Revenue and capital expenditure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revenue and capital expenditure - Essay Example Internal Sources of finance Funds are generated in two ways: - 1. generating profit and retaining them in the business. 2. By selling some of his assets. Only successful business can retain the profit. It is very difficult to decide how much profit should retain and how much should distribute. Retaining a large proportion of profit requires a long-term view. Retained profit is the most important source of finance for small as well as large-scale business. Sale of Asset: - If the firm has no other way to arrange funds from any source, then reluctantly the firm sells a particular division or a subsidiary business. Sale asset is a quite normal part of the business. Sometimes the firm buys another firm with the intention of raising finance by selling off its assets. This is known as asset stripping. External Source of Finance This source is divided into two parts, first is short term funds and second is long term funds. Long-term funds are very useful for new business but all types of businesses need capital planning. Long-term funds are of two types: - 1. Share Capital 2. Loan Capital Shares are the proof of ownership. Each shareholder has a share in the business. Shares can be sold at a profit. If a company wants to arrange a lot of funds through the share, it can offer the shares for sale to outsiders. When the private company issues Loan Capital Long term loans are part of the capital of the business. Long term loans come in forms of mortgages, long-term bank loans, venture capital, and debenture.

Effects of re-education on poor hand washing Essay

Effects of re-education on poor hand washing - Essay Example methods have been initiated to enlist the input of the healthcare providers in hospital setting and home-based care by family members of the patient. Awareness creation through education remains a critical approach in dealing with this problem as the observed trend has been found to be attributed to inadequate information on procedure and significance of the exercise. Although the healthcare facilities management knows that hand hygiene is instrumental in reducing hospital related infection, there has been limited education campaign pointed towards the nurses and patient’s relatives. It is therefore important to note that re-education remains the appropriate measure in improving on the incidences of hospital acquired infections (Filetoth, 2002). Hand hygiene re-education should be conducted by encouraging hand washing by health care workers before seeing patients, after contact with bodily fluids, before invasive procedures, and after removing gloves. The increasing incidence of hospital acquired infection has raised concerns and requires more attention through education on hand hygiene. Although the information is available in hospitals, there has been significant ignorance and negligence by the nurses towards proper hand hygiene as a mitigation measure. It is therefore critical to underline the need to develop a sound education program to improve quantity and quality (completeness of hand rubbing and drying time) of hand hygiene. Exhaustive analysis of the findings on the efforts towards hand hygiene forms the basis of ascertaining the impact of education on cases of hospital acquired infections. The aim of the hand hygiene solution through washing is to emphasize building or strengthening capacity so that hand hygiene improvement is seen as and becomes an integrated component of a broader Hospital Acquired Infection prevention strategy. Poor hand washing is responsible for complex patient condition as it is not accounted for during diagnosis as it

No-Fault Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

No-Fault Divorce - Essay Example In the first decade of this century the grown of divorce rates has reached almost epidemic proportions in the United States with as many as 12 million divorces registered over the 1990s which is the highest the developed world (Williams, 2000). Consequently, a number of experts view no-fault divorce as one of the key contributors to the increasingly high divorce rates in the US. Even brief analysis of the no-fault legislation and specifics of divorce granted under it suggests that such belief relies on solid evidence and might be absolutely correct: no-fault laws in their current form must be revised on the basis of sociological and legal experience that has been accumulated over the last three decades. The concept of no-fault divorce does not require demonstration of any proofs or evidences of wrong-doing to dissolve a marriage. The first state to adopt no-fault laws was California where they came in force on January 1, 1970. The example of California was soon followed by other states that implemented similar legislation. Prior to that, the procedure for obtaining a divorce involved mandatory provision of evidences demonstrating fault of one of the spouses. Requirements to the nature of such evidences were strict too. It was not sufficient to make a mere statement of not loving the spouse: only a proved case of committed adultery, wrongdoing, abandonment or other serious guilt qualified as a valid reason for divorce. At the same time, the spouse who preferred to save marriage had most instruments to do so. Therefore, it was up to the judge to weigh all evidences provided by both sides to the marriage, and often the decision regarding granting divorce was negative (Baskerville, 200 0). The sophisticated divorce procedure forced many couples who did not commit any act sufficient for the court to grant divorce seek for the way to bypass it. This resulted in numerous tricks and legal fictions invented by lawyers to satisfy the needs of such couples. For the most part, these tricks were based on false testimonies. This tendency produced highly negative response from the legal community with numerous judges and lawyers arguing against the excessively strict divorce procedure. The key concern was that such increase of perjury cases occurrence might undermine the reputation and integrity of the US system of justice. Advocates of a simplified divorce procedure claimed that adoption of no-fault laws was a better choice than forcing spouses continue living together or making perjury (Friedman, 2002). Although the no-fault legislation apparently simplified the divorce procedure, there has recently been a considerable movement for revocation of no-fault laws in the United States. Several key problems are associated with the concept of no-fault divorce. Firstly, the initial objective pursued by authors and advocates of no-fault laws was to facilitate dissolution of marriage by mutual consent of both spouses. However, it turned out that in most cases mutual consent was not in place and the new procedure enabled any party to the marriage to dissolve it without the other party's agreement. Thus, according to some estimates four out of five no-fault divorces were unilateral with only one of the spouses insisting on ending the marriage (Baskerville, 20

Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Coursework Example The company is involved in geological exploration, storage as well as processing and marketing of hydrocarbons. Demand and supply factors As the chosen company operates in the oil and gas sector the demand side factors that can affect sales and the profitability of the company include weather, demographics, economic growth, fuel consumption, storage and the exports potential. From the supply side, the factors which can affect the sales are capacity of the pipeline, storage, gas drilling, issues on technical grounds and imports. The demand follows the cyclical patterns. It also depends on the time and season factors. The demand for the products rises during the hottest months while the demand takes the declining curve during the winter months ((EIA, 2008). The price of the natural gas affects those consumers who have the potential to switch to the fuel of their dependence. The demand that is created by the retail consumers will get affected by the price of electricity. Storage of the produced products is difficult for the companies in this sector and so excess supply cause a fall in the price level. The price is generally set at the equilibrium level as there are several competitors present in the market. Technological advancements can also play a role in the demand of natural gas. The appliances which can be operated through electricity can now be operated through natural gas and this has caused the demand for the product to shoot up. The other barriers that can impact upon the supply of natural gas are availability of skilled labor and availability of well developed systems of delivery. The financial environment can also affect the supply of natural gas both off-shore and on-shore ((Natural Gas, n.d.). Market Structure The consumers can now enjoy the luxury of choice and competition. The price mechanism is beyond the regulations of the government. The price is set by the market by following the usual demand and supply factors. These factors play its role in se tting the price at the equilibrium level. A straight forward market structure characterized the market for natural gas prior to deregulation and unbundling of pipeline. Bundled products are offered by the less developed countries and they play their role in supplying the products to the end users. Marketers serve the purpose of mobilizing the natural gas to end users. (Natural gas, n.d.). The increased liquidity in the market has called for the emergence of non-contract LNG market. The producer owns the gas at well head and sells to the marketers, and less developed countries and even sometimes to the end users. The market faces a serious constraint as it cannot react to the usual changes in demand and supply and requires sufficient time before the adjustment process takes place ((Soligo and Jaffe, p.2, 2004). Requirements to compete in the market The companies that operate in this sector enjoy monopoly power and that is the reason why they tend to be more profitable. The main requi site for the organizations to maintain the profitable position is to avoid preferential as well as discriminatory service. Inefficient investments in other sectors can be avoided. The strategies of unfair pricing would also not help the company to serve the purpose. There is no substitute to quality and so measures to maintain the quality of the products should be undertaken. The

Susan Glaspells Trifles Essay Example for Free

Susan Glaspells Trifles Essay Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, explores the fact that women pay attention to the little things that may lead to the solution of a bigger problem. Why do women pay attention to the little things? Could it be because the attention to detail is the starting point to solving the bigger problem? Let’s think of the ‘little things’ like pieces of a puzzle. When all the little pieces are put together, they usually form a picture; therefore you see the whole picture. In this play, the men think it’s just like women to worry about the little details that they see throughout the house, they think it’s ‘trifle’. What they don’t seem to realize is that by the women paying attention to the little things, they are actually solving the murder of Mr. Wright. The first little detail is the fruit preserves when Mrs. Peters said to Mrs. Hale â€Å"She worried about that when it turned so cold. She said the fire’d go out and her jars would break.† That’s when the Sheriff replied â€Å"Well, can you beat the women! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves.† (Glaspell, 2010, lines 27-29, p 143). If Mrs. Wright hadn’t been preoccupied, she could have started a fire to keep the preserves from freezing. Why was Mrs. Wright preoccupied? This is probably when the two women thought that perhaps the Wrights were having an argument or maybe even something worse was happening. Another little detail is the fact that Mrs. Wright didn’t wake up while her husband was being strangled to death. Unless Mr. Mrs. Wright slept in separate beds she should have felt him struggling while the noose was being put around his neck or heard him gasping for air. It also seemed strange that there was a gun in the house and it wasn’t used. Why strangle him? Why not use the gun? According to an essay on Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, the author noted â€Å"The strangling of Mr. Wright, which perplexes all when a gun was handy, is reminiscent of the strangling of that bird.† (Susan Glaspell) Another little detail the women notice was the empty birdcage that was stuffed in the cupboard with no bird in it. Mrs. Hale asked if the Wrights had a cat, to which Mrs. Peters replied, â€Å"No, she didn’t have a cat. She’s got that feeling some people have about cats—being afraid of them.† (Glaspell, 2010, line 84, p 146). Then they notice the broken door hinge and Mrs. Hale thought it looked like someone was rough with it and being rough with the cage was perhaps a sign of anger. An example of anger and hostility was when Mrs. Hale described what it was like to be around Mr. Wright. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the time of day with himlike a raw wind that gets to the bone.† (Glaspell, 2010, line 97, p 146). Mrs. Hale then went on to explain how Mrs. Wright was like a bird. â€Å"—real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery. How—she—did—change.† (Glaspell, 2010, line 101, p 146). The Mrs. Wright that is described here is different from the character we know in the play. The women we know in the play seemed to be a cold and angry woman. She didn’t have children and the only company she had was a bird. Mrs. Hale suggested to Mrs. Peters that she bring the quilt to Mrs. Wright in the jail. While they look for scissors and more patchwork to take with them, Mrs. Hale finds the dead bird wrapped up in a little box to which she exclaims â€Å"But, Mrs. Peters—look at it. Its neck! Look at its neck! It’s all—to the other side.† and Mrs. Peters says, â€Å"Somebody—wrung—its neck.† (Glaspell, lines 107-108, p 146). This is when the two women realize Mrs. Wright killed her husband, but neither of them wants to break the alliance they made and turn her in. Mrs. Wright was living her life as if she was already living in jail. That kind of life is such a lonely and isolated one. A person would do just about anything to escape that emotional and physical prison. Because these women took notice of all the â€Å"little things†, they were able to put the puzzle together, piece by piece. They were able to feel the loneliness and pain of Mrs. Wright. They were able to see the whole picture and solve the case. Because the men were only interested in physical evidence they were not able to see the little things that the women did. They were not able to come to any conclusions as to what happened and why. Instead, they made fun of and belittled Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters for worrying about the little things. References: Glasspell, S. (2011), Trifles, in D.L. Pike and A.M. Acosta’s (Eds.) Literature: a world of writing poems, plays and essays. Retrieved from VitalSource eBook for Education Management Cooperation Susan Glaspell’s Trifles – Little Things Mean a Lot, 123HelpMe.com. Retrieved fromwww.123HelpMe.Com/view.asp?id=8589 on October 21, 2010

Poverty, Education and Health Care Essay Example for Free

Poverty, Education and Health Care Essay Abstract Poverty and education play an important role in access to health care. A low socioeconomic status influences the health of people. This paper provides a general overview of how poverty and education determines access to health care. It provides a description of the consequences of poverty and education on health care accessibility. Finally it provides solutions as how to address the issue. The link between poverty, education and access to medical care has received considerable attention. Health influences all the activities of an individual. All societies are concerned with varying levels of health among their members. They are also concerned about marginalized sections of society have access to health care. Poverty and its effects on society People belonging to poor communities have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance (Cutler, 2004). People with low socioeconomic status face many challenges in maintaining their health. They have a high mortality rate. They are more likely to be suffering from some disease. They have limited health care resources. They live in poor environmental situations. The United States has one of the world’s most impressive standards of living. At least 32 million Americans live below the poverty line. In addition to poor people an estimated 50 million people live in poverty like conditions. Health risk factors like smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are found in poor Americans (Cutler, 2004). They have a higher prevalence of disability and chronic illness. They have a shorter life expectancy. Children belonging to poor families are more likely to be malnourished. Many poor Americans live in houses which have lead paint. This can cause growth problems in children. Poor people eat inexpensive food which is fatty and lacks important nutrients. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage. They work in low wage jobs that do not offer insurance. They cannot afford the high premiums associated with health care insurance. The lack of a usual source of care is another barrier to seek adequate health care. The challenges associated with poverty create conditions that can diminish lifesavings, lower learning ability and reduce physical, mental and emotional well being. All of these factors are a threat to people’s health. Urban areas in the United States have many health care facilities. However poor people cannot make use of these services. The major challenge is the high cost of visiting doctors, medicine and hospital care. Social factors like language barriers and prejudice by providers also hinder the accessibility of health care by poor people. The government also faces challenges in trying spreading health education in poor communities. Health care services are vital for the survival and livelihood of poor people. Illness persists in poor people. It stops people from working and forces them to sell assets. They fall into debt and are lead into a vicious cycle of dependency and poverty. Failure to treat themselves leads to illness and disability. This further reduces the ability to work in poorer households. People living in rural areas are forced to bear high transport costs. This is difficult and expensive for them. The lack of local health centers in rural areas further hinders the ability of poor people to access adequate health care (Crichton, 1997). The huge time that takes for poor people to obtain treatment is one of the greatest barriers which they face. Time away from jobs results in lost income. Health services run by governments are usually inefficient and are characterized by neglect. The quality of service is low. There is shortage of staff. There is no proper medicine and equipment. In many countries there is no safe water to drink. In developing countries there are high costs to health care. Besides the official fees there are corrupt staff members who demand bribes and fees in return for ordinary services. These services can include registration, tests and being given medicine. They can also pressurize a sick person to make unnecessary visits to the hospital. Payment methods are not flexible in many developing countries. Payment usually has to be made in advance and in cash. This causes considerable hardship for poor people (Crichton, 1997). Â  Education and its effects on society Education also plays an important role in health care. Many people with low literacy cannot read and understand directions written on medications. They cannot complete medical consent forms. They have problems in accessing health care and dealing with health related issues. Health literacy is the ability to read and understand words and procedures related to health care. It consists of comprehension, communication and appropriate action. The direct effects of low health literacy are medication errors. The indirect issues can include insurance issues, accessibility to health care and poor health behavior (Shi, 2003). Low health literacy affects people of all ages, races, educational levels and social classes. It is driven by a variety of factors. It is a multidimensional issue. Understanding written materials has been part of extensive health literacy in the past few years. Sensitivity to culture has also become part of health literacy due to the diverse population of the world. Messages and images have to be tailored to meet the diverse beliefs and values of people. Health literacy is concerned with understanding the information necessary to manage health (Shi, 2003). It is estimated that at least 90 million people in the United States cannot read. The health of such people is at risk. Ethnic minority groups are also affected by low health literacy. Older patients, recent immigrants, people with chronic diseases and those with low income are also vulnerable to having low health literacy. Many people with average or strong literacy skills have found medical terminology and concepts confusing. There are many health consequences associated with a low literacy level. Research has found that at least one third of patients have health problems because of failure in taking prescription medication correctly. People with low health literacy cannot comply with prescribed treatments and self care routines. They also have a high rate of failure in seeking preventive care. They are more at risk for hospitalization. They lack the skills to successfully move in the complex healthcare system (Shi, 2003). Patients with low health literacy have glycemic control. They are also more likely to report eye problems caused by diabetes. The annual health care costs for individuals with low health literacy are five times higher than those with higher health literacy skills. People with low health literacy are more likely to use health care services. Additional health care expenditures result from low health literacy skills. People cannot feel part of the social structure. They are also vulnerable to anxiety and other mental disorders. They can also alienate other people. Research has also found that people with low literacy levels are more vulnerable to die. While federal and state lawmakers continue to debate about how to increase access to health care, some of them are thinking of reinsurance system which might be affordable for poor people. In order to understand the concept of insurance it is essential that policy makers understand the concepts, benefits and limits of reinsurance mechanism. Reforms in Health care Reinsurance in health care refers to risk transfer or risk pooling arrangements. These are designed to remove the barriers which low income workers and minorities face when accessing health care. Risk transfer arrangements can help in this matter but they cannot lower health care costs. Policy makers must design policies which encourage participation from insurers and remove incentives to transfer costs to taxpayers. Reinsurance is defined as an insurance company buying insurance itself. The primary insurer is protected against the rare set of circumstances which might produce losses that it cannot fund on its own. Property and casualty insurance are the areas where reinsurance has been successfully implemented. Companies working in these areas can take heavy losses due to natural disasters in a short time period. This induces insurers to buy reinsurance on the commercial market. Poor people cannot afford health insurance coverage. This directly affects their ability to access medical care. Patients postpone their medical care and they are more likely to go without prescription medicines. Low income workers are at the highest risk of being uninsured because they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage (Kling, 2004). Public health plays a vital role in countering the effects of poverty on health care. It also minimizes the disparities in health by income. Public health policies protect the health of the population. It also plays an important role in reducing contagious diseases and providing low cost health services to marginalized sections of society. There are many examples of public health functions. Immunizing babies, improving sanitation, combating sexually transmitted diseases, protecting the environment and containing tuberculosis are some of the public health functions. Public health focuses on reallocating resources to communities which have low incomes. The US government has a network of community health centers, public clinics, school based clinics and health clinics for low income workers, migrants, minorities and homeless people. The National Health Service Corps is an organization which provides services and places physicians in vulnerable communities. Public health services also focus on specific diseases like tuberculosis. They also increase immunization efforts against this disease. They provide services which improve the health of low income families. Neighborhoods are cleaned from lead paint, pollution control and nutrition programs are launched. Women and children are fed through special programs. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems (Kling, 2004). Medicaid is the largest public programs that have improved access to health care. It provides health services to low income population. It finances health and long term care insurance for over 40 million low income Americans. Before Medicaid the poor people were essentially without any medical care. They relied on charity of physicians and hospitals. Public hospitals and clinics were also visited by poor people. Medicaid has made health services available to poor people. It has improved their health status and access to quality care. It has also created satisfaction amongst the poor people. Uninsured poor people lag well behind those people who have coverage with Medicaid. People with Medicaid have even fared comparably with private insurance (Kling, 2004). Despite the fact that these programs offer valuable assistance to low income populations, the deficits in access and coverage faced by low income population cannot be easily overcome. Increase in income does produce a substantial contribution to removing health differentials. However this is the need for insurance coverage and support for community based resources to eliminate health disparities by income. Poverty is hazardous for the physical and mental well being of an individual. Low income and homeless people are poor physical functions. They have a high prevalence of health risk factors and chronic health conditions. They also are more vulnerable to depression and other mental disorders. Research has shown that people living in vulnerable communities have a higher rate of being diagnosed with mental disorders as compared with more affluent communities (Kling, 2004). There is a need for prevention, intervention and treatment of diseases for poor people. Welfare reform cannot succeed without taking into account the special health problems of poor people and children. Poverty is associated with depression and other symptoms. It contributes to depression. People with insufficient personal support have no assistance in raising children. They live under the chronic stress of having children but little money to support them. They are at a higher risk for depression. There is a strong link between single-parent status, responsibility for young children, social isolation, and lack of social supports as well as to poverty. Welfare recipients have many barriers towards employment. They have low skills, substance abuse, health limitation or children with chronic medical conditions. They have serious forms of barriers. They have also high level of distress. They seek help from general medical, specialized and human service sources. Poor people with low income and education have poorer health outcomes. They have less access to primary care as compared with more affluent residents. They are also less likely to have health insurance and regular doctor. They are more likely to have chronic health problems. They are more likely to get hospitalized for conditions which can be detected and treated at an early stage. Despite an expansive public insurance program these health problems remain. At least 18 percent of Americans are without medical insurance. This means a total of 44 million are without health insurance out of a population of 300 million. An estimated 87 percent of people are covered by government or employee based health care insurance. Rising health care costs have become unbearable in the world. This is a problem for poor people in the Western countries and the situation is even worse in developing countries. There is a need for reform in the health care system. Many poor people are not covered by health insurance. Critical care medicine in high technology hospitals are only for a small group of patients (Ham, 2004). The first step should be rationing in containing health care costs. Public health care resources are limited. It is not possible to satisfy all medical needs for all people at all times. An appropriate goal for developing countries is to provide basic health care for the people. Some luxury medical procedures must be left for individuals to purchase with their own resources. Â  A basic level of health care must be provided for all people. Providing the best care is practically impossible. The government can however provide a basic level of care. Prevention oriented and ordinary treatment oriented goals must be set for developing countries and their health care systems. Inexpensive medical prevention is more effective and appropriate for poor people. Finally there should be a system of support which should help people with special expensive medicine care. Special foundations should come to the rescue of poor people for emergency and life saving procedures (Cundiff, 2005). Conclusion The health and well being of poor communities is an issue confronting both developed and developing countries. Research has found links between poverty and the health of people. Inside the United States many poor people do not have health insurance. Some of them can’t even think of affording health insurance. They are more concerned with the basic amenities of life. People in developing countries are even worse off. They have access to state hospitals and clinics which do not have trained staff, prescription medicine and advanced hospital care (Cundiff, 2005). A low health literacy rate is also dangerous for the well being of people. It can have adverse negative economic and social impacts. They can die at from treatable causes and get hospitalized because of their lack of health literacy skills. They are also prone to suffering from mental diseases like anxiety and depression. Â  There is the need for health reform in the entire world. Governments must provide a basic level of health care to all citizens. Advanced hospital care must be made available by foundations and donations. Governments working in coordination with community support groups can effectively counter the affects of poverty and low education on the health care of poor people. Some health responsibilities and policies should be transferred to community groups. The international community must help poor countries in developing basic and adequate health care system. References Cutler, David M. (2004). Your Money Or Your Life: Strong Medicine for Americas Health Care System. US: Oxford University Press. Crichton, Anne (1997). Health Care: A Community Concern?. US: University of Calgary. Shi, Leiyu (2003). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach. US: Jones and Bartlett. Kling, Arnold S. (2004). Crisis of Abundance: Rethinking How We Pay for Health Care. US: Cato Institute. Ham, Christopher (2004). Health Care Reform: Learning from International Experience. US: McGraw-Hill Education. Cundiff, David E. (2005). The Right Medicine: How to Make Health Care Reform Work Today. US: Humana Press.

Patricia Piccinini and David Hockney Comparison

Patricia Piccinini and David Hockney Comparison Art explores many elements of life and the world. It explores and represents meanings in which are interpreted by the audience in various ways. Artists use different techniques to enhance their own individual message or perspective, whether it be distinctively clear or subtle. Artists such as Patricia Piccinini explore identity through life-like animal sculptures that resemble human characteristics. Her message is more powerful in analysis rather than first glance. David Hockney is also an artist who explores identity of the individual by representing lifes journey through his technique of photo montage. Art is the representation of the many elements of human life. It is the expression of emotion, the representation of objects or landscapes, life experiences and it can also be the representation of people and events. Identity can be represented as well as constructed in the visual arts. Many artists are able to do this in diverse and individual ways. Patricia Piccininis controversial artworks explore the identity and contrast between human and animal life. David Hockneys photo montage illustrates a very different approach to represent and construct identity. His artwork explores this concept through a narrative based artwork that represents lifes individual journey each must take in order to construct ones true identity. However, it is not only these two artists that explore identity. There are numerous artists who explore identity in a variety of ways. Some more subtle than others. This is because identity can be explored in so many different ways. Identity can be seen as a national identity, community identity, cultural, physical, professional, individual, sexual-orientation or marital status etc. There are many artists that explore these identities. Piccinini has explored the physical identity and relationship between human and animal. Whereas Hockney has explored the individual identity, and the path we journey through our lives Identity can be defined as individual characteristics by which a person is recognised or known. Art is a mirror image of a persons identity, circle of influence, and perceived worlds or realities. Art reflects what we feel, think, practice, believe, or imagine (Gaskins, N. 2010). Both Patricia Piccinini and David Hockney represent this in different ways by taking different approaches. Piccininis work is known for her extravagant and controversial life-like sculptures which present a more obvious meaning than that of Hockney. Through the use of symbolism, Hockneys photo montage creates a more subtle representation of identity. It is only with more analysis that Hockneys creation can be more understood. Although the audience perspectives can vary in conclusion as each individual can perceive this narrative type artwork and relate to the journey offered and constructed in different ways. The Young Family (2002-3) Apart from the image that is represented, there is often a second meaning within the artwork, (Clack, M. 2010). At a glance; the work of Patricia Piccinini is disturbing and questionable, hence the reason for the controversial perspectives. However if looked at with more depth and analysis, her artworks become interestingly engaging. The way in which she represents and constructs identity is far different to other artists. Patricia Piccinini is an artist who explores the frontiers of science and technology through her sculptures, photographs and video environments (Kent, R. 2002). Within her artwork she is able to construct a powerful message; that enables her to express personal view on a topic. The work makes public something other than itself; it manifests something other; it is an allegory (Clack, M. 2010). Personal identity and the issues surrounding it lie at the core of Piccininis project. Her works invite the question: what is it that makes us who we are? (Kent, R. 2002). Her artwork titled, The Young Family (2003) has sparked a lot of controversy because of the many perspectives it represents. Her life-like imagery is about compromises about being able to find beauty in a world which can never be perfect. (Papastergiadis, N. 2002). This artwork explores the distinction between animal and human characteristics. The similarities of both identities are obvious, which is what Patricia Piccinini is trying to portray. In a political and scientific perspective the inspiration behind this work is the expectation that we have of growing human organs in other species (Piccinini, P. 2003). In this artwork motherhood is one of the traits we share with animals; Patricia Piccinini has evidently shown this. From synthetic landscapes to artificial life forms, Piccinini creates a world in which fa ct, fiction and fantasy co-exist. She begs the question: what, in our rapidly changing world, constitutes the real anyway? (Kent, R. 2002). Pearblossom Hwy (1986) David Hockneys artwork, Pearblossom Hwy approaches the representation of identity in another way. Hockneys work clearly depicts his life and his love ones (Research Paper 2008). Represented in his artworks is a timeline of individual life on earth. He identifies that individuals have many paths they need to be inevitably travelled with many obstacles on the way. The art work consists of a lot of symbolism. Hockney has used the various stop signs in order to represent the individuals own life obstacles. In life many people will stop to think, is this decision Im about to make the right one? What path should I follow next? Who am I as an individual? etc. One of the many perspectives this artwork offers is that the collage is trying to say that in the beginning of life, people are unknowing of what they will do in their future or that they are lost in life. The end of the highway symbolizes certainty and strength about ones life. (Research Paper 2008). Hockneys art is created for his viewers. His drawings are designed in a special way so that they can be animated to be in the mind of the viewer (Research Paper 2008). David Hockneys aim is to take the audience on a journey that he has created, but one that means something different to each individual. This journey is the exploration of identity. He has captured within this artwork the similarities in lifes journeys, but it is how each individual interprets the story. Identity varies from society to society and individual to individual as variation of systems or personality (Art. 2010). In comparison to Patricia Piccininis artwork, The young family, Hockneys artwork relates solely to each individual. It explores numerous story lines as the interpretation of his artwork differs for each audience member. The identity he explores is more easily related to than that of Piccinini. Patricias outlook on identity explores the similarities between human and animal characteristics, very similar to the evolution theory, the apes transition into human form. Ideas about nature and its simulation are central to Piccininis works, inviting us to question what is real and what is not (Kent, R. 2002). Whereas Hockneys, Pearblossom Hwy explores the concept of what will the individuals future bring? Who am I? Who will I become?. It is more an intimate reflection of ones self. In conclusion, there are many artists who explore and represent identity in many forms and techniques. So in evaluating what is art. Many believe that it is the representation of the many elements of human life such as emotions, objects or landscapes, life experiences, people and events. Patricia Piccinini and David Hockney, while they both explore identity, their ideas and perspectives are entirely different. Patricia Piccininis controversial artworks explore the identity and contrast between human and animal life. While David Hockneys photo montage illustrates a narrative based artwork that represents lifes individual journey each must take in order to construct ones true identity.