Project work of a British company profile Essay

Project work of a British company profile - Essay Example The first store to be opened was in 1929 in Burnt Oak, and the first self service store was later opened in St Albans in 1956 making it the first and self service which was operational up to 2010. Due to the need to expand and the customers and products being congested, the management saw the need to relocate to a larger premise on the same street. During 1950s, Tesco grew bigger and the management started to expand more thus acquiring more than 800 stores in London (Simms, 2007). For example, in 1957 the company bought 70 Williamsons stores, in 1959 other 200 Harrow stores outlet stores were opened and in 1960, 212 Irwin stores among others. The motto of the business was to pile it high and sell it cheap and this made the customers to flock in the supermarket. The company kept on expanding and in 1995, Tesco introduced a loyalty card and later in the same year an internet shopping services were also available for the customers. In 2006, Tesco announced the need to move into United S tates making sure that grocery stores were opened in the western states making it to have an idea to expand globally. The main section that Tesco usually deals with is Tesco Superstores. This is a supermarket that is stocked with groceries and other non food goods and the stores are normally branded as Tesco. The supermarket usually deals with groceries and the store first operated in Liverpool. Tesco express to provide food stuffs to the customers and shopping is done at Tesco express and later the food stuffs are packed. The stores are found in busy districts and in residential areas where the customers get access to the products (Nash, 2006). Tesco Extra stores are hypermarkets that provide all kind of product ranges. These are largest supermarkets and they are stocked with food, clothing, electronic gargets and entertainment systems. The hypermarket is usually on two floors to make sure that all range of products is available

Phonology and the Teaching of Pronunciation Essay

Phonology and the Teaching of Pronunciation - Essay Example In English, most connected speech processes are unimportant when distinguishing between speakers of all accents (Roach, 2004:1). Native speakers have many tools for dealing with unclear words and sounds that are caused by connected speech for they are already familiar within that context. But native speakers also experience stumbling over their words because of their lack of awareness of the little tricks or the rules in avoiding the difficulties in speech. Studying connected speech is important because of two essential factors (Basquille, n.d.:4). First, native speakers of the English language do not pause between each sound or word, as already mentioned, but they move effortlessly from one sound or word to the next. Second, English is considered as a malleable language, meaning not all syllables within a word are equal. There are weak syllables that disappear or not heard at all and strong syllables that are stressed and lengthened. An example is the question: "How long have you been living here" where the "how" is hardly pronounced, "have you been" contracts, and "long" and "living" expand. Because English has been described as "stress-timed as opposed to a syllable-timed language", meaning stressed and unstressed syllables may extremely vary at irregular intervals of time, sentences are quite elastic (Basquille, n.d.:4). ... These refer to the different aspects of connected speech: 1) vowel weakening, 2) assimilation, 3) elision, 4) intrusion and linking. This paper aims to find out the rules that native speakers of English follow to string words together that brings confusion and problems to students who are learning English. Vowel weakening, assimilation, elision and intrusion and linking are the features of connected speech that are necessary for learning English, whether a native or a non-native speaker. Aspects of Connected Speech Vowel Weakening In the phonetics of English, weak forms refer to the group of words which have one pronunciation: strong when isolated and weak when not stressed within a phrase (Brett, 2007; Roach, 2004:2). Weak forms are recognized by an alteration in vowel quality from a border position on the vowel quadrilateral to a central position. The common vowel in a weak form is the schwa // and they are pronounced at a faster rate and a lower volume than stressed syllables and they are not central to changes in intonation. Weak forms can be seen in words which are necessary to construct a phrase but they do not deliver much information for they are not content words (Brett, 2007; Roach, 2004:4). An example is the sentence: I went to the hotel and booked a room for two nights for my father and his best friend (/a went t h tel n bkt ru:m f tu: nats f ma f:r n hz best frend/). In the sentence, the words that are central to the message are emphasized: went, hotel, booked room, two nights, father, and best friend. If the weak forms or the words that are not emphasized are eliminated from the sentence, the set of phrases may be a little difficult to interpret but they can still

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman After the accession of His majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in 1970 Oman transformed from a rudimentary single economy that lacked all sorts of public amenities and modern infrastructure to a modern and diversified economy aided by the wise leadership of his Majesty. The availability of oil revenues and the importance given to education in the post 1970 period accelerated the development process. For women in Oman, the new era started when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said began the process of Renaissance. The result seen today is because of his firm belief in the future of Oman and its men and women. Women are encouraged to work shoulder to shoulder with their male counter parts. Omani women today are seen in different professions such as, medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, business leaders, and teachers. Omani women are found in the army and police, private and public sectors, and most importantly, in senior government positions. While there are no official figures available, it is said that Oman has the highest number of working women among the AGCC states. (Source: Oman Tribune, 30 September 2007) Purpose of the study This conceptual paper addresses the following issues factors that encourage women to pursue various careers role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate obstacles hindering womens progress Recommendations Factors that encourage women to pursue various careers: Factors which encourage women to work and achieve economic independence and leave a significant mark on the society are mainly: support of women from the Islam religion and the Holy Quran, the wise leadership of his majesty under which thrust has been given to education and Omanization, setting up of Womens Association and favorable labour laws. Rights of women as stated in Islam Islam accords equals rights to men and women. Female education in the Islamic world was inspired by Prophet MuhammadHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivesHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivess ( PBUH) wives: Khadijah, a successful businesswoman, and Aisha, a renowned hadith scholar and military leader. According to a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the women of Medina because of their desire for religious knowledge:[18] An indicator of the attitude of the Quran to women in the workplace is indicated by the quotes used to justify women working. Khadijah (Prophet Muhammads(PBUH) wife), who was an eminent business woman.Sitna Khadijah is called up as a role model for women. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) encouraged Muslims, men and women alike, to seek and pursue knowledge. The Holy Quranic verses and Hadiths can be cited to demonstrate this fundamental right to knowledge. Say: My Lord, increase my knowledge (Holy Koran xx: 1,14). God will exalt to high ranks those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge (Holy Koranlv11: 11). Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave (Hadith).The search for knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, male and female(Hadith). Role of His Majesty His Majesty in His speech: The education of girls is never absent from our mind, since women form half of our society. Rapid strides in educational development were taken after Sultan Qaboos assumed power in 1970. In the year 1970 there were only three schools and no colleges or universities. By the year 1985 the number increased to 588 schools and by 2006 07, there were 1053 schools enrolling a total of 5,63,602 students and employing a teaching staff of 44,514. To support the role of women, the Omani government has set a number of programs such as a network of modern health services and social services throughout the country aimed at improving the advancement of women. Undoubtedly, Omani women have been liberated and accorded their respect as equal partners in Omani society under the leadership of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos. Omanization Omanization Policy was introduced in 1988 as a long-term process of committed vision and mission. This is a key development policy influencing the employment scenario of the country. Omanization plan is seen as a national objective in order to stop the continuation of the countrys dependence on the expatriate manpower by substituting Omani nationals for foreign labor. To this effect, legislation concerning employment contained in the Omani Labor Law states that preference should be given to Omani nationals. This mandate is enforced by the Governments Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor by specifying the ratio of Omanization to be achieved in the private sector taking into account the number of Omani graduates graduating annually from the various educational institutes Education Education in Oman is a fundamental right for each and every Omani citizen. The importance of educating and developing the countrys national human resources has been one of the main aims and policies of His Majestys government .In accordance with His Majestys directives, a network of modern primary and secondary education establishments for girls and boys has been extended across the whole country, catering to even remote villages. Educational progress has been phenomenal. Women have an equal access to educational opportunities. For the academic year 2008 2009 275,229 males and 265,103 females are enrolled in Government schools for general education. For the academic year 2008 2009 7,298 and 4,033 female students are enrolled in Sultan Qaboos University and Colleges of Applied Sciences respectively which is very close to the number of enrollments of the opposite gender. Role of Support Services The aims of the Directorate is to set up programs for the care of mothers and children, the eradication of illiteracy, education, the development of traditional and modern handicraft skills, the promotion of healthy and hygienic environment, the teaching of survival skills, and the cultivation of womens minds and roles as citizens of a modern developing society. Omani Womens Association, the first of its kind in the country was founded in 1971 and is managed as a not for-profit organization. The Omani Womens Association acts in collaboration with the efforts and support of the government to carry out a great number of activities such as literacy classes, provision of handicrafts skills and family care programmes.. It is envisaged that the Womens Association could be instrumental in providing a network for Omani women in management, and to offer the much needed support for their development in the workplace. These programmes enhance the role of Omani women in Sultanate. Womens Leadership 41.9% women (Omanis and Expatriates) are employed in civil services out which the major share is of the Omani women. One and two Omani women are employed in the Special and Ambassador grade respectively with no expatriate females in this grade. Omani (16,389) and expatriate (1,749) women are primarily employed in Grade 6 of Civil Services in 2008 . Economic growth and diversification The availability of oil revenues has made it possible for Oman to develop its economy, educate its people and offer a relatively comfortable standard of living. This however, has not rendered a total reliance and dependence on oil revenues, rather the government of Oman has been pursuing economic diversification and privatization programs as a measure of maintaining available and sustainable economy for its people. Labor Laws pertaining women Labor laws are favorable Omani women .They ensures equality in the workplace and employment in Oman does not discriminate on gender and exercises a sound policy of equal employment opportunity and equal pay act. An entire section in the Oman Labor Law is dedicated to the employment of women. For example, Articles 80 to 82 in the Oman Labor Law clearly safe guard the rights and working conditions of Omani women (Oman Labor Law). Women can avail special leaves such as maternity leave and leave upon death of husband, and a special provision that allows working women to request leave of absence (up to four years) without pay to accompany a spouse who is posted abroad. Working mothers who return to work while continuing to breast feed are allowed to leave work an hour early each day for six months to feed their babies. The working hours in the government (public) sector are conducive to working women. Government employees work from 7:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday are days off from work. Such working hours allow parents, particularly working mothers, to spend time with their children. With all the above factors Omani women have occupied different professions and have contributed to the progress of society. . Role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate Today Omani women are in key positions starting at the Ministerial posts. Dr Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Dr Rajiha Bint Abdulamir bin Ali Minster of Tourism, Dr Shariffa bint Khalfan Al Yahya Minister of Social development, Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan Al Siyabiya, Chairperson of Public Authority for Craft Industry, all hold crucial portfolios. At all levels women are found to hold responsible positions today. Health, Education, banks are the leading sectors. Omani women are active voters as well as candidates who have served terms in the Majlis Ashura. The Majlis Ashuras members represent the Sultanates wilayats. Omani women exercising their voting rights prove their equal status.Omani womens membership of the Majlis AShura dates from 1994. Omani women are also represented at Diplomatic circle as His Majesty appointed the first woman ambassador by appointing her as ambassador to the Netherlands in September 1999. In the Legal area also a growing presence of women is seen. In April 2009 First Omani women was appointed as Director of public prosecution Directorate in the Wilayat of Barkha. Women have served in the ROP for over 35 years and their contribution is growing with new development and experience. Women Police traffic patrols are introduced which is in its first phase now that is limited to the Governorate of Muscat. In the field of fine arts Omani women have been reaching out to international audience. Works of Omani female artists, artisans, sculptress, photographers have been around to other countries for exhibitions. Omani actresses have won accolades for their performance on stage and screen. The Royale Oman Symphony Orchestra has harnessed the talent of some wonderful female musicians. During 2007-2008 the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and Syrias Mari orchestra with Maestro Raad Khalaf performed a joint concert featuring 50 female musicians the first time an event of this kind has been staged in the Gulf. Dr Mariam Al Waili is a Senior Specialist in Nutritional Medicine. She feels that Health sector is a suitable place for women to play their essential role in society. There are more opportunities available than even before and a high demand for qualified and skilled practitioners. Due to the dramatic rise of several diets related chronic diseases, she dreams to see specialized Nutritional Medicine and education centers in the country that can provide adequate treatment and cost effective supplements. Her Highness Sayyida Zeyana Ali Al said is an Air Traffic Controller for the last 14 years. She was selected to study in UK and underwent all the 4 stages of training in Air Traffic Control. According to her the 2 qualities in an ATC would require is Multi tasking and quick thinking.She needed to work in shift, needed a lot of focus to talk to pilots at the same time, keep abreast of information of all aircrafts and work harder to make Air raffic less congested.She thanks His Majest Sultan Qaboos to have given women a chance to prove their capabilities in all of these careers. Barka Al Barky studied Social Science and after her Post graduation moved to Oman in 1976. She took up employment with UN Development Programme and worked till 1993. She helped in development and coordinating UN Agencies contribution to Omani development efforts in all fields of economy from fisheries, agriculture, tourism and industrial planning, civil aviation and meteorology systems. She was the Director of Administration and Personnel at Al Shatti Hospital. In the last 3 years she is mainly supporting the blind community across Oman. Ahlam Al Jahdhami is an Engineer who is today Sales and Client support Manager At Falcon Oilfield Services (National Wireline Logging Company). She provides hi-tech exploration and production services to oil companies in the region. After a degree in Biomedical Engineering she wanted a career as a real engineer. Opportunities in the region were limited. There was a lack of other female engineers from the AGCC and she was one of the first Omani women to survive in this environment. The sharp end of the oil industry is never described as woman friendly or even just friendly. It is still a very male dominated and conservative business. She was working and sometimes living in remote camps or on offshore rigs kilometers away from the comforts of home. The work was very physical and set in some of the harshest environments on earth. However she wants to continue to share her passion for science and engineering and encourage more young women to get involved and contribute in a real and practical way. Dr. Wafaa Al Harasy is a consultant and director of the ROP Forensic Laboratory. She did her Bsc in Egypt and completed her MSc and Phd in United Kingdom. Practically Forensic work is mostly a mans world. There are times when the Forensic team is required to attend crime scenes at unsocial hours of the day and at isolated locations. But she enjoys her job because of these daily challenges and considers herself lucky not only to be part of this specialized skilled team but also one of the founders of this profession in Oman. She wants to be able to contribute to Oman and have a State of art Forensic laboratory and achieve an international recognition for its services. Maliha Al Kharoussi is an E business entrepreneur and CEO of Arabian booking.net a new resource for business, leisure and family travelers.She wishes to add value to the core industries that all use i.e. hospitality, travel and tourism. By bringing these 3 major sectors in one easy to access and use website she will help those who want value for money in quickest possible way. She wishes to help and strengthen Oman as leading tourism destination in areas of regular tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. Ghada Al Harthy is the proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie Cafà © G Catering.From aviation to catering she wanted a career not just a job. She strongly feels that business has no gender. As long as the business is legal and ethical there is nothing to stop us from achieving the goals. She believes that under the wise leadership of His Majesty whohas a strong advocate for women in business, we are amongst the most fortunate in the Gulf as far as equal opportunities are concerned. The opportunities are endless. But there is more to be achieved and that is why His Majesty has initiated yet another step toward the advancement of women in Oman. There are various factors that have hindered the progress of Omani women. Obstacles hindering womens progress Traditional Mind set of Arab men The Arab traditional attitude asserts that women are inferior to men and incapable of pursuing a professional career. Such conservative attitudes negate the concept of professional working women in traditional Arab societies, the idea of women working is degrading and a disgrace to some Arab men who consider that it is their responsibility to provide for their wives and family. The above attitude tends to have a spillover effect at work, whereby male employers regard women as being less capable then men and unfit for responsible positions, claiming that their family obligations take priority; and hence, subjects them to lower productivity and absenteeism (Beck, 1994;Hammoud, 1993). This negative attitude and traditional stereotype towards women in Arab/Islamic societies has been, and still is, a major resisting force to progress for professional working women. Portrayed Self-image of Women The inferior self-image of women becomes difficult to overcome considering that it is ingrained and conditioned in their upbringing and social development(Hunsaker Hunsaker, 1991; Hennig Jardim, 1977). In traditional Arab-Islamic patriarchal societies, the feminine gender is subordinate, while the masculine is superior and dominant (Magharabi et.al., 1994; Bech,1994; Hammoud, 1993; Allaghi Almana, 1984; Gerner, 1984; Al-Hatimy1983). Generally, men are held responsible for providing the necessities of life, thus to work outside the home. On the other hand, women are expected to serve their husbands and children at home, especially since women are not required by the Islamic law (Sharia) to financially support the family. In this subordinate position, women become victims of their own gender (Mernissi,1985, Rassam, 1984). Hammouds (1993) dynamic study on the role of women in higher education management in the Arab region confers that the most fatal obstacle which prevents women from realizing their utmost professional achievement is the self-image of a woman portrayed as inferior to men, incapable of being socially and financially independent, and hence depends on them an to care for and protect them. Human Resource Policies and Strategies The lack of proper human resource policies and strategies addressing women workers has proven to be a major obstacle to womens progress and development. The majority of these workers are concentrated in the lower echelons of the organizational hierarchy with a small percentage in decision making positions12,072 out of 51,229 Omani employees in the wage group of 120 Rials were Omani women, followed by the 200 300 bracket in which 3349 Omani women are employed out of a total of 15,665 local workers in that bracket. Only 25 Omani Women fall in the wage group of 2000 + in the private sector out of a total of 589. . In Oman, the absence of human resource policies and strategies to promote the recruitment and development of female managers at work is a deterrent to gender diversity. The work environment and culture are not conducive to promoting women in management. This acts as a glass ceiling preventing womens accessibility to top management positions. For example, there are no programs to facilitate the advancement of women as role models, absence of mentoring programs, lack of management training programs, and shunning of affirmative action. Lack of Professional a Womens Network The lack of a professional womens network in Oman creates a major void for women aspiring to professional managerial positions. The absence of female mentor-protà ©gà © relationship makes it difficult for women to develop the requisite attitude, skills and abilities for leadership and management positions. This results in a disparate situation and a state of confusion; because after all, women are entering a male dominated domain coupled with a traditional value system and a culture that tends to shun women from pursuing management careers. Work Family Conflict There is an interdependence of work and family life which is especially problematic for women as a result of their greater family responsibilities. Traditionally, women have had the primary responsibility for housekeeping and childcare which do not diminish when they are employed outside the home. Furthermore, the responsibilities they carry are simultaneous while mens are more typically sequential. i.e. a woman may be called in at work regarding a sick child whereas typically a father may fulfill role obligations after work hours. Recommendations The hindrances should be tackled efficiently from all angles like Government, organization and the individual. In Oman the availability and accessibility to all levels of education along with equal opportunities in the job market is more so in the urban area. In the rural interiors the importance given to education takes a back seat and therefore the opportunities in the job market is relatively less? Thus it is important to ensure that rural areas should be focused for literacy campaigns. It is urged that educational opportunities to Omani women should never be compromised, but rather be improved. Meanwhile, special measures should be undertaken to encourage and promote womens access to scientific, managerial, technical, and vocational disciplines in order to develop the requisite skills and extend their opportunities for employment in non-traditional occupations. . It is necessary to institute awareness programs of employment opportunities and benefits to Omani women in all the different regions of Oman so that their participation in work force will further increase. This can be achieved through the utilization of the local and international media as a means for promoting the role of working women in the workplace and the values of Arab women in changing society and their integration in the development process. Other measures include setting up quota systems to ensure the employment and representation of women in the workforce. Since the Omani society is based on strong family ties the centrality of the family accompanied by close relationship makes it the responsibility for parents and parents in law of working women to help with child care. However it is recommended that the Organizations and Government also take the responsibility of family support and Child care services and special attention is directed to the provision of a social infrastructure that will enable women to work, such as professional day care centers onsite, kindergartens, and adequate maternity leave. The availability of such support services is a tangible expression of organizational recognition of the needs of professional women. Consequently, it undoubtedly can make a great difference to the capacity of women to manage multiple roles It is very important that Omani women should think positive about them first and convince others that they are empowered and deserve to be trust worthy. Ghada Al Harthy proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie and Cafà © G Catering says I hope to one day fund and support my own training facilities for younger generation of Omanis so that they may also have a brighter future ahead of them. I also want to start new business ventures that will allow me to create career opportunities for the blind and disabled members of our society. We can all make a positive change starting with our thoughts which lead to our actions. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has always emphasized the importance of the womans role in the countrys growth: Many years ago, I said that if the energy, capability and enthusiasm of women were excluded from a countrys active life, then that country would be depriving itself of 50 per cent of its genius. I have taken very good care that this should not happen to Oman, and I look forward to the further progress of women in my country with the greatest pleasure and confidence.

faulkner :: essays research papers

The Southern Social Themes of Barn Burning William Faulkner undoubtedly ranks one of the best and most influential writers both in America and in history. Among his various works of art, the most famous ones are those set in his fictional Yoknapatawpha County, which is molded out of his â€Å"native soil.† Despite their Southern setting, these works convey something universally true. As Faulkner often claims, he is just a story-teller, telling about man in conflict, about how he â€Å"endures and prevails.† Before he received due recognition, Faulkner wrote quite a few short stories which he expected would help him improve his economic condition, so that he could write novels at ease. Nevertheless, although he was motivated by economic interests, many of these short stories turned out very prominent. "Barn Burning" is one of Faulkner's most frequently anthologized, though its prose is a bit more ponderous than the garrulous first-person narration of "Emily." Set roughly 30 years after the Civil War, the story focuses on two members of the Snopes family: Ab Snopes, a poor sharecropper who takes out his frustrations against the post-Civil War aristocracy by burning barns, and his adolescent son, "Sarty," who dislikes his father's destructive tendencies and ultimately must choose between family and morality. This powerful coming-of-age story is notable for its conscientious prose styling, in which Faulkner mimics the inward turmoil and questions faced by his principal protagonist, as well as its carefully rendered settings of three historical milieus, each of which has important thematic concerns in the story: the sharecropper's cabin, the planter's mansion, and the town's general store. Faulkner incorporated the basic narrative of the story into his novel The Hamlet, though it is told in vastly different language and tone. Written as it was, at the ebb of the 1930s, a decade of social, economic, and cultural tumult, the decade of the Great Depression, William Faulkner's short story "Barn Burning" may be read and discussed by most of us as just that--a story of the '30s, for "Barn Burning" offers students insights into these years as they were lived by the nation and the South and captured by our artists. This story was first published in June of 1939 in Harper's Magazine and later awarded the 0. Henry Memorial Award for the best short story of the year. Whether read alone, as part of a thematic unit on the Depression era, or as an element of an interdisciplinary course of the Depression '30s, "Barn Burning" can be used to awaken students to the race, class, and economic turmoil of the decade.

Acupuncture as a nonconventional treatment for chronic neck pain Essay

Acupuncture as a nonconventional treatment for chronic neck pain Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   IntroductionNeck pain has been classified as one of the commonest problems among the people. This condition arises from various disorders or it may originate from tissues located at the neck (Hush, et al., (2009).The neck is also known as a cervical spine. The necks structure is characterized by vertebrae which run from the upper torso to the skull’s base. The stability of the spine is associated to ligaments and muscles that run along the vertebrae (National Institutes of Health. (2013). A neck’s main importance is its mobility and the support it accords to the head. It is prone to injuries because it is not offered much protection like the rest of the spine. Injuries normally cause less and restricted mobility and triggers NAIP. Unfortunately neck pain are not accorded seriousness, most people treat the neck pain as temporary. There are unique cases where the symptoms do not go away and hence diagnosis and corresponding tre atment is required (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2013).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers (De Loose, V., Burnotte, F., Cagnie, B., Stevens, V., & Van Tiggelen, D. (2008). have found out that the pains are caused by several factors such as wear and tear, sprains and abnormalities of the neck tissue. There is evidence of neck pains arising from other pains such as arm or shoulder pains (De loose, 2008). Normally activities such as extreme bends of the neck, falls and vehicle accidents can cause neck injuries. In certain situations damage of the neck can damage the spine causing paralysis. Researchers have also found out that Spondylosis which occurs in people above the age of 40, adds strains to neck joints creating a path for chronic neck pain. But the condition is treatable through both conventional and nonconventional methods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers and doctors have identified acupuncture as a nonconventional treatment method which is a very effective method for treating chronic neck pains. Researcher (Blosssfeldt, 2004), says that, acupuncture is gaining momentum as a popular nonconventional treatment method for chronic neck pain. He also adds that, the method has been well tolerated and has low risk of adverse effects. (Liang et al, 2008) says that, a combination of both traditional and modern acupuncture technique usually result in a documented and improved neck pain patterns. (Blossfeldt, 2004) adds that acupuncture is widely accepted and it is utilized as a complementary therapy useful in neck pain management originating from cervical spondylitis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers have carried out studies relating to acupuncture systematic review with an aim to find out on acupuncture effectiveness. The studies have found effectiveness evidence as inconclusive (salter et al, 2004). There are studies which have produced results which are positively favoring acupuncture and there are other results which have produced negative findings on the effective of the method (salter et al, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the varying results, this research was developed to find out on the effectiveness of acupuncture method as a non-conventional method in treatment of chronic neck pains in relation to other research findings. In respect to national health statistics and reports, Survey data analysis can be used by medical professionals to measure the pain levels of patients before and after acupuncture treatment. Gathering results from various studies and comparing with the structures of acupuncture and preventive measures of neck pains can help us determine on the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment method. In this literature review the researcher will review on 1) how to establish the viability of acupuncture therapies in the treatment of chronic neck pain; 2) understanding of how sham, shallow and randomized acupuncture therapies are utilized in the treatment of chronic neck pain; 3)provide a conclusive evidence of the success of acupunctu re as an ideal method of relieving pain; 4)establish the effects of the three acupuncture therapies in the treatment of individuals with chronic pain of the neck; 5)offer recommendation of the viability of acupuncture as a treatment option that can be used by people with chronic neck pains. The researcher will also compare the duration of acupuncture treatment with other methods and also the cost associated and risk factors thereof.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   METHODOLOGYTarget PopulationThe research data collected in this study focused on patients suffering from chronic neck pain. The individuals used in the research fell within the age of 21 and 55 years old. Although there are many patients who report about neck pain ailments in different health care facilities across the United States, patients withinthe ages of 21 and 55 years old were ideal for this research study. This was due to the fact that they were easier to track their progress of healing over a longer period of time. Elderly patients over the age of 55 years were not best placed in this research considering the various attributes in the healing processes of such people, which was proven to be relatively lower. Most of the data aboutindividuals with chronic pain of the neck was randomly collected in health care facilities in the State of California, United States. The majority of these patients were diagnosed with chronic neck pain and were put under a special focus while three acupuncture methods of therapies were performed(Witt 2004, p. 99). The study generally involved a thorough investigation of 191 patients in California’s health care. It is important to acknowledge that the various patients were deliberately initiated to acupuncture treatment as their decision to try the alternative medical practice after unsuccessful treatments in the mainstream medical procedures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were certainly no limitation on the sex of the patients; hence the research involved both male and female patients. Additionally, there was no specified number of male or females in the study, as patients, treatment and progress of treatment of patients was randomly taken. Further, it was assumed that both male and female patients presented similar responses to the different acupuncture therapies performed in the study(Sun et al, 2009, p. 850).The research was not limited by either ethnicity or race, although believed to have different characteristics in regard to various medical procedures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Variables of the studyThe dependent variables in this study included the neck pain as an ailment caused by various aspects such as physical injury and disease or condition among others. The rates of cases involving chronic neck pains during the period of this study were generally unprecedented as the causes of such ailments greatly varied. Chronic neck pain among the patients varied in regard to the specific causes, which in this case included degenerative disc disease, neck injury, neck strain, herniated disc as well as pinched neck(Sun et al, 2009, p. 850). The first step in the treatment procedure involved a thorough diagnosis of common neck infections that caused the chronic pain. The research exploits treatment of such neck pains using acupuncture which falls into three categories including optimized acupuncture, shallow acupuncture and sham acupuncture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research LimitationsThe key limitations were based on neck pain due to common infection like virus infection of the neck and lymph nope swelling, as well as other infections such as tuberculosis of the neck, meningitis, and infection of spine bones around the neck. It was difficult in the study since some of patients did not present themselves on the day of the study. The study also used a large number of patients which was a challenge for the researcher. The different patients involved in this study had chronic neck pains attributed to extremely different causes, which included physical injuries, some rare infections, and virus infections among others(Witt 2004, p. 99). The patients with this problem are generally taken through the three acupuncture therapies, regardless of the cause of their condition(Hush 2004, p. 1533). The fact that all patients are uniformly taken into similar medical procedures without being categorized in relation to their specific cause of chronic neck pain remain as the greatest limiting attribute of this research. Additionally, time was a limiting factor since the time allowed for the research was not enough to efficiently tackle critically the objectives of the study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research criteria and Database usedIn this study, the items were collected through searching peer reviewed journal articles and therefore, the researcher thoroughly searched in various databases for article that provided information for patients suffering from chronic neck pains, specifically those individuals between the age of 21 and 55 years old. The researcher further categorized the data collected to form two groups of patients of the age bracket of 21 and 34 years and those between 35 and 55 years old. The creation of these two groups was essential as taking a wider range of people of ages 21 to 55 years old would present relatively a higher deviation in the healing processes of the patients, as those above the age of 35 years present a much longer period of healing as compared to the youthful 21 to 34 years group. The researcher focused the search on SPORT Discus, Academic Search Premier, BMJ Research Articles and Gov., database.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Keywords used in the studyThe key terms the researcher commonly used while searching for the relevant articles included: Chronic neck pain, cervical pain types of acupuncture, alternative medicine, Sham acupuncture, Shallow acupuncture and Randomized acupuncture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   OVERVIEW OF ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICEPracticing acupuncture started many centuries ago as a type of medication in China. It is the practice of implanting needles at certain points of the human skin as a form of therapy. In acupuncture practices, there is no involvement of drugs but only the needles are enough to accomplish the therapy (Liang et al, 8). The practice originated from China and has been noted to spread all over west of Europe (Liang et al, 8).As argued by the model on Chinese medicine, the specific places that the acupuncture needles are placed lies on the path named meridians where the dynamic energy goes through, hence allowing its access to control and regulate the flow of energy which is believed to be the cause of force imbalance (Willich et al, 2006, p. 98).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Populations and AcupunctureAcupuncture has been practiced in several parts globally, especially in Europe even though it is in its inception stages in the United States. According to NHI survey done in the year 2007 that also considered the use of CAM in America,where 1.4% of the respondents were found to be using acupuncture before then. The 3.1 million of the American population claimed they only practice it majorly for severe migraine and repetitive pain. The study showed that half of the respondents used acupuncture to treat chronic neck pain (Sun et al, 2009, p. 850).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The practice should obviously be regarded by physicians as an ideal treatment preference due to the backing it has received from those individuals who have used it in the treatment of chronic neck pain. Subsequently, the study did not restrict the adults basing on their gender due to limited research.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CHRONIC NECK PAINChronic neck pain is an ailment that is characterized by pain in the neck that lasts for an unusually long period of time, commonly over a period of three months(Blossfeldt, 2004). Although different from the common medical conditions of neck pains that last for only days, chronic neck pain is typically an ailment that takes even years without success in its treatment in the mainstream medical practices(Irnich, 2002). Chronic neck pain is usually associated with a number of disorders, as well as diseases that can involve any of the tissues around the neck(Witt 2004, p. 99). For instance, the common causes of this condition are strains of the neck, injury of the neck like a herniated disc, pinched disc, or whiplash, and degenerative disc disease. In addition, chronic neck pain is also linked to common infection like virus infection of the neck and lymph nope swelling, as well as other infections such as tuberculosis of the neck, meningitis, and infection of spine bones around the neck. Some patients also had chronic neck pains caused by extremely different causes, which include physical injuries, some rare infections, and virus infections among others. Further, chronic neck pain is also caused by certain infections like virus infection of the neck and lymph nope swelling, as well as other infections such as tuberculosis of the neck, meningitis, and infection of spine bones around the neck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC NECK PAINSChronic neck pain is generally caused by numerous factors ranging from physical injury to certain infections around the neck body tissues. Since neck pain affects the muscles around the body areas of the neck, it becomes painful to move the neck (De Loose, 2008, p. 475). In order to avoid or to prevent neck pains for the patients, it is always essential to consider staying away from activities may twist the neck and subsequently aggravate the already painful section of the neck(Witt 2004, p. 99). Therisk factors for the pain usually include injury from involvement in activities like motor vehicle accidents, horse riding, contact sports and bull riding among others, degeneration of cervical disc also known as Spondylitis, neck bent and twisting positions (De Loose, 2008, p. 475).In addition, it is also advisable to have activities that will enhance neck strengthening exercise, as well as neck bracing, reduc e TV watching usage of safety belts in motor vehicles and going to the gym for exercise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   TYPES OF ACUPUNCTURE USED IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN TREATMENTOptimized acupuncture therapyThe practice of optimized acupuncture therapy involves the utilization of traditional acupuncture, which is usually followed by intradermal needle therapy, commonly referred to as INT(Hush 2004, p. 1533). The use of OAT usually consists of the use of nine acupuncture points typically selected for an optimized acupuncture therapy group on the advice and consensus of the national expert committee of the OAT procedures. In this case, four points are subsequently located by physician intending to perform the OAT. The points selected are usually the cervical positive reactions planes found in the top and bottom of the cervical planes as well as horizontally away from the corresponding cervical vertebra(Witt 2004, p. 99). The study found that this type of acupuncture practice is highly sensitive and hence the need to be performed by an individual with more than five of practice experiences   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sham acupuncture therapyThe practice is put into use only as a tool for control in the scientific research in order to measure the efficiency of real acupuncture in various disease treatment. This type of acupuncture involves the use of skin penetrating shallow needles on the specified sham groups’ tender points.The tender points that are used in this method of acupuncture therapy are categorized as the key areas recommended for the acupuncture, which are the Ah Shee, also referred to as â€Å"oh yes point†. The points are crucial in this therapy and have to be used throughout the treatment procedure. Typically, the location of sham points is commonly defined by 25mm lateral extending to the standard location used for the OAT group.They include: the sham point of Dazhui (GV14) 25mm, which is 25 mm vertically below the usual standard GV14, sham points of (S115) Jianzhongshu and Huatuojiaji, which is 25 mm lateral to standard S 115 (Liang et al, 8). After the sham acupuncture, individuals undergoing the process or patients are treated through the use of point pressing (De Loose, 2008, p. 475). The findings show that a patient does not notice whether it is sham or real acupuncture being used. The results showed that the variation between real and sham practices are caused by habituation or the control effects. If the real acupuncture is efficient compared to the sham, then the habituation and control effects such as expectations of the patient, behavior and beliefs are present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shallow acupuncture therapyShallow acupuncture group undergoes similar procedures as the other OAT groups.However, the physicians are required to insert the needles in a vertical manner in order to reach the subcutaneous level at a specified depth of not more than 3 mm (Salter et al, 2004). Needle manipulation or any other sensation is prohibited in this particular group. Ultimately, after the shallow acupuncture, the patients are additionally treated by INT through the use of a similar method as in the other OAT groups. It was found that the therapy do not fully treat the pain fully due to its shallow penetration hence the need for additional treatment that follow the same procedures. It results to a more efficient treatment in comparison to other therapies though takes much time (Salter et al, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ACUPUNCTURE AS AN IDEAL METHOD COMPARED TO PHYSIOTHERAPYZhuang (2012); Robertshawe, (2008), compares the use of acupuncture and physiotherapy in the treatment of chronic neck pain in a research that took place in China. The research involved screening of a total of 310 patients. The patients were then randomly split into two equal groups, where one group was treated using acupuncture method, while the other group received treatment through physiotherapy. The outcome of the treatment of the two procedures revealed that patients treated under acupuncture procedures had better results in relieving neck pain, particularly after a period of three months. It is essential to acknowledge that physiotherapy is an alternative medical practice that can be used in the treatment of chronic neck pain. While acupuncture therapies generally used sterilizes needles that are usually inserted in the area around the neck depending on the type of acupuncture u sed, physiotherapy does not involve the use of needles. Physiotherapy utilizes several types of manipulation as well as exercise to relieve pain. The common illustration of the use of physiotherapy is the stretch, strengthen and straighten up exercise movements of the neck (Robertshawe, 2008; Willich, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTWhite, (2001); Ji-Eun, (2010), researched about the adverse effects following a use of acupuncture to treat patients with chronic neck pain. In his survey, which included a prospective survey of 32,000 consultations with physiotherapists and doctors, the researcher, Adrian White aimed at ascertaining the incidence of adverse effects that are related to acupuncture treatment, as practiced by British doctors during that time. The research utilized data that were collected for the June of 1998 to February of 2000, from a total of 78 acupuncturists. Altogether the resulting significant effects were 43, subsequently giving only a rate of only 14 patients of the 10,000 patients included in the data. The results of this study showed that only 0.14 percent of the patients who used acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain experience adverse effects (White, 2001). All the adverse effects were reported to have had cleared within the period of one week after the therapy. Similar diminishing effects were characterized at a longer period, except for only one incident that lasted for several weeks. The result derived from the data of acupuncture treatment did not report any serious adverse effects. The rates can only be classified as minimal considering that it was only 14 adverse effects out of the total 10,000 patients who were analyzed with the data provided (White, 2001; Ji-Eun, 2010). Generally, these effect rates do not give significant risk per individual patient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   RECOMMENDATION ON ACUPUNCTURE’S VIABILITYThe article by Chen, et al., (2010), offers exclusive views on acupuncture given by various physicians. The research by Chen among other authors who contributed to the article, there study targets collecting information that addresses the role of acupuncture in the management of pain in regard to opinions of physicians who manage such conditions. The research was conducted between 2007 and 2008 using a nationwide e-mail to 1083 physicians who were in active acupuncture practice in the United States. Chan et al., (2010) found that the overwhelmingly majority of the responders of the survey had a positive attitude and favorable experience of the use of acupuncture as an alternative modality in the management of chronic pain. The results of the survey subsequently indicate that acupuncture is considered effective by physicians in the management of chronic neck pain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CASE STUDIES:Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck painWitt et al., (2006) undertook the study in examining how effective acupuncture as an alternative treatment for neck pain treatment in comparison to patients who used routine medical care. The study used a random approach of more than 14000 individuals aged above 18 suffering from neck pain symptoms within a period of 6 months. Also took a non-acupuncture for 15 sessions within a period of 3 months. The acupuncture category were given injections without any other acupuncture treatment. The group which was controlled was not treated using acupuncture but both groups could use any other mode of treatment. The study found out that patients using routine care and add on acupuncture treatment showed significant improvements in both pain and quality of their lives in comparison to patients who only used routine treatments. Therefore, the results concludes that acupuncture can be used alo ngside routine treatments to achieve optimal results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Efficacy and safety of acupunctureVas, et al, (2006) conducted a study to establish the effectiveness of acupuncture vis a vis placebo. Both methods were to be utilized to treat chronic neck pains that were not complicated. (N=123) patients, who were over the ages 17 and who possessed chronic neck pains for over 3 months were used. They were randomly selected into 2 groups, the acupuncture group and placebo group. For 3 weeks, the acupuncture group was treated with 5 acupuncture treatments. The treatment characteristics were, 30 minutes treatment followed by 10 minutes manual treatments. While the placebo group was subjected to transcutaneous nerve stimulation, which was characterized by 30 minutes of treatment and the potentiometer was being adjusted after every 10 minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The findings from this study were that, acupuncture as a form of neck treatment had minimal side effects. For overall effectiveness, acupuncture was found to have higher effectiveness than placebo. Researchers conclusively said that, acupuncture was effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   DISCUSSIONIn its broad context, this research has dwelled in covering all the related material on acupuncture and especially its effectiveness in treatment of acupuncture. Most are the studies which have found considerable effectiveness and a few studies have found less significant improvement in acupuncture use. The researchers (salter et al, 2006; Liang et al 2012; Chen et al 2010; vas et al 2006) have favorably recognized acupuncture as an effective non-conventional treatment method.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the review above, it is evident that all the methods of acupuncture are effective in treatment of chronic neck pains. Sham, optimization and shallow acupuncture all have a capacity of effectiveness when administered well. The various studies by salter have provided solid practical evidence and information on patients’ health upon using all the three types of acupuncture in treatment of patients and individuals (salter et al 2004). For example in 2007, a national health interview survey in America found that, 1.4% of respondents have used acupuncture to treat chronic neck pains. That percentage reported success, which is a testament to acupunctures effectiveness (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2012).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Blossfeldt, 2004) in his research notes that, acupuncture optimized technique success rate was a favorable 68%. Blossfeldt also noted that, on short term basis, acupuncture was 78% effective, while on long term basis it was 49% effective. Salter also found out on effectiveness of acupuncture. The neck pain questionnaire that he used for a period of 3 months, found out that, of the 34 % of the patients who have neck pains, 14% of these have effectively used acupuncture therapy (salter et al 2004) another researcher Liang, who conducted studies in china in association with other scholars, they found out that optimized acupuncture as a method of treating chronic neck pains was very effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although I extensively performed research on a wide range of databases, there are some articles that may have been missed out. Since I was individually conducting this research alone, it is possible that the large number of crucial articles were subsequently overlooked. In addition, there are many external factors that could have influenced the entire result of the use of acupuncture as an ideal treatment for chronic neck pain. The majority of studies slightly differ in a number of issues such as data collected, population, or any of combinations of these factors. White (2001) precisely researched about the adverse events following a use of acupuncture to treat patients with chronic neck pain, with an extreme number of respondents. Chen, L. et al., (2010), had a relatively smaller number of responders, and also had collection of data to be collected only through email in his research on the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of chronic pain in the neck. These are some of the factors that were out of the scope of the research, hence determining the effectiveness of acupuncture was difficult, since the aspect of effectiveness could easily be isolated from some external factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The analysis of the specific information provided by the studies of the literature review of this research paper indicates that either of the three methods of acupuncture can effectively treat the chronic neck pain. The procedural practice of sham, shallow and optimized acupuncture, though different, they present similar way of performing the acupuncture therapy, equally offering effective treatment for chronic neck pain. Liang et al, (2012) asserts that the three types of acupuncture to be based on the thought that decrease or alienation of pain can be enhanced by releasing the chemicals responsible for blocking pain. Issues of age in the study have been considered as the research only focused on individuals between 21 years old and 55 years, as they are likely to have a faster period of healing as compared to adult elderly groups of more than 55 years old. Generally, the use of acupuncture is illustrated as effective as it has previously been used to treat patients with chronic neck pain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The loopholes evident in the research include the possibility of a prior knowledge in determining the differences that may emerge upon consideration for gender in the treatment program. In the entire study, there is no single explanation of the ratio of females against the males in finding out the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment procedures. The study focused on a general perspective of patients with chronic neck pain regardless of their respective sex or gender. The knowledge of the differences that exist between males and females could have some effects on the understanding the use of acupuncture. In addition, the paper did not focus on the causes of the various neck pain, which could also compromise the results of the study, considering that such plans are typically attributed to a wide variety of causes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Topics that can be considered for further research are establishing the element of gender in determining the effectiveness of acupuncture while treating chronic neck problem. The various studies illustrated in the research paper did not point out the importance of understanding differences in the healing process of male and female patients with chronic neck pain. I suggest a study be conducted with a major emphasis on the aspect of gender differences between patients in order to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for neck pain in male and female patients. If this study is conducted, it will be possible to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment between male and female patients within the same health condition of chronic neck pain. References Blossfeldt, P. (2004). Acupuncture for Chronic neck pain: a cohort study in an NHS pain Clinic.22(3): 146-151. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15551941Chen, L., Houghton, M., Seefeld, L., Malarick, C. & Mao.Jianren. (2010). A Survey of SelectedPhysician Views on Acupuncture in Pain Management. 11(4), 530-534 Salter, G.C, Roman, M., Bland, M. J & MacPherson, H. (2006). Acupuncture for chronic pain: apilot for randomized controlled trial. 7(1): 3-14. Retrieved fromhttp://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/7/99 Liang, Z. H., Di, Z., Jiang, S., Xu, S. J., Zhu, X. P., Fu, W,.& Lu, A. P. (2012). The optimizedacupuncture treatment for neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis: a study protocol of amulticenter randomized controlled trial. 13(1): 2-18. 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Mercutio character in Romeo and Juliet Essay

In Romeo and Juliet each character has a specific role. Mercutio’s role is the most important. He is the kinsman to the prince and Romeo’s closest friend and confidante, and in this role he can be very inluential to Romeo and can influence the decisions made and the directions the play takes. He uses his humour and wit to lead the other characters to the climax. He is in a difficult position, as the friend of Romeo and the princes kinsman, but all these factors contribute to the memorable character he is. Mercutio is the driving force behind the play, as he fortells or is the cause of most of the major events. Before the Capulets party Benvolio advises they enter quietly, dance and leave, but Mercutio, the only person in this scene actually invited to the play, disagrees;  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœduns the mouse, the constables own word,  if thou art dun, we’ll draw thee from the mire’  Mercutio is saying that only a mouse should be silent and small. In this instance Mercutio is moving the play along by teasing Benvolio and Romeo into staying at the party longer, which turned out to be fatal. The party is a major event in the play because Romeo meets Juliet there, and consequently decides his love for Rosaline was nothing but a crush. The next major event in the play is Mercutio’s own death, this is often believed to be the climax in the play because from there on everything changes for the worse. In Mercutio’s last scene Romeo intervenes as Mercutio is fighting Tybalt and Mercutio is wounded under Romeo’s arm, Mercutio then makes Romeo question why he intervened and then to feel responsible for Mercutio’s death, he seeks revenge on Tyalt and is banished, which provides the complication for the story. These are just two examples of situations where Mercutio has either used his wit to manipulate Romeo into doing something (the party) or made Romeo question what is going on and who is to blame. Mercutio’s death is the only time in the play where he accepts that the feud plays a bigger role in his life than he likes to think. Before this he treats the feud as more of a joke, he doesn’t think about the consequences of bringing a Montague to the Capulets party. In fact, you could say that Mercutio enjoys the tensions between the two families as it provides situations where he can stir up some fun. He does this when Tybalt is searching for Romeo and Mercutio warns him that if Tybalt starts a fight Romeo will not back down, then, when Romeo will not fight Mercutio takes his place. â€Å"A plague on both your houses, they have made worms meat out of me† Mercutio does not say Tybalt has made worms meat out him, he says they, both the houses. As he is dying he curses the house of Capulet and Montague three times, he knows that his death was not caused by fate but from him getting to close to the feud. Romeo and Juliet is well known for being a Comedy and a Tragedy, yet when Mercutio dies so does the comedy. A comedy is a drama where satire or humour is used and this definitly defines the scenes Mercutio is involved in. Mercutio is the bearer of all the humour in the play; the only time any other character shows any wit is when they are in the company of Mercutio. This is shown in Act two, scene four, when Romeo and Mercutio have a battle of wits, when the scene before Romeo was almost begging the Friar to marry Romeo to Juliet. Because every one of Mercutio’s lines is full of multiple puns and jokes his lines previous to his death are noticed and remembered by the audience for the fact that he curses the houses, even Romeo’s and also states that he is hurt and ‘sped’. Romeo doesn’t really take him seriously at first:†The hurt cannot be much† Then, as soon as Romeo realizes Mercutio really is dying Mercutio renews his humour and makes plays on the word ‘grave’; this last bout of humour quickly turns into rage. He, Mercutio was dying from a scratch! â€Å"Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch a man to death! A Braggart, a rouge, a villian, that fights by the book of arithmatic† When Tybalt’s challenge to Romeo arrived at the Montague house Mercutio told Benvolio that he hated Tybalt for his fancy dressing and manners to be accepted into society, and here he was, dying from a scratch delt by â€Å"The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting fantasicoes, these new tuners of accent. From here on the play descends to a Tragedy, a dramatic performance where the main characters are led to ruin and misery. The character of Mercutio is short lived but best remembered for his quick wit and humour in otherwise boring or serious situations, he plays a vital part in the play because he can move the play in new directions, being Romeo’s friend and the Princes kin. He finds it hard to stay neutral in the feud and this contributes to his death in the end. It is because of these characteristics that he is the most remembered character in Romeo and Juliet.