Management Practices in Saudi Arabias Public Hospitals Dissertation

Management Practices in Saudi Arabias Public Hospitals - Dissertation Example The paper â€Å"Management Practices in Saudi Arabia’s Public Hospitals† examines the challenges relative to developing high quality health care in Saudi Arabia. It is known that the Saudi Arabian government has been giving high priority to health care in its developmental plans but despite the high spending, services in the sector are not up to the mark. It thus becomes imperative to examine managerial philosophies in the context of leadership styles, organizational culture and its relationship with quality management practices in public hospitals in the country. It is evident that quality management has not been adopted in the country’s public sector in the true spirit primarily because of the difficulties faced because of several factors relative to the country’s culture and barriers faced in implementing modern management practices. This research has focused on examining the hurdles and identifying the issues that prevent implementation of good managem ent practices. Given that quality is the focus of all organizations in a competitive environment, it becomes important for public hospitals in Saudi Arabia to make quality the highest priority in their functions. Although quality management connotes varied meanings for organizations, the healthcare sector needs to recognize that strict professional standards should be maintained by focusing on customer understanding and investments. Quality performance is known to strongly impact operational performance but the main issue is how to make the required achievements. The literature review has examined the viewpoints of several researchers that have considered how variables of quality management influence performance, such as external quality requirements, corporate support for quality, managerial knowledge, product complexity and organizational uncertainty. The size of the industry, country and processes undertaken by the organization are also determinants of quality management practice s. Whatever the circumstances that characterize the working of any organization, the support of the top management is essential to provide a meaningful direction to workers. Innovations are necessary in order to make improvements in services, procedures and products. In the context of public hospitals in Saudi Arabia, transformational leadership has been found to result in employee motivation and satisfaction. Using this style in healthcare helps in providing a clear concept about how quality services are to be provided in hospitals. Moreover, quality standards and other strategies help in improving the status and satisfaction of patients. Given that customer satisfaction is a measure of quality, evaluating and monitoring healthcare are important to achieve high standards in public hospitals. In the present context, socio economic progress in Saudi Arabia during the last thirty years can be seen in sectors such as transport, education and health. In view of the development in health services, longevity has increased in the country, while change in lifestyle has led to increase in chronic diseases. However, the Ministry of Health in the country is facing problems in making long term plans in health care because of the unavailability of reliable data relative to health facilities. But the health care sector in Saudi Arabia is being improved with the introduction of health insurance, paid medical services, privatization of medical services and decentralizing authority in hospitals. However, these measures are still in the infancy stage and healthcare continues to be free for all citizens as well as expatriates that work in the public sector. Free medical and rehabilitation services in hospitals, particularly in big cities, have

Pharmacology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Pharmacology - Case Study Example This is a case study of the condition of VG and an explanation of the dosage that that would fit her condition. The VG patient seems to be experiencing common symptoms of high thyroid levels. These include excessive fatigue. Being a professional, I would ask if the patients were experiencing constipation and dryness. Several tests would also be important in establishing the how properly the thyroid gland is functioning in the body. One of these tests would be a serum (blood) T3 to keenly look into the properties in the blood and hormones of VG. There are also symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, appearance of hot flashes on her skin and muscle or joint pain that I would look out for (Razvi, Weaver, Butler, Pearce, 2012 811). Keenly looking into these factors and testing using serum would give a clear indication of the ailment that VG is suffering from. The test, would therefore, be helpful in enabling the identification of the exact problem as well as the administration of the correct drugs to treat the condition that VG is suffering from. The tests would enable the proper identification of the therapy that I would Institute for VG (Brandt, Green, Hegedà ¼s, Brix, 2011, 491). The previous THS level was 4.2 mIL/L, and it was from about a year ago. These results were already an indication of slight elevations in her TSH levels at the time. However, the abnormality went unchecked. The current TH level that is at 9.8 mIL/L and has a free of 0.72 ng/dl reflects a much higher increase of the THS levels from a year ago. This, therefore, shows that there could be a problem in the patient that would result in complications. It is also due to this elevation in the THS levels that the patient is experiencing these symptoms. These symptoms are an indication that the patient could be suffering from hypothyroidism. It is most likely due to the high levels of THS and the low levels in the thyroid in the patient. It explains the reason as to

Land Degradation In The Nile River Basin Environmental Sciences Essay

Land Degradation In The Nile River Basin Environmental Sciences Essay Per capita availability is generally calculated by dividing total annual renewable water resources with population. While this could provide an accurate picture for countries with no dependency on external water resources, it does not provide an accurate depiction for countries with trans-boundary water resources. Taking into account the dependency ratio of the countries provides a much more realistic depiction of future water resources. For instance, Uganda has a 40.9% dependency ratio for its total annual renewable water resources (Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, DRC and Kenya contribute runoff into Lake Victoria). This will be impacted when increased water demand in upstream nations results in reduced water runoffs into Uganda. Egypt which originally had a 98% dependency ratio has been able to bring down its dependency by increasing alternate water resources but still has a 76% dependency ratio (55.5 BCM out of 73 BCM). Chapter 4 Land degradation is one of the challenges faced by several countries in the Nile River Basin. Land degradation comprises of any negative or undesirable change in the texture, content, moisture of land due to a combination of natural hazards and man-made activities. The African continent is characterized by 46% of extreme desert and 11% of land mass that is humid. Presently, in Africa around 250 million people are directly affected by land degradation while, worldwide 1 billion people in 100 countries are at risk of land degradation. The causes of land degradation are a combination of changes in the natural ecosystem, and the impact of the human social system, including human use and abuse of sensitive and vulnerable dry land ecosystems. Land Degradation in the Nile River Basin In Rwanda, around 71% of total land area is facing severe degradation and about 60% of its forest cover has been lost in the last two decades partly due to genocide, displacement and repatriation. Similarly, more than 30% of Burundi is severely or very severely degraded. In Tanzania, widespread land degradation is found in the highlands, especially on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kenya faced about 30% land degradation in 2002 and around one third of its population was directly dependent on degraded land by 2008. Also, land degradation is widespread in Kenya, affecting 20% of all cultivated areas, 30% of forests, and 10% of grasslands. Uganda faces land degradation and erosion covering 60% of its total land area, the majority of which is in the highlands of the South-west. Ethiopia also faces land degradation mostly in its highlands, especially in the Amhara region. It is estimated that Ethiopia loses 4% of its GDP due to land degradation. In Sudan, approximately 1,200,000 km2 of land has degraded in varying degrees. The most degraded zones are the arid and semi-arid regions in the Northern half of Sudan where 76% of the countrys population resides. In Egypt, the North-western delta faces highest degradation due to contamination and increased salinity. Common Causes of Land Degradation in the Nile River Basin Some of the causes for land degradation in the Nile River Basin are as follows: Population Pressure: Growing population in the Nile River Basin countries puts immense pressure on land and its resources leading to severe degradation and reduced outputs. For instance, the majority of the population in Egypt and Burundi, 98% and 58% respectively, live in the Nile Basin. In Kenya, 70% of the population lives in 12% of the countrys land area which is suitable for rain-fed cultivation, thereby putting immense stress on its resources. Deforestation: The most common cause for land degradation in the Nile River Basin is deforestation. To adhere to the needs of growing population, forests are cleared and there is immense pressure on its resources. In Rwanda, the forest area was reduced to 4700 km2 from 7000 km2 post the genocide in 1994. Deforestation also took place due to increased need for wood to construct makeshift shelters for displaced people and for cooking. Bushfires have also become common especially in the dry seasons in the Eastern and South-eastern regions of Umutara, Kibungo and Bugesera. In Burundi, the rate of deforestation in high due to increased dependency on wood for fuel. The forest cover declined from 11.3% in 1990 to 5.9% in 2005. In Tanzania, deforestation is severe in areas populated with refugee populations. Also, wild fire is common in its grasslands. Between 1990 and 2005, Uganda lost one-third of its forest area due to deforestation. It is estimated that at this rate, Uganda will not have any forests by 2055. Uganda loses around $ 200 million annually due to deforestation. Deforestation is a major factor for land degradation in Ethiopia. While the forests once covered 65% of the country and 90% of the highlands in Ethiopia, by 2001 they were reduced to 2.2% and 5.6% respectively. The Blue Nile basin faces such severe deforestation that very little forest cover remains in the region. The forest coverage fell from 16% to 2% in the 1980s itself. Over Grazing: The demand for livestock is high in the Nile River Basin. Cattle farming leads to over grazing in fertile lands, depleting its quality and productivity. In Rwanda, over grazing is observed in range-lands especially in the North-west parts of Umutara. In Tanzania, over grazing is witnessed mostly in the Lake Victoria Zone and parts of Northern Tanzania. Over grazing accounts for 75% of the total degraded land in Sudan. In Uganda, the cattle corridor has most of its land degraded due to over grazing from Moroto and Kotido in the North-east through Luwero and South to Masaka and Mbarara. Leaving aside the North, most of the Corridor is seriously degraded. Lack of Awareness: Improper farming practices, poor soil management policies due to lack of awareness also lead to land degradation in the Nile River Basin. For instance in Rwanda, only 36.6% of the total land had soil protection structures in 2005 as compared to 83% in 1998. Climate Change: Climate change is another factor due to which there is immense land degradation. Increasing instances of floods and droughts lead to wide spread land degradation. There are various forms of land degradation. These include Soil erosion and sedimentation Surface runoff and floods Desertification and loss of natural vegetation Sand encroachments Sedimentation and Soil Erosion Sedimentation has three stages. It starts with soil erosion which is essentially the removal of top soil which is then transported and deposited in different locations depending upon the flow of water or wind or gravity. Some of the causes of sedimentation include deforestation which reduces water retention thereby increasing soil erosion; floods and droughts; and changes in river flow. Sedimentation in the Nile River Basin is witnessed the most in the Nile Equatorial Region, Blue Nile catchment and the coastal belts. Wide spread deforestation has a detrimental impact on the sedimentation levels in the Nile Equatorial Lakes and leads to increasing soil erosion. The siltation of the Nile Equatorial Lakes if combined with unusually high rainfall could lead to a rise in the lake levels which could in turn lead to flooding. The key problem sites for soil erosion in the Lake Victoria Basin are the Kagera River and the Nyando River in Kenya. Due to its topography and torrential rainfall, the Blue Nile catchment faces high rates of sedimentation as compared to the White Nile, whose sedimentation is largely retained in the Equatorial Lakes and the Sudd region. While the Nile catchment runoff is estimated at a low rate of 5.5%, the ratio of the runoff of the Blue Nile catchment on its own is 20%. Sedimentation has a negative effect on reservoirs built along the Nile River Basin. It clogs the area thereby reducing the amount of water that can be stored. Rwanda Around 40% of land in Rwanda is at high risk of erosion, 37% requires soil retention measures before cultivation, and only 23% is erosion free. Data from field research stations report soil losses between 35 246 tonnes per hectare annually, amounting to losses costing about 3.5% of Rwandas agricultural GDP. The Nyamitera River delivers 567,000 tonnes of particles in a matter of five flood days to Rwanda, of which more than half is the annual suspended sediment yield of its Nile Basin region. Increasing use of land for tea cultivation is also leading to sedimentation in Rwanda. The Mulindi tea plantation in Gicumbi district uses fertilizers that cause soil degradation, water pollution and deforestation, which in turn results in soil erosion, floods and sedimentation in the valley. Burundi Deforestation, over grazing and agricultural expansion into marginal lands are the main factors leading to soil erosion in Burundi. The sediment yield of Burundi and its contribution to the Nile basin is presently unavailable. Sedimentation causes many problems in Burundi including blocking inlet channels of pump irrigation schemes, clogging hydropower turbine areas, corroding pumps among others. Tanzania The main type of erosion witnessed in the Lake Victoria Basin in Tanzania is sheet erosion where a uniform thin layer of top soil is washed away. In Tanzania, 61% of land area faces soil erosion with a topsoil loss of 100 tonnes per hectare per annum. Highest soil loss within the Lake Victoria Basin is from cropland which loses 93 tonnes per hectare annually, followed by rangeland losing 52 tonnes per hectare each year. Additionally, there has been soil loss in Shinyanga, Dodoma, Morogoro, and Arusha. Also, Kagera Basin is vulnerable to soil erosion and leaching of nutrients due to its high population and poverty levels. The Masalatu Reservoir constructed on Simiyu River receives an annual sedimentation yield of 406 m3/ km2 or 1.43 tonnes per hectare. Kenya The Nyanza province bordering Lake Victoria is undergoing rapid catchment deterioration due to frequent droughts, deforestation and old agricultural practices. This results in Kenyas high sedimentation load contribution to Lake Victoria Basin through its tributaries. 61% of the basin area contributes to soil sedimentation at a rate of 43 tonnes per hectare each year, whereas the rest of the basin forms a sink area where sediments are collected. Due to high sedimentation on the bed, the rivers Nyando, Nzoia and Sondu, and other tributaries emptying into Lake Victoria are prone to flooding. Surface runoff in wet season causes sheet, rill and gully erosion. Wind causes erosion in dry season. Nyando River experiences severe gully erosion due to heavy water runoff. The removal of the top soil is very high ranging from 90 tonnes per hectare annually in degraded areas, to 67 tonnes per hectare elsewhere. Uganda Major source of soil erosion to the Lake Victoria Basin is the Kibale River at 0.06 tonnes per hectare annually. Runoff in sub-catchment of Bukora is the main reason for causing soil erosion. Soil loss rates are the highest on bare soils, followed by annually cultivated land, degraded range lands and perennially cultivated land. Lake Albert is also under threat of siltation due to inflows from Kyoga Nile, as well as Semliki River which carries sedimentation from DRC. It is estimated that 4% 12% of GNP is lost from environmental degradation, of which 85% is through soil erosion, nutrient loss and crop changes. Also, the rate of soil fertility depletion in Uganda is one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia There is high erosion in the Ethiopian Highlands. Around 1900 million tonnes of soil is eroded annually at an average of 100 tonnes per hectare. Also, up to one billion tonnes of top soil is lost each year. The Highlands face severe types of soil erosion including sheet, rill, gully and wind. It also witnesses stream bank erosion, biological, physical and chemical degradation Blue Nile is the major contributor of sedimentation during the flood season, contributing approximately 125 million tonnes, while the Atbara contributes roughly 50 million tonnes. The flows of the Blue Nile are unregulated until they arrive in Sudan leading to an enormous amount of sedimentation at the Roseires Dam. With increased deforestation and agricultural activities along the banks of the Blue Nile, there is a substantial amount of debris added to the flow which is carried downstream. The proportion of runoff to sedimentation is higher for the Atbara River which is due to its geographic location in a drier region than the Blue Nile and also due to a relatively longer period of dry season followed by heavy rainfall in a relatively short period. Sedimentation peaks three weeks before rainfall peaks as rainfall washes away soil loosened due to loss of moisture during the dry season. A decline in crop yields has been witnessed at a rate of 1 to 3% on cropland and 2.2% in Ethiopian highlands. It is estimated that the cost of land degradation due to soil erosion to Ethiopia could be about $2 billion in 25 years or $80 million each year. About 80% of the losses are from reduced crop production and 20% from reduced livestock production. Soil nutrient depletion reduces crop production by 885,330 tonnes annually amounting to losses of around 14% of agricultural contribution to Ethiopian GDP. Sudan Soil erosion is leading to rapid siltation and loss of functionality of reservoirs and irrigation schemes in Sudan. The small reservoirs get silted quicker. Irrigation schemes are witnessing major damage due to siltation which is leading to a reduction in water transported to crop lands. For instance, crop water requirements are no longer met in the Gezira and Rahad irrigation schemes. River band erosion along the Blue Nile River has been witnessed with most affected areas lying downstream of Roseires Dam, Singa to AlSuki. River widening in the region also leads to bank erosion where irrigable land is lost as has been witnessed in the main Nile and Atbara River sections. Around $1.5 million worth of economic losses have been witnessed via the loss of mature date palm trees as a direct result of bank erosion. Egypt The Nile Bank is witnessing bank erosion due to the corrosive action of sediment free waters as witnessed in Sudan past Roseires Dam. Agricultural land is depleting at a rate of 13,000 hectares on an annual basis due to bank erosion. Increase in coastal erosion and extensive erosion of the Nile Delta is being witnessed due to lack of sedimentation and increase in salinity levels. Sedimentation in Reservoirs Sedimentation is the single greatest problem reservoirs face in maintaining their functionality for water storage, as well as for hydropower generation. Hydropower generation is reduced during peak sedimentation periods as debris gets caught in the turbines and need to be shut down for cleaning. Sedimentation stuck in the cooling mechanism of the hydropower plant leads to loss of efficiency in energy generation and also requires shutdown for repair. Also, silt adds to the wear and tear of the plant which decreases the lifespan of the machinery, depending on the abrasiveness of the mineral content in the silt. Hydropower generation is often stalled during floods to clean turbines and prevent damage resulting in very low power generation during flood season. Sedimentation also leads to reduced water storage capacity which results in less water for irrigation and cost of construction to raise the dam to maintain storage capacity. Currently, the cost of clearing sedimentation is prohibitive at $625 million ($5 to clear 1 m3 of silt, about 125 MCM is being cleared per year). Roseires Dam The primary mandate of the Roseires Dam is to ensure that runoff levels are maintained to meet irrigation and water storage requirements. The Roseires Dam is losing considerable parts of dead water storage capacity, as well as live storage capacity. In 1966, its storage capacity was 3,329 MCM which has been reduced to 1,920.89 MCM as of 2007, leading to a 37% decrease in storage capacity. The Roseires Dams height has been elevated in order to mitigate losses in functionality and another elevation project is being currently discussed. Aswan High Dam in Egypt Aswan High Dam has 100% trap efficiency of sedimentation which means that waters are almost perfectly sediment-free beyond the Aswan High Dam. Sedimentation transported to the reservoir and deposited there is practically negligible from December to June, peaking from July to September, reducing in October and November to none in December. Aswan High Dam is losing considerable part of live storage capacity, as opposed to dead storage capacity which was designed to absorb sedimentation. The reservoirs total operational span has been reduced to 362 years from an initial estimate of 500 years as a result of sedimentation. Desertification The African continent, with the Sahara desert in the North and the Sahelian belt below, is vulnerable to desertification. This condition is exemplified with increasing instances of drought and famines. The causes of desertification are complex, including both direct and indirect factors such as: Cultivation, inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing Unsustainable animal husbandry and pastoralism Climate change including reduced rainfall Population growth pressures Poor land use and management practices Lack of soil and water conservation structures; Removal and loss of vegetation; Deforestation and land clearing; Total dependency on natural resources for survival; Human activities comprising technological agents (water pumps, boreholes, dams) and institutional mechanisms and policies. Desertification in the Nile River Basin East and South-east regions of Rwanda show increasing desertification trends due to increase in population and migration leading to over exploitation and degradation of land. People from densely populated provinces in the North, for instance Ruhengiri, Gisenyi and Byumba, and Butare and Gitarama in the South, are moving towards the least populated provinces in the East including Umutara, Kibungo, Kigali and Ngali in the South East. In Burundi, the area of Imbo witnesses long dry spells leading to a gradual decrease in water resources, especially in the levels of Lake Tanganyika with a tendency towards desertification. Since 1999, there has been a strong variability of rainfall with a tendency for a long dry season from May to October (6 months) in the lower altitude outlying areas like Kumoso, Bugesera, and Imbo. In Tanzania, the main reason for desertification is expanding agriculture rather than overgrazing by pastoralists. Around 33% of Tanzania is affected by desertification. The coastal areas face pressure from intensive cultivation and fuel wood gathering. In Kenya, 80% of its area is estimated to be threatened by desertification with up to 30% of the population affected by desertification and drought. Drought and increasing population are key factors that enhance desertification in Kenya. The Nyika Plateau and the Coastal Region are affected and threatened most by desertification. Also, the woodlands are prone to drought and desertification, primarily due to slash and burn methods of land preparation. Kenyas drylands occupy 88% of the land surface area, and have a population of 10 million people. Approximately 50% of livestock and 70% of wildlife are located in these drylands. In Uganda, the North-east, especially the Cattle Corridor has been witnessing overgrazing, soil compaction, erosion and the emergence of low-value grass species and vegetation which have subdued the lands productive capacity, leading to desertification. Some dryland districts like Moroto, Nakasongola, Karamoja and Kakuuto in Rakai are experiencing desertification. Around 71% of Ethiopian land is prone to desertification including its highlands and lowlands. The Rift Valley suffers immense desertification and land degradation. Desertification threatens Ethiopias agricultural productivity, wherein more than 80% of the population depends on various forms of agricultural production. Also, 95% of the farms are small-scale and depend on rain-fed agriculture. Ethiopia suffers a loss of $139 million per year due to reduced agricultural productivity. Sudan and parts of Egypt are more prone to desertification in the Nile River Basin. Egypt has experienced accelerated desertification of rangelands in the last few decades. Presently, 45% of rangelands are severely degraded, 35% are fair, 15% are good, and 5% are excellent. It is reported that 11,000 hectares of land has been lost due to desertification. Parts of Western Egypt fall into the Sahara and are hot and dry areas which are extending into the mainland. Increasing evaporation has also led to drying out of one of the Toshka Lakes. Egypt witnesses various forms of desertification such as: Degradation of irrigated farmland due to low quality water in irrigation Degradation of rain-fed farmland (Northern coastal belt and Northern Sinai) Degradation of rangeland (Northern coastal belt) through overgrazing, plant covers degradation Sand Encroachments from the Western desert on the Nile Valley land (Southern Egypt) and on the High Aswan Dam reservoir (in Egypt and Sudan). Desertification in Sudan In terms of desertification, Sudan is the largest and most seriously affected country in Africa. The arid and semi-arid lands cover an area of 1.78 million km2, constituting around 72% of the total area of the country. There is moderate to severe land degradation in the desert and semi-arid regions in the Northern half of Sudan. The Western part of Sudan (in the Sahel region) is most prone to drought and increasing desertification, especially the states of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Kassala. The total desertification between Darfur and Kordofan is 22% i.e. 200,000 km2. A decline in precipitation has caused a stress factor on pastoral societies in these two regions, thereby contributing to conflict. There is a very strong link between land degradation, desertification and conflict in Darfur. In northern Darfur, increasing population growth, lack of resources and environmental stress led to conflicts which were further sustained by political, tribal or ethnic differences. As a consequence of desertification in Darfur, there has been increased mortality due to famine and disease, a decrease in total water and land availability, quality of water and land (including fertility), production of major staple foods, and deaths of domestic animals. It is estimated that since the 1930s, there has been around 50 to 200 km Southward shift of the boundary between semi-desert and desert. This boundary is expected to continue to move Southwards due to declining precipitation. The remaining semi-desert and low rainfall savannah, which represent 25% of Sudans agricultural land, are at considerable risk of further desertification and could lead to a 20% drop in food production. Sand Encroachment Instances of desert encroachment in Sudan are increasing, whereby the entire strip of the country along the Nile especially between Delgo and Karima in Northern Sudan is threatened. Sand dunes on the Eastern bank of River Nile in Sudan and encroachments in North-central regions can threaten the rivers course. Sand encroachment is also affecting the productivity of soil which has been witnessed extensively in the Gezira scheme and also in some areas of North Kordofan, North Darfur and Kannar in the Northern State, Sudan. In the Dongola-Merowe region of Sudan, the area covered by sand dunes increased from 51.2 km2 to 61.2 km2 between 1976 and 1996 and decreased to 35.1 km2 in 2000. This decrease could be attributed to an increase in the area covered by gravel and/or coarse sand. In Egypt, active sand dunes and encroachments occupy more than 16.6% of the countrys total land area. Sand encroachment in Egypt is further enhanced by the erratic rainfall, active winds, and scarcity of plant cover. Some inactive sand accumulations have been noticed in the Eastern side of the Nile delta and in the Sinai Peninsula. Types of Desertification Processes Underway in Sudan Climate-based conversion of land types from semi-desert to desert The least drought resistant vegetation fails to survive and reproduce. For instance, in Northern Darfur and Northern Kordofan, this is manifest in the widespread death of trees during drought events which are not followed by recovery. The desert climate is estimated to move Southward by approximately 100 km over 40 years. Degradation of existing desert environments, including wadis and oases At least 29% of Sudan is desert, within which there are hundreds of smaller wetter regions resulting from localized rainfall catchments, rivers and groundwater flows. It was discovered that all these areas were moderately to severely degraded, primarily due to deforestation, overgrazing and erosion. Conversion of land types from semi-desert to desert by human action Activities such as deforestation, overgrazing and cultivation result in habitat conversion to desert, even though rainfall may be sufficient to support semi-desert vegetation. One of the problems is the conversion of dry and fragile rangelands into traditional and mechanized cropland. Chapter 5 Water Quality Several factors pollute Nile waters, in particular faecal coliform bacterial contamination caused by lack of sanitation facilities and a high dependence on pit latrines, leading to presence of animal and human waste alongside open water bodies. Additionally, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides discharge high concentrations of nutrients and phosphates that runoff and leak into ground and surface water. Also, chemical pollution from industrial waste, mining activities and domestic sewage are released into water bodies without any effective wastewater treatment. Furthermore, sedimentation and siltation caused by deforestation, land degradation and soil erosion impact overall water quality. Lastly, poor planning practices, weak infrastructure and inadequate wastewater treatment systems add to the untreated water discharge. Some of the impacts of water pollution are death and destruction, loss of livelihood and income, and health hazards. The problem with a transboundary water resource in terms of water quality is that, polluted water from one area flows into the other area. This is specially witnessed in the Lake Victoria Basin. Water Hyacinth is another transboundary issue between the countries as it has a tendency of spreading fast and also leads to increased evaporation. Pollutant loads are washed away along with runoff and sedimentation loads which lead to water quality deterioration further downstream, rendering it non-viable for drinking purposes. Rwanda The main sources of water pollution are domestic, commercial, industrial, agriculture, water hyacinth and mismanagement of wetlands. Due to increased population and agricultural practices, inadequate sanitation facilities, there is an extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides. Also, wastewater from rural towns and villages containing faecal pollution are left untreated, giving rise to water borne diseases. In River Nyabugogo, there have been high rates of Iodine at 7.62m per litre. Additionally, there are large concentrations of Copper at 1.3mg per litre, Fluoride at 1.85mg per litre, Ammonia at 1.7mg per litre and Sodium at 105.3mg per litre. Also, Hexavalent Chromium was found ranging between 0.09 to 0.28 ÃŽÂ ¼g per litre. Although the Rwandan Ministry of Lands, Environment, Forest, Water Mines (MINITERE) and ELECTROGAZ have laboratories in place for water monitoring, the data is insufficient. The water drinking standards have been defined but have not been adopted yet. As a result of eutrophication by water hyacinth and agricultural pressure, Lakes Mihindi and Muhazi in Southern Rwanda are diminishing in size. Burundi There are several types of water pollution including bacteriological pollution from animal waste, organic pollution due to waste effluent from coffee processing plants, and industrial pollution via chemical fertilizers such as nitrates, phosphates and pesticides. Some of the causes of pollution are high demographic density, lack of latrines and waste dumping, and mining activities resulting in discharge of heavy metals and arsenic, especially in River Kanyarus tributary, Nowgere. Bujumbura accounts for 90% of industries in Burundi. However, data regarding industrial pollution is unavailable and not much has been achieved in monitoring and managing water quality due to under-resourcing of laboratories. Tanzania The water quality in Tanzania is affected by natural factors and human activities. The former comprises high fluoride concentrations and salinity in natural waters. The latter includes discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater, run-off from agricultural lands, and erosion encompassing high concentrations of nutrients, pathogens, BOD and COD levels. Additionally, gold mines in the Lake Victoria Basin consist of heavy metal pollution. Tanzania has no comprehensive national program for monitoring the quality of water or pollution even though water utility companies are required by law to monitor the water source and quality of water they supply. Kenya Water pollution in Kenya is caused by point and non-point sources such as agricultural activity, urbanization, industry, leachates from solid waste tips, sediments, salts, fertilizers and pesticide residues. Additionally, municipal sewerage plants discharge untreated wastewater into surface watercourses, causing significant health hazards and localized eutrophication. Tanneries, pulp and paper mills, coffee processing factories, breweries and sugar cane processing facilities do not have effective wastewater treatment plants and their effluents contribute organic loads, heavy metals and other toxic substances. The point pollution sources include sugar, paper, and fish industries, and also municipal sewage, oils and lubricants, marine workshops, petrol stations, human wastes and refuse from market and urban centres and fishing villages. The main non-point pollution sources comprise high nitrate, phosphate and pesticides from poor application of agricultural chemical and soil erosion. The Kenyan Lake Victoria Basin has a population of 12 million people and a low depth of approximately 6 meters, thereby causing an inability of catchment areas to perform purification of water. Although only 8% of Lake Victoria falls into Kenyan territory, tributaries such as Sio, Nzoia, Yala, Nyando and Mara are already severely polluted and contribute further to the lake pollution. Uganda The increased demand and use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers is impacting the water quality in Uganda. Agricultural practices account for 50% of nitrogen and 56% of phosphorus into the Lake Victoria Basin. Additionally, the exploitation of petroleum threatens the overall ecosystems of Lake Albert and Edward Basins. The Northern end of Lake George, Uganda, and its associated wetlands receive localized metal pollution from a former copper mine and tailings left after metal extraction. There is a

Naturalization of Ideology Essay example -- Social Change, Power Relat

Introduction CDA adopts an interdisciplinary approach, different methodologies, and varying perspectives for the analysis of data which is predominantly obtained from social topics such as â€Å"racism, identity, social change† (Wodak: 2006). Power relationships between the dominant and the dominated social class are the foci of CDA, and considers language use or discourse as a defining characteristic in understanding varied social patterns that emerge as a result of the discursive practices, naturalization of ideology, and orders of discourse. It blends the historical context with the contemporary contexts to interpret the element of social change. CDA believes in the practice, application, and availability of results to the experts so that select discursive and social practices could be both interpreted and transformed. How does the naturalization of ideology come about? Ideologies are mental systems that organize socially shared attitudes, and these mental systems are social representations that function as â€Å"models which control how people act, speak or write or how they understand the social practices of others† (van Dijk, 1995: 2). Naturalization can be understood as an unconscious process whereby beliefs, values, ideas, perceptions, and modes of thinking of a society and a class are internalized at a certain point in time (Yewah: 1993). Naturalization gives to particular ideological representations the status of common sense, and thereby makes them opaque and no longer visible as ideologies (Fairclough, 1995a: 42). A certain discourse type dominates other discourses to the extent that it is no longer arbitrary and is viewed as natural. However, the ‘balance of forces’ in social struggle determine the extent of naturaliza... ...iwanese press. Discourse and Society, 16(3): 393-418. Lefevere, A. (1992b). Translation/ History /Culture: A Sourcebook. New York: Routledge. Martinez-Roland, C. M. & Malave, G. (2004). Language Ideologies Mediating Literacy and Identity in Bilingual Contexts. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 4(2): 155-180. van Dijk, T. (1993) Discourse and Elite Racism, London: Sage. Wodak, R. (1996) Disorders of Discourse, London: Longman. Wodak, R. (1997) ‘Critical discourse analysis’, in T. van Dijk (ed.) Discourse as Social Interaction, London: Sage. Wodak, R. (2006). Critical linguistics and critical discourse analysis in Verschueren, J. and Ãâ€"stman, J. (eds) Handbook of Pragmatics John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam. Emmanuel Yewah, E. (1993). Ideology and the de/naturalization of meaning in the Cameroonian novel, Afrika Focus, Vol. 9, Nr. 3-4, pp. 179-192.

New Heritage Doll Company Essay

This paper is aim to find the best way to run the New Heritage Doll Company by running simulation. We use different strategies to selecting projects in each round by using limited budget. We have run the simulation more than ten times to make sure we found the best way to run the company and the company is in the best condition. The given scenario is never change and we have the opportunity to run simulation multiple times, it made us easier to know which strategy is the best. We use different strategies in each one of our simulations. These strategies can mainly divided into three parts, which are conservative approach, spending approach which means we use every cent of our budget to make more money and focus on net present value. We have a small budget of 8.9 million dollars at the beginning of each round of simulation, and the rest of the budget of each year can save to the next year. In first several rounds, we took the conservative approach idea. It can help us familiar with how to run the simulation and can help us to control that limited budget as well. In addition, only using the low to medium project can help the company avoiding from the future because we do not want to put the company’s future in a high risk position. Round 1 We are going to analysis the round that was using the conservative approach. In this round, the projects I selected for the year one (2009) are: Toddler Doll Accessory Line and New Doll Film/DVD. According to the report, the Toddler Doll Accessory Line of accessories performed in line with expectations regarding both sales and costs. We have learned from the article, the New Heritage Doll Company’s production division wants to product more product that forcing on toddlers so we think choosing this project is a good choice for the company. Also this project is a low risk project with 7.70% project discount rate. We think we should better keep this project because it is a risk low project with positive NPV (7.15) and a good IRR (25.06%). The New Doll Film/DVD project is a licensing project and according to the report that the film was released on schedule and the  marketing promotion was very successful. Otherwise, the sales of DVD was better than previous films. This project is a medium risk project and the company discount rate for this project is 7.40%. This project also produce a positive NPV which is 9.37 and with an IRR of 238.61% which was extremely high. However the payback index is negative which is -3.84 but we think since its payback period is shout which is only 1.43 years so we will still keep this project. As we can see from the table one, at the end of 2010, the revenue of production division is 128.75 million. The revenue is higher than the production revenue of 2009 which was 125 million. And the revenue from licensing division at the end of 2010 is also higher than it in 2009 which is 25.48 million, 0.98 million higher than it was in 2009. However, in both of these two divisions their Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is slightly lower than 2009 and the net income is also a little lower too. We will put more details to see if these projects are actually work. In year two (2010), the projects which I have chosen are: Warehouse Facility Consolidation, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The Warehouse Facility Consolidation project is aim to improve the NH’s warehouse facilities and can save the company’s operating costs as well as increase the shipping speed. This project is in retail division with an NPV of 2.29, an IRR of 13.56%, and a payback period of 8.23 years and a payback index of 0.31. Also, this project was considered as a medium risk project with 9.25% discount rate. Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia is a retail division project, it is considering expanding its mail-order to the Asian market. Although there two possibilities that might happen, succeed or fail, it viewed as a low risk project with very low lifetime project costs which is only 2.73 million. It had an IRR of 19.77%, a discount rate of 8.46%, and a payback period is more than 10 years and the profitability index of this project is 2.85. I choose this project is because the Asian market is a very big market, since the project is low risk and the cost of this project is very low, we think it is worth to try, because if this project is succeed, the company will earn more profit. The last project we selected for this year is Retail Store Expansion in Northeast. The NPV of this project is 5.34 and it had an IRR of 37.45%, a  discount rate of 10.04% and a payback period is 5.33 years. We suggested the discount rate can adjusted to 10.50% to make this project on a safe status. This high-risk projects because open new stores in other countries can always be risky. We pick this project is because it was a desired project for the company. At the end of 2011, we can see from the table 2, we can see the net sales of retail division is 199.62 million, 4.87 million higher than 2010 (194.75 million), however the increasing in cost of goods sold and their Selling General and Administrative Expenses turns out the EBITDA of 2011(3. 79) is lower than 2010 (5.04). In addition, the net sales of licensing has jump to 36.50 million in 2011 and the EBITDA and its net income has a very big increase, which are 21.99 and 12.99. So the pervious object which I selected in 2009 acutely works. (Table 1) In year three (2011), we selected four projected which are: Doll Video Game, Tween Book Series, New Inventory Control System for Warehouse and Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility. The Doll Video Game is a licensing project and the report says that this project did not performed as good as expectations but it is still stay in positive. This project has an NPV of 1.06 an IRR 115.90% which is very high, a discount rate of 7.40% and the payback year is 2.24 years and the profitability index is 8.73 million. This is a medium risk project with only 0.40 million lifetime project cost. We think this is a good project even though it has not much assets. However we suggest they can increase the project discount rate from 7.40% to 8.00%. The Tween Book Series has an NPV of 6.14, an IRR of 43.57%, a discount rate of 6.89%, and a payback period of 5.24 years and 13.64 profitability index. This is a low risk licensing project and according to the company report, this project has boosted its revenue and will definitely give contribution to the company. So we will keep this project. We selected the New Inventory Control System for Warehouse is because it can help the company reduce the cost of carrying inventory and make more savings. This is a low risk retailing project also with very low cost, and there is no gain or loss of using this project but it can help the company reduce the cost. Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility is a low risk production project, we choose this project is because it has a high IRR which is 38.64% and a very low of production cost. Due to the low  risk the NPV of this project is low which is only 0.06. We can see from the table three, at the end of 2012, the company’s net sales has risen to 306.65 million, increasing year by year from year 2009, and the net income as well. We use the same method to pick projects for the rest two years of this run. We focused more on low risk project and in this run we did not expected too much on our APV and our net income. In this run we hope the company can always get the future benefits rather than take a high risk and too impatient for success. In addition, there are not many projects had an ideally NPV, so we are not surprised about the final result. Also, we have tried our best to maintain the balance of each of the three divisions to keep the company in the same structure and to maintain the equal growth as well. This run end with an APV of 424.79, a revenue of 348.17 million, which is not bad and 23.49 million net income. The net income is not big but we use the minimum budget to make the biggest profit. Next, this is the second simulation we choose to explain. In this simulation we got APV (Adjusted present value) equals 597.79 and the revenue equals 393.43 million. The operation income equals 44.21 million. From the company consolidated Income Statement, we can see that the net income finally ended in 26.53 million. From the Balance Sheet, the total net asset equals 278.85 million, the total current liabilities equals 64.05 million and the total liabilities and shareholders equity equals 278.85 million. In this simulation our approach is to spent ever money we got, we thought this might gives us the highest return and the highest APV. In 2009, we choose three projects to funding. They are: 1.‘Match my Doll’ Clothing Line, 2.Retail Store Expansion in Northeast and 3.New Doll Film / DVD. We choose these three projects because they are all high or medium risks. Usually the high risk comes with the high return. So we want to see what will happen if we all choose high or me dium risker projects. Even if these three projects do not have good 1 Yr. EBITDA, it has the highest three 5 Yr. EBITDA. So when we choose these three projects we do not want it went well in the first year but for the future benefits. After a whole year running, in 2010 the net income was 12.58 million and it was less than 2009. The revenue became 252.42 million and the APV we got this year was 319.38. This is not a problem now because the future view form the financial analysis and project  details were going very well. In 2010, we choose four projects to funding. They are: 1.Toddler Doll Accessory Line, 2.‘Grow With Me’ Doll Line, 3.Tween Book Series and 4.Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia. After the first year’s three high or medium risk projects, this year we want to reduce a little bit risk. So we take Toddler Doll Accessory Line, Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia and Tween Book series, they are both low risk projects. Also this time, we want to focus on the NPV, the first and second choice we made has 7.15 and 6.83 NPV. The third choice we made is based on the IRR because the rest projects basically has the same NPV, so we choice the project which has the highest IRR which is 43.57. The last choice we made is because we want to use all of budget we go t. This can help us get higher return. Also, this project has 13.64 profit index and the payback year was 5.24. The revenue for 2011 was 276.70 and the APV went to 363.16. The net income became 16.75 million. This means the projects we choose in 2009 worked a lot better than 2010, we got a rise net income. In 2011, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.Acquisition of Children’s magazine, 2.’Match My Doll’ Clothing Line, Expansion of Concept. 3.’Dolls of the World’ Initiative, 4.Doll Video Game, 5.Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility and 6. In this year’s project, our idea was also to spend every penny of the budget we got because we went higher return. When we choose the first project, it’s kind of hard choose between ‘Acquisition of Children’s Magazine’ and ‘Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer’. They were both have limited time, high NPV and high 5 Yr. EBITDA. Finally we decided choose Acquisition of Children’s Magazine it has the highest NPV which is 28.96 million and highest IRR which is 19.52%. Even though this project do not have the highest 5 Yr. EBIDTA it has a lot less project costs and payback year. The second and third projects we choose was based on the NPV which were 8.31 million and 6.32 million and 5 Yr. EBIDTA which were 3.60 million and 4.61million. The forth and fifth project we choose were base on the IRR. The last project we choose was because we want higher return and the more projects we choose can bring us more net sales. This means we can have more net income. In 2012, our revenue was 314.13 million and the APV went to 437.09. The net income went to 19.97 million In 2012, we choose six projects to funding. They are: 1.’Design Your Own Doll’, 2.Toddlers Music CD Series, 3.Virtual Doll Community, 4.Bookstore Cafà © and  Writers’ Club, 5.Expansion to England and 6.EDI Supplier Software System. In this year’s projects, we use the same approach: spent every penny to get us the highest return. The four projects we made were based on the NPV which are 9.76million, 6.97million, 6.89million and 6.71 million. The last two projects we choose were because it has the low project cost among other projects we can choose. We spend all the penny we can use till we do not have enough money to buy another proj ect. This will bring us more return without a lot of costs. In 2013, our revenue rise to 358.41 million and the APV was 529.84. The net income in this year was 23.88 million. In 2013 we choose five projects to funding. They are: 1. Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls, 2.Children’s Accessories Line, 3.Cable TV Program, 4.Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign and 5. Young authors Book Series. The first two projects we choose is based on the 5 Yr. EBITDA. The high 5 Yr. EBITDA can bring us more profits in the future. The rest of our projects we choose was based on the IRR and project costs. The revenue was 393.43 million and APV was 597.79. Net income rise to 26.53 million.By using this strategy can help company get a big increase income and can contribute a lot of profit. However, according to the results we think this simulation can work for a long term. In this round, our strategy was very simple and different than before. We only seeking for projects which have high net present value (NPV) when we made decisions for the New Heritage Doll Company every year. In addition, the projects we chose had high risk. It is said that â€Å"Higher risk, higher reward, so we did not avoid high risk projects in this round. At last, we got a highest APV than before, was about 641.39. Current revenue was 372.10 and 24.45 in net income (Table 4). At first, we have budget constraint of 2010 was 8.9. Since we focus on Net Present Value this time, we choose â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line, New Doll Film/DVD and Toddler Doll Accessory Line, because these three have higher NPV, which were 6.46, 9.37, and 7.15 respectively. The risk of â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line project was high, the New Doll Film/DVD with medium risk, and Toddler Doll Accessory Line has low risk. After the selecting, we remain 1.14 budget. Then we moved to 2011, with the remained 1.14 previous  year, we had 10.04 budget constraints. With the same strategy, we choose â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line (NPV: 6.83) and Tween Book Series (NPV: 6.14) which two have high NPV. The â€Å"Grow with Me† Doll Line has high risk and Tween Book Series with low risk. Even though, the NPV of â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative and New East Distribution Facility projects have high NPV, we have not enough budgets to take those two projec ts. We also choose Expansion of Mail-order Catalog Business to Asia (1.57) although it has not high net present value, we afford it and the risk of the project is low. Moreover, we think it can increase sale for the company. With the selection above, we remain 2.44 budgets. The company APV in 2011, increase to 358.11. There comes to 2012, we had 11.34 budget constraint. We selected Acquisition of Electronic Toy Manufacturer (NPV: 16.34, high risk), â€Å"Match My Doll† Clothing Line Expansion of Concept (NPV: 8.31, medium risk) and â€Å"Dolls of the World† Initiative (NPV: 6.32, high risk) because of their high net present value. We chose Retail Store Expansion in Northeast (NPV: 5.49, high risk) was because it fit the company’s expansion strategy. Also, we selected Replace Assembly Equipment at Sacramento Facility project (NPV: 0.06) and New Inventory Control System for Warehouse project (NPV: 0.05) with both low risk, and Doll Video Game (1.06, medium) projects. T his time, we not only choose the project with high NPV, but also try to spend as much budget as we had. Through this way, the company NPV has a large increase and reach to 436.77. In the 2013, we have budget of 12.58. We chose six projects this year, they are EDI Supplier Software System(NPV:0.05, low risk), â€Å"Design Your Own Doll†(NPV: 9.76, high risk), Expansion to England( NPV:0.93, medium risk), Virtual Doll Community(NPV:5.04, high risk), Bookstore Cafà © and Writers’ Club(NPV:6.71, medium risk), and Toddlers Music CD Series(NPV:6.97, medium risk), remained 4.93 budget and got 577.45 in company NPV. Finally, in 2014, we had budget Constraint 13.83. We selected Dollhouses with Miniature Dolls (NPV: 9.09, high risk), Young Authors Book Series (NPV: 8.15, medium risk) and Coupon Promotion/Frequent Shopper Campaign (NPV: 6.04, low risk) because their high net present value. We also want to take Warehouse Facility Consolidation and New East Coast Distribution Facility, but we short of money. Finally, we remain 5.13 budget and got 641.39 in company NPV in 2014. Conclusion: Finally, according to our results, it turns out that to be safe is not always the best option on running a company. Sometimes you need to take some risk, it is not always a bad thing. So we decide to choose round 3 as our final option. The approach we use for this round is to focus on the high NPV and not avoid taking high risk objects as well, this seems like a good solution to choose our five year’s projects. Because this round have a long-term benefit, even though it does not went that well. From the cash flow statement, we can see that the net income rise every year and till 2024 the net income can reach 99.22 million.

Ideology in Desperate Housewives

Ideology In Desperate Housewives Every day, the public is unknowingly exposed to countless ideological messages. They come from all around, but the media remains ideology’s primary agent. In places such as magazines, commercials, billboards, movies and television shows, one can find evidence of ideological messages. According to theologist Louis Althusser, ideology places individuals into a certain position in society by a process called interpellation, where a specific subject (or group of people) is called out, or hailed.Althusser claims that ideology does this in order to â€Å"help people to live their own conditions of existence, to perform their assigned tasks, but also to ‘bear’ their conditions. † An example of this can be found in television dramas aimed at American middle-aged women, as found on ABC or Lifetime. One potent example comes from the drama Desperate Housewives. This show may seem like a glorified soap opera, as it primarily depicts the lives of four dynamic homemakers living in the same cal-de-sac in suburbia.However, the show’s purpose is not solely to entertain, but also to hail its audience of middle-aged women by telling them what kind of behavior is acceptable for their role in society. In the episode â€Å"You Must Meet My Wife,† each housewife struggles with a personal conflict as their natural desires and tendencies conflict with the type of behavior expected of them as spouses and mothers. We see these discrepancies unfold as the characters are confronted by sexual temptation, marital infidelity, discontent with their husbands and gender roles regarding family finances.In the end, we will see ideological norms reinstated by these women resisting their true feelings in order to act â€Å"appropriately. † On the surface, Bree Van de Kamp looks like the ideal housewife. Her house is always spotless and she cooks gourmet delicacies for her family’s dinner every night. However, as the series progresses, we learn that there is a lot more to Bree (as there is to any person). In this episode, Bree is seduced by her much younger and very attractive contractor. Bree is single, so this is not a matter of infidelity, but of general sexual urges.The narrator explains that Bree was brought up traditionally, learning to hide and suppress her desires in order to be a â€Å"lady. † Therefore, Bree denies her urges because she recognizes that as a woman, society does not approve of her being sexually outgoing. This point is hit home when she fires her contractor so that she is not tempted by his company. She lies and tells him she is letting him go because he is doing a sloppy job, unable to admit to him (or anyone) that she is having fantasies about him.Bree’s display of â€Å"weakness† makes the plot relatable and entertaining to the audience, since it is made up primarily of middle-aged women who feel the same pressure to be almost inhuman sexually . Ironically, that pressure is being reinforced by the ideological lesson that this episode teaches. Gabrielle Solis profiles a different kind of housewife. Her conflict arises when a nurse informs her that her daughter’s blood type indicates that she could not possibly be the child of Gabby and her husband, Carlos.Gauging Gabby’s reaction, the nurse assumes that the child must not belong to Carlos, and judgmentally implies that Gabby was unfaithful. The nurses actions are direct proof of the ideological message: if a housewife cheats on her husband, she loses worth. Panicking, Gabby concludes that she must have cheated on Carlos during a weekend away with her girlfriends when she was blackout drunk. Several ideological violations arise here. First, her role as a housewife does not permit weekends away with her friends where she gets wildly intoxicated. Second, cheating on your husband is of the utmost offense.Although women now have equal rights to match their equal c apabilities, our society is still predominantly patriarchal. Gabby pays for her indiscretions in this episode. Scared and deeply ashamed, she must deal with her overwhelming guilt. Her struggle reinforces ideological norms, teaching her (and consequently, the audience) that she should have been home with her family rather than out for a fun weekend with her friends. It turns out to have been all a mistake, and Gabby was not unfaithful, however her ideological lesson was learned the hard way.Yet another ideological message is presented through the life of Lynette Scavo. Strong, smart and opinionated, Lynette is the feminist who equates to (if not exceeds) her husband in most areas. However, she is not immune to the ideological restraints of being a housewife either. In this episode, her husband Tom is diagnosed with Post Part-um Depression due to the recent birth of their daughter. There is a comical quality to this, as Post Part-um Depression is mostly known as a disease for women. This works to make Tom look weak, while Lynette is exhausted taking care of the house and the kids.She laughs at Tom’s diagnosis, and he becomes offended, stating that she is always too critical. Lynette’s friend Renee becomes involved, telling Lynette that she needs to â€Å"demonstrate her abilities as a wife† and make it up to Tom. Renee’s character provides insight to the ideological belief that wives should be supportive and nurturing towards their husbands, even if it means sacrificing their own comfort or opinions. In the end, Lynette apologizes and listens to Tom complain for hours, just as a proper housewife is expected to do.The domestic role of women is reinstated again through Susan Delfino’s storyline. Unlike Bree and Gabby, Susan lives more of a working class lifestyle, and recently work has been slow for her husband Mike. Tight on money, Susan decides to pick up another job to supplement her income as a teacher. She does this by agre eing to do housekeeping in lingerie for a live-feed stream on the internet. Although this side-job is harmless and proving to be quite profitable, ideology tells her (and consequently, the audience) that this job is something she should be ashamed of.She lies to Mike and tells him she’s been selling homemade jewelry (more of a â€Å"lady-like† hobby) for extra money. It might make sense if Susan felt ashamed because the job might be degrading the sanctity of her body, but that is not the reason. She lies to Mike because if he knew she was using her body to make extra money for them, he might be embarrassed, upset, or even angry. As the ideology of a housewife maintains, a husband should be the main source of finances and his wife should keep him comfortable and happy. Susan breaks these rules, and it burdens her with guilt throughout the episode.She should not be ashamed to be making money in a time where finances are low, but since society does not deem it appropriate , Susan sacrifices her good conscience to be a good housewife. In conclusion, Desperate Housewives reinforces ideological norms of middle-aged women through every main character in the show. The audience might think they are only being entertained for an hour, but what they take away from it is so much deeper. They are impressed with the ideology that women of a certain aged should act, talk, and feel this way. The audience learns lessons through the characters.This particular episode taught us that fulfilling your role as a housewife is of the utmost importance, even if it means sacrificing your natural desires, freedoms, opinions, or capabilities. Desperate Housewives is not the first television show to promote this ideology. Throughout history, the ideal housewife has been depicted as static, obedient, asexual, and sometimes seemingly inhuman. However, a show centered on such a character would be dull. So Desperate Housewives takes some liberties, letting the characters run rampa nt and make mistakes, only to recoil back into their rightful places inside of their homes on Wisteria Lane.