Individual essay on values Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Individual on values - Essay Example nt of an organisation has been given fiduciary responsibility on the economic resources of the society that comprise of both human and natural resources. It is important for every organisation to consider the social, economic and environmental systems in which it is operating; the corporations that develop a long-term vision for their business along with their responsibilities towards the society are able to sustain their development in economy (Albareda, 2008; Crane et al., 2008). Considering the environment in which the organisation is operating is important so that all organisation functions are running in the right perspective and in an ethical manner. When the organisations accept their right of controlling economic resources of the society, the management agrees to take the duty of being accountable about using the assets. This level of accountability needs to be conducted on fair grounds and in a sincere manner by the organisation. Even if the organisation faces losses, it should realise that it needs to be accountable for the situation rather than indulging in false excuses. As the individuals in the management department are looking for a model that can help them in fulfilling their societal responsibilities, the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (TBL) concept was presented (Park & Stoel, 2005). The introduction of this concept acted as a vehicle for proper reporting about the articulation of the corporation’s environmental, economic and social performance (Ketola, 2009). Performances related to the environment and social concerns can be monitored with the help of the TBL concept. TBL has grown in popularity as it assists an organisation in determining the extent to which it is successfully meeting its responsibilities towards the community. The concept of TBL has given a direction to the management of organisations in developing the goals and objectives of the organisation according to the business environment. By following the guidelines specified in TBL,

Tom Clancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tom Clancy - Essay Example Tom Clancy is something else again. The flap jacket of Tom Clancy's first successful book, The Hunt for Red October, contains this anecdote: "He has had a private chat with President Reagan, and lunched with the White House staff. His maiden novel was a top seller at the Pentagon. Yet the author is neither a former intelligence nor a naval officer. Rather, Tom Clancy is an insurance broker from a small town in Maryland whose only previously published writing was a letter to the editor and a three-page article about the MX missile. He always wanted to write a suspense novel, and a newspaper article about a mutiny on a Soviet frigate gave him the initial idea for Red October. He did extensive research about Soviet-American naval strategies and submarine technology. Then in the time he could spare from his insurance business, Clancy sat down at his typewriter and wrote. The rest is history." This insurance man with very little writing experience invented the "techno-thriller" genre, a hybrid of military, spy, political and suspense thrillers which became part of popular American culture 20 years later (Greenberg, M., 1992). Clancy's suspense thrillers are political intrigues mixed with rich details of modern military technology, which are focused on the Cold War and take a grim view of the former Soviet Union. This struck a responsive chord among political conservatives. These novels are also distinguished by the intricacies of their plots, attention to detail, and technical accuracy in military and intelligence topics (Wikipedia). An amazing achievement for one who never had any training in intelligence or military affairs, which gives his popularity a dimension bigger than that of all the best-selling authors combined who are known to have some previous expertise in the fields they are writing on. As a result of the immense popularity of Clancy's books, he became the only author in history whose works have been "branded,' a new publishing phenomenon in which other authors publish books using his name to ensure brisk sales. These publishing ventures are called "Apostrophe Books" as in "Tom Clancy's Op-Center with Steve Pieczenik." (Britannica.com) Tom Clancy's initial attempt at novel writing, The Hunt for Red October, was modeled after authors he admired most. These include the British masters of suspense and spy thrillers - Frederick Forsyth, John le Carre, Alistair MacLean and Len Deighton. Martin Greenberg, who collaborated with Clancy on his Mirror Image series, recalls that Clancy worked on the novel from November 11, 1982 to February 23, 1983, or within a space of only three months. The novel concerns a prolonged sea chase involving high-tech submarines so he referred it to the Naval Press Institute, hoping to obtain the stamp of authenticity that he doubted from the start. As Clancy feared at the time, his knowledge of submarine technology and weaponry was found wanting in places by the Naval Press Institute. Thus, the manuscript was returned to him three weeks later, full of suggested rewrites. Clancy dutifully did the rewrites, learning from that experience as he did so. In November 1983, sometime after Clancy brought back the revised manuscript to the Naval Press Institute, the institute was impressed enough to make an offer to publish it on a $3,000 deal with the first-time author. The institute had never published a book before and it was a measly contract by industry standard, but Clancy

Consent Treatment Children

Consent Treatment Children This assignment will be an in depth exploration of consent to treatment in children as an issue affecting practice .An analysis of both ethical and legal perspectives relating to consent to treatment will be explored and the possible solutions will be highlighted .In ethical issues the following will be looked at : autonomy ,beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. The legal issues such as duty of care and decision making will be analysed .The parental and professional responsibilities and their implications will be dealt with. The attached scenario examines some of the ethical and legal issues that may arise concerning parental decision making regarding surgery on children. It uses two cases, each of which raises issues concerning childrens competence to be involved in decisions; the notions of best interests and best health interests; how interests are related to wishes and welfare the role of parents in assessing best interests and parental rights in deciding for their children.T he scenario is attached on appendix 1 1.Ethics is relevant to clinical, practice-based issues and it affects all areas of nursing practice. It is concerned with right or wrong although agreeing on what is right can be challenging (Chaloner 2007).Ethics and law are closely related 2.In the healthcare practice the Utilitarian ethics (Bentham 1748-1932 and Mills 1806-1873 and the Deontological theories cited by Cooke and Hurley (2008)are commonly used to resolve moral dilemmas. The two theories take opposing views about the rightness and wrongness of acts and decisions. Patients are individual persons with their own opinions and aims in life, which require them to act intelligently in what they do. In order for them to act intelligently they need to be allowed to make their own decisions and given the right information. Deontology is a theory that says decision should be based on whether or not an action is morally right with no regard for the result or consequences. Utilitarianism is a theory that is bases decision on the greatest good for the greatest number (Videbeck 2006). Autonomy is the principle of self determination, freedom of choice or being your own person (Parker and Dickenson 2001). Chaloner (2007) viewed autonomy as the idea of moral reflection, for example choosing your own moral position and accepting responsibility for the kind of person you are In agreement with above definition ,Hendrick (2004) equated autonomy with integrity, dignity and independence and identified it with qualities such as self assertion and critical reflection .Autonomy literally means self rule. Respect for autonomy demands that healthcare professionals respect autonomous choices made by patients and that patients are not deceived about their diagnosis (Brazier 2003).For example the nurse respects the client’s autonomy through patient’s rights, informed consent and encouraging the client to make choices about his or her health care. Videbeck (2006) defined the principle of beneficence as one’s duty to benefit or to promote good for others. Maclean (2001)viewed beneficence as a positive obligation to provide and to balance benefits against risks and costs . From a nursing perspective the responsibility for the patient’s well being and avoiding actions that are detrimental to them as laid down within the code of conduct Therefore the principle of beneficence supports the obligation to do good. Nonmaleficence is the requirement to do no harm to others either intentionally or unintentionally(Videbeck 2006).It requires that one should not inflict harm to others .Contrary to beneficence ,nonmaleficence is a negative obligation which can only occur through an act of commission to inflict harm on others as opposed to an act of omission even when such an act of omission results in harm to another person. Justice refers to fairness ,that is treating all people fairly and equally without regard for social or economic status ,race ,sex, marital status religion or cultural beliefs (Stauch et al 2006, Videbeck 2006).The above principles have a significant in meaning in health care. Therefore the nurse can minimise the risk of lawsuits through safe competent nursing care and accurate documentation. For instance ,the clause of the Code of Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008) states that nurses have a duty of care to their patients who are entitled to receive safe and competent care. 3.Consent refers to the right of the individual in law to determine what shall be done to his or her body (Rodger 2000).This statement is supported by Griffith (2004) who clarifies that consent is a state of mind personal to the patient where they agree to the violation of bodily integrity. In clinical environment this includes the right of the individual to refuse treatment even if the outcome of this is detrimental and may even cause death. For consent to be valid in law a patient must be capable of making that decision (Tingle and Crib 2003). Dimond (2005) explains how capacity to consent was established in a case where a judge suggested a three part test to determine whether a patient possessed the capacity to consent :the patient must understand and retain the relevant information, he must believe in it and be able to weigh this information in the balance before reaching a decision (McHale and Tingle 2004).However this process should be free of any duress. The practical significance of the law of consent is that it encourages a patient’s trust , co-operation and confidence and it protects the practitioners from criminal charges and civil claims whey they treat patients. Failure to obtain consent may result in legal action or disciplinary procedures against the practitioner by their regulatory body (Rodgers 2000). Rational for choice. Children and young people are believed to be incapable of weighting the risks and benefits . Children, because of age-related reasons are a vulnerable population and protecting their health is a social ,scientific and emotional priory (Merlo et al 2007).They are considered to be vulnerable subjects with whom special protection is needed. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) concurs with above by providing a statutory framework to empower and protect vulnerable people who are not able to make their own decisions. The dying, the aged who may be unable to comprehend the implications of treatment and the mentally ill or those with learning disabilities all fall into the category and are considered to be vulnerable. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) clause 3.9 informs the nursing staff of their professional duty towards children in the matter of consent and maintains that nurses must be aware of the legislation and the local protocols. In the Royal Bristol Infirmary Inquiry ,Kennedy (200 1) highlighted that some of the recommendations were that the parents and the public should be included in decisions about their treatment and care of their children. Ibid (2001) suggested that for the future, children in hospital must be cared for in a child-centred environment, by staff trained in caring for children and in facilities appropriate to their needs. In the modern era, the ethics of nursing has shifted more toward the promotion of these rights and the duties of the nurse (McHale Gallagher 2003). This principle was identified previously in the Patients Charter: Services for Children and Young People (Department of Health, 1996) which highlighted the rights of children and young people to be involved in choices about their care and treatment. In order to design and deliver services around children and young people, their voices need to be heard and their perspectives acknowledged. Legal consent rests on the competence of the individual while the ethical aspects of consent are concerned with the respect and autonomy of the individual (Tschudin 2003). 5.Identify legal aspects make links with ethical concepts under discusion The present age of consent in children was established in the Family Law Reform Act 1969 (Dimond 2003) .Section one of this act gives a young person of 16 or 17 the statutory right to give consent in their own right, without also obtaining from their parents .A paternalistic decision must be made to protect the children from any harmful consequences, as the nature of medical decisions is complex( Chadwick and Tadd 2003). Recently there has been a growing recognition of the rights of children, backed by legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and, in the UK, the Children Act 1989.Also the International Council of Nurses (ICN 2007) advocates for promoting the rights of the hospitalised child, including parental involvement in caring for the sick or institutionalised child or the child being cared for in the community. These represent a shift from a highly paternalist view to a more rights-based approach in recognising the rights of children to adult protection alongside a right to participate (Parekh, 2006).Children do have rights as enshrined from the international and national legislation. For example the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child (1998) advocates for the rights of every child to self determination, dignity , respect, non-interference and the right to make informed decisions. The European Charter for Children in hospital (1988) states that children and parents have the right to informed participation in all decisions involving their health care. The legislation asserts that every child should be protected from unnecessary medical treatment and investigation. The Children Act 1989 insists that children’s wishes and feelings should be incorporated into the decision making concerning them. As observed in practice the tension between respecting and promoting children’s autonomy and recognising that often children need protecting from harm is not the one that can be easily be resolved.. DECISION MAKING PROCESS Ethical decision making is a rational way of making decisions in nursing practice. Decisions cannot be made in a scattered, disorganised way based on entirely on intuition or emotions. Wrong decisions are made because they are often made in haste, and may be based on past experience rather than new situations. Sometimes they are made without consultations and may be over-analysed (McGuire 2002).In making clinical decisions McGuire( 2002) agreed with Aiken (1994), six step process which is divided into six levels: identify, analyse data (2) State the dilemma (3) consider the choices of action (4) analyse the positives and negatives of each course of action (5)make the decisions (6) evaluate the effectiveness of the decision. With regard to the Children Act 1989 ,parental responsibility includes the right of parents to consent to treatment on behalf of their child provided that the treatment is in the child’s best interest (BMA 2005). However , in practice there can be conflicting obligations and ethical dilemma ,if the practitioner does not believe that the parents are acting in the child’s best interests. It was felt that Danny’s parents were not acting in his best interests. The practitioner can apply to the court for assistance under section eight of The Children’s Act 1989 to prohibit the parents from exercising their parental responsibility(McHale and Tingle 2004). Children under the age of 16 are not regarded automatically and legally competent to make decisions about their health care .Danny is below the age of 16 and his parents have the power to consent. However, they have refused to give consent and the given scenario is that Danny’s life is at risk. The healt h care professionals have the right to act in the best interest, Dimond (2003). If the nurse considers that the child may be exposed to significant harm as a result of the parents refusal of consent , then section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on the local authority to assess the situation and to decide the best way forward (Pocock 2003). In this scenario of Danny the actions of the nurses are consistent with the principle of beneficence. The principle of beneficence requires healthcare givers to strive to promote the interests of their clients by conferring benefits upon them (Maclean 2001).The ethical principle of nonmaleficence is executed for instance when the nurses consider that the patient may be exposed to a significant harm .The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE 2006) suggested that treatment and care should take into account patients individual needs and preferences. Good communication is essential, supported by evidence-based information to allow patients to reach informed decisions about their care. However, Danny is considered to be competent to give valid consent because he had demonstrated a level of competence equivalent to that of adults since he understood what is proposed (Department of Health, 2001). Kennedy and Grub (1998) cited by Griffith (2004) argue that for children to have ful ly autonomous they pass through three developmental stages :the child of tender age ,the Gillick competent child and children16 and 17 years old. This ruling came about as a result of the legal case Gillick v. West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority (1986) AC 112, which challenged the legal right of a medical practitioner to provide contraceptive advice and treatment to girls under the age of 16 without the consent of their parents (Mason and Laurie 2005). After lengthy legal proceedings, this trial was taken to the House of Lords. The Law Lords found in favour of the Health Authority. The key concept is that the child has the capacity to consent which has been referred to as Gillick or Fraser competence (DoH 2001). The Gillick Decision defined competence as the ability to understand information about the proposed treatment ,its purpose ,nature, risks and likely side effects(Shaw 2001).Although Danny’s parents had declined to give consent his behalf ,by law he was permitted to give his own consent. Danny was deemed ‘Gillick’ or ‘Fraser’ competent since he met the criteria laid down in th e assessment of capacity. He had demonstrated the he found out the benefits of the operation and that he could retained the information enough to relate it to the healthcare professionals involved. The principles of nonmaleficience and beneficence in nursing practice can lead to paternalism as pointed out by (Beauchamp and Childress 2001).The Children Act 1989 stipulates that parental responsibility includes the rights of parents to consent to treatment on behalf of their child provided that the treatment is in the child’s best interests(BMA 2005).This view of children’s rights in relation to autonomy and consent to treatment assumes that children are incompetent. However this paternalistic view does not consider the ethical principles of self-determination and autonomy of the child as laid down in the children Act( 1989) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).Consent in children also relies on the ethical principle of justice, which requires equal treatment for all with no discrimination on the basis of age. The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (DoH 2004) states that there has been a shift i n government policy to respect the autonomy of children. The issue of consent is related to the ethical principle of autonomy , an individual’s ability to make his or her decisions. It requires nurses to respect the choices clients make about their own lives (Hendrick 2000,NMC 2008).The utilitarian view would also support Danny being operated at the time, as it would correct and relieve the pain. Other options open to the nurse were to seek advice from the NMC advice service or to apply to the courts for an opinion in law as it was felt that Danny’s parents were not acting in his best interests. The other solution might have been to encourage Danny to share his feelings with his parents. Role of a Nurse As observed in practice the nurses’s decision about children’s consent can often be influenced by own experiences of parenthood. The Kennedy Report (2001) emphasised the need for specialist training to be given to healthcare professionals who deal with children regularly. The NMC( 2008) states that the nurse has a duty of care to the client. It sets out standards for achieving this duty of care, including obtaining consent from legally competent, informed person who gives consent voluntarily .For the children under the age of 16 awareness of local protocols and further guidelines from the should be followed .Nurses are often uncertain whether they should respect children’s wishes or whether they risk breaking the law (Lowsden 2002).However anxiety about litigation may lead to defensive practice, which is not in the child’s best interests. In order to promote greater respect for the children’s autonomy nurses should keep up date with legal development which may have a bearing on practice .In order to promote a greater respect for autonomy in children , the commonly held attitudes and prejudices about children’s rights need to be addressed through education and relevant training .Consent in children also relies on the ethical principle of justice which requires equal treatment for all with no discrimination on the basis of age .In the document ,the Essence of Care (DoH, 2003) the NHS encourages healthcare professionals to ensure that high quality of care by exploring the benefits of benchmarking .This document focuses on privacy ,dignity and modesty as the cornerstone of freedom and autonomy. The essence of care offers nurses a toolkit for comparing, sharing and reflecting on the best practices, in order to improve care offered to clients(Davies 2003).In agreement with the above section 2.2 of the (NMC 200 8) states that a nurse is accountable to promote and protect patients privacy and dignity. Ensure good communication with parents Nordam et al (2005) considers that good nursing care should involve the knowledge, language and communication between nurses and the members of the multidisciplinary team. Consultation with colleagues to ensure the best possible basis for the professional opinion is offered. Nurses and other healthcare professionals should ensure good communication with parents and as far as possible with the child, since communication is a two way and should attempt to ensure that both parties understand the other’s preferred options and the reasons for these. Therefore co-operation and communication between professionals will improve efficiency as well as promoting a conducive working environment. Renee (2007) supported the above by stating that developing an ethical framework will facilitate making a decision that is beneficial for both the patient and the nursing team. To conclude this assignment I would say that the principles of beneficence ,non maleficence ,justice autonomy and respect are the characteristics which all healthcare professionals should have in order to avoid ethical dilemmas and litigation. Nurses should continue to advocate for patients. The needs and safety of the patients must always come first.

Jean-Paul Sartre: Conscience to the World Essay -- Biography Sartre Es

Jean-Paul Sartre: Conscience to the World At the time of his death on the fifteenth of April, 1980, at the age of seventy-four, Jean-Paul Sartre’s greatest literary and philosophical works were twenty-five years in the past. Although the small man existed in the popular mind as the politically inconsistent champion of unpopular causes and had spent the last seven years of his life in relative stagnation, his influence was still great enough to draw a crowd of over fifty thousand people – admirers or otherwise – for his funeral procession. Sartre was eminently quotable, a favorite in the press, because his statements were always controversial. He was the leader of the shortly popular Existential movement in philosophy which turned quickly into a fad for the disillusioned post-World War I generation, so even when the ideas criticized were not the ideas of Sartre’s Existentialism, he still came to the public mind. Sartre was alternately celebrated and vilified, depending on which side of the issu e the speaker or writer was on, and whether or not Sartre had early espoused – and possibly later turned against – the ideals in question. Despite Sartre’s many political and philosophical about-faces, fellow Marxist political philosopher Herbert Marcuse said of him, â€Å"He may not want to be the world’s conscience, but he is.† [Hayman, 458] Poulou Jean-Paul Sartre was born on June 21, 1905, and lost his father a little over a year later. His mother, Anne-Marie was raised uneducated in an educated family and moved back in with her own father, the teacher Karl Schweitzer, uncle of the famous philosopher and missionary, Albert Schweitzer. She promptly lost control of her infant son. Jean-Paul became the immediate favorite of his g... ...eye’s blindness – and he consistently lived his life in connection with his views on freedom. He strived, even while he worried about class struggles, to be an â€Å"authentic man,† the ultimately free man of his early plays. Sartre was precocious, brilliant, controversial, changeable, stubborn, self-involved, arrogant, hated, worshiped, versatile, magnetic, and had an enormous effect on the world he lived in. In short, he was a creator. Bibliography Gerassi, John. Jean-Paul Sartre: Hated Conscience of His Century. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. Hayman, Ronald. Sartre: A Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987. Madsen, Axel. Hearts and Minds: The Common Journey of Simone de Beauvoir & Jean-Paul Sartre. New York: Morrow Quill Paperbacks, 1977. Priest, Stephen. Jean-Paul Sartre: Basic Writings. London; New York: Routledge, 2001.

Exposé of Hypocrisy of Imperialism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay

In his novella Heart of Darkness, author Joseph Conrad attempts to expose the hypocrisy of imperialism since its explorers emphasize the importance of helping natives, while actively exploiting them. He also depicts the Africans in the story as nothing more than mindless savages. During his journey to the Congo, Conrad witnessed the horrors firsthand that the Europeans inflicted upon the African natives. He shares his experiences through Marlow, the protagonist, who sees the evil side of humanity through its materialism. Conrad denounces the oppressive nature of those of his time by exposing their social darwinist thought. Imperialism is portrayed as a hypocritical tool used purely for the Europeans’ own benefit. Europeans began what is known as â€Å"the scramble for Africa† in the late 19th century. The major powers all fought each other to gain control, disregarding the Africans in the process. The Europeans believed themselves to be taking up â€Å"the white man’s burden†, which was the belief that the Europeans had a duty to gain control of Africa and civilize the inhabitants in order to help them. The hypocrisy of it was that what they deemed as helping and civilizing them was actually entirely against the natives’ wishes, as their culture was being destroyed as well as their people enslaved. Conrad depicts this throughout his novel, Conrad denounces oppression by showing racism to criticize the immorality and cruelty of enslaving others for personal gain. Inhumane treatment of the africans is expressed through how they wore rags, which gives a sense of desolation. Racism is conveyed through the dehumanization of the natives, revealing that their captors went as far to put them in collars, showing they were seen as and treated like dogs. Even Marlow refers to his helmsman as a piece of machinery. Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, author of Things Fall Apart, famously criticized Heart of Darkness in his 1975 lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, saying the novella de-humanized Africans, denied them language and culture and reduced them to a metaphorical extension of the dark and dangerous jungle into which the Europeans venture. All the European colonists desired was wealth and treasures, willing to go as far as completely exploit other human beings. The metaphor comparing colonists to burglars was used to convey that they had no morals and did whatever they please in order to achieve personal gain, including exploiting them. This is all very hypocritical considering they believed themselves to be helping and civilizing them. Conrad uses Mr. Kurtz to unveil how he feels about imperialism as a whole. Marlow describes how Mr. Kurtz says everything is his own, which shows that imperialists claimed Africa is theirs and it was okay to exploit the natives as slaves. Conrad uses the dehumanization of Kurtz to exemplify his beliefs to maintain one’s morals to avoid becoming caught up in a world of materialistic desires. Mr. Kurtz is described as having a bald head similar to that of an ivory ball, leading the reader to believe that all he thinks about is ivory. The fact that he is withered is to show Conrad’s belief of what greed will result in upon a person.

Thomas Hart Benton

Thomas Hart Benton was born in Neosho, Missouri in 1889. His family had a notable political history: his father being a congressman. Benton’s family had a political career planed for him from the beginning. To this he always rebelled, as he had a natural inclination towards art. In 1907 the artist began his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. However two years later he decided to travel to Paris to continue his studies in the capital of the classic academic art. He learned many European styles and tried them all by turns, but neither of them would connect with his personal vision.It was the beginning of the 20th century and the esthetic perception of people was confused by the successive parading of many different movements that lived shortly and were replaced by new ideas. The world of art was then unsteady and in constant motion. Benton eventually eliminated all the modern influence and turned to his own style, a mixture of other European visions, that blended together to create an exclusive, very personal approach to the realistic idea. He decided to look for his own style as he returned to the States four years later.He worked as a draftsman for the United States Navy in 1919 and this period changed his technique dramatically. During this stage he created many sketches portraying ship life, which gave him a new perspective and subject for his future work: the use of simple life scenes as theme for his pictures. The artist adopted the new style of Scene Painting and began to create works of art in a more realistic and traditional perspective, joining the style known as Regionalism, that was taking over the American interest of the era.Between the 1920 and 1940 there was an artistic phenomenon in America known as Scene Painting. It was a style of naturalist tendency that evolved from the instability that World War I caused into the mentality of people. Many American artists began to reject the modern esthetic ideas that migrated from Europe to New York and they started to pursue a return to the academic vision. The search for realistic representation drew their attention towards urban and rural scenes.Most of those works bring together the balance between the romanticism of the American everyday life, combined with the nationalist vision of the period. Some pieces portray typical scenes from small towns, in a kind of social art style that displays the realism of the typical living. Some concentrated on country scenes while others preferred to illustrate the urban ambiance. The style known as Regionalism is mostly concentrated on small-town scenes. This movement grew in America in the first half of the 20th century as artists rejected the city life and turned their attention towards the rural side of society.In a country where everything was focused on progress, modernization and fast-growing technology, the charms of rural life attracted the interest of the artists almost in the same way that Far East appeal had stimulated t he creative imagination of Romanticist painters. During the Great Depression this style was greatly appreciated because it brought the spirit of the American quiet life of the heartland, at a time when people were concerned, panicked and threatened by the very modern world they had worshipped so far, that seemed to be collapsing.The peaceful images of the country life were reassuring in the middle of the chaos. The fall of Wall Street, the Great Depression and the growing fascism in Europe brought a period of auto-reflection in America and a rising isolation towards Europe, in the artistic scene as well as the political stage. In the eyes of many Americans the abstractionism of modern European art symbolized an emergent decadence of European culture, a lack of imagination that demonstrated a poor state of spirit in the old world.This provoked the return to the realistic art of images and the pursuit for something truly and purely American to adopt as subjects for future works. Toget her with social realism, the Regionalists produced images about the United States that covered subjects going from the sinister loneliness of the country fields to the arrogance and splendor of a new rural paradise. Scenes portraying country houses and farms by Charles Burchfield and the desolated images of the urban America of Edward Hopper create an intense sensation of loneliness and despair.The expressionistic and fantastic style used in those pieces offer the paintings a desolated aspect that reminds the viewer of the boring quotidian existence of a provincial community. This is a quality that might pass as poetic, fantastic, romantic and deeply psychological. With the many changes going on in the country, the American public and artists gradually detached from the European style they had formerly admired. The vogue was no longer to accept the Parisian taste, or pursue French artists established in New York.A new generation was searching for a pure American vision, a form of ar t that would illustrate the typical American scenes, from their local points of view. Regionalism was â€Å"a reaction against the European domination of American art† (Brady M. Roberts, (1995) p. 1) Between the effects of the war, the Great Depression and the fast paced modernization chase, the United States seemed like a very hard place, cold, rough and threatening.Scene Paintings suggest the transitory lives of people that come and go, but also suggest the steady situation of characters trapped in the eternal routine of rural existence, creating a very psychological atmosphere, that contrasts with the image of the cold stone-made civilizations Americans lived in. Rural was at the same time exotic and common, and offered a great subject for artists since it combined open nature, landscape and everyday scenes. Regionalist style had its main period around the 1930 to 1935.