Culture Views on Health

Jessica Knott UOP HCA 230 04-19-2010 Cultural Views on Health Health can have different meanings to different people and in their cultures around the world. A person’s health is not any different when it comes to an individuals, nor does it matter what part of the world they are in but they still have the same thing in common physical, mental, social, and spiritual beings. A person’s health refers to how they feel and also how they relate to their environment and the people that share that environment with them. People’s lives and morals are a combination of the different areas is what makes them who they are, and this does not change because of the area where they are from. A person who is happy and has a healthy lifestyle has created a healthy balance of their physical, social, spiritual, and emotional part of their life. â€Å"There are different ways of looking at health. Every culture has a concept of health that is probably different to that of others† (Capdevila, 2006) A person’s upbringing or background can affect the medical treatment they receive. Some cultures believe in holistic medicine. Some cultures treat their people with such practices without seeking treatment from a clinic or facility. The ethnic, cultural, and personal belief of an individual can affects the ability to receive care. For example in China herbal and holistic medicines are use everyday to help treat patients. These remedies have been used for centuries and continue to be passed down from generation to generation. Now Asian Americans have faith and believe in plants and their healing properties. The new fad in American culture of wellness and feeling the harmony between the mind, body, and spirit has its roots also in the Chinese culture. American culture looks for healing in new modern techniques of medicine and in technology. Americans usually say that we treat the disease and not the patient because we don’t have a patient without the disease. A lot of people believe that the herbal approach is helpful, while others do not believe. Some people believe that it should not be relied on because different people have different ways of providing medical care when it comes to herbal medicines. But a lot of Americans still have a more modern views when it comes to health care, due to the fact that we have the best and latest medical technology. â€Å"The Asian American/Pacific Islander population in the U. S. is mostly foreign-born. Therefore, these families continue to hold on to traditional views of health and illness† (Cantore, 2008) Acupressure is usually what is used in the Asian culture. But it is also being used now in the United States because we have a mixture of cultures. People from all cultures are now using acupressure to help as a cure. It supposes to help with smoking addictions and relieve the pain of childbirth. â€Å"It can be used to stimulate sleep or digestion or to increase mental stability. †¦ Many doctors recommend meditation and yoga to relax patients undergoing modern procedures such as chemotherapy or surgery. † (Cantore, 2008) â€Å"Eastern practices are popular because health consumers are more informed and are taking more responsibility for and control of their health. In addition, these practices and remedies assist the body in maintaining health and aid the body in natural healing. (Cantore, 2008) Vietnamese culture which is still an Asian culture, believes in harmony, balance in their lives and with their health. There are many differences between the American and Vietnamese cultures, for example in America if you are overweight or obese it is not a good thing. But in the Vietnamese culture being overweight or obese is seen as a good sign of economic status and people actually envy yo u of this. There are implications to health care providers when it comes to both cultures. For example, in a culture where obesity is more acceptable, health care providers are challenged to provide care to more people. â€Å"Stopping the cycle of obesity before it becomes the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States is a priority for community health nurses. † (Durand E, Logan C, Carruth A, 2007) Every culture and society has their own beliefs and morals. Some believe in the herbal medicine, some believe that they are heal by faith, and some use technology for the answer. But I believe that the important side of that is that we must respect what a person believes is right. As long as the patient is not going to cause themselves any harm by holding onto cultural practices, is allowed to follow their traditional beliefs. Some of the medical practices that come from other regions and cultures are now being more accepted into the modern world, so we should be open to many different options when it comes to our health and treatment plans. References Capdevila, G (2006, May 25) BOLIVIA: Wanted – Healthcare Adapted To Indigenous Cultures. Retrieved on April 11, 2009 from http://ipsnews. net/news. asp? idnews=33372 Cantore, J (2008) Modern Nursing, Traditional Beliefs. Minority nurses can play a crucial role in helping Asian patients bridge the gap between East and West, old and new. Retrieved on April 10, 2009 from http://www. minoritynurse. com Durand E, Logan C, Carruth A. (2007). Association of maternal obesity and childhood obesity: implications for healthcare providers . Journal of Community Health Nursing. 24 (3): 167-76 (journal article – review, tables/charts). Retrieved on April 11, 2009 from EBSCOhost database.

Psychology Department of Indiana University

Brought up with an old fashioned nature, Skinner was a celebrated American psychologist. He was born to a family wherein he has a lawyer for a father and a rather intelligent and strong willed mother. He was born on the 20th of March in the year 1904. He was a very active child who loved school a lot. One of his interests was to build things outdoors. However, there were depressing instances in his childhood as well. One of these instances involved the death of his brother at the age of 16. B. F. Skinner was born in Pennsylvania, Susquehana.He was raised to be an American, but sources say he has a trace of English in his ancestral line. He studied in New York at the Hamilton College, and attained his degree in English. He participated in a lot of extra curricular activities in school. But what could be remembered about him in that academic instituion is to have been required to attend church every day as an Atheist. One of his dreams was to become a good writer, and he tried to achie ve that by sending copies of his stories and poetry. He tried to focus on building his craft, but in the end, he finally realized that writing would no be the career for him.With this in mind, he instead hesitated with his writing lifestyle and took his masters and doctorate degrees on pschology in Harvard. He led the Psychology Department of Indiana University as the chairperson in the year 1945. He was invited to be at Harvard, where he stayed until he passed. He achieved a lot of research and application about his theories and studiies. But one remained highly significant. When he failed to become the writer he hoped himself to be, he became the scholar that will forever be remembered for his contributions to the society and to the acedeme.He was considered as the most celebrated psychologist, after Freud. He remains to be remembered to today because his passing was not yet that long ago. With that said, the impact he had on the country was well remembered and creditted for. Some of his significant sttudies was on the theory of Operant Condition. As the basis of the theories that followed this one, his theory became of the most memorable theories. This theory involves how people are merely bouncing in their own world, doing what it was doing when he was seen.He also called this operating due to the nature that it involves reaction, brought about a certain stimulus. In other terms, a person does one thing and experiences consequences. The next time he experiences a similar stimulus, he would try to evade the consequences that follows it—either by rejecting the possibility or changing certain elements. This theory began the line of other theories established under his name and study. By this, he was made famous. A lot of people got curious about his discoveries, and these in turn, were shared to a lot of other people.His knowledge is perhaps his greatest asset, without it, he would not have been able to establish himself in the manner that his theories are well taken in academic institutions. His life was not only introduced to a wide array of possibilities when he began to study psychology, but he was able to establish his mark in the history of man. He began by dreaming of becoming a writer. However, in the end, he got himself into psychology, and discovered that this would be much preferable. Reference Boeree, C. G. (2006). B. F. Skinner. Retrieved April 11, 2008 from http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html.

The Cliff Dwellings of the Anasazi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cliff Dwellings of the Anasazi - Essay Example However, regardless of the taxonomical ways in which current scholars debate the issue, the fact of the matter remains that a thriving civilization once existed in the Four Corners region and regardless of how it is called or classified, exhibited many of the same indicators that are currently attributed to the Anasazi people. As a function of better understanding this level of classification, this brief essay will seek to introduce the known facts, briefly discuss some myths and stories that exist with relation to these people, and settle upon a preliminary understanding of whether or not such a people group existed. One particular fascinating aspect of the myth and reality that has defined a further understanding of the Anasazi people is the evidence that archeologists and historians have recently uncovered with relation to the complex network of road systems that seemingly were built during this particular period of civilization within the Americas. The road system has long been discussed as part of Pueblo mythology and was not believed to actually exist (Kloor 22). However, due to recent studies and archeological research it has been proven that the road system does indeed exist. The root reason for this road system is still a topic of dispute due to the fact that many scholars believe and argue that the road system was economic in origin; as with almost all road construction that has taken place since the dawn of time. However, others indicate that the road system may have had the purpose of providing a way for the lost souls of ancestors to find their way back and forth between ceremonial c elebrations and other important events (Anasazi Culture 1). Although the debate is ongoing, there is a level of evidence from current Pueblo mythology that lends the most credence to the secondary interpretation alongside the fact that the true nature and level of development of the Anasazi economy are not known to a well enough degree to indicate that such an

Developments in the 19th Century that Drove the Shifts in Imperial Research Paper

Developments in the 19th Century that Drove the Shifts in Imperial Policies and Practices of European Empires during New Imperia - Research Paper Example Amongst others, these shifts included the moving away from the economic doctrine of mercantilism that focused on the expansion of trade and markets through strategic control of ports towards the establishment of large scale, formal empires by way of aggressive internal penetration of territory and the exercising of control over the geography and population in those territories. We need only a glimpse at a few statistics to see that these shifts had remarkable consequences. According to Daniel R. Headrick- professor of social sciences at Roosevelt University and author of The Tools of Empire- â€Å"in the year 1800 Europeans occupied or controlled thirty-five percent of the land surface of the world; by 1878 this figure had risen to sixty-seven percent, and by 1914 over eighty-four percent of the world’s land area was European-dominated. ‘The British Empire alone,† Headrick continues, â€Å"already formidable in 1800†¦ increased it’s land area sevenfol d and its population twentyfold in the following hundred years†.1 However, these shifts were not simply coincidental. In fact, the changes in the imperial policies of the Europeans during the era of â€Å"New Imperialism† were driven by two major nineteenth century developments: the second industrial revolution, and the emergence of a pack of European nation states. Main Body Imperialism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is â€Å"the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation†¦ over the political or economic life of other areas†2 To put this in simple terms, imperialism is the acquisition and buildup of territory and capital. However, the Merriam-Webster definition does not quite pin the proverbial tail on the donkey, for it lacks one key component of imperialism: what is the justification for this said extension of power? According to Edward Said- former professor of English and comparative literature at Colum bia University and author of Culture and Imperialism- the acts â€Å"of accumulation and acquisition†¦ are supported and perhaps even impelled by impressive ideological formations that include notions that certain territories and people require and beseech domination, as well as forms of knowledge associated with domination†.3 Thus, the working definition for Imperialism from here on out is the combination of two previous definitions, which goes as follows: the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation†¦ over the political or economic life others, which is supported and perhaps even impelled by impressive ideological formations that include notions that certain territories and people require and beseech domination, as well as forms of knowledge associated with domination.   New imperialism cannot be said to be only the policies of the elite because it was greatly supported by the lower classes in Europe. The main aspect of the c ulture of imperialism was the feeling of superiority amongst white Europeans. Many people had such perceptions because of being bound by Christianity and they believed that there was nothing wrong in forcibly Christianizing the conquered societies, which they believed was the main motive of imperial missions. Some viewed imperialistic aspirations from a secular perspective, while some followed Darwinian concepts in upholding their

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fall of the House of Usher - Essay Example To be specific, psychological thrillers combine gothic elements and human psychology and entertain human minds. Besides, Poe leads the readers towards the secrets hidden inside the layers of human mind. So, Poe’s literary craftsmanship is beyond the scope of traditional mode of storytelling. One can see that Poe’s works help the readers to analyze the problems faced by the characters from a different angle of view. Thesis statement: The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe can be regarded as a psychological thriller because the same exposes the deep relation between horror and insanity. This essay is broadly divided into: horror, insanity, and the relationship between horror and insanity. Horror: One can see that the author consciously links the main theme with the element of horror. To be specific, Roderick Usher’s dwelling place itself is the most important aspect of horror in the short story. The geographical location of the house in a remote area, ad ded with strangeness, forces the readers to feel the element of horror. On the other side, Roderick Usher’s strange behavior and his warm relationship with the narrator creates doubt in the minds of the readers. But the sudden twist in the story, related to the strange incidents at Roderick Usher’s dwelling place, leads the readers towards an illusionary world of horror. Still, the narrator tries to be cordial with Roderick Usher and his sister. But this does not help Roderick Usher to maintain his emotional equilibrium. On the other side, Madeline’s fate as the victim to her brother’s hallucination adds the element of horror to the plot. Kirsten Hinzpeter states that, â€Å"Madeleine’s illness which stuns even the physicians would additionally be a source of terror† (60). At the same time, Poe provides ample importance to unexpected events in the short-story. This unexpectedness, added with gothic setting, accelerates the free flow of the e lement of horror in the work. In short, the author’s interest in abnormal psychology results in the escalation of the element of horror in the work as a whole. Insanity: Insanity is another element in the short-story that leads the readers to suspect the real aim of the main characters. For instance, the narrator’s decision to visit a family infested with insanity is really suspicious. In this stage, the readers may suspect the narrator as an insane individual. Roderick Usher tries to keep himself as a normal person, but fails to do the same. For example, he tries to forget his illness by immersing himself in music and painting. He does not try to seek sympathy from others, but seeks help from his close friend. Still, his real aim by inviting his friend is ambiguous because he is totally abnormal in his behavior. Roderick Usher does not like to socialize with others in his locality. He leads a secluded life within the interiors of his home. This proves that Roderick Us her is aware of the problem of lunacy faced by his sister and him. Dawn B. Sova states that, â€Å"The dilemma faced by the romantic artist is represented by Roderick, who effectively plunges into madness when he leaves the real world behind in his search for the sublime† (69). But his sister is not an active participant in the story line. In the short-story, she is presented as an individual who is dead. One can guess that Roderick Usher killed his sister and is trying to cover his crime. This ambiguity and hallucination related to the element of insanity leads the readers towards the realms of abnormal psychology. So, one can see that the element of insanity adds strangeness to the main theme of the short-story. Relationship: horror and insanity: The author links the elements of horror and insanity in the short-story to create logical balance to the plot. For instance,

Management (Bounded rationality) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management (Bounded rationality) - Essay Example Emotions act on a wide range of situations causing biases and errors (Rabin 1998). In short this means that in certain circumstances the complex, human logical apparatus ceases to process rationality, which establishes grounds for the emergence of bounded rationality. "The other is that in interactive situations of complication, agents cannot rely upon other agents they are dealing with to behave under perfect rationality, and so they are forced to guess their behavior. This lands them in a world of subjective beliefs, and subjective beliefs Bounded rationality plays on suggestion. Bounded rationality could affect managers, because there is not enough information for the manager to make the rational decision. In such occasions, he has to rely on suggestive guesses and interpretations. This may create errors and mistakes in the strategic course that the organization is taking. Beach (1996) describes the implicit favorite model of decision making. First, the need for taking a decision is determined. Then, alternatives are identified and a selection for the implicit favorite alternative is chosen. Afterwards, criteria must be established to match the implicit favorite and alternatives a compared with the implicit favorite criteria. At the end the implicit favorite is confirmed and finally selected. ... The selection can be influenced by the salary, proximity of the office, extra working hours, business trips and job position. How could you utilize the intuition in making your decision And when The business world is a dynamic one and recently is has become less structured too. Thus, managers are forced to use their intuition in essential situations especially when there is lack of information. Intuition is often mistaken for emotions, though. Although intuition is formed in subconscious level, the intuitive decision making is a combination of quick qualitative and quantitative analyses (Quinn 1980). Intuition can help decision making, because it is based on past experiences and knowledge deeply rooted in your subconscious rational thinking. Thus, relying on our intuition can aid us in situations when there is little information available. Intuition can be used in situations when the circumstances are rapidly changing and there is no time for analyses. Intuition is needed also in expedient decision making when the problem is poorly defined and structured. If the deal is not structured, incomplete, there are conflicting points or ambiguity, intuition is required. Perceptual blinder is one of four reasons that increase the escalation of commitment, list the other three and elaborate on the Perceptual blinder We can define escalation of commitment as the tendency to invest additional financial resources in seemingly losing non beneficial projects, because they cost already lots of efforts, money and time. The perceptual blinder can influence the escalation of commitment on the bases of emotions - fears or anger. Staw and Ross (1987) summarized several reasons for the formation of

Cyber Bullying in Schools Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cyber Bullying in Schools - Term Paper Example The paper also seeks to critically analyze the legal framework and policies that are in place to combat the problem of cyber bullying. To this end, the paper has relied on information from various pieces of legislation. The paper will concentrate on implementation of legislation and school programs to prevent and stop cyber bullying in schools. The research will therefore not explore in detail the other ways of combating cyber bullying; like reporting cyber bullying to parents, not responding to emails that are meant for bullying, among others. The paper recognizes that cyber bullying is not only a vice found among children but also adults. The study however does not look into the issue of cyber bullying among adults. Outline The paper is divided into three major parts. The first part is an introduction of the paper. This part outlines the concept of cyber bullying giving the various definitions that have been given by various authors. The introduction gives the various methods used in cyber bullying including use of the internet as well as mobile phones. This part also introduces the concepts of implementation of legislation and school programs to combat cyber bullying. These are the major action plans identified by the paper as solutions to the problem of cyber bullying. The introduction also identifies the various stakeholders who are the key players in the proposed solutions. These are also the audience of the paper, and these are identified as lawmakers, school heads, parents and students. The second part of the paper provides a background and a historical perspective of cyber bullying. In this part, cyber bullying is identified as a form of bullying that emerged as a result of the... This research will begin with the definition of bullying as an act of frightening or harassing a person who is supposedly weaker or smaller. This behavior is triggered by various aspects. For instance a person can be bullied because of their race, their gender, their sexual orientation, religion, weight, disability or even talent. Bullying can take many forms including physical bullying where a person can be kicked, hit or pushed. Bullying can also be verbal or through technology, which is referred to as cyber bullying. Bullying mostly occurs in schools and is mostly physical and verbal but cyber bullying is fast emerging as the preferred way of bullying. Bullying has two players involved, namely the bully and the victim. The victims of bullying vary depending on the form of bullying. For instance bullying can take place as early as kindergarten; this is especially for physical and mostly verbal bullying. At this stage however it is very rare to have cyber bullying for example. Cyber bullying is mostly common among teenagers, who are the frequent users of technology and more so the cyberspace. Canadian teacher Bill Belsey is recognized for having coined the word cyber bullying. Belsey described cyber bullying as the use of technology for repeatedly communicating harmful and hostile messages to others. In understanding cyber bullying, one must realize that there are various forms of cyber bullying and there are tools that are used to commit cyber bullying.

Mktg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mktg - Essay Example use of recycled material is a strategy that is environmentally friendly because it reduces the need to use natural resources such as petroleum for packaging purposes. Another environmentally friendly packaging strategy is to reduce the amount of packaging material used. Companies can use environmentally friendly raw materials in their packaging process. Firm can also utilize reusable containers. Packaging specifications determined by product density encourage shippers to tender loads in densities that make the best use of the equipment’s weight and volume capabilities. Carrier specifications for protective packaging reduce the likelihood of damage to products while they are being carried. A principle that I found surprising out of the 10 material handling principles discussed in the chapter is the life cycle cost principle. I did not realize that companies have to pay close attention to the useful life of the equipment used for packaging. A second principle that I found surprising was the automation principle. To me automation was a technique that was only used for production purposes. In a fragmented logistic structure logistic activities are managed in multiple departments throughout an organization. A unified logistic structure is different because the logistic functions are handled by a single department. The unified logistic structure is better positioned than the fragmented structure to achieve coordination among the various activities. Relevancy can be facilitated by developing mutually beneficial relationships with key customers. Responsiveness reflects the degree to which an organization can accommodate unique or unplanned customer requests. Flexibility is predicated on avoiding early commitment to an irreversible course of action. One asset related productivity concern involves space utilization, or the percent of available space that is actually being used. Excess capacity can be unproductive because it may result in the purchase of additional

Dream Team - Media Analysis Essay Example for Free

Dream Team Media Analysis Essay George and Lennies dream is the most commonly mentioned in the novel, they want to live the American dream and have their own land and home. Although Crooks tells them he never seen a guy really do it their determination is beyond that of normal men. They crave the freedom from ordered working life and less responsibility. George desires the relief from the burden of supervising Lennie, on the ranch he constantly has to watch him to ensure he is no danger to himself or others. He talks of how he could live so easy without Lennie and it seems to be a private dream of his to marry and raise a family without the childish weight of Lennie upon him. He has cared for Lennie for a large part of his life and wants happiness for both of them without the strain of rules and the risk of characters such as Curley. Lennies only dream at first glance seems to be having his rabbits, however at a closer look the rabbits are his way of relating to their entire dream, he connects all other aspects of free life with them such as growing crops to feed them. He loves hearing the story of how its gonna be, his own dreams are based on what George tells him is good and bad. Candy is desperate to join in with Lennie and George and their dreams have become his. Since his dog died he has nothing left on the ranch to encourage dreams and he seems to have given up, the chance to be part of a reasonably realistic project motivates him again and he is willing to give everything to be part of it, Id make a will an leave everything to you guys case I kick off. All of Candys dreams seem to have be worn away by life on the ranch, the loss of his hand also seems to symbolise a large loss mentally for without his hand he cannot realistically dream of working his own land and living alone. For Candy life on the ranch seems to be a reminder of lost dreams rather than hopeful ones and this could explain his eagerness to be part of Lennie and Georges. He is also aware that he is old and becoming closer to the end of his job and possibly his life. Theyll can me purty soon. Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk houses theyll put me on the county. He dreams of ending his life in happiness and not in poverty and discomfort surrounded by bad memories. Curleys wife is in many ways like Lennie and George, she tell her dream like its real and could happen at any time to escape the loneliness of the ranch. She tells as many people as she can about her dream as though she wants to make it more real for herself. Her conversation with Lennie reveals her desperation to make this dream come true, she hangs onto the man who could put her in pitchers, so sure he did write to her and someone else ruined her dream. It is these fantasies she uses to escape her life which is heavily restricted by her husband who wants to control her to comply with his own dreams, she wishes to be free to fulfil the life she desires. Her way of telling the story of her dream is almost sad as she clings to any glimpse of it so desperately it is clear how unhappy she is. All the dreams expressed by these characters are what drive them in the novel and can determine how they express their feelings and how they act. Niki Holdsworth Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Information and communication technologies Essay Example for Free

Information and communication technologies Essay Even though the ICT sector is itself worth between 6-8% of the EU’s GDP in the last few years, ICTs are much more important than that figure suggests, as they are central for the current situation and development of much more spheres of contemporary society as a whole and of national economies in Europe in particular. Today ICTs play a crucial role in: improving competitiveness throughout the economy in the face of globalisation, by boosting innovation, creativity and efficiency; scientific and technological development in various areas (including medicine and physics); modernising sectors as diverse as education, security, energy and transport, and making Europe’s public sector more efficient; tackling social challenges and improving quality of life and meeting the challenge of an ageing society. The EU policy framework for the information society and media i2010- also promotes a European Information Society for all citizens[2]. Actions implemented under this i2010 priority aim to ensure that the benefits of the information society can be enjoyed by everyone (e-Inclusion). Areas of eInclusion policy, as defined in i2010, are: ageing, eAccessibility, broadband gap (overcoming the so called â€Å"digital divide†), inclusive eGovernment, digital literacy and culture. Actions under this priority also aim to encourage provision of better public services (eGovernment and eHealth). Here are the main spheres where ICTs have even bigger potential and are expected to develop in the short run: Growth and Competitiveness ICT is a driver for productivity. The gains from ICT stem directly from investment in ICT, a fast growing and innovative ICT sector, and indirectly from improvements in business processes through wider use of these technologies across the economy. According to a study[3], the overall contribution to labour productivity growth from ICT investments and from technical progress in the production of ICT goods and services accounted for about 40% of EU labour productivity growth over the second half of the 1990s, compared with 60% in the US. The ICT sector, as a whole, performs fairly well in comparison with the US in terms of size (10% of GDP in the US against 8% in the EU, and also in productivity and employment creation), but less so in terms of contribution to RD (in the US, ICT account for 30% of RD). However, in these developments the EU has suffered from lower and delayed investments in ICT and, possibly, a less efficient use of ICT. Using Information and Communication Technologies can also further be used to manage finite natural resources and energy consumption much more efficiently, so that improving environmental protection without holding back economic development[4]. Convergence More and more, convergence of technologies, infrastructure and applications is developing to provide consumers with an access to a great diversity of attractive services and rich media and content on a wide range of devices. Availability of content and services is becoming critical as the market moves to a phase where value-added services and content are key to revenue growth. The policy focus for 2010 will probably be the creation of a favourable environment that stimulates the competitive deployment of new converging services. Broadband networks EU countries are global leader in high-speed internet. The number of fixed broadband internet connections in the EU keeps growing: 14 million more in 2008, reaching over 114 million in total. Denmark and the Netherlands are world leaders in broadband, with take up over 35% of population. They lead, along with Sweden, Finland, the UK, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France, the US, which was at 25% in July 2008. This has produced a critical mass and there is already evidence that markets for high-quality content and service development are taking off. Furthermore, new developments in wireless broadband have made spectrum availability crucial to new services and applications, and the efficient management of spectrum key to further broadband developments. Finally, the enhancement of interoperability and security are essential to and increase consumers’ choice and facilitate take-up. In the beginning of 2009 1 billion euro has been earmarked by the European Commission to help rural areas[5] get online, bring new jobs and help businesses grow. Competitiveness, job creation and protection, sustainable development, spatial balance and fighting the digital divide are the main goals that the broadband internet access could achieve. Contents and information society services Convergence is creating a promising range of opportunities for the development of content and information society services making the most of ICT. The challenge for the single information space is to create the appropriate environment that will meet both business and consumer expectations while promoting the European content industry. This requires a competitive environment, where interoperability allows cross-platform competition and usage. This also requires a clear European regulatory framework with respect to content regulation and a secure environment for the distribution of digital content. Ensuring consumer acceptance pass by offering access to a great variety of flexible content and services adapted to user needs. Improving security and privacy as well as minor protection and media literacy are needed to allow European citizens to benefit fully from these content and services. Innovation and research In order Europe to catch-up with the levels of productivity growth of other regions of the world, it should strengthen innovation and concentrate these efforts in those sectors, like the ICT, where the value added is the highest. A pre-requisite is to increase investment in research: at present the EU devotes only 18% of research expenditure to ICT whereas the leading OECD countries allocate more than 30%[6]. In absolute amounts, Europe’s investment in ICT research is only two thirds of that of Japan and one third of that seen in the USA. Research and development is making technology simpler to use, more available and affordable; providing new ICT-based solutions that are trusted, reliable, and adaptable to users’ contexts and preferences. However, research alone is not sufficient as it needs be consolidated by organisational innovation. ICT must be widely adopted and supported by adequate reorganisation of business processes and by a skilled workforce. Businesses in the EU are increasingly adopting advanced ICT and are engaging in on-line transactions but are lagging behind in the adoption of integrated business applications (particularly the European small and medium enterprises). Skills and work The development of the ICT sector and the wide-spread diffusion and use of ICT in the economy and in the society bring opportunities for new employment and more creative and fulfilling jobs. Changing needs for ICT and e-Business skills (e-Skills) in the future heavily depend on innovation and the introduction of new technologies. The greatest challenge is to assess forward-looking innovations and understand what new skills will be needed, to be able to anticipate and manage changes and be effective, quick and efficient in creating new, innovative jobs. e-Business Though nearly all enterprises are connected to the internet, a large section of the business community is only beginning to exploit the potential of ICT. E-commerce is expected to continue to grow rapidly. More efforts are needed to improve business processes in European enterprises and fully integrate ICT providing new opportunities to reduce their costs and improve performance. Factors which will contribute to increase e-Business include promotion of take-up of e-business solutions and best practices security, addressing privacy and security concerns, availability of content and new services, increase automation of business processes, acceptance of payment for content and services, e-invoicing and e-procurement. Public services Public services are at the heart of the European social model, playing a key role in growth, innovation and cohesion. There is increasing evidence that a better exploitation of ICT through combined improvement of facilities, working processes and skills can significantly enhance public service’s organisation provision. However, the potential remains unfulfilled due to technical, legal or organisational obstacles. For example, government services are widely available online but the demand is not sufficient and efficiency gains from back-office reorganisation are still largely underexploited. Specific challenges relate to friendly user-centric services, back-office streamlining, interoperability of key infrastructures and facilities, identity management, or privacy and trust. e-Inclusion Increasing impact of ICT on social inclusion and participation creates new opportunities. Significant progress on ICT penetration across all EU regions and socio-demographic groups helps to decrease disparities. However, some specific challenges concern accessibility of ICT equipment and user-friendly interfaces, digital literacy or improved confidence and support for ICT use. Some important concerns are â€Å"design for all† of ICT equipment; human mediation and support for e-services; intuitive use of affordable value-added e-content and services accessible; and efficient solutions for threats to privacy, security and harmful content threats. Quality of life and environment ICT have a direct impact on the environment but also indirect social and economic consequences as a result of its application. ICT positive impact on the environment includes environmental modelling (forecasting), the miniaturisation of devices (which reduces the resources needed for manufacture and distribution), micro/nano technology and embedded systems which improve disaster management, and reduce the environmental impact of farming and fishing. ICT also enables a less resource-intensive production, thereby reducing the environmental impact of economic activities. e-Work contributes to environmental sustainability as travelling to work is reduced. Innovative transport planning systems can ease traffic congestion and optimise transport capacity. ICT can also contribute to quality of life by delivering more efficient and more effective public services and goods to individuals which in turn can improve their life chances. ICT support for comprehensive life-long learning policies (through e-learning, digital competence actions) can enable all individuals to adapt and keep the pace with the continuous social, economic and technological changes. Climate and energy policy The combined climate and energy policy is central at the EU’s political programme. Its aism are to bring about alternative ways of running our daily lives so that Europe can continue to create growth and jobs while leading the global effort to tackle climate change and energy efficiency. Europe faces three main challenges in this field tackling climate change, guaranteeing secure, sustainable and competitive energy, and making the European economy a model for sustainable development in the 21st century[7]. The resolve of the European Council[8] to transform Europe into a low-carbon, high energy efficiency economy means that the continued growth of the European economy, essential to achieve full employment and inclusion, needs to be decoupled from energy consumption. The current trends are unsustainable. Indeed, if nothing were to change, final energy consumption in the EU is predicted to increase up to 25% by 2012, with a substantial rise in greenhouse gas emissions. ICTs have an important role to play in reducing the energy intensity and increasing the energy efficiency of the economy, in other words, in reducing emissions and contributing to sustainable growth. In addition to that, ICTs will not only improve energy efficiency and combat climate change but will also stimulate the development of a large leading-edge market for ICT enabled energy-efficiency technologies that can foster the competitiveness of European industry and create new business opportunities.