set up in under a minute.TACTICS FOR MAKING MONEY THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKSWorking with the Amazon Associate program to make money from affiliate links is like any other business venture. You will get out of it what you put into it. It is not enough to embed some banners on your site or include a few links in each article. If you really want to benefit from the serious earning potential of the affiliate program, you will need to continue to drive value. The following list contains the key tactics for making real money through affiliate links.Choose a niche:If you own a business or a website, you have probably been told that you have to choose a niche. The Internet is the home of niche culture. It rewards people who are very good in a very specific area.Your affiliate program can directly reflect your niche. Because Amazon sells millions of products, you will be able to find products related to your website. If you want to sell products and make commission, you should ideally be suggesting products that are relevant to your website.For example, if you run a food and culinary arts website, you can provide affiliate links to recommended cooking products, tools and books. Your customers will appreciate your insight. They will also feel that you have personally recommended these products to them. This personal touch makes them more likely to buy.Drive traffic:Driving traffic to your website is probably the biggest key to success for both your site and your affiliate program. The more people visit your website and see your links, the more people that you can convert to a sale.Traffic is driven by a variety of methods. Many of these methods are dictated by the search engines. Google’s algorithms have the biggest influence here. Your site will receive more traffic if it is SEO optimized according to Google’s latest standards. Google also now relies on quality and regular content.To drive content to your website, you need to write great content that is relative to the customers that you are targeting with your SEO strategy.Implementing a social media strategy always helps. You can even include Amazon affiliate links on your Facebook and Twitter accounts.Build credibility:By participating in the Amazon affiliate program, you will essentially be selling the products listed in your store or through your links. The key to closing more sales is to build a high level of credibility. You need your customers to trust that you are an authority on the su bject.People who visit your site regularly will probably have connected with your content. If you can build a relationship of trust between you and your readers, they will be more likely to purchase a recommended product.Learn from Amazon:Take some time to browse Amazon. Amazon is the ultimate salesman and there are more than a few hints and tricks that you can pick up from their top-rated products.Look at the product descriptions, reviews and the amount of information provided by the product link to get a better idea of what makes a product fly off the virtual shelves.Amazon is also great at upselling products. Their recommended products lists are a big key to their success.Provide and promote only the best and relevant products:Do some research on the products that you provide links to. You want to make sure that they are great products that will satisfy your target customers.Make sure you are choosing products that are well reviewed on Amazon. It is important the product actually fits the needs of your customers.Providing mediocre and uninformed recommendations will often reflect poorly on your site rather than on Amazon. It is important to recommend products that will maintain your reputation.Implement visual elements:You should always try to include a text link within the body of your content. Text links are easy and direct.However, you should not rely solely on these text, or embedded, One of the best ways to sell on Amazon or on any website is to include a clickable image link. The image will remind customers why they are interested in this product. By providing several types of visual links, you will provide your customers with many opportunities to purchase products.Sell more products to make more money:It sounds painfully obvious that when you sell more products you will earn more money. However, this is especially true on Amazon. Amazon will reward you with a higher commission or referral fee when you sell more products.This tiered system is typical of many affiliate programs. The tiered rewards system provides you with just one more incentive to make the most of the program.Take advantage of seasonal offers:Amazon’s Black Friday and Christmas are often exceptional. If there was a time to ramp up your product drive with the affiliate scheme, it is when Amazon is already heavily promoting their products and value. Amazon runs special offers during most holidays. It would serve you well to keep up with their holiday calendar.HOW TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS ON AMAZONPromoting products on Amazon requires many of the same facets that building relationships with your customers does. When you are promoting products, you should be genuinely promoting them. You want to make sure that your content is not so transparent that it looks like you are just out to take your customers’ money. You should always aim to be honest with your customers and only promote products that you would buy yourself.Write reviewsProduct reviews are one of the best ways to promote products. You will automatically become a reliable source by providing in-depth information about the product. You will also be able to interest the customer by providing exciting facts and opinions about the product.Product reviews also convert better than other types of articles. This is because if a customer takes the time to read a review of the product, they probably intend to purchase the product now or in the near future.Create a ‘Best of…’ listCreating a ‘Best of…’ list will provide similar benefits to the product review. You will present yourself as knowledgeable on the topic. You will also present several options for customers to choose from. This can have positive impacts on your sales conversion rate.Write in-depthIf you have done a good job at choosing your niche, you will be able to write in-depth articles about the products that you recommend. You should take the opportunity to discuss more than just the product’s basic functions. You can use this time to speculate about the product and introduce real-life scenarios in its regular use.Product comparisonsThere are several ways that you can write a product comparison article. You can use a combination of short reviews and a ‘best of…’ list for those who are looking for information-heavy content.You may also decide to make the information visual. Using a product comparison grid will help your customers find the product that is right for them faster. When they can get the information they desire faster, they are more likely to buy.Product launchYou can use your website to help drive excitement about the launch of a new product. This is a great way to get customers to pre-order products. It also demonstrates that your site is a great source of information about new products.Amazon runs an affiliate program that is incredibly easy to use and understand. However, you will only get out of the program what you put into it. If you put time and energy into building relat ionships through valuable content, you could find yourself participating in Amazon’s massive revenues in no time at all.

Understanding International Trade Essay - 2213 Words

We know that, international relations or affairs among nations could mean many things. It certainly is managed and achieved, through different means or set of rules. There are negotiations, world crises, humanitarian intervention, global warfare, globalization, nuclear arms races and money/economics. Money or international trade to be more specific certainly plays a major role, among the relationships that nations form. In addition, it has a huge political and economic impact, on those decisions that governments chose to engage in, for the betterment of their citizens and country. Money makes the world go round. Alternatively, as the famous ABBA song goes, Money, Money, Money, must be funny in a rich mans world. That is precisely what†¦show more content†¦Portugal could make both wine and cloth with less labor than England, but England was better at cloth making. Therefore, it was natural for England to export their cloth and import the wine from Portugal. This is the key to how businesses and trade in general functions competition, is the key to any countries success and so is good negotiations. The Ricardian Theory of comparative advantage, named for the eighteenth-century classical economist David Ricardo, holds that the general welfare of two or more countries will be higher for all; if free trade among them is permitted than if each attempts to restrict trade or trade produce only for itself. This will be true even if some countries are absolutely more efficient in the production of all goods than the others are and even if, hypothetically, each country could produce everything for itself. (Jones 289) The theory of comparative advantage is the capability of a business/individual to manufacture goods/services at a lower opportunity cost than its competitors. This means, a country can generate a product that is fairly cheaper than other countries. For example, Albania can manufacture either 100 pairs of plastic flip-flops or 200 pairs of leather shoes in two hours. If it chooses to make 100 pairs of plastic flip-flops in any given hour, it forgoes the chance to manufacture 200 pairs of leather shoes. The 200 pairs of leather shoes, as a result, are the opportunity costShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding The International Context Of Business Trade And Logistics947 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many benefits of understanding the international context of business trade and logistics. To achieve competitive advantage, even within small firms, it is necessary to gain expertise in the international logistics activities which are much more complex than what domestic trade involves. The worldâ €™s economy is increasingly global, and the logistics sector designates a significant fraction of that economic activity, the estimated total stands at $7. 4 trillion dollars (David, 2013, p. 53)Read MoreInternational Institutions, Treaties, And Sanctions Essay1647 Words   |  7 PagesInternational Institutions, Treaties, and Sanctions and Their Effects on International Business International institutions abound in the realm of international business. As globalization increases, disputes multiply. The responsibilities of these organizations can vary due to the needs of its members, such as monetary or trade issues. Moreover, the support these institutions provide may come in the form of various agreements to include the negotiation or enforcement of sanctions and treaties whichRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Stiglitz A Recipient Of The Nobel Prize Economics, And Andrew Charlton930 Words   |  4 Pagessolution to world trade problems – a solution that brings equilibrium to the trading relationships between the poorest and richest countries. The book contains an in-depth, college level understanding of fair trade and its theoretical applications on third world countries. With regards to theoretical applications, the book elaborates on the proposal, which is fair trade, and how it can initiate development in a country. Besides providing a holistic an d substantive perspective on fair trade, the book alsoRead MoreInternational Chamber of Commerce (Icc)1031 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction * The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. 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I believe an understanding of the historical economic forces allows a better understanding of the global trading system we have today andRead MoreThe Importance of International Trade Regulation Mechanisms Has Risen1672 Words   |  7 PagesSince the global power shift caused by the advent of new political a rena - international organization, the importance of international trade regulation mechanisms has risen. Currently, out of dozens of such mechanisms, the World Trade Organization performs its role of the most prominent international economic organization. WTO, established in 1995 as a successor of GATT is aimed at â€Å"helping trade flow as freely as possible† by liberalizing it. It has over 150 state-members and therefore is inevitableRead MoreEssay on International Trade Concepts Simulation827 Words   |  4 PagesInternational Trade Concepts Simulation Abstract The following paper will present information found in a simulation based on international trade concepts. Key points found from the reading will be noted and concepts discussed will be shown integrated in the workplace. International Trade Concepts Simulation International trade has become a very important means of survival for global economies in this day and age. As countries continue to grow and resources become smaller, trade with otherRead MoreThe Rise Of India s Drug Industry998 Words   |  4 PagesThe Rise of India’s Drug Industry and The Rise of Bangladesh’s Textile Trade At first, India’s trade industry was one that was known for being an international outcast in the pharmaceutical industry. The counterfeit drugs that they were producing and selling eventually was revealed by the Western and Japanese pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, they were not allowed to sell their products in any developed markets considering that they dishonored intellectual property rights. Intellectual propertyRead MoreImpact Of International Trade On The United States1294 Words   |  6 Pagesbecome a reality. International trade has enabled countries to exchange goods, services and capital across the border, enabling better opportunities for both producers and consumers. However, in recent years, the benefits of International trade have been questioned by many economists and business experts. There are no doubts that International trade has been a blessing for many countries around the world, but the question that remains unanswered is, how does International tr ade benefit the UnitedRead MoreThe World Trade Organization ( Wto ) And Multilateral Trading System1610 Words   |  7 PagesMany consider the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the multilateral trading system it supports to be essential for advancing global development objectives. This essay will critically examine the objectives of the WTO and explain how the organisation aims to advance development globally. The essay will explore the significance of trade in the politics of development and how the WTO is central to that agenda. Understanding how the WTO is designed to operate will provide insight into why some believe

Walt Whitman Song of Myself - 1260 Words

January 20th, 2012 It’s Only Natural: Racial and Gender Equality in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† In the opening line of Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself,† it becomes immediately evident that his song is not about himself, but about the entire human race: â€Å"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, / for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you†. His poem extols the mundane aspects of everyday life that a traditional poet of his day would not have considered worthy of poetic material. The meaning of his poem is best expressed in a quote from the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain†¦show more content†¦Having worked through some of the conditions of perception and creation, Whitman arrives, in the third key episode, at a moment where speech becomes necessary. In the twenty-fift h section he notes that â€Å"Speech is the twin of my vision, it is unequal to measure itself, / it provokes me forever, it says sarcastically, / Walt you contain enough, why don’t you let it out then?† Having already established that he can have a sympathetic experience when he encounters others (â€Å"I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person†), he must find a way to re-transmit that experience without falsifying or diminishing it. Resisting easy answers, he later vows he â€Å"will never translate [him] self at all.† Instead he takes a philosophically more rigorous stance: â€Å"What is known I strip away.† Again Whitman’s position is similar to that of Emerson, who says of himself, â€Å"I am the unsettler.† Whitman, however, is a poet, and he must reassemble after unsettling: he must â€Å"let it out then.† Having catalogued a continent and encompassed its multitudes, he finally deci des: â€Å"I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, / I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.† â€Å"Song of Myself† thus ends with a sound—a yawp—that could be described as either pre- or post-linguistic. Lacking any of the normalShow MoreRelatedSong Of Myself By Walt Whitman1795 Words   |  8 Pageschemical also released during sex and eating. In his gutsy poem to America, Song of Myself, Walt Whitman uses repetition to make music that will bring pleasure to his readers and also shape how they perceive the world. Whitman begins his poem by boldly stating that he celebrates himself. Like the chorus to a song he repeats the word â€Å"I† throughout the entirety of the poem. The meaning of the word transitions from â€Å"I† being Whitman himself, to the people reading his book, and then ending with the readerRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman2251 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"I celebrate myself, and sing myself / and what I shall assume you shall assume† (Whitman 1-2). These lines not only open up the beginning of one the best poems of the American Romantic period, but they also represent a prominent theme of one of this period’s best poet, Walt Whitman. In Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, Whitman deals with his time period’s most prominent theme of democracy. Whitman tells readers that they must not only observe the democratic life but they must become one with it. AsRead MoreThe Song Of Myself By Walt Whitman And Howl1353 Words   |  6 PagesBoth â€Å"Song of Myself† by Walt Whitman and â€Å"Howl† by Allen Ginsberg are important pieces of American poetry. â€Å"Song of Myself† was written in the 1850’s and â€Å"Howl† was written about a century later. Both poets were part of groups that wanted to change America – the Transcendentalists and the Beats. Transcendentalists believed in the goodness of people and nature. Th ey believe that people are at their best when they are truly independent. The Beats rejected standard values and materialism. They experimentedRead MoreAnalysis Of Song Of Myself By Walt Whitman1451 Words   |  6 Pagesself-wisdom, discovery and betterment – is the ground-breaking poet, Walt Whitman. In his poetry, Whitman explores the surreal and cosmic, relating the supernatural to the mundane .With an emphasis on oneness with nature, Whitman’s celebratory attitude of the human soul in all of its complexity, beauty, and contradictions is most noted in his extensive poem titled â€Å"Song of Myself†, and is developed further in his poem â€Å"Kosmos†. Moreover, Whitman pioneers the future of modern poetry while incorporating hisRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman903 Words   |  4 Pagesultimate threat to the United States at the time, Whitman wished to mend Americas social and political demands through his poetry. Throughout Whitman’s wo rks, the reader can evidently observe the widths and basis of his social and political philosophy and the layers of various circumstances that exist within his American culture – which is an essential part of his democratic vision. Many of Whitmans poems, including major works such as Song of Myself, can be studied with this tidbit, but yet theseRead MoreWalt Whitman s Song Of Myself1191 Words   |  5 Pages Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† Walt Whitman was an American poet born in May 31, 1819 in New York, and he died in March 26, 1892 in New Jersey. He grew up going to school in separate facilities from people of color, so he was growing up along with the nation. He was self-taught by exploring things for himself, for example, going to the museums when he could. Whitman as a young boy alternated from being in the city to being in the countryside with his grandparents. He was exposed to be beingRead MoreSong of Myself by Walt Whitman Essay1343 Words   |  6 PagesIn his first anthology of poems entitled â€Å"Song of Myself†, Walt Whitman reveals some of his views on democracy through the use of symbolism and free verse poetry. His use of symbolism and free verse poetry creates indeterminacy, giving the reader hints rather than answers about the nature of the poem. In the sixth part of â€Å"Song of Myself†, a child asks the narrator of the poem, â€Å"What is the grass?† (Whitman). Instead of simply giving an answer, the narrator cannot make up his mind, and stumblesRead MoreWalt Whitman - Song of Myself822 Words   |  4 PagesWalt Whitman has neither related his biography nor glorified himself in the poem as the title suggests. Infact, the apparent indication of the title is here of no importance. The poem is the song of celebration of every object of nature in general where a question put to the poet by a little child triggers off a philosophical trend of thought relating to death and the meaning of death. In the poem, he has celebrated his own idea (that nothing collapses due to death but instead life moves on) andRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s Song Of Myself1178 Words   |  5 Pagesa Poem Using the Same Ideas from Another Person The idea that the artist is a single individual coming to stand and speak for the masses is one of Emerson’s main transcendentalist ideas. Walt Whitman met Emerson’s ideal artist description as he spoke as one man for the multitude in his poem, â€Å"Song of Myself†, which openly demonstrates Whitman’s faith in the imperative indivisibility of self-reliance. He shares many of the same ideas as Emerson, such as the importance of the self and views on religionRead MoreAnalysis Of Walt Whitman s Song Of Myself Essay2414 Words   |  10 Pages The prevalence of Hegelianism in Walt Whitman’s â€Å"Song of Myself† is indisputable, yet a consensus on the meaning remains elusive, and therefore, insidious to the democratic progress Whitman attempts. Whitman uses Hegel to support his ideas about the dialectical theory of consciousness, the spiritualization and importance of art, and America’s manifest destiny. I later elucidate on these catego ries and break them down into more precise ideas. I use a variety of scholars for evidence of structural

Septic Shock And Kidney Injury Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

string(104) " analysis and repeated freezing melt of samples was avoided in order to forestall debasement of plasma\." Systemic inflammatory response syndrome ( SIRS ) is expressed as febrility or hypothermia, tachycardia, tachypnea which may be associated with leucocytosis or leukopenia. SIRS generates broad spread inflammatory reaction in organic structure in response to external abuse which is protective for an person when its effects are restricted to pathogens, in other state of affairss inflammatory reactions are hurtful when they are directed against normal tissues in add-on to pathogens. [ 1,2 ] SIRS can ensue from legion conditions but termed as Sepsis, merely when infection sets in and morbific agent is detected. We will write a custom essay sample on Septic Shock And Kidney Injury Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sepsis consequences from an single response to external infection, which begins with systemic redness ab initio, followed by curdling abnormalcies and eventually deranged fibrinolysis. When sepsis causes one or more organ disfunction, the syndrome is termed Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome ( MODS ) or terrible sepsis. [ 3 ] Sepsis-induced hypotension which is furnace lining to fluid boluses is termed Septic daze. Hypothermia associated with infected daze indicates hapless tegument and visceral perfusion, is normally associated with hapless forecast and high mortality rates of up to 30 to 40 % . Several serum biomarkers suggested holding diagnostic or predictive value in infected daze, but a unequivocal biomarker for everyday clinical usage is yet to be identified. One such marker is serum lactate which indicates pronounced hypoperfusion and tissue hypoxia in infected daze. Similarly serum Creatinine should besides be considered as marker of lessening organ perfusion in sepsis and Acute Kidney Injury should be regarded as index of ongoing organ harm and likely possibility of oncoming of infected daze. [ 4 ] AKI is due to sudden and drastic decrease in kidney map ( within 48 hours ) characterized by absolute addition in serum Creatinine ( gt ; 50 % from baseline ) or a decrease in urine end product ( oliguria of lt ; 0.5 ml/kg/hour for gt ; 6 hours ) . Nephritic hypoperfusion and ischaemia during infected daze amendss nephritic tubules taking to acute cannular mortification ( ATN ) and have been demonstrated to be a common etiologic factor for AKI development during sepsis [ 5,6 ] . ATN was found to be a consistent histopathological determination in these patients, this would strongly propose that ischaemia and nephritic tubular cell mortification are likely an of import pathogenetic mechanism. [ 7,8 ] Acute kidney hurt have marked impact on the result of critically sick patients. Disease badness tonss such as the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation ( APACHE II ) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment mark ( SOFA ) both have included nephritic disfunction as forecaster of morbidity and mortality ; on the other manus liver disfunction tonss, coagulopathy, thrombocytes and other critical organ maps are non much stressed in APACHE II hiting system. To set up a unvarying definition of nephritic harm, RIFLE categorization was formulated which characterizes Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss and End-stage Kidney ( RIFLE ) . [ 9 ] An of import facet of the RIFLE categorization is that it grades the badness of acute kidney hurt on the footing of alterations in serum creatinine and urine end product from the baseline status. [ 10 ] Urine end product is an of import physiologic mark of organic structure fluid position, and unstable instability is common in critically sick patients due to extravasation of fluid into extravascular infinite or due to 3rd infinite losingss and eventually the nephritic disfunction. This farther suggest that reduced organ perfusion in infected daze plays a cardinal function in development of AKI taking to cut down creatinine clearance and increased serum creatinine degrees. [ 11,12 ] In this survey we compared increasing serum creatinine degrees with plasma lactates and SOFA tonss to observe oncoming of sepsis and infected daze and to prove the hypothesis that ongoing acute kidney hurt can bespeak reduced organ perfusion and oncoming of infected daze in critically sick patients. Patients and Methods: This survey was carried out to happen a correlativity between lifting serum creatinine degrees and oncoming of infected daze in 115 critically sick patients admitted in ICU and were managed following Surviving Sepsis guidelines. [ 13 ] Human ethical blessing was taken by the institutional moralss commission. Written informed consents were obtained from control topics and patients or their relations. The control groups were the healthy relations attach toing the patient. Entire 90 controls were taken, among them 65 were males and 25 females with a mean ( SD ) age of 36.5 ( 8 ) old ages. Among patient group 67 were males and 48 females with mean ( SD ) age 37.5 ( 6 ) old ages. Patients included in our survey had either of the undermentioned characteristics: ( 1 ) Clinical characteristics proposing infection ; ( 2 ) Core temperature gt ; 38AÂ °C or lt ; 35AÂ °C ; ( 3 ) Heart beats gt ; 100/min ; ( 4 ) Respiratory rates gt ; 30 breaths/min or demand for supportive mechanical airing and ( 5 ) Inadequate organ map or daze within 12 hours of registration. Patients excluded were: ( 1 ) aged patients older than 75 old ages ; ( 2 ) NYHA category III or IV patients ; ( 3 ) liver inadequacy ( Child C ) ; ( 4 ) HIV, HBsAg positive serology, Cancer patients. Demographic characteristics like age, sex, primary site of infection, morbific beings and disease badness scores including Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Scores ( APACHE II ) and Sequential Organ system Failure Assessment mark ( SOFA ) were recorded for each patient ‘s at the clip of admittance in ICU and later. The plasma of these patients was tested for serum creatinine and lactates degrees at the clip of entry in ICU, so after every 24 hours till their stay in ICU. All the samples collected and patient inside informations gathered during the survey were coded to look into for prejudice and patient confidentiality was maintained as per the guidelines for surveies of human patients. Blood sample aggregation: First blood sample was collected prior to get down of antimicrobic, steroid therapy or vasopressors. Blood samples were collected from cardinal venous line ( 9 milliliter ) into sterilized tubings incorporating 1ml trisodium citrate ( TSC ) at the clip of patient admittance I ICU and later. Plasma was separated by extractor at 10,000 revolutions per minute for 15 min. The plasma was stored at -70AÂ °C for farther analysis and repeated freezing melt of samples was avoided in order to forestall debasement of plasma. You read "Septic Shock And Kidney Injury Health And Social Care Essay" in category "Essay examples" Statistical analysis: The informations were analyzed by nonparametric analysis of discrepancy ( ANOVA ) with Newman-Keuls multiple comparing post-test. The relation between serum creatinine degrees, plasma lactates and APACHE A ; SOFA mark was tested by finding the Pearson correlativity coefficient ( R ) . A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered important. Entire information recordings were obtained in triplicate and consequences of computations are reported as agencies and criterion divergence up to two denary points. All statistical analyses were performed with the Graph Pad InStat 5.0 demo plan ( Graph Pad Software, USA ) . Consequences: Among 115 patients admitted in ICU during the period April 2009 to May 2010, 45 patients were of SIRS, 39 patients were in sepsis and 31 patients in province of infected daze ( Table 1 ) . Sepsis was diagnosed on the footing of specific civilization studies from assorted possible sites of infection, including blood civilization study. Out of 115 patients studied there were 67 male patients and 48 females with a mean ( SD ) age of 37.5 ( 6 ) old ages. Mean serum creatinine degrees in healthy control group was 0.83 AÂ ± 0.26 mg/dl, runing from 0.4 to 1.6 mg/dl. In SIRS group, the average serum creatinine degrees were 3.45 AÂ ± 1.26 mg/dl, runing from 1.2 to 6.2 mg/dl ( Figure 1 ) . The APACHE II and SOFA score correlated linearly with serum creatinine degrees ( r2=0.74, P lt ; 0.001 for APACHE A ; r2=0.69, P lt ; 0.001 for SOFA ; Figure2 ) bespeaking nephritic hurt with badness of redness. In sepsis patients average degrees were 7.15 AÂ ± 1.3, runing from 4.0 to 9.3 mg/dl. Pearson ‘s coefficient showed additive correlativity of serum creatinine and sepsis badness tonss ( r2 = 0.65, P lt ; 0.001 for APACHE and r2 = 0.62, P lt ; 0.001 for SOFA ; Figure2 ) . In patients of infected daze with nephritic disfunction really high serum creatinine degrees were observed with mean of 10.31 AÂ ± 2.29 mg/dl with values runing from 6.0 to 15.2 mg/dl, these values were significantly ( P lt ; 0.01 ) higher than those with sepsis ( 7.01 AÂ ± 1.3 mg/dl ) , SIRS ( 3.49 AÂ ± 1.10 mg/dl ) and the control group ( 0.83 AÂ ± 0.26 mg/dl ) . Detection of metabolic acidosis in arterial blood gas analysis was evaluated farther by blood lactate appraisal ( Figure 3 ) . Blood lactate degrees in SIRS group were ( 5.14 AÂ ± 1.24mmol/L ) with scope from 2.2 to 7.8 mmol/L. Similarly blood lactate degrees in sepsis ( 7.73 AÂ ± 1.4mmol/L ) and infected daze group ( 9.53 AÂ ± 1.2mmol/L ) were significantly high ( 95 % CI in sepsis 7.25 to 8.21 ; daze 8.9 to 10.16 mmol/L ) . In control group mean values were 0.93 AÂ ± 0.39mmol/L ( 95 % CI 0.84 to 1.0 mmol/L ) . In order to detect a relation between extent of nephritic hurt and oncoming of infected daze, creatinine clearance ( taken as step of nephritic map ) was so compared with blood lactate degrees ( taken as index of anaerobiotic metamorphosis and daze ) , Pearson ‘s coefficient showed reverse relation between lifting lactate degrees and Creatinine clearance in patients with terrible sepsis and infected daze ( Figure 4 ; r2=0.48, P lt ; 0.001in sepsis ; r2=0.56, P lt ; 0.001in infected daze ) . The patients included in this survey were non given any nephrotoxic drugs and drug dose were modified as per criterion chronic nephritic disease guideline to forestall farther nephritic hurt [ 14 ] . Discussion: Patients come oning to infected daze during their stay in ICU may hold altered sensorium, deranged liver map, malabsorption syndrome or may hold respiratory trouble. It was observed in our survey that all such patients with infected daze have one common characteristic of crazed kidney map with AKI. The pathophysiology of AKI in infected daze is ill understood due to miss of histopathologic information, which in bend requires nephritic biopsy to observe any parenchymal or vascular alterations in nephritic tissue ; such biopsies are non routinely performed in most ICU set up. [ 15,16 ] In absence of such information, we performed an indirect appraisal of nephritic map during oncoming of infected daze. These observations were based on serum creatinine degrees and creatinine clearance which was so correlated with disease badness tonss ( APACHE II and SOFA ) and serum lactate degrees ( index of anaerobiotic metamorphosis and daze ) . Assorted carnal surveies of AKI have been done which helps in more complex and invasive measurings of nephritic maps. [ 17 ] Most of these carnal surveies were based on either ischemia-reperfusion hurt or drug induced hurt and informations generated from such surveies may assist us in understanding the pathophysiology in a infected patient with AKI. A major paradigm developed from these observations in animate beings and worlds with daze is that AKI is due to nephritic hypoperfusion and ischaemia. This fact supported our position of utilizing AKI as index for decreased organ perfusion and oncoming of infected daze. [ 18 ] Under basal conditions blood flow to kidney is 360 ml/min/100gm of tissue where as blood flow to encephalon ( 50ml/min/100gm ) , bosom ( 70ml/min/100gm ) , lungs ( 25ml/min/100gm ) and liver ( 95ml/min/100gm ) . [ 19 ] Among all the variety meats, kidneys have really high flow rates, approximately three times higher than other critical variety meats, therefore metab olic maps of kidneys were more likely to be affected earliest by decrease in blood flow during infected daze, this may ensue non merely in a decrease in glomerular filtration but besides, in metabolic impairment perchance doing cell decease, acute cannular mortification and terrible AKI. [ 20 ] Glomerular filtration rate ( GFR ) is governed by glomerular filtration force per unit area, which in bend is determined by the relationship between the sensory nerve and motorial arteriolas. When the sensory nerve arteriola constricts due to hypoxia in infected daze, glomerular filtration force per unit area will fall and urine end product and GFR will besides diminish, ensuing reduced creatinine clearance and increased serum creatinine. [ 21 ] Arterial lactate concentration correlates with badness of infected daze and reflects metabolic changes associated with hemodynamic via media. Therefore, the association between high lactate degree and diminishing creatinine clearance are built-in to the badness of the daze and of multi-organ failure. [ 22 ] In add-on, epinephrine extract during infected daze besides enhances lactate production by itself ; the higher adrenaline dosage required in more terrible patients may besides hold contributed to this association. Following the natural history of infected daze in most ICU, it is impossible to happen patients deceasing of infected daze but without nephritic failure, the huge bulk of patients deceasing of multiorgan failure has a outstanding nephritic constituent and requires nephritic replacing therapy during their class in ICU. Renal biopsy during infected daze is non performed routinely because of important hazards owing to azotemic or infected coagulopathy and patient instability. However, this restriction does non impair the relevancy of our observations sing the pathophysiology of infected daze, as kidneys have highest blood flow per gm of tissue and AKI is changeless characteristic of terminal phase multiorgan failure so any via media in nephritic map in critically sick patients should be considered as indicant of decreased organ map and likely oncoming of infected daze. Decision: Kidneies are invariably involved in multiorgan failure of infected daze. Nephritic lesions associated with AKI in infected daze are more complex than the simple ague cannular hurt, so reduced creatinine clearance should be regarded as index of underlying mechanism of decreased organ perfusion and likely possibility of oncoming of infected daze in critically sick patients. Recognition: We thank ICMR, New Delhi for patronizing the MD PhD undertaking. Furthermore we thank Professor Shally Awasthi, Faculty Incharge, Research Cell CSMMU, Lucknow for her changeless moral support and counsel to research chaps. Table 1: Control ( n=90 ) Sir ( n=45 ) Sepsis ( n=39 ) Septic daze ( n=31 ) Age ( old ages ) 38.5AÂ ±8 37.3AÂ ±4 36.2AÂ ±7 39.1AÂ ±4 Heart rate ( beats/min ) 94AÂ ±2.3 116 AÂ ± 16 118 AÂ ± 32 124 AÂ ± 32 Respiratory rate ( breaths/min ) 16AÂ ±3.2 30 AÂ ± 8 24 AÂ ± 6 28 AÂ ± 4 Mean Blood Pressure ( mm Hg ) 90 AÂ ±10.2 89.2 AÂ ± 14.3 98.3 AÂ ± 12.5 68.8 AÂ ± 23.3 Serum Creatinine ( mg/dl ) 0.8AÂ ±2.3 3.49 AÂ ± 1.1 7.0 AÂ ± 1.3 10.12 AÂ ± 2.2 Lactates ( mM/L ) 0.93 AÂ ± 0.39 5.14 AÂ ± 1.24 7.73 AÂ ± 1.4 9.53 AÂ ± 1.2 APACHE II mark – 25.23AÂ ±6.6 28.03AÂ ±6.2 30.0AÂ ±6.3 SOFA mark – 10.89AÂ ±3.4 13.52AÂ ±3.2 13.11AÂ ±2.8 Legends: Table 1: Patients demographic features ( Mean AÂ ± SD ) Figure 1: Average serum creatinine ( mg/dl ) . Differences in average plasma degrees among each group was statistically important ( ** P lt ; 0.001 ) Figure 2: Serum creatinine degrees increased as the badness of disease increased, it correlated linearly with disease badness tonss ( APACHE II A ; SOFA ) . Figure 3: Average blood lactate ( mM/L ) . Differences in average blood degrees among each group was statistically important ( ** P lt ; 0.001 ) . Figure 4: Creatinine clearance compared with lifting blood lactate degrees. It correlated reciprocally with blood lactate degrees. How to cite Septic Shock And Kidney Injury Health And Social Care Essay, Essay examples

On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost Essay Example

On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost Essay On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost: A Rebuttal Within Virginia Wolfs letter and diary entry, she discusses her thoughts on John Millions writing style within Paradise Lost, and reveals her feeling that Milton, while clearly an expert of literary description, does very little to touch upon human passions and emotion within his poem. Upon reading Paradise Lost, it is clear that Wolf has a point; extravagant descriptions of heaven, hell, angels and God abound within the epic, but instances of human sentiment are more difficult to come across. Wolf goes as far as to say that Milton entirely neglects the human heart. While Wolfs statement is not entirely accurate, Millions ornate images and accounts of venerated deities waging war against sinister demonic entities certainly may appear detached and daunting upon first glance; but after an assiduous perusal of the epic, indications of humanistic emotion within the text become apparent. Despite Millions frequent emotionally distant descriptions, within certain points within the poem emotion does manage to percolate through Millions scholarly poetic portrayals. We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The rarity of these scenes make them all the more poignant, although one may have to analyze the specific meaning of what Milton is saying in certain lines in order to completely comprehend the sentimentality behind what he writes. Though Milton may remain relatively impersonal throughout his poem, the central themes and the characters contained within it say a lot about Millions personal beliefs; this is particularly evident in his characters soliloquies and discussions. Satan in particular serves to portray certain aspects of Millions principles that make it clear that human lining is not left entirely out of the equation for the author. One instance of personal emotion Milton allows to escape within Paradise Lost is found within the second invocation in the poem, in the beginning of Book Ill. Within this passage, Milton is invoking holy light and asking that this light shine through his mind and allow him to see and tell / Of things invisible to mortal sight! Milton also makes references in this passage to his loss of vision, describing other prophets and poets who were also struck with blindness. One of Millions critics states that There is much to be said for eating Milton less as thesis driven and more as one who worked and worried over the things he wrote, finally leaving many decisions to the reader (Grossman, 264). The viewpoint Grossman suggests is an ideal one to take while considering this particular passage; it is easy to get absorbed in the historical backgrounds or mythological allusions behind what Milton is writing and forget to consider the state of mind Milton was in while writing instead. While some of the lines within the invocation still hold the aloof, pretentiously scholarly air Milton assumes throughout ouch of Paradise Lost, a particular cluster of lines allow the reader to feel some of the grief Milton holds concerning his lack of sight. He writes Thus with the year / Seasons return but not to me returns / Day or the sweet approach of even or morn / Or sight of vernal bloom or summers rose / Or flocks or herds or human face divine / men / Cut off and, for the book of knowledge fair, / Presented with a universal blank / Of natures works to me expunged and razed / And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out (3. (:)-50). These lines are particularly emotional; not only do they outline pacific sights Milton will never again be able to lay his eyes upon, but they also inadvertently address a sense of vulnerability Milton feels because of his inability to read to obtain knowledge. Further information about Millions personal life makes these lines all the more meaningf ul- Milton read voraciously in many different languages during his youth, and many scholars agree that he read literally everything available worldwide until he lost his sight. Combine this information with the idea that suddenly, Milton has found himself completely incapable of reading things for myself, and the words wisdom at one entrance quite shut out suddenly hold a new sense of tragedy. Milton had found himself drastically weakened intellectually, and shares his inner struggle with the reader within these few lines. Yet Wolf states within her letter, Has any great poem ever let in so little light upon ones own Joys and sorrows? Perhaps Wolf never considered the idea that Milton used his expansive academic familiarity within Paradise Lost to make up for the helplessness he felt in this regard. Millions description of the events within Paradise Lost may be one in an undeniably imaginative, but nevertheless, dry and studious manner in order to prove that he will not forget his years of study merely because he has lost the ability to acquire further knowledge. Milton unquestionably lets light in upon his own Joys and sorrows within this passage; his request for the celestial light to shine inwards (3. 52) and illuminate his mind in order for him to better tell his story should be one Wolf is especially familiar with as a contemporary British author. Wolfs own works, along with the primary viewpoints on literature at the time, often center round the idea of a turning inwards within oneself. Milton simply employs this inward turning to better tell his grandiose story of mankinds fall from Paradise, instead of focusing on a realistic viewpoint of the inner turmoil found within everyday individuals as Wolf chose to (Matt, 63). Another example of emotion seeping through Millions verbose prose is found within Satins soliloquy in Book IV, shortly before he enters Paradise. Satan speaks at length within this passage about why he has left Heaven and forsaken God despite his status as a high angel, and a assign Wolf claims in her writings is nonexistent within Millions epic is plain within Satins speech. Satan admits freely that what God asked for him to do- namely, to praise Gods name and thank Him for all He had done- was not a difficult task; he says What could be less than to afford him praise, / The easiest recompense, and pay Him thanks? How due (4. 45-46)! Nevertheless, Satan rebels against these requests, longing to be quit / The debt immense of endless gratitude / So burdensome-still paying! Still to owe (4. 51-53)! Satan seems to have believed that if e could have only reached one step above God, he would be relieved of this hefty burden of owing God for his creation. Satan even admits that [God] deserved no such return / From me, whom He created what I was (4. 42-43), a statement that shows that even the devil has doubts about why he should st rive to do evil to one who is such a powerful force for good. The fiend portrays regret even further in lines 79 and 80 in Book l. Ft, he says Is there no place / Left for repentance, none for pardon refuses to submit for dread of shame (4. 82) from the lesser demons that followed IM in his revolt against God. Later on in this same passage, Satan admits that God would be as unlikely to forgive him as Satan would be to ask to be forgiven, because he would be certain to end up with a worse relapse / And heavier fall (4. 99-100). As a character, Satan is noticeably conflicted at certain points within the text about combating God. Because of Satins knowledge that he could neither be forgiven nor ask for forgiveness, he must give up on all hope- So farewell hope and with hope farewell fear! / Farewell remorse! All good to me is lost. Evil, be thou my good. 4. 107-109. ). Though at first glance Satins statements read as a triumphant exclamation of Satins embrace of evil, upon careful consideration, one can see the sense of loss Satan feels here. By saying he will lose all that is good in exchange for evil, Satan unintentionally admits that he felt hope and fear at one point, and deemed them beneficial emotions at the time. Millions personification of Satan in this particular soliloquy has Satan struggling through a range of emotions- regret, doubt, longing, fear, vanity, despair and anger are all evident within his speech. But spite the ardent range of feeling Satan exhibits, Wolf endorses the idea that Paradise Lost is made up entirely of sublime aloofness and impersonality of the emotions. While evidences of the aloofness and impersonality Wolf speaks of are easy to find throughout the text- for an example, consider the tediously academic descriptions of demonic entities found throughout lines 381 to 521 in Book I- a single example of passionate emotion within Millions poem completely derails her argument that there is no emotion to be found whatsoever. Here, two simple examples of emotion to be found early on in Paradise Lost have already been scribed, but that does not mean that these are the only examples of emotion Milton employs. Satins uncertain but fervent feelings are a supremely obvious demonstration of these, but Millions descriptions of God also portray the authors personal emotions, though in a much more subtle manner. In Book Ill of Paradise Lost, God explains why he created Adam and Eve despite being omniscient and entirely aware of their inevitable fall. He states that Freely they stood who stood and fell who fell, telling the Son that He gave all of his creations the ability to stand if hey so choose and the free will to fall if they chose to fall instead. God seems to spend the majority of Book Ill explaining and defending himself, an action one would not consider typical of a deity. This explanation is Milton speaking through his character about his individual reasoning of why God would chose to allow these circumstances to occur despite being all-powerful and all-knowing. Though the entire conversation between God, the Son and the angels is written using the same wonderful, beautiful, and masterly descriptions of angels bodies, battles, flights, welling places that Wolf describes, that does not mean that the conversation says nothing of the human heart. Instead, Milton uses the character of God to discreetly deliver a message that speaks to his own heart, and provide a defensive point for a common argument made against Millions faith in God. Milton also uses elaborate imagery through his epic to set a sort of stage in his readers heads, allowing the reader to envision characters based on their descriptions within the poem and using these visions to evoke emotion from these theatrical visualization (Bradbury, 78). In perspectives. Those familiar with John Millions life will recall Sensationalist, a controversial pamphlet he produced in 1649 arguing that regicide is acceptable when dealing with an oppressive monarch (Beer, 247). The arguments contained within Millions pamphlet are echoed in Satins speech about Gods domination of Heaven in lines 84 through 124 during Book l. Satan says That glory never shall His wrath or might / Extort from me: to bow and sue for grace / With suppliant knee and deify His poor (1. 110-113) in a direct exclamation of resistance to the idea of leading to a dictatorial power, then goes on to say that their grand Foe (1 . 22) Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven (1. 124). To the informed reader, Satins statement clearly reiterates Millions own ideas about a cruel autocrat. Evidently Milton did not agree with the idea that God himself should be seen as a tyrant, as He granted us free will, but Satins imperfect viewpoint of God nevertheless reflects the authors hatred of tyranny. An argument could be made that the same understated meaning Milton uses in his depiction of God and within Satins speech in Book I is seed throughout the entire text. After all, Milton assigns a specific meaning and motive to each character that is entirely original and a product of his own thoughts. Clearly someone who goes to such drastic measures to employ layers of historical and literary depth in his descriptions would not neglect the formulation of ideas that make up the chief narrative within the story. Upon thoughtful consideration of the central themes within the plot of Paradise Lost, it is evident that Milton has carefully poured his own heart, along with years of study, experience, and faith, into his poem.

Class Consciousness and False Consciousness as Defined by Marx

Class Consciousness and False Consciousness as Defined by Marx Class consciousness and false consciousness are concepts introduced by Karl Marx that were later expanded by social theorists who came after him. Marx wrote about the theory in his book Capital, Volume 1, and again with his frequent collaborator, Friedrich Engels, in the impassioned treatise, Manifesto of the Communist Party. Class consciousness refers to the awareness by a social or economic class of their position and interests within the structure of the economic order and social system in which they live. In contrast, false consciousness is a perception of ones relationships to social and economic systems of an individual nature, and a failure to see oneself as a part of a class with particular class interests relative to the economic order and social system. Marxs Theory of Class Consciousness According to Marxist theory, class consciousness is an awareness of ones social and/or economic class relative to others, as well as an understanding of the economic rank of the class to which you belong in the context of the larger society. In addition, class consciousness involves an understanding of the defining social and economic characteristics and collective interests of your own class within the constructs of the given socio-economic and political order. Class consciousness is a core facet of Marxs theory of class conflict, which focuses on the social, economic, and political relationships between workers and owners within a capitalist economy. The precept was developed in conjunction with his theory on how workers might overthrow the system of capitalism and then go on to create a new economic, social, and political system based on equality rather than inequality and exploitation. The Proletariat vs. the Bourgeoisie Marx believed that the capitalist system was rooted in class conflict- specifically, the economic exploitation of the proletariat (workers) by the bourgeoisie (those who owned and controlled production). He reasoned that the system only functioned as long as the workers did not recognize their unity as a class of laborers, their shared economic and political interests, and the power inherent in their numbers. Marx argued that when workers came to understand the totality of these factors, they would achieve class consciousness, and this, in turn, would lead to a workers revolution that would overthrow the exploitative system of capitalism. Hungarian social theorist Georg Lukcs, who followed in the tradition of Marxist theory, expanded the concept by saying that class consciousness is an achievement that opposes individual consciousness and results from the group struggle to see the totality of social and economic systems. The Problem of False Consciousness According to Marx, before workers developed a class consciousness they were actually living with a false consciousness. (Though Marx never used the actual term, he did develop the ideas that it encompasses.) In essence, false consciousness is the opposite of class consciousness. Individualistic rather than collective in nature, it produces a view of oneself as a single entity engaged in competition with others of ones social and economic standing, rather than as part of a group with unified experiences, struggles, and interests. According to Marx and other social theorists who followed, false consciousness was dangerous because it encouraged people to think and act in ways that were counterintuitive to their economic, social, and political self-interests. Marx saw false consciousness as a product of an unequal social system controlled by a powerful minority of elites. The false consciousness among workers, which prevented them from seeing their collective interests and power, was created by the material relations and conditions of the capitalist system, by the ideology (the dominant worldview and values) of those who control the system, and by social institutions and how they function in society. Marx cited the phenomenon of commodity fetishism- the way capitalist production frames relationships between people (workers and owners) as relationships between things (money and products)- with playing a key role in producing false consciousness among workers. He believed that commodity fetishism served to obscure the fact that relations with regard to production within a capitalist system are actually relationships between people, and that as such, they are changeable. Building on Marxs theory, Italian scholar, writer, and activist Antonio Gramsci expanded the ideological component of false consciousness by arguing that a process of cultural hegemony guided by those holding economic, social, and cultural power in society produced a common sense way of thinking that embued the status quo with legitimacy. Gramsci noted that by believing in the common sense of ones age, a person actually consents to the conditions of exploitation and domination that one experiences. This common sense- the ideology that produces false consciousness- is actually a misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the social relationships that define the economic, social, and political systems. False Consciousness in a Stratified Society An example of how cultural hegemony works to produce false consciousness- that is true both historically and today- is the belief that upward mobility is possible for all people, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, as long as they choose to dedicate themselves to education, training, and hard work. In the U.S. this belief is encapsulated in the ideal of the American Dream. Viewing society and ones place within it based on the set of assumptions derived from common sense thinking results in a perception of being an individual rather than part of a collective. Economic success and failure rest squarely on the shoulders of the individual and do not take into account the totality of the social, economic, and political systems that shape our lives. At the time Marx was writing about class consciousness, he perceived class as the relationship of people to the means of production- the owners versus the workers. While the model is still useful, we can also think about the economic stratification of our society into different classes based on income, occupation, and social status. Decades worth of demographic data reveals that the American Dream and its promise of upward mobility is largely a myth. In truth, the economic class a person is born into is the primary determinant of how he or she will fair economically as an adult. However, as long as a person believes the myth, he or she will continue to live and operate with a false consciousness. Without a class consciousness, they will fail to recognize that the stratified economic system in which theyre operating was designed to afford only the bare minimum of money to workers while funneling huge profits to the owners, executives, and financiers at the top.

A Biography of the Venerable Bede

A Biography of the Venerable Bede The Venerable Bede was a British monk whose works in theology, history, chronology, poetry, and biography have led him to be accepted at the greatest scholar of the early medieval era. Born in March of 672 and having died on May 25, 735 in Jarrow, Northumbria, UK, Bede is most famous for producing the Historia ecclesiastica (Ecclesiastical History), a source essential for our understanding of the Anglo-Saxons and the Christianisation of Britain in the era before William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest, earning him the title of the Father of English history. Childhood Little is known of Bedes childhood, other than he was born in March of 672 to parents living on land belonging to the newly founded Monastery of St. Peter, based in Wearmouth, to which Bede was given by relatives for a monastic education when he was seven. Initially, in the care of Abbot Benedict, Bedes teaching was taken over by Ceolfrith, with whom Bede moved to the monasterys new twin-house at Jarrow in 681. The Life of Ceolfrith suggests that here only the young Bede and Ceolfrith survived a plague which devastated the settlement. However, in the aftermath of the plague the new house regrew and continued. Both houses were in the kingdom of Northumbria. Adult Life Bede spent the rest of his life as a monk at Jarrow, first being taught and then teaching to the daily rhythms of monastic rule: for Bede, a mixture of prayer and study. He was ordained as a Deacon aged 19 – at a time when Deacons were supposed to be 25 or over – and a priest aged 30. Indeed, historians believe Bede left Jarrow only twice in his relatively long life, to visit Lindisfarne and York. While his letters contain hints of other visits, there isnt any real evidence, and he certainly never traveled far. Works Monasteries were nodes of scholarship in early medieval Europe, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that Bede, an intelligent, pious and educated man, used his learning, life of study and house library to produce a large body of writing. What was unusual was the sheer breadth, depth, and quality of the fifty plus works he produced, covering scientific and chronological matters, history and biography and, perhaps as expected, scriptural commentary. As befitted the greatest scholar of his era, Bede had the chance to become Prior of Jarrow, and perhaps more, but turned the jobs down as they would interfere with his study. The Theologian: Bedes biblical commentaries – in which he interpreted the bible mainly as an allegory, applied criticism and tried to solve discrepancies – were extremely popular in the early medieval period, being copied and spread – along with Bedes reputation – widely across the monasteries of Europe. This dissemination was helped by the school of Archbishop Egbert of York, one of Bedes pupils, and later by a student of this school, Alcuin, who became head of Charlemagnes palace school and played a key role in the Carolingian Renaissance. Bede took the Latin and Greek of the early church manuscripts and turned them into something the secular elites of the Anglo-Saxon world could deal with, helping them accept the faith and spread the church. The Chronologist Bedes two chronological works - De temporibus (On Times) and De temporum ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) were concerned with establishing the dates of Easter. Along with his histories, these still affect our style of dating: when equating the number of the year with the year of Jesus Christs life, Bede invented the use of A.D., The Year Of Our Lord. In stark contrast to dark age cliches, Bede also knew the world was round, the moon affected tides and appreciated observational science. The Historian In 731/2 Bede completed the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. An account of Britain between the landings of Julius Caesar in 55/54 BC and St. Augustine in 597 AD, its the key source on the Christianisation of Britain, a mixture of sophisticated historiography and religious messages containing details simply not found elsewhere. As such, it now overshadows his other historical, indeed all his other, works and is one of the key documents in the entire field of British history. Its also lovely to read. Death and Reputation Bede died in 735 and was buried at Jarrow before being re-interred inside Durham Cathedral (at the time of this writing the Bedes World museum in Jarrow have a cast of his cranium on display.) He was already renowned among his peers, being described by a Bishop Boniface as having shone forth as a lantern in the world by his scriptural commentary, but is now regarded as the greatest and most multi-talented scholar of the early medieval era, perhaps of the entire medieval era. Bede was sainted in 1899, thus giving him the posthumous title of Saint Bede the Venerable. Bede was declared venerable by the church in 836, and the word is given on his tomb in Durham Cathedral: Hic sunt in fossa bedae venerabilis ossa (Here are buried the bones of the Venerable Bede.) Bede on Bede The Historia ecclesiastica finishes with a short account of Bede about himself and a list of his many works (and is actually the key source about his life that we, much later historians, have to work with): Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or the tradition of our ancestors, or of my own knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow; who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid; and spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing. In the nineteenth year of my age, I received deacons orders; in the thirtieth, those of the priesthood, both of them by the ministry of the most reverend Bishop J ohn, and by the order of the Abbot Ceolfrid. From which time, till the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have made it my business, for the use of me and mine, to compile out of the works of the venerable Fathers, and to interpret and explain according to their meaning... Source Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Penguin Classics, D. H. Farmer  (Editor, Introduction), Ronald Latham (Editor), et al., Paperback, Revised edition, Penguin Classics, May 1, 1991.