Impacts of Rising Healthcare Costs in the US

Impacts of Rising Healthcare Costs in the US Assessment 3: International Policies and Economic Dilemmas INTRODUCTION Health is highly valued by the community, and many would agree that â€Å"Health is indeed Wealth†. In this constantly changing environment what becomes of the counties’ financial wealth when health care costs are expanding beyond national income? In a New York Times interview, Victor Fusch argued that all our fiscal problems will be solved when the solution to healthcare spending is formulated (Koalata, 2012). How are countries able to cope with the increasing cost of healthcare spending while remaining fiscally sustainable? Sustainability of a decent healthcare system is further challenged by the global economic down-turn. High-quality healthcare is not necessarily expensive but does take a huge chunk of the government budget especially for countries with universal healthcare. While developed countries struggle to provide universal coverage, poorer nations find it hard to afford even the most basic health care services. IMPACT OF INCREASING HEALTHCARE COST TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATONAL POLICIES Healthcare is a challenging area for all nations. Cost, access and quality are three main factors that need careful consideration in healthcare policy regulation. The sky rocketing cost of healthcare is a gradually expanding international dilemma and its impact on a national and international level will be discussed in the following section. 2.1 International comparison: How does the U.S fare with other developed countries? The ailing healthcare system of the United States is no news to the world. For decades the healthcare system has placed a substantial amount of pressure on the country’s fiscal sustainability and at most a root cause of its fiscal problems (Koalata, 2012). On 2010, the United States spent about $8,508 USD per person which is 17.7% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product). That is 2.5 more than most of the developed countries’ healthcare expenditure like Canada (14.7% of GDP, $4,522 per person), New Zealand (9.5% of GDP, $3,925 per person) and United Kingdom (9.4% of GDP, $5,643 per person) where healthcare is universal (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Apart from rising administrative costs, another reason for the United States’ grandiose spending lies on its complex billing system- one that is arguably biased. In this system, healthcare providers can hand-pick their patients (Koalata, 2012). A more expensive health insurance mostly increases the likelihood of care, treatment and hospital admission or physician consultation. Therefore in most cases, people with private insurance are more eligible for healthcare services compared to the ones with government subsidised insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid. This leaves the country with a high level of inequity with regards to healthcare services. People who are underinsured, in many cases, might as well be considered uninsured. The United States Healthcare system is currently a mess, it has been for years now. In fact no country is as economically healthy as it is expected to be in lieu with their respective healthcare systems, although countries like Sweden and Canada surpass others in this regard (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Globally, the increasing cost for healthcare is due to numerous factors such as; an increasing ageing population, advancing technology, increasing expectations due to increasing income and a widening range of new treatments (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). 2.2 Addressing increasing costs in healthcare Every country has its respective healthcare issues. It is perfectly understood that no healthcare system is flawless. Every policy has its trade-offs. The measure of a successful policy however, lies on its flexibility and sustainability. 2.2.1 Cost-containment Cost-containment allows countries to put a cap on healthcare spending. In contrast to the United States, France and Japan use a common fee schedule which allows them to pay hospitals, doctors and other healthcare providers a uniform rate for most of the patients that they attend to. In addition, Japan ensures flexibility by lowering fees to certain areas that are growing faster than projected (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Similarly, The National Fund for the Insurance of Employed Workers (CNMATS) in France closely monitors spending on all kinds of services (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). If a particular area grows faster than expected, CNMATS intervenes by lowering the cost of the specific service (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Other interventions include monitoring prescription medication. Whenever appropriate, the physicians are encouraged to use cheaper generic drugs by employees in insurance funds sent by the CNMATS (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). In the United States, cost containment is very inflexible . Because the healthcare system mostly runs on private insurances, business owners have the choice of asking providers to contain their costs or passing on higher costs to patients with higher premiums. 2.2.2 Re-organizing Health care Information and communications technology effectively cuts down healthcare costs. Cutting back on healthcare professionals’ workload can immensely save a couple of dollars per hour. For example, Sweden uses electronic drug prescription where a message is sent directly from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). This particular intervention cuts back an hour or two of the pharmacists’ work per day. Not only is the intervention efficient, it also increases effectiveness due to a decrease in medical errors. Another intervention would be admitting acute care patients in a community setting rather than a hospital setting (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Hospital admissions are far more expensive than clinics privately owned or governmentally operated. A health workforce mix can also be used to cut back on physician costs wherein nurses and pharmacists are allowed to do some of the physicians’ responsibilities (The Commonwealth Fund, 20 13). In a way, heath care mix alleviates the health workforce crisis at some extent. Impact on International Policies The World Health Organisation has made it clear that prevention is better than cure and is less expensive in most cases. As of 2013, WHO has focused on the prevention of communicable and non-communicable disease. Community and Public interventions mandated by WHO include cost-effective policies such as tax and price increase on tobacco products (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Developed and developing countries including Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan have gained substantial amount of profit and have saved many lives due to the regulation of the said policy (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Less smokers lead to lesser cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders (i.e. arteriosclerosis- a major pre-cursor to heart attacks and stroke, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder). In addition taxes on alcoholic beverages have also been regulated which has significantly decreased accidents related to alcohol intoxication and cirrhosis occurrences (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are very costly. Treatment and management of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are very costly. Majority of NCD’s can be averted through interventions and policies that reduce major risk factors- such as obesity. Many preventive measures are cost-effective and have quick impact on the burden of disease at the population level. All the said preventative measures decreased the number of unnecessary disability and mortality which significantly cut back on health costs. POLICY INTERVENTION SOLUTION TO RISING HEALTH CARE COST 3.1 Education and Training A healthy population leads to sound development. With education, public awareness and training countries will be able to provide the necessary community healthcare needs –especially in rural areas. In other words, education leads to economic growth and a major tool in the solution of today’s economic crisis. New technology and new development of vaccines and chemotherapeutic agents are incapable of change on their own. They need vectors–healthcare workers who are well-trained and adequately motivated, to make a difference. Education and training provides public protection against environmental hazards and control of communicable diseases such as HIV- an estimated 35.3 (32.2–38.8) million carriers as of 2012 (WHO, 2008). A shortage of 4.3 million trained healthcare workers has been reported on 2006 (WHO, 2008). This shortage coupled with the burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases in developing countries and the ageing population in developed countries are placing increasing demands on health systems worldwide and are resulting in avoidable deaths and unnecessary disabilities. In addition to provision of treatment and care, healthcare workers are necessary in the spread of health awareness. One method that has proven effective in decreasing healthcare cost is the self-management program (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). The said program reduces the use of healthcare services among people with chronic illnesses. In the U.S about 70% of all healthcare expenditures are related to chronic illnesses. Recent studies have shown that a person can cut back on 2 years’ worth of healthcare expenditures (an average of USD $590) with a brief self-management training (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Apart from health improvement and less deterioration, the program also cuts on hospital stays and outpatient visits. 3.2 Tax Benefits and Payments to Caregivers Tax benefits serve as indirect compensation to caregivers wherein governments aim to encourage family members and relatives to assume the informal caregiver role. Through this policy, the cost of healthcare is minimised through reduction or delay of an individual’s institutionalization. Every country’s compensation plan differs from one another. Incentives are provided to suite the community’s need in lieu with the country’s provision capacity. Canada for example, gives out personal credits or what is often called as the â€Å"equivalent to spouse credit†- tax deductible incentives (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). In addition, Medical expenses credit is also available to further support caregivers with respective medical expenses (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). Even though Canada has a seemingly good compensation plan, it misses the ‘direct’ compensation aspect of the Caregiving Policy. In contrast, Australia, United Kingdom and France are able to provide direct compensation to informal caregivers wherein actual payments are given to care recipients for their services (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). U.K provides Care Allowances to support family caregivers via social security programs instead of providing tax incentives. In Australia, the ‘Carer Payment’ provides a bi-weekly benefit to caregivers where caregivers from both low to high-income families are supported (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). Approximately AUD $1,450 per month plus an annual bonus is provided by the government to support informal caregivers. In some European countries the ‘Family Caregiver Wage’ exists where family caregivers are given wages the same as a paid caregiver (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). 3.3 Respite Care Certain studies conducted in the United States, showed that the level of disability or care is directly proportional to work absences and inversely proportional to job acceptances (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Therefore, respite care is provided to support and provide temporary relief for family caregivers. Respite care can be utilized regularly or irregularly based on the caregivers’ transgression. Similar studies have showed that respite care results in fewer hospital admission and lower emotional health problems for both caregivers and care recipients (The Commonwealth Fund, 2013). Caregiver stress is a common problem for informal caregivers. Respite care prevents caregiver burn-out and relieves care-giver stress. These short breaks allow the caregivers to attend to urgent matters or provide themselves with the vacation that they deserve. The prevention of caregiver health problems through respite care eventually lowers healthcare cost. Business Regulation Combining Work and Caregiving ­ For the past decades, many employers have implemented working policies, programs and incentives for employees’ work-family needs. The work-family agenda that family advocates and professional human resource associations promote recognizes how difficult it is to juggle responsibilities at home with those at work. Employers are encouraged to embrace a work-family agenda not only because it creates a more positive relationship between employers and their employees, but it has positive economic effects as well. Failure to address family issues may cost employers billions annually due to lost productivity (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). Flexible workplace policies enhance employee’s productivity, reduce absenteeism, reduce costs, and appear to have positive effects on profit. In addition, these policies aid on the efforts of recruitment and retention wherein employers tend to retain a talented and knowledgeable workforce while money that would otherwise be used in the recruitment, selection and training of a new employee would be retained. Family has been referred to as the building block of a community. A healthy family is productive to both state government and business community. Therefore, the government must monitor the needs of the working force to sustain a productive economy. Financial support and provision of pension credits for care giving Reduced participation in paid employment has significant consequences for the family caregiver’s pension security. Lower income earnings undermine the caregiver’s ability to save for retirement and reduce accumulated pension credits (Canadian Centre of Elder Law, 2013). Informal Caregiving remains the least expensive form of care. In a household where people have to cut back on working hours or quit their jobs altogether, comprehensive measures need to be put in place to compensate for the services provided by caregivers. Although this area of provision remains inadequate to sustain most care-giver needs, many countries have paved the way for its innovation. ‘Carer Pension’ in Australia and Norway are provided to care givers who have not sustained employment due to their caregiver roles. Other Pension plans in Germany, France, U.K and Sweden act as contributions for family caregivers. CONCLUSION Healthcare cost inflation has risen yet again after its hibernation during the 1990’s. Billions are spent on healthcare cost annually with the United States at the forefront. Along with rising healthcare cost is rising dissatisfaction on the system. People are struggling to accept the price hike on healthcare indirectly proportional to the quality of the system. People’s dissatisfaction coupled with the impending crisis because of the healthcare price hike, policy makers have started to look on possible reforms to decrease healthcare costs without compromising access and quality. Expensive healthcare is increasingly becoming a burden especially to developing countries where healthcare provisions are of the most basic. Increasing cost of healthcare also increases the inequity gap for all countries. It means more people in poverty are getting lesser care and treatment than people above the poverty line. This goes against internationally established healthcare ethics. Unless a compromise or a solution is set in motion as soon as possible, problems arising from rising healthcare costs will become much more of a burden tomorrow that they are today. Strategies to contain or even reduce healthcare costs have been tried in recent years. Further education and training have been encouraged especially to poorer nations in an attempt to eradicate the shortage of healthcare workers and professionals. Adequate healthcare workers make a huge difference on a micro-economic and macro-economic level. In a bacterial or viral view, more vectors means faster transmission of illnesses and higher rates of mutation thus a swifter eradication of the human race. This theory applied to the healthcare worker shortage mean more workers for economic stability and more people against the spread of illness. Examples of these policies have been mentioned in the previous section. Education and Training is just one step that can make a huge difference when regulated properly and consistently. Caregiver incentives such as tax relief, pension credits and security benefits financially assist informal caregivers. These policies enable a more personal care provided to family members who are disabled, ageing or just incapable of self-maintained care. The international overview of these policies pave the way for a global reform. Although changes will be country specific, developing countries or other developed countries can make use of the template provided by the nations who have undergone reforms with positive outcomes. It is then important to look at evidence-based practice to further every nation’s development. Lastly, business policies on caregivers need to be put in careful consideration due to possible caregiver discrimination. A strong workforce is needed for an economy to remain sustainable. It is mostly through taxes gathered from the working class that a nation is able to operate. Thus employers have to be encouraged to establish a good relationship with its employees with regards to work hours and work incentives. No matter how many policies are put in place and no matter how many times a nation reforms its healthcare system, flexibility and sustainability of all the policies need to be solidified first. Trying times call for desperate measures and I believe that unless solutions are formulated soon, either the economy will fail or nations will give more of the citizens’ healthcare responsibilities at their own cost. To remain fiscally sustainable and capable of high quality healthcare provision, individual countries need to learn from each other’s policies and reforms. There is no ‘magic bullet’ for this healthcare dilemma but history has recorded that international cooperation remains the world’s only hope for any global struggle. References: Canadian Centre of Elder Law. (2013). Family Caregiving. Vancouver. Author. Kolata, G. (2012, March 5). Knotty Challenges in Health Care Costs. The New York Times. D6. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com The Commonwealth Fund. (2013). International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2013. New York: Author. World Health Organisation [WHO]. (2008). Scaling Up, Saving Lives. London. Author. 1

A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed Essay

An excellent friend is a person we enjoy spending time with. A good friend is not only someone to talk to about the interests, but also someone who is willing to listen to the opinions and keep all secrets. We cannot expect friends to accept everything, but they should respect the rights of one each otherand have their own ideas. It is easy to be friends with many people, but good friends are the ones whom we always depend on and we cherish the happy moments spent together. qualities that make a friend a best friend. What are these qualities that everyone should look for in a person to be considered as an excellent friend? It does not depend on how cute a person is not does it depend on wealth, but there are more important qualities in a person in order to be a best friend. Qualities you might want in a friend could be range from, someone you can relate with, to someone that is the complete opposite of you†¦. Once upon a time there lived two friends in a certain village. They professed great love for each other and had sworn to help each others, in the hour of need. Once day they set out on journey to a far off village, on the other said of a forest. When they reached the thickest part of the forest, a big dangerous bear appeared form behind a terr. It was so near that they could not run away. They decided to defend themselves with their sticks if the bear attacked them. In a minute or two the bear came very close to them. One of the friends at once jumped up a tree. He forgot his promise to help his friend and left him at the mercy of the beast. The other friends had no time to climb up a tree. The noise his friend had made while jumping on the tree brought the bear running to that place. So the unfortunate friends fell on the ground and holding his breath pretended to be dead. The bear sniffed at him for some time and went his way. When the bear had disappeared, the friend on the tree climbed down. He shook his friend and told him that the danger was over. Then he asked, â€Å"By the way, what did the bear say is your ear?. The betrayed friends was really angry. He retorted,† The bear told me that a friend in need is a friend indeed. † Saying this, he said good buy to his companion and walked away. rst, it is easy to find abundant sources that make you entertaining and fun around you, but it is hard to find a true friend who can give you a hand when you are in need. What do you do when you are bored? You probably turn on the computer and play games or surf internet. Also, you can go outside play some sport. You do not need to have friend just for fun because there are many other activities to entertain you. However, what can you do, when you are in need of something that you cannot do it without some help from others? That is when you need a friend who can give you help when you need it. But when you need help, you need someone to help you. Like, in a school, you are absent one day, and teacher is going to discuss important materials for next test in class. No one really can help you to get that information even parents cannot do this for you. On the other hand, your good friend in your class can help you to have the information. He or she help you to understand the material and give you a note to copy. This shows that it is more important to select a friend who can help you when I need it whereas there are a number of source which can replace a pal whom you can have fun with. There is nothing better than surrounded by good friends. You may look at some people and their friends with envy as they chat away happily and participate in activities together. It may be hard to figure out which friends are better when considering the friends who can have fun with and the friends that can get help from. From my perspective, the people who are willing to help me in the crisis time are much more cherished than who just want to stay with me to have fun.

American Revolution and Social Change

The American Revolution in the latter half of the eighteenth century was a time of great social change (United States, 2007). As a matter of fact, this social change was global in nature, seeing as the international parties involved in the Revolution for some reason or the other, took the American Revolution as a model for social change in the future (American Revolution, 2007). During the period referred to as the American Revolution, the Thirteen Colonies that were to become the United States of America, managed to gain independence from the British Empire.The Colonies had to rebel against the British Empire in order to gain independence, of course. Thus, they entered into the American Revolutionary War, which is also called the American War of Independence. This war, like all other wars, led to massive social change to boot. Lives were lost, and the birthing of new ideas occurred with respect to how societies must conduct themselves. Happening between 1775 and 1783, the war culmin ated in the famed American Declaration of Independence in the year 1776. Victory for the Colonies was actually achieved on the battlefield in the year 1781 (American Revolution).France had played a vital role in helping the new nation of Americans with finances as well as munitions. France also helped the Colonies to organize a coalition against the British Empire. The Americans were rebelling against the royalty or upper crust at the time (American Revolution). Naturally, they were desirous of social change, enough to fight over it. Theirs was a struggle to achieve a kind of an equalizing democracy. The American revolutionaries tried to change through bloodshed their government. They did not appreciate the laws and regulations of the British Empire.Rather, society in their opinion had to conduct itself outside most of the laws.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 2 and regulations of the British.By eradicating monarchy and the establishment of republics in the end, the Ameri can revolutions had changed the society drastically. Hence, John Franklin Jameson (1968) has written: â€Å"The stream of revolution, once started, could not be contained within narrow banks, but spread abroad upon the land.†Also according to Jameson, the social change brought about via the American Revolution concerned many areas of American life, including business, slavery, the ownership of land, the intellectual as well as religious life, and the interactions between the members of different socioeconomic groups. In a way, the Revolution was Karl Marx’s dream come true, seeing as the lower socioeconomic groups were no longer able to tolerate the ruling class and had decided to overpower the ruling class for good.What is more, the society of the Americans after the Revolution had no longer to apply the principles of the British Empire in their lives. They had no longer to be influenced by the British religion, for example, nor by the political ideologies of the Brit ish. By changing the government of the land, the Americans had in fact changed the social order, including the norms and principles to live by. The idea of American democracy was brought out in the open for the first time.The republican ideology was introduced with its emphasis on liberty, equality, individual rights, and struggle against corruption. Not only did this ideology change the lives of the American people for good, but it also entered the European mind that had for centuries seen only imperialism in practice (American Revolution). The idea that a society could revolt against the monarchy was taken seriously, worldwide. Hence, the impact of the social change brought about by the Revolution became global. As a matter of fact, the eradication of the social control of the BritishAMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 3Was seen in various countries around the world after the American War of Independence. The British Empire that had established colonies in many parts of th e world was asked to leave, very often by force, thanks to the American Revolution that had done the same successfully by showing the world that it was possible for nations to achieve prosperity for themselves without the social control of the British.Moreover, it was possible for nations that had previously been ruled by the British to formulate their own laws, such as the social control of corruption, without the supervision of the British. Today, the word ‘democracy’ is heard day after day on international television. Moreover, every nation is required to include the democratic model of government into its political practices, even if it is difficult to include this model for some reason. Even the United Kingdom believes in democracy today, despite the survival of the British Empire.Regardless of whether democracy has a hold over a certain government’s practices or not, however, the American Revolution has shown the world – like other revolutions in his tory – that it is possible for common people to rebel against governments, when in fact, their voices have been totally ignored. ‘Enough is enough’ is the impetus to social change that a revolution implies. In other words, the common people are expected to be patient for only a limited amount of time before they get ready to impose social change on the entire society.Not everybody in the Colonies would have agreed with the idea of the American Revolution. There are always people in society that resist change, and particularly resist the kind of change that is brought on through violence. Countless people hate wars, even if certain wars are fought for human rights. Regardless of such people’s reactions to a revolution, however, the American.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 4 Revolution became a reality.Besides, the social change that it implied took into consideration all corners of society, including the people that had resisted change and war. Before the American Revolution, man was held as superior to another man. The British Empire was superior to the Colonies. The American Revolution changed that also by helping the slaves realize that they were equal to their masters in essence. After all, if the people of the Colonies could, as a whole, fight against the monarchy, the slaves too could eventually achieve their freedom. The idea of equality imposed through the Revolution was groundbreaking for the slaves.Eventually, they were able to become legally emancipated, when the United States abolished slavery for good. A vast number of slaves at the time of the American Revolution were Africans. Although they had achieved freedom in the United States, their children and grandchildren were to continue struggling against the racism that they felt was prevalent in society, long after the American Revolution. In point of fact, Africans experienced that the whites had a low opinion of them, and did not offer them the kinds of oppor tunities they deserved.Because of their ancestors’ experience through the American Revolution, however, the Africans were able to use the model of the American Revolution to continue struggling against the alleged superiority of man over another man. The struggle against racism has continued. Even today, Africans in America try to fight racism in one way or another. The Civil War has passed. And yet, the social change that the absolute end of racism would bring about is awaited. Already, it is a known fact in America thatAMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 5The African Americans are equal to the white Americans in essence, despite the fact that the latter had owned the Africans during another period of time. Yet another kind of social change brought about by the American Revolution was the change in the role of women. Before the American Revolution, women had contributed to the operation of agricultural farms and small businesses. However, they had seldom acquired ind ependent economic status.When the War of Independence started, the role of the women changed in that they were expected to take complete charge of businesses and farms in the absence of men. Furthermore, the republican ideas called for discussions on women’s rights, roles in society, as well as education. Eventually, women, too, were to achieve an equal role in society with men. Today, discrimination against women is against the law in America. This kind of social change is particularly helpful for society as a whole, given that women may now contribute equally with men to the economic growth of America.Some of the states of America, after the Revolution, changed their property and inheritance laws to allow women to inherit shares of estates and to exercise a certain level of control over property following marriage. Women no longer had to suffer after the deaths of the men in their lives. They could support themselves through inheritance. All the same, according to the Encyc lopedia Britannica, â€Å"the Revolution itself had only very gradual and diffused effects on women's ultimate status.Such changes as took place amounted to a fuller recognition of the importance of women as mothers of republican citizens rather than making them into independent citizens of equal political and civil status with men† (United States).AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 6Once again, because the American Revolution introduced into the minds of all Americans the idea of equality between men, the issue of women’s rights erupted long after the American Revolution as well.Although the immediate effects on the status of women were seen to be little, the long term social change brought about by the American Revolution in terms of the role of women in society, is massive. Man could rise against a monarchy during the Revolution. In the case of the women of America, this idea meant that they no longer had to consider themselves subjected to men. As a matter of fact, the issue of women’s rights, like democracy, is discussed globally today. The American Revolution has, at least, some part to play in the social change that this issue implies for women around the world.Apparently, the people of America were satisfied with the social change brought about through the Revolution. If not, another revolution could have begun to introduce new norms and forms of social control. ‘Enough is enough’ remains the impetus to revolutions. But in the case of America, ‘so far so good’ appears to be the way the social changes have been perceived. In other words, the social changes brought about by the American Revolution have been seen as positive.AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SOCIAL CHANGEPage # 7References1. â€Å"American Revolution. † (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Revolution. (26 March 2007).2. Jameson, John Franklin. (1968). American Revolution Considered as a Social Moveme nt. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.3. â€Å"United States. † (2007). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/eb/article-77713. (26 March 2007).

The Funeral Banner Of Lady Dai - 1781 Words

The Funeral Banner of Lady Dai has several different symbolisms hidden within the paint and ink on the sink banner. The symbol hidden within the banner can mean many things it just looked at by themselves and so many more if looked at as a group instead of alone. The Funeral Banner of Lady Dai relates to the phenomenon of interconnectedness between China, Korea, and Japan by unifying these three countries by breaking geographic and language barriers and showing common practices between them all. China was a big influence on both Japan and Korea, the banner may have also had an influence on the art produced in both countries. The Banner of Lady Dai banner was found in Lady Dai’s tomb in 1972. The Marquis of Dai died in 186 B.C.E. while the Lady Dai (his wife) and their son both died in 163 B.C.E. The true function of funeral banners is debatable, so think they have a connection to the afterlife. Funeral Banners were also thought to be â€Å"‘name banners’ to identify a person during mourning ceremonies, or shrouds to help soul into the afterlife† (McIntire) or attract the spirit of the deceased to their tomb where they were to spend the rest of eternity in comfort. It is believed that â€Å"banners like this were carried in front of the funeral procession, then draped upon the deceased coffin† (Gunther). The Funeral Banner of Lady Dai is painted Silk in ink and color and was commissioned most likely by family of Lady Dai. The artist of the banner is unknown. The artist represented