Brokeback Mountain Free Essays

Although the story of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† has been classified as â€Å"the gay cowboy story†, it contrarily is the tale two young men who strive to come to acceptance of who they are in a society which demands something so different from the taboo nature of this union. Originally written as a short story by Annie Proulx, this story that started off as one of the most real tales of her fictitious stories took up almost 30 pages that covered a relationship that lasted 20 years and was adapted into film with a delicate yet balanced symposium of cinematic screenplay and cinematography. The elements of the story and its adaptation go to reinforce different aspects and beliefs that have been developed and poeticize the relationship of Ennis and Jack paralleling the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges. We will write a custom essay sample on Brokeback Mountain or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the process of adapting this short story to the silver screen, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana added to Annie Proulx’s story certain details and elements to enhance the development of the plot and characters.The most obvious of these additions that take place for both Ennis and Jack with the expansion of different relationships with some of the minor characters, some of which were not in the original story. Jack’s relationship with his father-in-law was always a tense one. L. D. felt as though Jack was not only completely inadequate for Lureen but also for the greater community. This resentment brewed inside Jack until one Thanksgiving Day where he established his competence and authority by threatening his father-in-law into submission. L. D. fell silent to Jack after he commands â€Å"Sit down, you old son of a bitch†¦ This is my house. .. or I’ll knock your ignorant ass into next week† (66. ). Jack’s unsteady grasp of who he was and what his role in life as a closet homosexual was further expanded with the introduction of a couple who just moved to Texas.While at some social function, the two husbands, Jack and Randall, were out having a cigarette and Randall suggested to go up fishing at a cabin nearby with some whiskey to just â€Å"get away† (76. ) thus introducing a new relationship and chapter in Jack’s homosexuality that supposedly brought his demise at the end. In comparison, Ennis’ added element in the film was a bit more drawn out and expanded on to further develop his sense of solidarity and relationship he maintained with his daughter Alma Jr. A new character not originally from he short story was introduced as a waitress named Cassie who he develops something of a relationship with for a short period of time. This relationship would develop so much so that time spent with his daughter would be at the same bar Ennis and Cassie met. despite the resentment Junior felt for sharing what little time she had with her father. In the end, his distance in the relationship, caused by his feelings for Jack, drove her away thus being twice â€Å"burned† (16) and further sinking into solidarity.In Proulx’s supplementary essay â€Å"Getting Movied†, she describes herself to be â€Å"something of a geographic determinist, believing that regional landscapes, climate and topography dictate local cultural traditions and kind s of work† (129). Director Ang Lee must use numerous visual elements that enhance Proulx’s belief and portray it to the audience. Producer and screenwriter Larry McMurtry had a vision in mind based off of Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Meixco. This became the foundation for the locations that were to portray Riverton and the other towns and establishments in Wyoming.The vastness of space that filled the background with nature’s beauty of the Big Horn Mountains would contain the foreground of a somewhat desolate ranching society scarcely filled and obviously behind in the times to comment on the simplicity of the culture where most of its inhabitants lived paycheck to paycheck and ranch to ranch. The cinematography of â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† would not only play a crucial part with Proulx being a â€Å"geographic determinist† but also with Larry McMurtry’s classification â€Å"lyrical pastoralism†.In his essay â€Å"Adapting Brokeback Mountain†, McMurtry describes director Ang Lee as â€Å"a reluctant, even an unwilling, pastoralist†¦ [getting] as much of the grit of the towns as he can† (141). Having the foundation set with the Ansel Adams photograph mentioned earlier, this would set the dichotomy between the two lives both Ennis and Jack choose to lead poeticizing their relationship with the majestic mountains and landscapes of the Big Horn Mountains be the symbol and meeting place for their unadulterated love to flourish and the grit of the poverty stricken towns be a symbol of their daily torment of leading a double life.Annie Proulx’s â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† started as fictitious story inspired by some random lonesome bar patron who was staring at a group cowboys shooting pool and grew to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist entry and an Oscar-winning feature for best director and, most importantly, best screenplay adaptation.From the imagination of the writer to the technical skills of a film crew, â€Å"Brokeback Mountain† became a testament to the times and trials of the American West and its inhabitants who struggle throughout their lives to either sustain their way of life or find who they truly are. With the realistic foundation, drive of the creative team, unique cinematography and superb acting, the story of Ennis and Jack came to life not only as a struggling love story but one of sorrow and joy, suffering and bliss, serenity and violence, simply love and hate.Their tale lasted through the troubling times of the homophobic conservative American West and unfortunately succumbed to intolerance and hatred unfortunately much like the characters’ neighbor in Laramie, Matthew Shepard. Struggling each step of the way throughout this relationship, the main characters would finally come to grips with the hinderance of their relationship and even their own mortality only to say at the end of all things â€Å"if you can’t fix it, you’ve got to stand it† (28). How to cite Brokeback Mountain, Papers Brokeback Mountain Free Essays Movies have a way of influencing the lives of may. For the longest time, movies served as clear manifestations of the realities of life unknown to many. Although numerous stereotypes affected the perceptions of many, complex relationships still existed. We will write a custom essay sample on Brokeback Mountain or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some were even given much credit because of the high form of love exhibited despite what society dictated. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was one of the few films focused on the different relationships that existed in society. The story was focused on how a cowboy, Jack Twist, and a ranch hand, Ennis del Mar, brought their love to a whole new level despite the numerous stereotypes that existed in Wyoming. Their love spanned the test of time, and marriage; despite such impediments, they managed to love each other even in death. Brokeback Mountain is a film that may be highly criticized for its content, yet exhibits a reality that people tend to deny. It is known to many that society dictates that love should be between man and woman, and not through the same gender. Loving someone is not only based on the gender, and what society dictates from us, but also the way we could understand each other no matter what the circumstances may be. The film showed how much a couple’s love could do regardless of what society may dictate. I must say that the film has a different set of beliefs that may come in contrast to what most of us have. Same sex relationships is not something that people would fully understand, for it goes beyond what has bee deemed form everyone in society. In this regard, the film also showed that there was more to what our eyes could see. Through all these difficulties, it is only normal for us to think that life is not perfect, and that there are certain things that we How to cite Brokeback Mountain, Papers Brokeback Mountain Free Essays Brokeback Mountain was a much talked about movie due to its theme. Some labelled the movie as a ‘gay cowboy movie’, which does not do the movie justice. Yes, the movie is about two cowboys who fall in love with each other but to categorize it as just a ‘gay cowboy movie’ simplifies a love story of a group of people that have often been denied of real representation in the media, especially the mainstream media. We will write a custom essay sample on Brokeback Mountain or any similar topic only for you Order Now The movie opens in 1963 in Wyoming when two young cowboys are looking for work as sheep herder. The two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), are sent to Brokeback mountain to herd sheep’s and it is there that both fall in love with each other. After this realization, both go their separate ways; Ennis back home to his sweetheart, Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack to Texas to be a rodeo rider. Four years later, the two are reunited when Jack visits Ennis. At this point both men are married with kids; Ennis to Alma and Jack to Lureen (Anne Hathaway). The two meet together once a year in Brokeback Mountain, the one place both men feel safe and comfortable to express their love for each other, over a 20-year period. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal masterfully portrayed their characters to a tee. Ennis Del Mar is a very simple and quite man who just wants to find a place for himself in the world while Jack Twist is outgoing, full of dreams which, due to the blatant homophobia of the time and location, cannot come true. Jack’s dream is to live with Ennis in their own ranch, a dream that Ennis knows is unrealistic. Ennis is tormented by his love for Jack because as a child he witnessed what happened to a man who lived in a union others deemed not right while Jack is tormented by Ennis’s refusal to accept and acknowledge their relationship beyond Brokeback Mountain. Some in the mainstream media, which took some people by surprise, positively received Brokeback Mountain. The movie was critically praised and received many awards for the actors and director. Heath Ledger was nominated for the best actor category in a drama, Michelle Williams for best supporting actress in a drama and Ang Lee for director, which he won at the Oscar’s. Since Brokeback Mountain came out, there have been several shows and movies that have gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and transsexual (tblg) characters featured. Ang Lee said it best when he accepted his award for director for Brokeback Mountain â€Å"the power of movies to change the way we’re thinking† (Globes goes to ‘Brokeback’, ‘Walk the lines’; International Herald Tribute, January 17, 2006). Only time will tell if this will led to society being more open-minded of people from the tblg community. A good indication of acceptance is when such movies are classified as a romantic movie instead of a ‘gay cowboy movie’ How to cite Brokeback Mountain, Essay examples

Khazakstan and Belarus A Comparative Essay Example For Students

Khazakstan and Belarus A Comparative Essay Upon the break up of the Soviet Union, Belarus declared itself a sovereign nation from the USSR in 1990; in late 1991, Kazakhstan declared its independence, and held its first elections. The similarity in their modern governments is evidence to the numerous parallels in their history. The historical development of both countries was heavily influenced by the rule of the Mongols and the Tartars, also both Belarus and Kazakhstan would come under the control of the Bolsheviks and later in the 20th century the Soviet Union. Today, each country has established their own governments, both have developed working constitutions and are conducting their affairs separate from the former Soviet Union. In comparing the two adolescent countries this essay will look at their brief history, examine the establishment of their new governments branches: their executive office and its power, their legislatures, and judicial systems. Current military makeup, as well as membership in certain world organiz ations provides important insight into the progress of relatively newly created states. The most important factor in shaping the governments of a modern nation state is the historical development of that country, a brief history of the two nations will better help to understand the choices made during the state creation process. Belarusians are believed to have descended from Slavic tribes, the Krivichi, Dregovichi, and Radimichi; who, between the 6th and 8th centuries settled first on the Daugava (Western Dvina) River and later in the vicinity of the Pripyat and Sozh rivers. The medieval period of Belarusian history dates mostly from the last quarter of the 10th century, when Prince Rogvold ruled the local principality of Polotsk (Polatsk). In the late 10th century, Polotsk was annexed into Kievan Rus, the first significant East Slavic State. The Tatar invasions that destroyed Kievan Rus and the city of Kiev (Kyiv) in 1240 left the Belarusian territory relatively unscathed. In the 14th century Belarusian territory became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with its capital at Vilnius. By the 16th century a Slavic culture had begun to emerge, symbolized by the translation of the Bible into the Belarusian language by Frantsysk Skaryna in 1517. In 1569, however, the Grand Duchy formed a political merger with Poland by the Union of Lublin, forming the Rzeczpospolita (Commonwealth) and making the sovereign of Poland also the grand duke of the Lithuanian kingdom. During this time, Belarusians faced pressure from the Poles to convert from Eastern Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism. The union lasted until the late 18th century, by which time the lands of Belarus had fallen under the control of the Russian Empire, as a result of the partitions of Poland that took place in 1772, 1793, and 1795. In 1839 the Eastern (Uniate) Catholic Church in the Polotsk region was dissolved, and the Lithuanian statute of 1588 that codified civil rights was prohibited. Belarusian culture nevertheless made great strides in the 19th century and during this period the concept of a Belarusian nation first truly emerged. The historical development of Kazakhstan followed a similar path, Turkic tribes, in about the 8th century AD began to settle the region now known as Kazakhstan. In the 13th century the area was incorporated into the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan, and upon his death in 1227, the empire was divided among his descendants. Most of present-day Kazakhstan became part of the territory ruled by his son Chagadai, but the western and most of the northern parts were included in the far-reaching empire of the Golden Horde established by Batu Khan, Genghis grandson. By the end of the 15th century, the Kazakhs emerged as a distinctive group, created by the intermingling of Mongol and Turkic peoples. In the early 16th century the Kazakh tribes united to form a great nomadic empire under the warlord Kasim Khan. However, the Kazakhs soon became divided, with the tribes fighting among themselves. The khan Haq Nazar succeeded in uniting the Kazakh hordes between 1538 and 1580, but by the 17th century t he Kazakhs were again fragmented. In the 1680s the Kazakhs began to fight a series of wars against invaders from the east called Oirots, a group of four Mongol tribes, including Dzungars, that sought to conquer Kazakh lands. Although the Kazakh hordes united again for purposes of war, Dzungar invasions completely devastated the Kazakhs by 1720. This period in Kazakh history is remembered as the â€Å"Great Disaster.† In the early 18th century the Cossacks established a line of settlements and fortifications across the Kazakhs northern boundary in order to defend the Russian frontier, which had expanded eastward into Siberia. During the Dzungar invasions, the Kazakhs appealed to Russia for protection and military supplies. Although Russia was, at the time, unwilling to become involved, the Kazakh hordes subsequently declared their allegiance to Russia in return for Russian protection. Russia gradually came to dominate local affairs, limiting the powers of the khans and imposin g the Russian administrative system. As Russian domination increased, the power of the khans began to completely erode. In the 1790s the Kazakhs revolted against Russian rule, but their uprisings were ultimately ineffectual and were followed by Russias decision to abolish Kazakh autonomy. The tumultuous histories of the two countries led them to establish similar governments, both with popularly elected executives, unicameral legislatures, and similar judicial systems; also both are broken up into comparable administrative districts. Belarus adopted its first post-Soviet constitution in 1994. Under that constitution, a popularly elected president replaced the chairperson of the unicameral legislature, called the Supreme Soviet. As head of state; the president could dismiss the Prime Minister and members of the Council of Ministers, but not the legislature or other elected governing bodies; however, a 1996 amendment to the constitution gave the president the power to dissolve the leg islature. The president of Kazakhstan is the head of state and is directly elected to a seven-year term. With the approval of the legislature, the president appoints a Prime Minister to head the government. The president also officially confirms the Prime Ministers recommended appointments to the Council of Ministers. Under the constitution the president of Kazakhstan is given extensive powers, including the right to rule by decree and to dissolve the legislature under certain conditions. However, the constitution specifically prohibits the president from being officially affiliated with a political party. Under the 1994 constitution, Belarus was to have a unicameral legislature, the Supreme Soviet, of 260 members elected for a term of five years. However, constitutional amendments passed in 1996, established a bicameral National Assembly, consisting of a 110-member Chamber of Representatives and a 64-member Council of the Republic which replaced the Supreme Soviet. Under the 1993 constitution, Kazakhstan had a unicameral legislature of 177 members, but in 1995 Kazakhstan ratified a new constitution which reconfigured the legislature into two chambers. The Senate (Upper house) and the Majlis (Lower House) with a combined total of 114 members and under the 1998 constitutional amendments, members of the Lower House serve five-year terms, while members of the upper house serve six-year terms. Of the 47 members of the Senate, forty are elected by regional assemblies, special electoral colleges comprised of members of local councils, and the president appoints seven. All 67 members of the M ajlis are directly elected. The judicial system of Belarus consists of three high courts: the Supreme Court, the Supreme Economic Court, and the Constitutional Court. The latter court is charged with protecting the constitution, and its decisions are not subject to appeal. It has the power to review the constitutionality of presidential edicts and the regulatory decisions of the two other high courts. The amended constitution allows the president to appoint half of the judges on the Constitutional Court and its chairperson; the legislature is to appoint the remaining members. Under the 1994 constitution its 11 judges were nominated by the president and elected by the Supreme Soviet. Following the reconfiguration, seven of its judges, including the chairperson, resigned in protest. The highest court in Kazakhstan is the Supreme Court, whose members are nominated by the president and chosen by the Senate. Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. Under the 1995 constitution, the Constitutional Council replaced the Constitutional Court that had been established in 1991. The council rules on all constitutional matters, but its decisions are subject to a presidential right of veto. The council is composed of seven members: three appointed by the president and four appointed by the legislature. Belarus is divided administratively into six oblasts, which have the names corresponding to their largest cities. The Minsk, Hrodna, Homyel, Mahilyow, Vitebsk, and Brest oblasts are each divided into smaller administrative districts, called rayony. The oblasts have their own councils for the administration of regional affairs. In addition, the president has appointed a plenipotentiary, or diplomatic agent, in each oblast to report local affairs to the executive. For purposes of local government, Kazakhstan is divided into 16 administrative units, or 15 provinces (in Kazakh, oblystar) and Almaty City. Councils (maslikhat) that are directly elected for four-year terms administer these units. The president of the republic appoints the heads of these councils, which implement national policies on the local level and coordinate these policies with the individual needs of their particular region. The president is empowered to cancel or suspend the acts of the councils—a system that makes local governments directly subordinate to the president. Along with governmental infrastructure, party politics in the two nations run parallel as well. Belarus and Kazakhstan are careful regarding their political party structure, communist ideals have been banned in both countries, however, underlying support for old ideals ultimately broke through in both nations. The Communist Party of Belarus had a monopoly on power until 1990, when a coalition of pro-reform groups was allowed to participate in elections to the Supreme Soviet. The legislature was hardly changed, as Communist Party members won most of the seats. The party was banned in the wake of a failed coup attempt by Communist hard-liners to take over the Soviet government in August 1991. However, the ban was lifted in February 1993 and the party was restored as the Party of Communists of Belarus (PCB). The Communists won a plurality in the 1995 elections to the Supreme Soviet, followed by the Agrarian Party. Both parties support the retention of a centrally planned economy and sta te-run farms. The United Civic Party occupies the political middle ground. The main opposition movement since its formation in 1988 has been the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF). No members of the BPF were elected to the Supreme Soviet in 1995. More than 20 political parties were active in Belarus in 1996. None Provided Analysis EssayThe president of Kazakhstan is the head of state and is directly elected to a seven-year term. With the approval of the legislature, the president appoints a Prime Minister to head the government. The president also officially confirms the Prime Ministers recommended appointments to the Council of Ministers. Under the constitution the president of Kazakhstan is given extensive powers, including the right to rule by decree and to dissolve the legislature under certain conditions. However, the constitution specifically prohibits the president from being officially affiliated with a political party. Under the 1994 constitution, Belarus was to have a unicameral legislature, the Supreme Soviet, of 260 members elected for a term of five years. However, constitutional amendments passed in 1996, established a bicameral National Assembly, consisting of a 110-member Chamber of Representatives and a 64-member Council of the Republic which replaced the Supreme Soviet. Under the 1993 constitution, Kazakhstan had a unicameral legislature of 177 members, but in 1995 Kazakhstan ratified a new constitution which reconfigured the legislature into two chambers. The Senate (Upper house) and the Majlis (Lower House) with a combined total of 114 members and under the 1998 constitutional amendments, members of the Lower House serve five-year terms, while members of the upper house serve six-year terms. Of the 47 members of the Senate, forty are elected by regional assemblies, special electoral colleges comprised of members of local councils, and the president appoints seven. All 67 members of the M ajlis are directly elected. The judicial system of Belarus consists of three high courts: the Supreme Court, the Supreme Economic Court, and the Constitutional Court. The latter court is charged with protecting the constitution, and its decisions are not subject to appeal. It has the power to review the constitutionality of presidential edicts and the regulatory decisions of the two other high courts. The amended constitution allows the president to appoint half of the judges on the Constitutional Court and its chairperson; the legislature is to appoint the remaining members. Under the 1994 constitution its 11 judges were nominated by the president and elected by the Supreme Soviet. Following the reconfiguration, seven of its judges, including the chairperson, resigned in protest. The highest court in Kazakhstan is the Supreme Court, whose members are nominated by the president and chosen by the Senate. Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. Under the 1995 constitution, the Constitutional Council replaced the Constitutional Court that had been established in 1991. The council rules on all constitutional matters, but its decisions are subject to a presidential right of veto. The council is composed of seven members: three appointed by the president and four appointed by the legislature. Belarus is divided administratively into six oblasts, which have the names corresponding to their largest cities. The Minsk, Hrodna, Homyel, Mahilyow, Vitebsk, and Brest oblasts are each divided into smaller administrative districts, called rayony. The oblasts have their own councils for the administration of regional affairs. In addition, the president has appointed a plenipotentiary, or diplomatic agent, in each oblast to report local affairs to the executive. For purposes of local government, Kazakhstan is divided into 16 administrative units, or 15 provinces (in Kazakh, oblystar) and Almaty City. Councils (maslikhat) that are directly elected for four-year terms administer these units. The president of the republic appoints the heads of these councils, which implement national policies on the local level and coordinate these policies with the individual needs of their particular region. The president is empowered to cancel or suspend the acts of the councils—a system that makes local governments directly subordinate to the president. Along with governmental infrastructure, party politics in the two nations run parallel as well. Belarus and Kazakhstan are careful regarding their political party structure, communist ideals have been banned in both countries, however, underlying support for old ideals ultimately broke through in both nations. The Communist Party of Belarus had a monopoly on power until 1990, when a coalition of pro-reform groups was allowed to participate in elections to the Supreme Soviet. The legislature was hardly changed, as Communist Party members won most of the seats. The party was banned in the wake of a failed coup attempt by Communist hard-liners to take over the Soviet government in August 1991. However, the ban was lifted in February 1993 and the party was restored as the Party of Communists of Belarus (PCB). The Communists won a plurality in the 1995 elections to the Supreme Soviet, followed by the Agrarian Party. Both parties support the retention of a centrally planned economy and sta te-run farms. The United Civic Party occupies the political middle ground. The main opposition movement since its formation in 1988 has been the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF). No members of the BPF were elected to the Supreme Soviet in 1995. More than 20 political parties were active in Belarus in 1996. Kazakhstans preeminent party is the Party of the Peoples Unity of Kazakhstan (formerly the Peoples Unity Party), which promotes centrist policies and opposes radical nationalism. Other major parties in Kazakhstan include the Republican Party-Azat, founded in 1992 by the merger of three nationalist opposition parties. The Yedinstvo (Unity), a Russian nationalist group; the Socialist Party of Kazakhstan (SPK), founded in 1991, the Kazakhstan Peasants Union, an agrarian party, and the Peoples Congress Party of Kazakhstan, a party that advocates civil peace. The Communist Party of Kazakhstan (CPK) was banned in 1991 but then granted legal status in March 1994. However, it is an important political force in Kazakhstan today. Smaller parties in Kazakhstan include Alash, a movement promoting radical Kazakh nationalism, and the Slavic Movement-Lad, an organization that represents Slavic communities. Military power between the two nations is relatively similar as well, both have armies comparable in size and stature. In Belarus, Military service is compulsory for all males for 18 months beginning at the age of 18. In 1998 the Belarusian army was composed of 43,350 troops and the air force had approximately 22,450 servicemen. In addition to the regular army, Belarus maintains a border guard with about 8,000 members. Belarus has a nuclear arsenal which consists of more than 500 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads that it inherited when the USSR was dissolved in 1991. In 1992 Belarus signed a protocol in which it agreed to implement the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) and to adhere to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In December 1996, Belarus completed the process of deporting its nuclear warheads to Russia, where they were to be dismantled. Prior to independence, Kazakhstan had no armed forces separate from those of the Soviet Union. In 1992 Kazakhstan established a national defense force also, in 1996 a small navy was instituted. By 1998 the country had an army of 46,800 personnel, an air force of 19,000, and a navy of roughly 100 servicemen. The armed forces also include three paramilitary units—the Republican Guard, security troops of the Ministry of the Interior, and border guards. A two-year term of military service is mandatory for all males when they reach the age of 18. A major developing force in national politics is a country’s membership to specific international organizations. These organizations shape many political decisions made by member nations and often establish a path that must be followed by its members. Belarus is a member of approximately 50 international organizations, most notably the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). In early 1995 Belarus joined the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a plan designed to promote military cooperation between NATO and non-NATO states. In 1991 Kazakhstan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose military and political alliance of 12 former Soviet republics. Kazakhstan is also a member of the United Nations (UN); the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which promotes economic and cultural cooperation between Islamic states. Kazakhstan also holds membership in the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Both countries have seen their fair share of conflict and ever changing government evolution. Their people have survived through great hardships and they today have constructed their own governments, both on a national level and local level. Both have granted powers to an executive authority, a legislative body and a judicial body. They have created different alliances in the world outside their borders, which is healthy for young nations. However, both countries are not completely stable and there is definitely room for improvement. It will be interesting to see where these countries stand in the future, hopefully by controlling their local issues, they will contribute to the betterment of the world as a whole. Bibliography:BibliographyZaprundik, Jan.Belarus: At a Crossroads in History. Westview Press. New York, NY. 1993. Olcott, Martha Brill. The Kazakhs. Hoover Institution Press. Stanford, California. 1987http://www.undp.org/missions/belarushttp://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Kazakhstan/Government/http://www.kazakhstan-gateway.org

Punctuated Equilibrium Strategic Management -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Punctuated Equilibrium Strategic Management? Answer: Introduction The company of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery is a small nursery that is located in Colorado. The company presently use manual registers to keep all the details and track of the business. The inventory of the nursery is also determined by manual register and the amount of profit the company was making. By following the manual way of tracking, the nursery was not gaining anything. Instead, the nursery was facing loss. The employees were unable to manage the operational data of their business (Galliers and Leidner 2014). To make a proper business operation, the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery implemented the method of POS (Point-of-scale) in their business. This report will give the details of the POS system that will be implemented by the nursery. The nursery has many operations which they cannot track with the manual process. So, to mitigate this problem, the nursery implemented the system of POS in their business. There are many advantages and disadvantages of POS (Point-of-Scale) that are elaborated in this report. This report also states the way POS system helps the business the gain advantage in the competitive market. The Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery wants to adopt a central database which gives many advantages to the company (Kavanagh and Johnson 2017). The POS system also facilitates the process of decision making which is elaborately discussed in this report. Recommendations have been given about which POS system works he best. Lastly, the security of POS is discussed and the ways to mitigate them. Advantages and disadvantages of POS Advantages of POS- Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery want to implement the system of POS for many advantages. The advantages that are associated with the POS system are: Financial Advantages: The Point-of-Sale (POS) system allows the owner of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery to keep a track on the business data that are useful from the sales including the transaction of sale, eliminating the requirement to track the sales which used to be done manually (Snyder and Diesing 2015). The data that the nursery will get from the POS will be error free and fast effective data calculations. Accountability: The system of POS has the ability to process the data and store the data from sales and updates the inventory of the nursery. The POS system also compiles the sales history. The Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can eliminate the dependency of the manual transactions in the operations. The track of the products that are manufactured in the nursery can be kept in the system of POS. The shipments of the products can be tracked by the nursery by using the process of POS (Tsang 2014). The system of POS can also help to keep the record of all the activities of employees and staffs including their contact number and address. The company is able to investigate the activities of the staffs. The profit and loss figure of the company can be noticed from the POS system Increase Efficiency and Speed: The speed of working in the company can also be noticed by the system of POS. The employees in the nursery can also give service to their customers in a better way. The process of POS system enables the employees to serve their customers in a better way. Stock Management: The POS systems that are used in modern days are mainly used to manage the stock. The availability of stock can also be checked by the assistance of POS system that will be used in Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery. Reporting: The system of Point of Scale helps to prepare the report performance of the business and also the reports that are prepared are very useful so that they can provide the manual of annual outfits and also provides daily analysis. Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery has to do reporting because reporting helps to find out the item that is sold best. The system of POS helps to get a structure of the overall performance of the nursery. There are many disadvantages as well of using the POS system. The disadvantages are as follows: Cost of using the POS: The system of POS is much costly as compared to all other systems who do similar work. To implement POS, smaller companies face difficulties because of the cost. They are not able to configure the POS system in their network of the office premises. The company of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery is a small sized company and might not have such large capital to implement the POS system. The system software of POS is paid generally on a month or a year basis. The nursery might not afford such high amount of money. Maintenance: The maintenance process of POS is very difficult. For maintaining the POS system, a lot of time is involved (Xu and Blanger 2013). The Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery has to hire some other employee to maintain the system of POS so that their operations are not disrupted. This gives an extra burden to the company of hiring a new employee who can maintain the system of POS. POS helps to gain a competitive advantage The ability of POS is to get the business information from the transactions that are made in the sales department. The Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery has to get the track of the items that are sold from the company which is difficult to maintain manually. It is very difficult for the employees of the nursery to maintain the track of sales manually (Pearlson, Saunders and Galletta 2016). The system of POS will store all the information and then process all the information that are related with the nursery. The inventory of the nursery can also be maintained by the POS system. The maximum profit that the company can get can also be estimated by the system of POS. As compared to the traditional register maintaining, POS system is very much effective. The POS system is known best for all the facilities that is provided and the functions the system provide to input the data, distribute the data, and track the data so that the business is maintained properly. Proper decision making is done by the POS system. If all these functions are maintained properly in a company, it will automatically gain an advantage in the competitive area. The POS system can helps to increase the competition of the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery by pricing the products so that it can make more profits. A cost-effective service is given by POS system to a company. POS helps the manager of the nursery to so that he can give more responsibility to his team members. And thus the company can get more benefit, earn more profit, and also produce more productivity. Advantages of having Centralized Database The storage of Centralized database offers many advantages to small sized company like Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery. The advantages of the centralized database are: The prevention of data mainly comes with the tolerant setup that is fault and also redundant the storage, prevention of data so that it can be stored or can be preserved if there is a hardware failure (Peppard and Ward 2016). The centralized database helps to function all the hardware failures in a company. The centralized database also provides the data security so that the company faces less security breaches. If the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery uses a central database, the security of all their data will be secured. There are some data policies that the company has to follow. Keeping all the policies of data in mind, the database of the system is to be kept safe. If the nursery uses centralized database, the cost of database is less costly as compared to other services. The centralized system is cost effective. The maintenance of central database also requires less money in the system. Space requirements are also diminished by using the centralized database. POS system improves decision making The nursery is able to maintain the accuracy of the system by all the inventory data that are done by POS system along with decision making. The Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can order the products on assumption and speculation basis. Firstly the company used to manage their data manually. The procedure that was carried out was totally ineffective and was full of error (Ifinedo 2014). Using the POS system, the nursery can make proper decisions regarding their inventory and sale of the products. With the help of POS, the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can give a service which is effective and error free. The nursery can take decisions about what items to purchase, the procedure of purchasing the items, what things are to be sold and what are the items that are to be not sold. All the business activities can be conducted by the process of POS on the inventory units. The products that will give maximum profit can also be acknowledged by the POS system. Recommended tele-communication for the POS system There are many types of networks that the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can avail to implement the POS system. But the best network that the nursery can implement is the WAN network (Sabherwal, Hirschheim and Goles 2013). WAN refers to Wide Area Network that helps to access the file very fast. Because of caching, the employees of the company can get the data very fast and can also utilize all the files stored in the system very faster. The employees do not have to reload all the files if they use the WAN network for the POS system. The telecommunication of WAN can helps the company to reduce the distance between their business headquarters, mobile workers, and among all the branch offices. The performance of application is improved by the WAN network. The network of WAN is very reliable and can also facilitates very easy data backup. Cost of equipment is also lessen by the WAN network. The type of media that is best suited for Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery is a wireless WAN network. With the help of wireless network, the company is able to connect all their employees together at the same time. The employees are able to work from anywhere they want without losing the internet connection (Cassidy 2016). All the employees of the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can work very efficiently. The information access is improved by wireless connectivity in the system of the nursery so that the employees are connected from distant places. The wireless network is cost-effective and also provides best customer service. Risk involved in POS system and their mitigation process Security- There can be insecure network in the company of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery which is considered as threat to the company. If the network is weak, there may a chance of getting hacked (Arvidsson, Holmstrm, and Lyytinen 2014). The network of the company must be secured so that they can make their database and system vulnerable. Security can be provided to the network by installment of anti-virus in the system. The antivirus which will be installed can get the network protected from malware and potential virus. Unauthorized access can be prevented by the installation of the firewall in the company of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery. Confidentiality- All the data involved with the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery are to be kept safe in the network. There is always a risk of data confidentiality with any kind of network that is implemented by the company (Willcocks 2013). There should not be any kind of data breach in the company, as the loss of financial data and employee data will lead to severe loss of the company. The data confidentiality can happen because of malware attack. This can be prevented by installing the anti-virus software. Conclusions There are many benefits that the company of Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery can get by installing the POS system in their network. From the above discussion, it can be stated that the POS system has many benefits to increase the productivity of the company and also controls unnecessary inventory cost within the company. The POS system can give the nursery a competitive edge which is elaborately described in this report. This report consists of recommendation for the Four Seasons Greenhouse and Nursery which may be fruitful for the company. This report also shed light on the benefits that are imposed while implementing a wireless WAN network. There are also many risks that are involved while using the POS system. All those risks are elaborated and the ways to mitigate them are also discussed in this report. References Arvidsson, V., Holmstrm, J. and Lyytinen, K., 2014. Information systems use as strategy practice: A multi-dimensional view of strategic information system implementation and use.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(1), pp.45-61. Cassidy, A., 2016.A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E. eds., 2014.Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Ifinedo, P., 2014. Information systems security policy compliance: An empirical study of the effects of socialisation, influence, and cognition.Information Management,51(1), pp.69-79. Kavanagh, M.J. and Johnson, R.D. eds., 2017.Human resource information systems: Basics, applications, and future directions. Sage Publications. Pearlson, K.E., Saunders, C.S. and Galletta, D.F., 2016.Managing and Using Information Systems, Binder Ready Version: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley Sons. Peppard, J. and Ward, J., 2016.The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Sabherwal, R., Hirschheim, R. and Goles, T., 2013. 11 Information SystemsBusiness Strategy Alignment The dynamics of alignment: insights from a punctuated equilibrium model.Strategic Information Management, p.311. Snyder, G.H. and Diesing, P., 2015.Conflict among nations: Bargaining, decision making, and system structure in international crises. Princeton University Press. Tsang, E.W., 2014. Case studies and generalization in information systems research: A critical realist perspective.The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,23(2), pp.174-186. Willcocks, L., 2013.Information management: the evaluation of information systems investments. Springer. Xu, H. and Blanger, F., 2013. Information systems journal special issue on: Reframing privacy in a networked world.Information systems journal,23(4), pp.371-375.

Cubism Essays (1304 words) - Art Movements, Modern Art, Cubism

Cubism Cubism is one of the first forms of abstract art. Cubism was a movement in painting that sought to break down objects into basic shapes of cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones. Cubism originated in France and was influenced by African sculptures and by Paul Cezanne. The first cubist works were those in which objects, landscapes, and people are represented as many-sided solids. This enables you to see various views of the object at the same time. Later, cubism changed using a flatter type of abstraction, in which the complete pattern, becomes more important, and the objects represented are largely indecipherable. At first, most artists painted with little color. Most paintings were either monochromatic or gray, blue, brown, and white.? The final phase of cubism is called synthetic. In this phase color reappears as a primary element in the artwork. Cezanne was an artist who led the way to cubism or abstract art. Before Cezanne, artists would portray the world realistically. It is above all C?zanne's obsession with formal elements of composition and his use of color as tone rather than the Impressionist pursuit of light on surface that makes his art so important to those who followed. C?zanne's works made it possible for artists to start to question what they saw, the way in which they saw it, and how they interpreted and represented what was in front of them. Cezanne felt that paintings should reflect artist's sensations made into a pictorial form by brush strokes, color, and lines. He was known to work slowly and use colors to build shapes. In the still-life pictures that he made of fruits and bowls one can tell that he worked slowly as there are different and contradicting shadows in his pictures. Early in his career Cezanne loved to paint Sainte-Victoire (landscapes). Later he painted portraits such as Woman with a Coffee Po t and The Card Players. When he began to paint landscape again he used the bathers in his paintings. Later Cezanne would have a great impact on Picasso's paintings. Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous cubists. As he grew up his father encouraged him to become an artist. From 1901 to 1904 is called the Blue Period because Picasso used blue tones when he painted and his paintings showed poverty, death, and blindness. The Blue Period marks a deliberate step towards a plastic representation of form and emotional subject matter.? From 1904-1906, the Rose Period is when Picasso painted circuses, actors, and harlequin. This is when he visits family in Barcelona, Spain, and refreshes his memories of Romanesque and Gothic art. Even more important to him at this time was the discovery of Iberian sculpture dating from pre-Roman times, examples of which had been recently acquired by the Louvre. They attracted him by their unorthodox proportions, their disregard for refinement, and their rude barbaric strength. These influences rapidly gained an important place in his work, and lead to the sculptural distortions of nudes painted on his return to Paris.? From 1907-1909 is called the Negro Period. The paintings of Cezanne became familiar to Picasso. Picasso had also discovered the greatness of an obscure old man, Douanier Rousseau. These were the years when the power of primitive art imported from Africa and the South Seas was beginning to be noticed by certain painters in Paris, and styles which had formally been despised as barbaric began to be recognized as possessing great emotive strength.? Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d'Avignon to recapture primitive art. The new style depended in particular on a simplification of form and a clarification of the methods by which it was depicted. With a disregard for classical tradition, distortions were used freely to emphasize volume and convey emotional sensation. Picasso said I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them. Picasso was increasingly drawn to making creations according to his own internal vision. In African art he had found a conceptual art which was not based on immediat e visual reactions to a model. The original impact had been violent. It had forged the first real link between African art and Western ideas and it was followed during the two years that succeeded the painting of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. At

Jarir Bookstore

Jarir Bookstore Individual Project Introduction The government of Saudi Arabia adopted a new labor in 2012 that compels companies in the private sector to employ more Saudis than foreigners. The government adopted the new law in order to reduce the high unemployment rate in the country. However, the law is expected to have significant effects in various industries in the country because most companies depend on the labor supplied by foreigners rather than Saudis (Hamdan).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Jarir Bookstore specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper will analyze the effect of this law on Jarir Bookstore, which is a leading retail company in Saudi Arabia. The company supplies computers, office equipment, and books among other products (Jarir). In particular, it will shed light on the risks associated with the legislation and the strategies that the company has adopted to overcome them. Additionally, it will highligh t the future implications of the new law to the company and its stakeholders. The Major Issues In November 2012, the government of Saudi Arabia enacted a new labor law that forces all private companies in the country to hire more Saudis than foreigners (Hamdan). This law was adopted against the backdrop of rising unemployment rate in the country. According to the new law, the number of Saudis working in private companies must exceed that of foreigners. Companies that fail to comply with this law are expected to pay a fine of approximately $640 annually for each employee from a foreign country (Hamdan). Jarir Bookstore is one the companies that were negatively affected by the new labor law. In 2012, the company had more than one thousand employees who were working in its stores in Saudi Arabia (Jarir). 60% of the employees were expats from Asian countries (Jarir). This means that the company had to pay the fine of $640 per foreign employee in order to maintain 60% of its workforce. I n this regard, the operating cost of the company was likely to increase because it was not ready to absorb the extra labor costs associated with the fine. Since its inception in 1979, Jarir Bookstore has focused on employing foreigners in order to reduce its operating costs. This strategy was based on the fact that expats demand lower wages than Saudis (Madhi and Barrientos 70-77). Thus, it is cheaper to employ foreigners than Saudis. In addition, most Saudis are reluctant to work in the private sector because the public sector pays higher wages. Since the company operates in cosmopolitan cities within Saudi Arabia, it prefers to employ people with good command of English and other international languages in order to serve its diverse clientele effectively. In this regard, the company hires multilingual foreigners since most Saudis speak only in Arabic rather than international languages such as English. Thus, replacing the expats was likely to have negative effects on the competiti veness of the company.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Resolution Even though the enactment of the law came as a surprise to the company, it had no choice but to comply with it in order to avoid the costs associated with the fine. In order to prevent disruptions in its operations, the company had to replace most of the expats in its workforce immediately. Almost 80% of the company’s workforce consists of frontline employees who are responsible for performing duties such as sales and fulfilling customers’ orders (Jarir). Even though most Saudis are qualified to perform clerical and supervision, as well as, sales and marketing related duties, the company had trouble in replacing its frontline employees. This is because most of the new hires did not have the commitment that the expats had. Besides, most of them were fresh graduates from colleges and universities. Thus, they did not have adequate work experience that would enable them to fit into the organization without training. In response to this challenge, the company had to review its staffing policies in order to hire the right people. In particular, the company had to identify the job requirements that new recruits had to meet in order to be hired. This included possession of excellent skills in areas such as communication, negotiation, and leadership (Jarir). Moreover, the company designed and implemented training and development programs in order to enable the new recruits to acquire the skills that they needed in order to perform their duties effectively. The company has had to change its human resource policies in order to attract and retain the best talent from Saudi. This involved offering attractive remuneration packages, flexible shift schedules, and acceptable work environment. In addition, the company implemented a performance-based pay system in order to moti vate the employees and to improve their productivity (Jarir). A performance-based pay system involves rewarding employees who are able to meet or exceed their targets (Martin 75). At Jarir Bookstore, the employees were paid annual bonuses if they achieved predetermined conditions such as sales targets. The Future Implications The new labor law has several future implications for the company and its stakeholders. To begin with, the company will have to look for alternative ways of reducing its operating costs. This is because it can no longer depend on cheap labor to maintain low costs. In this regard, the company is likely to focus on the use of modern technologies to reduce its operating costs in the long-term. This will involve the use of technologies that reduce human involvement in the provision of its services. For example, the company has already established a sales and marketing website that enables it to reach its customers (Jarir). Thus, the company is likely to focus on on line sales rather than the store model in future. This will help it to reduce the number of employees that it needs to serve its customers, thereby reducing its operating costs.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Jarir Bookstore specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The second implication is that the company will have to strengthen its employ retention programs in order to reduce labor turnover. This is because the competition for skilled labor is likely to increase as more companies comply with the new law in future. Labor turnover is often high in markets where companies are competing for the few skilled workers. This is because employees will prefer to work for the few companies that are able to offer high wages (Hartel and Fujimoto 96). Consequently, the cost of acquiring talent is likely to increase significantly. The company can avoid losing its valuable employees by improving their commitment and job satisfactio n. The third implication is that the morale of the employees is likely to reduce as the expats leave the company. Employees usually lose morale in their work when a large number of their colleagues leave the workplace. This is because existing work relationships are destroyed and the remaining employees might not have adequate sources of support in their work (Hartel and Fujimoto 112). In addition, conflicts are likely to arise if the company is not able to integrate the new hires with the remaining employees. In this regard, the company will have to implement team-building initiatives in order to improve cohesion among its employees. Finally, the new law will enable the company to improve its reputation in the country by providing jobs to Saudis. Currently, the company has a bad reputation in the country because its staffing policies favor foreigners. However, the company’s reputation is likely to improve as it begins to hire more Saudis as required by the law. The Risks The implementation of the new labor law was associated with the following risks. First, the company was likely to lose its investments in knowledge and skill development as it replaced its employees from foreign countries. The company had already spent its scarce resources to train the expats on areas such as customer service, sales, marketing, and management. The benefits of this investment such as creativity among employees were likely to be lost if a large number of the expats left the company. This would reduce the firm’s competitiveness by limiting its ability to engage in product and process innovation (Madhi and Barrientos 70-77). Second, the company was likely to face disruptions in its operations if it was not able to find skilled Saudis to replace the expatriates. This is because the process of replacing employees who leave the company often takes a lot of time. Third, the company’s operating costs were likely to rise because hiring Saudis would increase the lab or costs, whereas employing foreigners would attract high fines. High operating costs was likely to reduce the company’s profits, thereby limiting its ability to expand to other markets.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The strategies that have helped the company to overcome these risks include the following. First, company has implemented training and development programs in order to replace the lost skills and knowledge in its workforce (Jarir). These programs will enable the firm to improve the competence of new hires, thereby increasing its competitiveness in terms of ability to meet market needs. Second, the company has focused on reducing labor turnover in order to avoid losing its talented employees. This involves using intrinsic rewards such as promotions, as well as, extrinsic rewards such as bonuses to improve job satisfaction, motivation, and employees’ commitment. Finally, the company has embarked on cost cutting measures in order to absorb the high cost of hiring Saudis. This involves outsourcing processes such as transportation and logistics. Conclusion The aim of this paper was to analyze the effects of Saudi Arabia’s new labor law on Jarir Bookstore. The new law requir es private companies to employ more Saudis than foreigners. Jarir Bookstore focused on employing more foreigners than Saudis in order to reduce its labor costs. The main effects of the law included increased operating costs and loss of skilled employees. However, the company is also likely to improve its reputation in the country by employing Saudis. The company has not only complied with the new law, but has also implemented strategies to cope with its negative effects. The strategies it has adopted include staff training programs, cost cutting measures, and staff retention schemes. Hamdan, Sara. Saudi Arabia to Fine Firms with too Many Foreign Workers. New York Times, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. Hartel, Charmaine and Yuka Fujimoto. Human Resource Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. Jarir. Company Profile. Jarir Bookstore, 31 Dec. 2012. Web. Madhi, Salah and Armando Barrientos. Saudisation and Employment in Saudi Arabia. Career Development International 8.2 (2012): 70-77. Print . Martin, John. Human Resource Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print.

Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example It is a fact that Natureview is the main player in the natural food channel with a market share of 24%; however, in order to raise $20 million revenue by the end of 2001, the company has to re-strategize and increase its sales and output if it is to use this channel. The $13 million the company accrued in 2000 is not sufficient enough to offset its debt and may lead to absorption of the company by a larger firm. The second option of entering the supermarket channel has both merits and demerits. The main advantage of this channel is that products will be sold at lower prices than in natural food retail shops due to less number of middlemen in the supply chain. Lower prices lead to higher demand and ultimately higher returns. Furthermore, supermarkets take stocks in bulk than wholesalers in the natural food channel who take small quantities and break them further to distribute them to small retailers. On the other hand, Natureview would be forced to pay $10000 slotting fee per SKU for each retail chain. This means that the company may be forced to pay millions of dollars to be able to distribute throughout the country. In addition, the manufacturer will also have to incur marketing, advertising and trade promotion expenses including hiring of marketing personnel. Under this channel, the small scale manufacturer will be forced to expand its production to meet the high demand in the supermarkets. The first option would be to expand six of the best selling 8-oz brands to one or two selected supermarket channels in the region. The second option would be to expand four SKUs of 32-oz size nationally. The third option would be to introduce two SKUs of the multi-pack line into the natural foods channel specifically for children. The first option would yield higher returns for the company as the 8-oz brands are the most popular among consumers. However, for this option to be viable Natureview has to meet the

Literature review spontaneou pneumothorax Essay

Literature review spontaneou pneumothorax - Essay Example In order to attain this clinical ability, and add to knowledge and skills, this literature review focuses on addressing what is known about the condition, the signs and symptoms it presents, and the management of the chest drainage system which is the most common treatment for patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. Background and Definitions: Spontaneous pneumothorax is partial or complete lung collapse, either without any previous trauma, or with perceptible medical causes, and occurs as a result of the build-up of air in the pleural cavity. It is classified as primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP). PSP may be present in patients in the absence of any fundamental lung disease, typically affecting, for example, a young, healthy, tall thin man. Also, a history of smoking may be associated with an increased risk of PSP. More than one third of patients with PSP relapse within a few years. On the other hand, SSP is found in patients with the complications of underlying lung disorder, which include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or infectious lung disorders. The risk of recurrence in patients with SSP is higher than with PSP, due to underlying pulmonary disease (Baumann, 2006; Baumann and Noppen, 2004; Guo, Xie, Rodriguez and Ligh t, 2005; Sheah and Peh, 2003; Roman et al, 2003; Ryan, 2005; Wakai, 2006). Symptoms Identified and Recorded in the Literature: There are two main symptoms presented by spontaneous pneumothorax, namely chest pain and dyspnoea. Chest pain is the most common symptom with regard to PSP. In Seremetis' study, (cited in Roman, 2003), 90% of patients with PSP presented with chest pain, which was commonly described as sharp and limited to the region of the pneumothorax, increasing with deep inhalation. Other symptoms include dyspnoea, tachycardia, decreased or absent chest movement and breath sounds in the affected area. However, patients with SSP commonly present more severe dyspnoea, making it potentially fatal. In particular, hypoxemia and hypotension can be severe in COPD patients with SSP. Symptoms of SSP can be difficult to detect, due to underlying pulmonary disease (Baumann, 2006; Baumann and Noppen, 2004; Roman et al, 2003; Ryan, 2005). Treatment: The most widely used treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax is the chest drainage system, the management of which is the nurse's responsibility. Therefore, it is very important that nurses know the functions of the chest drainage system and nursing interventions for managing patients. (Allibone, 2003; Lehwaldt and Timmins, 2005; Thorn, 2006). Chest drainage removes abnormal accumulations of air or fluid in the pleural cavities, while preventing air or fluid returning. It is necessary to ensure that chest drainage bottles are placed below chest level. The system includes three basic components: suction control, water seal, and collection chambers (Allibone, 2003; Roman et al, 2003; Thorn, 2006). The suction control chamber is used to advance the drainage rate and lung re-expansion. The British Thoracic Society guidelines (Lehwaldt and Timmins, 2005), recommend low pressure suction, approximately -10 to -29 mmHg; however, there is no consensus on the amount of suction that s hould be applied.