Critically evaluate claims that there has been a transformation in the Essay

Critically evaluate claims that there has been a transformation in the character of biomedicine and the emergence of a new paradigm for health care at the start - Essay Example e used in order to explain the development of health and illness within a particular society or among a specific part of the population (using as criteria the gender, the ethnicity and so on). From a different point of view, it is suggested by Eisenberg (1977) that disease is a different concept from illness. In fact it is stated that disease could be better described using the following description: ‘physicians diagnose and treat ‘diseases’’ (Eisenberg, 1977, 11) whereas ‘†¦ patients suffer ‘illnesses’’ (Eisenberg, 1977, 11). On the other hand, in accordance with a study of Helman published by Ember et al. (2004, 733) ‘traditional classification of illness can be divided into four classes: natural, supernatural, personal and social’. In other words, health is closely related with the social and cultural characteristics of a specific society. The level of technology developed within the particular society could be also regarded as having a significant impact on the health conditions of the specific population. Under these terms, the development of biomedical model of disease/ health can help in order to understand all the aspects of health and disease within a particular society or in relation with a specific part for the population (gender, race and class inequalities could be observed in this case regarding the level of health provided to people within a specific state). The main characteristic of biomedical model of disease/ health is the fact that the above model regards health as the absence of disease. In this context, all theories referring to the relationship between health and disease could be equally applied in order to examine the credibility of this model in all its aspects. In accordance with the study of Turner (1987, 9, in [2]) ‘the model assumes that all human dysfunction might eventually be traced to such specific causal mechanisms within the organism and it presupposes a clear mind/body distinction where ultimately the

Castle Bingo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Castle Bingo - Essay Example ----------------------------------------------13.0 Appendices----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13.0 Castle Bingo Executive Summary The research’s finding is that there are many significant supports from each community have a concern on modernization of the active leisure of Castle Bingo and to improve the parks and open more spaces for advancements. There is a significant support for the use of council budgets to support the castle leisure services and strong and effective support for all the small increases in council tax to cater for the improved services especially for games. There seems to be general opinions for the current technology and community services about the Castle Bingo which has been an existing company based in Cardiff office for many years. The concern is on the two types of the customer that is off line based on attending clubs and on line gamers based on internet and their web sites. The findings from th e research are that Castle Bingo online web site concentrates on the information based on the club information. The current location for the main club is favored mostly especially on the by the focusing groups but their experience is expected towards the current location of the sites for the new facilities. The main concern is that the offline and online castle leisure is to focus on the effective marketing research program. Clearly, there is a feeling of the focus group members that the current contract of leisure in problem. This is perceived from the work against all the sports for all the members and the promotion including the management which is mostly concerned with the targeting group. Improving the quality of the on going centers in better location would encourage the current users on the improvement on effective marketing programs though these issues would be addressed in the management teams. Most of the people urge that the council should use its funding including the ta x from the councils to provide sports and other services in order to make the marketing research effective and efficiency. The decisions of the managers in Castle Bingo are based on the benefits of the company as a whole but not on the side of the individuals. Introduction Castle leisure researches interviewed a representative samples targeting 1000 people from the city using an agreed questionnaire. The studies were concerned with 10 locations for researcher where by the sample sizes were formulated: Sample size: this includes the sample social demographics of the data according to their ages and sex. Sample size Male and females Total 1020 15-24 Spalding 850 25-30 Long

Amtrak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Amtrak - Essay Example The company’s train service connects nearly 500 destinations in 46 states. The company information indicates that Amtrak served 30.2 million passengers and achieved ticket revenue of $1.9 billion in 2011 fiscal year (AMTRAK, 2008). It would be recommendable for the Amtrak to introduce its railroad services to Denmark, one of the most developed economies in the world. Although Denmark is an economically and industrially developed country, its railroad industry is still struggling to provide superior services to passengers. â€Å"Railroad transport is not competitive in Denmark and is only being sustained by higher subsidies than other modes of transport† (OECD, 1999, p.77). Denmark remains to be one of the Western European countries with limited number of long distance bus transpiration. Today, a large number of passengers depend on bus transportation for their journeys, and hence Amtrak services are most likely to be accepted by the Denmark’s railroad passenger industry. Currently, the country has roughly 2,600 km of railway lines and passenger trains are a common mode of transport in Denmark. In addition, the country has well developed infrastructure facilities, which is a vital element for railroad passenger industry. Denmark has some major rail connections to its adjacent countries including Germany and Sweden. Although there are numerous positive factors for Amtrak to introduce its services in Denmark, some operational barriers exist in the new global country. The OECD report (1999, pp. 77-78) reflects that increased governmental regulations have become a growth impediment to Denmark’s railroad passenger industry. The report also points out that Denmark does not effectively seize transportation opportunities provided by its neighboring countries. As a result, such government level restrictions may limit the operational efficiency of the company in Denmark. In addition, Denmark has only limited number of electrified

Apple's Make-vs.-Buy Decision Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apple's Make-vs.-Buy Decision - Research Paper Example Another appropriate approach for Apple to recruit talent is to hold a job fair in technical schools and universities where there is an abundant supply of fresh and raw talents which Apple can mold according to its company culture. 2. Describe the recruiter traits and behaviors that would lead to the most successful recruiting campaign for Apple. Apple is in a very competitive industry where hiring the best and the brightest is also a competition among the industry players. Having this kind of environment, it is necessary that the recruiter has to have the traits that attract the best and the brightest and represents Apple well as an organization. The critical trait that a recruiter in Apple must have is its high aptitude and learning curve in technology. The best and the brightest employees are also equally discerning about their potential employers and sees the company through its representative- the recruiter. It would then necessary to impress potential recruits that Apple is the company that they could grow professionally when they work for the company. When it comes to behavior, the recruiter does not have to rigid which is typical among HR personnel in the corporate world, but could be casual as long the recruiter knows the job and the industry. Professionalism in the IT industry is gauge not by its appearance but what it can do. Its founder in fact, Steve Jobs was known to be fond of wearing jeans in coming to work. 3. Suggest three (3) ways that Apple can effectively plan for HR resources. Rank in order of cost to implement. a. Institute and strengthen employee retention program Apple should institute and strengthen its employee retention program so that it would not lose them to competition and embark again in a costly effort of recruiting new talents. Just like getting new customers, recruiting employees can also be costly in terms of opportunities lost (Dernovsek, 2008) due to the absence of talents that would do specific task. In short, Apple must f irst arrest any employee turnover before embarking with any recruitment program. b. Hold job fair Job fairs are relatively cost efficient way of recruiting the right talent (Guld, 2007). It has to be conducted in the university campus or onsite to â€Å"capture† the market of potential talents. In addition, the remuneration requirements of these potential employees are not also that costly compared to a seasoned employee because they will be joining the company at an entry pay grade. c. Buy another company While this may be convenient way of having the necessary talent for the company to do the internal manufacture of chips for Apple, it could be expensive and therefore requires careful consideration before making the purchase because it may affect the company’s bottom line if the acquisition proves to be wrong. 4. Discuss the benefits that forecasting provides for Apple. Forecasting talent need and its accompanying cost provides Apple the advantage of foresight. Forec asting places Apple in a unique and better position to prepare now for what is needed in the future so that when the demand rises for their microchips and intend to do it internally, they already have the talent to get it done. Recruiting the necessary talent when the need is already there may be considered too late because there is a gap between the actual need and respond time of the company’

Religious Beliefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religious Beliefs - Essay Example This essay will explore the important lessons drawn from the teachings of these different religions as narrated through writings. Overview Several lessons can be drawn from the practices and religious beliefs of different religions in the world. Some of these religions include Shamanism, Pagan or Upanishads have unique lessons that can be drawn from these religions. One of the common lessons that can be drawn from the different religions is the use of myths to explain or pass on different beliefs. For instance, the Greek and Mesopotamian cultures explain the origin of human life through use of different myths. We witness the myth of the Epic of Gilgamesh, whereby the creation of human life is better explained through the use of the myth. The use of myths is common in several religions since it is used to explain the inexplicable. The Mesopotamian culture has a belief that the creation of human beings was done to free the lesser gods from their oppressive labors. Among the Greek cultu re, we witness the Homeric Hymns which were used in explaining different occurrences between different people. For instance, circumstances such as sibling rivalry is best explained by in the Homeric Hymns through the story of Apollo and Hermes who were brothers competing against each other. The creation and control of the earth is a great learning point that could be used in drawing lessons about mysteries of life. The Kena Upanishad among the Hindus is used in explaining the order of the world. Moreover, it brings out the story on creation among the Hindu society (Parmananda 89). Taoism is another religion that makes use of myths to explain the creation of the world. Tao Te Ching makes use of symbolism in the different myths to reflect the power of the Tao, he elucidates that the origin of all things and how unimaginable is the Tao. This is used in explaining that the origin of all things in the world emanates from a Supreme Being like the Tao. Consequently, in the Upanishads, the origin and the creation of the earth is explained trough use of different myths. Death is explained to Nachiketa by the Seer and this knowledge gets the reader to know more concerning the religion trough the use of myths. The existence of a Supreme Being and the connection between this Supreme Being and human beings is another lesson we learn. From the different religions, we get to know that human beings have always interacted with gods in different circumstances. For instance, the Homeric Hymns elucidates on the relationship that existed between gods such as Zeus and Human beings. Moreover, gods like Demeter lived among human beings and visited many people during her stay on earth. In Taoism, we notice that the relation of God (Tao) and human beings is emphasized through the work of the Tao. When we lean on Tao and its teachings, we get to know that God and people work together to achieve different purposes in life. Taoism teaches obedience since all understanding and power comes from Tao (Tzu 74). The relation between God and human beings is better emphasized in the Kena Upanishad whereby we get to know that we cannot understand ourselves if we do not understand God. The knowledge of the Brahman is important in fostering good relation between God and people. Among the Mesopotamian culture, religion was used in fostering good

Medical Tourism in Goa Essay Example for Free

Medical Tourism in Goa Essay Medical Tourism in Goa Tina D’costa TYBBA MES college of Arts, Commerce Management studies Medical Tourism The seven wonders of the world are all too well known. However one can’t help but marvel at other developments, that have developed magnificently over the years. These unsung heroes are the ones that carry Indias legacy forward. India in a developing country, but we do not wish to limit ourselves to the meaning of the word that entails ‘developing’. If one takes a look at the Medical facilities offered here in India, they would be amazed at the state of the art facilities and quality of service one receives, that complies to international standards. Particularly if you are an NRI, tourist or foreigner, you can be sure of receiving unprecedented attention. The common man too can now find solutions of world-class healthcare with very affordable price tags. Health care and tourism seems quite an odd couple, but with the growing needs in the health-care industry coupled with the idea of a holiday after, is irresistible and people are looking towards India both for allopathic and ayurvedic treatments. The idea of medical tourism never crossed the Goan mind until the seting up of the Apollo Victor Hospital at Margao which is the first super specialty, multi-specialty, tertiary care hospital in the state. With the advent of this hospital, Goa suddenly woke up to this new concept, which caters to people coming in either for planned treatments or for unplanned treatments. Medical tourism is a recent phenomenon in Goa. Many world class medical hospitals like Apollo and Vivus have been started in Goa, which provide world class facilities at a fraction of the corresponding cost abroad. Foreigners from many developed countries prefer to come to Goa for a variety of treatment ranging from dental surgery, hearing problems, knee replacements to even heart surgery. This is a market where Goa has potential for further development and the government should take steps to see that this market can be sustained and increased medical tourism can be promoted in the future. India’s smallest state, Goa, has earned a negative reputation for its drug culture, rave parties, and nude beaches. However, the Ministry of Tourism  is trying to reverse this image through its active promotion of medical tourism. The Ministry is making laudable efforts to showcase the state’s potential, especially in offering  medical vacations  for  tourists who continue to find  affordable  health  care  insurance  a rarity back in their respective  countries. Considering the thousands of  tourists  who flock to Goa annually for its beautiful scenery and its rich architectural heritage, the  medical  tourism industry  here is projected to record impressive growth. Tourism is Goas primary industry. It handles 13% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. Goas tourism contributes to 16% of Indias total foreign exchange earnings. In 2009-10 there were more than 2. 5 million tourists reported to have visited Goa, both domestic and foreign and total revenue earned for the fiscal year 2009-10 from tourism is Rs. 5000 crore as against Rs. 4000 crore in the previous year. A major upcoming concept attracting a lot of tourists to Goa is the rise of Medical Tourism in Goa. Dentists in Goa claim that tourists save over 70% on their dental treatment if done here in Goa. Hence they are now offering holiday packages which include expensive dental treatments too. The Booming Medical Tourism. The concept of medical tourism is not a new one. The first recorded instance of medial tourism dates back thousands of years to when Greek pilgrims traveled from all over the Mediterranean to the small territory in the Saronic Gulf called Epidauria. This territory was the sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios. Epidauria became the original travel destination for medical tourism. Spa towns may be considered an early form of medical tourism. Factors that have led to the recent increase in popularity of medical travel include the high cost of health care or wait times for procedures in industrialized nations, the ease and affordability of international travel, and improvements in technology and standards of care in many countries of the world. Medical tourists can come from anywhere in the world, including Europe, the UK, West Asia, Asia, US and Canada. This is because of their large populations, comparatively high wealth, the high expense of health care or lack of health care options locally, and increasingly high expectations of their populations with respect to health care. Health tourism provides have developed as intermediaries to unite potential medical tourists with provider hospitals and other organizations. It has been started that â€Å"medical tourism is promoted much more heavily in the United Kingdom than in the United States†. A large draw to medical travel is convenience and speed. Countries that operate public health-care systems are often so taxed that it can take considerable time to get non urgent medical care. The time spent waiting for a procedure such as a hip replacement can be a year or more in Britain and Canada; however, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cuba, Colombia, Philippines or India, a patient could feasible have an operation the day after their arrival. Additionally, patients are finding that insurance either does not cover orthopedic surgery (such as knee/hip replacement) or imposes unreasonable restriction on the choice of the facility, surgeon, or prosthetics to be used. Medical tourism for knee/hip replacements has emerged as one of the more widely accepted procedures because of the lower cost and minimal difficulties associated with the traveling to/from the surgery. Medical tourists may seek essential health care services such as cancer treatment and brain and transplant surgery as well as complementary or ‘elective’ services such as aesthetic treatments (cosmetic surgery). Ayurveda Treatment Ayurveda which is form of medical treatment originated from India has gained a lot of prominence in European world for health benefits. Ayurveda means life and Veda signifies knowledge. Therefore by its definition Ayurveda lifts itself beyond the realms of diseases and treatments. It treats life as a single composite phenomenon. After Kerala now Goa is one of Indias best destination for combining Tourism with Ayurveda Treatment. A Goan  Medical  Vacation India is known worldwide for the quality of cardiac procedures and joint replacement surgeries. Tourists from all over the world come down to Goa to take in the sights as well as to benefit from Medical amenities available. Goa is uniquely positioned to develop its health tourism sector. Affordable  Health  Care  Insurance is  a Problem for Goan Locals. While  tourists  rave about the  medical  tourism  facilities  that Goa offers, Goan locals are feeling the pinch due to the escalating  prices  of  medical  treatments. There is now a clamor for an improved  health care  system in the state. The average Joe on the street can afford neither the exorbitant rates of the specialty  hospitals  nor basic  health care insurance. Adding to this dilemma is the lack of  available clinical  services  in remote areas plus the high  prices  of  medication  for  senior  citizens Medical tourism has come to be a new branch of tourism so formed in recent times. The following are some reasons why one visits Goa for Medical tourism: 1. Variety and abundance of available medical skills Goa is very well prepared to service foreigners when it comes to health care. Most Goan doctors speak perfect English, a majority of them are also schooled or trained abroad. While India in general has an universal healthcare system ( meaning that most drugs or procedures are free for the local population) there is also a healthy competition between governmental and privately run hospitals and healthcare institutions for servicing the more wealthy locals with lifestyle procedures (like cosmetic surgery) or visiting foreign tourists (who want to save a dime or two compared to their home countries). If you look around in the tourist belt , you can find plenty of private healthcare providers. Especially the north-western coastal region (Candolim, Calangute and Baga) one can find dental clinics spread all along the coastal belt. In this mentioned area alone I can easily count 30-40 dentists, while larger hospitals mainly only have outlets here, with their main operations to be found in the larger cities like Mapusa, Panaji or even Margao in the south. Major hospitals to consider are for instance the Vrundavan Hospital in Mapusa, Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula, Vintage Hospital in Panaji, Apollo Victor Hospital (very new and a bit more expensive) and NUSI Hospital in/near Margao. Some of the medical services ffered here are: General Medicine and Cardiology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatrics, Trauma and Critical care, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Endoscopic and Laproscopic Surgery, Gastroenterology and Oncosurgery, Neuro surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, ENT, Urology, Nephrology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Dental, Medical Genetics and Counseling, Respiratory Medicine, Physiot herapy, Dietetics, Alternative and Ayurvedic Medicine. Vaccinations too, can be had in almost every hospital. 2. Quality of Surgery, medical personnel and other amenities This one is a bit hard to describe and has to be seen to be believed. Hospitals here in Goa for sure don’t look very special from the outside. Once inside, and you are in a complete different world. The hygiene in every hospital is generally good. Sometimes you really have to wonder, how they can maintain a hospital so clean in an area that looks like a rubbish dump from the outside. Welcome to India! Here especially, looks can be deceiving. Operational devices, x-ray machines, dental equipment and other instruments are of high standard, although not quite on par with Singapore or European ,machines (except the dentists maybe). But you can expect modern facilities and up to date staff and nurses in spotless uniforms. So for general healthcare services and minor surgeries I wouldn’t be afraid to go under the knife here, as most established procedures didn’t change much over the last couple of years. 3. Short Queues or waiting Times Generally, most dentists and hospitals in Goa have very short waiting times, completely different to healthcare providers in Europe or other developed countries, where you sometimes have to make appointments weeks in advance. As a foreigner you can enjoy a very individual and prompt reception. Dentists usually will arrange appointments only 2-3 days away, convenient enough to get a procedure done during a 2-week holiday. The same applies for consultations without appointments with specialists. As a paying customer you usually don’t have to wait long in crowded waiting areas. The few times we had to visit a doctor it was all between 10-15 minutes of waiting times. You also don’t have the feeling that the doctors are very pushy and want to have you out within 5 minutes of their time. A checkup is done very thorough and in an individual manner. The stuff is generally friendly and genuinely interested in your well-being. 4. Low Costs of Generic and Branded Medicine Most medicines can be bought here without prescriptions either right in your local pharmacy or ordered by them if not in stock. Goa is dotted with thousands of pharmacies at every corner. Again the tourist areas from Candolim to Baga have the highest density of pharmacies, while I found Mapusa further to the north-east the best stocked. The best thing: prices for medicines are fixed! So you don’t have to haggle like with everything else in India. Prices are printed on the boxes of medicines and that’s exactly what you pay Another specialty: some branded items are sold here already as generics, even though in most other countries you still can only buy the branded (more expensive) product. One example, a modern tacrolimus-based skin ointment is anywhere else in Asia only available as the branded version (Protopic) and will cost you anything from 300. 000 Rupiah in Indonesia, around 1. 200 Baht in Phuket, 2. 150 Peso in the Philippines to 80-100 SGD in Singapore. No genericsavailable. Buy the real thing or forget it. Not here in India: A generic version (Tacroz Forte) costs a mere Rs 320 for 10g. That is only 20% of the price in Indonesia or Thailand, 15% of the price in the Philippines or 10% of a similar product in Singapore. Isn’t that amazing? Talk about globalization and how you can exploit it for yourself! I found that true for other specific medicines as well. Here are just a few examples for other more common products: Band Aid wash proof: Rs 20 for 10 pieces Immodium: Rs 20 for 10 capsules Paracetamol 500: Rs 14 for 10 capsules Vitamin B complex: Rs 15 for 10 capsules Topical Antibiotic Spray: Rs 195 (40g) Antibiotic Skin Cream: Rs 50 (10g) Broad Spectrum Antibiotic: Rs 50 for 10 capsules Now I just wish, they would be able to send all those cheap medicines abroad to my next travel destinations! 5. Low Consultation and Doctor fees As with everything else in India, one can compare prices and get an impression of the doctor for their surgery first, before committing to a procedure. Luckily the initial costs are very low (for dental procedures, the first checkup is generally free of charge, while for other consultations the fees are quite low, see below). Costs for surgery is generally only a small percentage to health care costs if done in Europe, Australia or the US. I was in Singapore once and was in awe over their low health care costs compared to India. There, major plastic surgeries were nearly dirt cheap. For minor surgeries however, you could save even more, considering getting it done here in India. One example: a friend from Singapore visited us here in Goa, to get a cyst removed on her wrist. While the same surgery would have cost between SGD 1. 200-1. 600, the same procedure was only around SGD 300-400 here in Goa. All with similar quality, aftercare and all costs included. That is only 25% of the cost compared with Singapore I had some dental work done here in Goa, fillings and tooth cleaning, all done very professionally and on short notice. As mentioned above, to consult a specialist, you don’t have to pay a fortune here. From my own and my friend’s experience and what other friends and relatives abroad told me, here are some examples of consultation fees: Dentist: First Consultation – free of charge General Practitioner: Rs 100-250 per Visit Dermatology: Rs 100-200 per Visit Orthopedist: Rs 250 per Visit For minor surgery, like the above mentioned cyst removal, here are some example prices: Orthopedic Surgeon Charges: Rs 5,000 per surgery Anesthetic Charges : Rs 1,500 per surgery Operation Theater Charges: Rs 2,300 per surgery Hospital bed per day: Rs 1,000-2,000 for common ward, depending on hospital Hospital bed per day: Rs 4,000-7,000 for private room, depending on hospital Here are some dental examples: Glass Ionomer Filling: Rs 960 Composite Resin Filling: Rs 1,600 Porcelain to Metal Crown: Rs 7,200- 10,500 Stellon/Fibre Glass/Travelon Dentures: Rs 12,000-24,000 Metal/Invisible Braces: Rs 24,000-44,000 Conclusion: Goa is an interesting location for getting your health propped up and getting those long postponed surgeries done. You have modern facilities, short waiting times and very affordable prices for procedures, hospital services and medicines. Over that you will probably recover much faster, with a holiday in an exotic location added as a bonus. These days with the global financial crisis upon us, prices for flights and package deals to Goa are as low as they can get. So many people are flocking to Goa now, to benefit from the low costs the most. Some people even try to strike a deal with their health insurance provider, either to cover parts of their costs or acknowledging an otherwise not possible surgery. As with everything in India , one has to be aware of some pitfalls too : while medicine prices are generally fixed, this can’t be said about the services and hospital procedures. But there is a good competition, so one can comfortably look around, ask and compare prices before committing to anything. In short, there is a broad variety of options to choose from here. One can talk to different doctors and if in doubt, stick with a larger and well-known hospital instead of a small private clinic. With the facilities Goa can offer, it could be easily converted into a centre of excellence for Medical Tourism. Add to it, the flavour of Goan hospitality, medical tourism could be made very attractive. We therefore have an excellent opportunity to market health care in Goa, especially to the Britishers who consist of 60 per cent of the total tourists arriving in Goa.

Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay Example for Free

Message vs. Style in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe Essay The message is more important than the style. I totally disagree with this statement in the context of Things Fall Apart as I believe that in this particular work, the message is of equivalent importance to the style; to have a particular writing style whose sole purpose is found in informing readers as to the purpose to the message, and then to NOT have a message, would be useless, whereas having a message to tell readers, WITHOUT such a writing style as is necessary to allow them to absorb the purpose, would again be useless- therefore the message and writing styles are equally important in this story, as one cannot do without the other. In this case, the central message of Things Fall Apart, that African culture is complex, can only be absorbed by readers if Achebes writing style, which incorporates the use of dialogue, conflict, proverbs, diction and setting, allows them to develop such recognition of cultural complexity- the author cannot merely instruct the reader to believe that the culture is indeed complex, and still expect the reader to believe as such without question. Firstly, Achebe makes ample use of dialogue as a component of his writing style to carry forth the message of a culturally complex society. For example, Okonkwos conversation with Obierika as to the Oracles desires in Chapter Eight introduces significant cultural elements to the readers. Okonkwo argues that his participation in the murder of Ikemefuna was justified, but Obierika contends otherwise, declaring that Okonkwos actions are of the kind for which the earth goddess, Ani, wipes out whole families. In the conflict between their different views we see the strong influence exerted by their religion on each person, and also acquire recognition of significant religious elements, namely the Oracle and the earth goddess. That Okonkwo and Obierika should have differing opinions about the Oracles religious intentions indicates the presence of complex perceptions of the same religion. This complexity in religious perceptions then implicitly suggests to readers an inherent complexity in the religion itself, for without such complexity differing religious perceptions would not occur. Religion is a core component of culture, as clearly the culture of a society must not contradict the religious views held by that same society, and having a complex religion as a component of culture in turn suggests that the culture of the society must be complex as well. Dialogue thus serves to carry forth Achebes message that African culture is complex. At the same time, in the suggestions of complex culture found in dialogue, we see how Achebes style of writing encourages readers to gradually reach a perception of his central message on their own, which is important in that the readers must themselves perceive such cultural complexity through development of their own thoughts on the issue- exactly as Achebe intended. To have a dialogue without any inherent message would also make such dialogue purposeless, as Achebe could not possibly describe an overarching purpose to that conversation. This shows how dialogue as a component of the writing style gives such a writing style an importance equal to that of the message; without dialogue being employed as such, readers cannot acquire knowledge of the message, whereas if there was no message, then dialogue would have no purpose. Dialogue as a component of the writing style thus creates a situation where the style is of equal importance to the message. Secondly, traditional African proverbs, a significant element of Achebes writing style, are used to highlight cultural complexity. An example would be Okonkwos declaring that a childs fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm in defence of his participating in the murder of Ikemefuna. He argues that he did as such due to the Oracle declaring that Ikemefuna would have to be killed. That proverbs can be casually used in dialogue to illustrate various points, such as the above proverb serving as a defence for ones actions, is an indication of a highly-developed language. A societys culture is based upon its language, for language serves as the primary medium of communication between humans in a society, and as such readers recognize that language is an important component of culture, therefore having a highly-developed language would thus suggest that society is culturally complex. Proverbs being thus used in Achebes writing style have therefore led to the subtle formation of such a suggestion to readers, which in turn allows readers to follow through on that suggestion, and thereby reach the conclusion that African culture is complex is nature- this being the exact message which Achebe is trying to bring across to readers. Proverbs being a component of Achebes writing style, we can see how they contribute to the carrying the message of cultural complexity across. However, such a writing style also finds its primary purpose in carrying a message; therefore without such a message of cultural complexity, the proverbs would lose their meaning. In this sense, we can safely state that the writing style, through its encompassing the use of proverbs, is of equal importance to the message. Thirdly, Achebes choice of diction also plays a very large role in his writing style. Throughout the story, the narrator refers to the housing for Okonkwos wives as Obi, court messengers as Kotma, and characters use traditional welcomes such as Nno. That such traditional African words should appear throughout the story, interspersed with all the English words, gives readers the impression that such words cannot be simply translated into English. This then suggests to us that language in the society must be very highly developed, for such words do not have a counterpart in the English language, despite the vast vocabulary of the latter. Indeed, I had to refer to the glossary in the book for the English translations of such words. When readers make such inferences, they cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Africans cannot be culturally primitive- to have such a highly-developed language must in turn suggest a highly developed culture, which is exactly the message Achebe is trying to bring across. Thus Achebes choice of diction greatly aids his writing style in carrying the message across to readers, who realize from such implicit suggestions the central message of this work. Indeed, if Achebe did not wish to have a message of cultural complexity, it is plausible that such traditional African words would not appear. Thus we can see how the success in carrying the message across is highly dependent on the writing style, and the shaping of the writing style itself is highly dependent on the type of message being carried across; the message and the style are equally important. Lastly, Achebes description of the various settings in which events take place play a part in shaping his particular writing style. The setting of Ezeudus funeral in Chapter Thirteen is an example of how the setting as a component of Achebes writing style serves to carry forth the message of cultural complexity. Ezeudus funeral was a warriors funeral, and now and then an ancestral spirit, or egwugwu, would appear from the underworld. From the description of this setting, readers are able to more readily appreciate the complexities of traditional African culture; that their culture incorporates a strong, pagan belief in the existence of supernatural beings, the egwugwu, and a similar belief in the existence of an underworld. This places emphasis on a major religious component in their culture. Ezeudus funeral being considered as a warriors funeral also allows us to acquire insights into the importance of a particular social class, the warrior class, in their society. The setting has thus contributed to readers being able to recognize two major components in African culture, the former being religion, the latter being a social component. That these two different components should become so elaborately intertwined in this one ceremony is evidence of a complex culture. The reader, in reviewing the description of the setting, thereby acquires knowledge of the central message of cultural complexity which Achebe is trying to bring across, without Achebe having to explicitly declare as such; this clearly shows how Achebes writing style of placing information from which readers have to make their own inferences has led to our understanding the message of the novel. Without such a description of the setting, readers might not have been able to absorb this message. On the other hand, without a message, the description of the setting would be useless, as the purpose of such a writing style would be to enlighten readers as to a particular message the author wishes to convey. Therefore I believe that writing style and the message are of equal importance. In conclusion, I believe that the writing style and the message are of equal importance, as the former serves as the vehicle for the latter, whereas the latter exists to give the former purpose. Neither can do without the other, and therefore their interdependence lends them equal importance.