Literature and Social Reality Essay Example for Free

Literature and Social Reality Essay In this paper I will discuss and analyze the social forces of immigration and industrialization that shape literature during the period of 1865 to 1912. I will describe the major literary movements of the period. Additionally I will explain how Realism and Naturalism influenced the literature of the period, how immigration and industrialization contributed to the influences. I will illustrate using examples from some of the greatest authors of the period. Immigration and Industrialization The United States’ population grew quickly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Baym (2008) et al. write that there were 38. million people in 1870 and had grown to 92 million in 1910. This growth resulted mostly from immigration. People came from countries all over the world but predominantly from European and Asian nations. Immigration was also the major cause for urbanization in the United States according to Baym et al. (2008) with a dramatic proportional shift from a mostly rural population to a larger city population. Simultaneously with this mass immigration industrialization was happening creating an abundance of factory jobs and building immense wealth for some while also creating dramatic divides in society. Baym et al. (2008) describe the situation: â€Å"Long-settled white Americans faced newly arrived white people across divides of power, income, and privilege – worker against owner, farm against city, immigrant against native-born, leading to suspicion and social turbulence on a scale that the nation had not seen† (p. 3). The consequences were labor struggles resulting from terrible working conditions. Immigration brought an abundance of workers resulting in low wages as well as â€Å"inhumane and dangerous working conditions† (Baym et al. 2008, p. ). Conflict also arose from farmers being pushed off their land by the railroads and competition between native-born citizens and immigrants. There was also increased suspicion and resentment between the social classes likely based on fear of losing their â€Å"part of the cake† for the upper and middle classes, whereas the lower class was resentful because of how they were treated. Major Literary Movements The major literary movements during this period were realism and naturalism emerging after a long period of idealism and romanticism. Realism shifted literature to a way of describe life as it actually is instead of trying to present an idealized or romantic image. It was an objective style that offered detached perspectives on the everyday lives of the middle-class, working-class and the poor. This style worked well for describing the struggles of the period. Baym et al. (2008) describe W. D. Howells as the â€Å"chief American advocate† of realism (p. 6). Mark Twain, Henry James, Edith Wharton, and others also joined in this movement as well as some distinguished African American writers such as W. E.  B Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett (Baym et al. , 2008). The nature of Naturalism has been debated as being the opposite of realism or as â€Å"extension or intensification of realism† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 7). Naturalism usually describes more extreme settings and circumstances than realism and focuses on harsher conditions and poorer characters. Baym et al. (2008) suggest that while characters in realistic works often overcome difficulties, in naturalistic pieces the characters never stand a chance. It is a much more pessimistic literary style than realism. Crane, Dreiser, London, and Norris are described by Baym et al. (2008) as the leading American naturalistic writers of the period. How Realism and Naturalism Influenced Literature Realism had an immense influence on the literature during this period. Mark Twain was one of the major authors and his â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† is an excellent example of his style, which became regarded as a leading piece for the â€Å"American style† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 6). Twain used colloquial speech and his writing style puts the reader in the position of participant, almost as if in a dialogue with Huck. It is a very intimate and informal way of writing. Huckleberry Finn is uneducated and sees the world through the lens of his own experience as well as the social circumstances and mores of the time. In chapter 23 of â€Å"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† Huck ponders about Jim, his African American companion on his adventure: â€Å"He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn’t ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks do for their’n. It don’t seem natural, but I reckon it is so† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 204). This passage realistically illustrates the view of a young boy at the time who only knows the world through the social context of his time and place, which included slavery and a very derogatory view of African Americans. Twain was very critical and pessimistic about humankind and his writing often reflected this. However with Huck Finn he appears to be attempting to show that even an uneducated young boy in the 1840s could be open-minded and open-hearted enough to see that people are equals. Henry James writes about â€Å"Daisy Miller,† a young American woman who is a new kind of modern girl. She does not appear to care about the established rules and mores of the time and is both bold and naive in her demeanor. Baym et al. (2008) write that James shows his nature as â€Å"a true cosmopolitan concerned with exploring American national character as it is tested by cultural displacement† (p. 317). James is painting a picture of the old and established strict rules of social class and position and how they become a hindrance in forming true connection between people. The established upper- and middle-class look down on the lower class and the up-and-comers. The result is miscommunication, suspicion, and conflict. Jack London was one of the leading naturalist writers of his time. In his essay â€Å"What Life Means to me† he describes his own experience as a working class youngster who toiled in a variety of jobs until finally he had enough of heavy labor and became a vagrant for a while (Baym et al. , 2008). He describes how he found himself at the bottom of society and how in that place â€Å"life offered nothing but sordidness and wretchedness, both of the flesh and the spirit; for here flesh and spirit were alike starved and tormented† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 582). He was keenly aware of the inequalities and injustice that industrialization had brought for the working class. He writes that he realizes that a laborer is finished and broken down at 45 or 50 while an intellectual, â€Å"a brain seller† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 584) comes into his prime at that age or later. He decides to ducate himself to make a difference both for himself and for the working class dear to his heart. London eventually encountered and the Socialist movement and describes in joyful terms finding â€Å"warm faith in then human, glowing idealism, sweetness of unselfishness, renunciation, and martyrdom – all the splendid, stinging things of the spirit† (Baym et al. , 2008, p. 584). He was a masterful naturalist writer describing in exquisite detail and with a detached, scientific narrative how the man slowly succumbs to the cold and freezes to death in his short story â€Å"To Build a Fire. Clearly his own experiences in Alaska had provided him with great fodder for this kind of story. Conclusion In this paper I discussed and analyzed the social forces of immigration and industrialization that shaped literature during the period of 1865 to 1912. I described the major literary movements of the period. Additionally I explained how Realism and Naturalism influenced the literature of the period and illustrated with examples from some of the greatest writers of that time.

Football Academies Child protection Essay Example for Free

Football Academies  Child protection Essay Key factors of an enhanced Centre of Excellence and Football Academies  Child protection  All staff to be screened and registered  Each centre to designate a member of staff responsible form child  Protection and awareness training  Development of child protection policy  Limitation on numbers of Centres of excellence per club  Grievance procedure  Agreed football calendar including 36 in-service training for all staff  Staff to be required to maintain personal CPD portfolios  Guide lines to parents with regard to registration, educational needs etc  Player coach ratios  Mandatory coaching for goal keepers. PROVISIONS FOR MALE AND FEMALE COMPETITORS Football has always been the peoples game; because anyone can play it almost anywhere- you just need a ball and some friends. For anyone wanting to play football seriously there are opportunities to take part in football across the country. The levels of football opportunities available will vary from 5a-side leagues played indoor or outdoor after work right up to 11a-side competitive leagues played usually at weekends.  Football is now officially the biggest womens and girls sport in England. Research has shown that girls who want to play sport want to play football but just because you didnt play when you were young doesnt mean you cant play now. There are over 800 womens teams playing 11a-side competitive football every week throughout the August-May season. One of the reasons people get involved is because the equipment is so cheap. All you need a pair of shin pads, a pair of boots and the club usually supply the kit. If you want to get involved in football call the local rate line which will tell you of the teams available in your area and how you can join them. Call 0845 310 8555. PROVISIONS FOR DISABLED PARTICIPANTS There are currently six England squads for disabled participants. These are:  Blind-these people are classified according to their level of sight. Game is played on a solid surface. The football contains ball bearings so the players can hear the ball  Partially sighted-Players who have little sight in their eyes. Games played indoors with a size 4 ball, which doesnt bounce, as much as the normal ones Deaf and hearing impaired-Average hearing loss of 55 decibels in the better ear. Players must not wear hearing aids  Cerebral palsy-Players must be ambulant. 7a-side, 2 halves of 30 mins  Learning disabilities- players must have an intellectual disability (IQ below 75)  Amputee-outfield either above or below the knee single amputees and goalkeepers are single arm amputees  The teams all receive official England kit, a physio a fully trained technical adviser and money towards travel costs for attending European and World champion ships.  The aim of this is to see EVERYONE have the chance to play football even if they have a disability it doesnt stop them taking part in a separate game. CONCLUSION Overall I believe that the F.A. is doing nearly everything in its power to develop the game of football throughout the country and give just about everyone that wants a chance to play the option to participate. They are doing this through their initiatives for disabled and normal players and have made rule adaptations to fit their level sport. Although they are doing a lot, I believe they could do more by developing more courses for people who want to get involved with the more teaching side of football and make the option open for anyone who wants to attend a course i.e. coaching or referees easy access to areas close to home where they can participate.

Effects of Alzheimers On Response Times

Effects of Alzheimers On Response Times John C. Hemby Physiological Psychology Dr. Colleen Miron There are many advances in science that has allowed us to understand, cope and in some cases treat certain diseases of the brain. However, there is much we still do not know about many of them. Alzheimer’s would be one of these disorders. The text states that Alzheimer’s is defined as a persistent, degenerating disorder that inhibits the brain’s cells or neurons and thus resulting in memory loss, language skills and rapid changes in behavior (Kalat, 2012). This usually occurs in the older aged population, around the age of sixty-five and isn’t considered to be a normal part of the aging process. According to an Alzheimer’s organization website, a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every sixty-seven seconds and that there are currently more than 5 million Americans that have this disease (Help End Alzheimer’s, n.d.). One of the issues of having this disease deals with enumeration or recollection of numbers by counting. The text states that individuals with Alzheimer’s cannot recall learning certain skills i.e. golfing and are often surprised when they do well (Kalat, 2012). This research in this article is important because it shows how well a person with Alzheimer’s can quickly recall how many numbers are in a certain area just by looking at it. This is a simple experiment in that it will be easy to measure the reaction times and the task of counting isn’t that complex in comparison to golfing. According to the article, individuals that have Alzheimer’s sometimes have difficulty with visual enumeration. This means that a person with Alzheimer’s has difficulty counting visual numbers or tracking down a number in a specific area, i.e. looking for number 42 in a numerical list of 1-100. This study is unique in that finding the reaction time difference between olde r adults that have Alzheimer’s and those that don’t would be a quantifiable aspect and gives more proof to the damage that the brain receives from this disease. The researchers in this article are doctors Maylor, Watson and Muller and they studied the subject of visual enumeration in patients with Alzheimer’s in the year 2005. The hypothesis of the study was that the participants’ with Alzheimer’s would have a significant increase in response time in counting numbers, subitizing numbers(readily knowing a number just by looking at the amount of figures in a picture) and finding numbers in comparison to older adults that did not have Alzheimer’s (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The study was conducted using participants from a resident home that specialized in the care of people with dementia. These participants were already diagnosed with dementia by professional health providers (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were a total of 12 participants whom had Alzheimer’s and their average age was 81 years old with 4 men and 8 women in the study. The other participants had an average age of 79 and only 8 participants; with only 3 being men and 5 were women. The researchers also gave the participants a Mini-Mental State Examination or MMSE, and the control group scored higher than the Alzheimer’s participants; 17.3 was the average for the Alzheimer’s participants and 29.4 was the average for the control group (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). Last, all of the participants were voluntary and did not receive any payments for their participation. The researchers used a laptop to be used as a visual for the participants. The laptop also measured response times (RT) and synched the displays. The participants utilized the spacebar key on the laptop as the response button. They put the screen at eye level with a distance of 60 cm. Then a researcher put in the responses with their own keypad. The stimuli on the screen were red circles displayed on a black background. They randomly generated the stimuli in order to avoid any counting ahead (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The experimenter conducted the tests individually in a room that was either at the resident facility or at the home of the control group participant and the room had nothing but the laptop and the two people conducting the experiment. The initial test was the MMSE and then an enumeration task, a block of demonstration on the task, 3 turns of practice trials and last, there were 3 turns of experimental trials (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The participants were required to press the spacebar for how many circles they saw. The results of the study indicated that the Alzheimer’s participants were slower than the control group, 1.4 seconds to be exact. The data was analyzed by using ANOVA’s to demonstrate the difference in response time and the accuracy of the numbers between the two groups. However, they had the same accuracy in seeing how many items were currently present on the monitor (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were some differences in the results with the numbering portion of the experiment. The participants with Alzheimer’s had a significant reduction in response time in comparison to the control group in the subitization part. The second part, counting, the Alzheimer’s participants were significantly slower than their counterparts as well. The hypothesis was supported by the results of the experiment (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). The conclusion of this study shows a definitive, qualitative answer between Alzheimer’s and normal older adults’ response time. This in turn shows where to start on how to improve those with Alzheimer’s response time especially since there isn’t any issue with their accuracy (Maylor, Watson, and Muller, 2005). There were several issues with this study. First, instead of using a cross sectional study, the researchers should have utilized a longitudinal study; that way they could see how slower the participants got overtime as their Alzheimer’s progressed. The second issue is that they should have acquired individuals that had just become diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s; in the study they give no indication on what stage these participants were at. Last, there was an issue with the amount of participants in the study. The average was too generalized and needed a larger group to narrow down the averages (mean) in order to acquire a hi gher quality of data. There are some different avenues of approach for future studies on this particular subject. The first approach could be that men and women may suffer from Alzheimer’s differently, therefore in the future the men and women should be separated into different groups. This would show if there were any differences between the sexes. The next idea is that according to the text, those that drink coffee are less likely to have Alzheimer’s (Kalat, 2012). So for a future research idea, one should have the participants drink coffee for a while before starting the experiment. This could show if the effects of Alzheimer’s are mitigated when given a stimulant, i.e. caffeine. The last idea would have to be instead of utilizing numbers, use matching words. For example, gauge a participant’s reaction time by having a word on the screen and then the participant has to choose a synonym for that word i.e. happy equals jovial. This would show if a participant with Alzheimerâ⠂¬â„¢s can recall a larger vocabulary and in a timely manner. References Help End Alzheimers. (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/ Kalat, James W. Biological Psychology, 11th Edition. Cengage Learning, 01/2012. VitalBook file. Maylor, E. A., Watson, D. G., Muller, Z. (2005). Effects of Alzheimers disease on visual enumeration. The Journals Of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences And Social Sciences, 60(3), P129- P135.

St. Johns Wort and Depression :: Psychology Health Essays

St. John's Wort and Depression What is St. John's Wort? St. John's Wort scientifically known as Hypericum Perforatum, an herbal remedy generally used to treat depression, is making a rise throughout Europe and the United States. St. John's Wort is a perennial plant that produces abundant yellow flowers and grows naturally throughout much of the world, including specifically in northern California, southern Oregon, and Colorado. It usually flowers on â€Å"sunlight hills and forest edges† during the summer, between June and August. It was named after St. John the Baptist and is often harvested and in full bloom around St. John's Day, June 24. History of St. John's Wort St. John’s Wort has been in use for about 2400 years and has been utilized for many different purposes throughout history. Some of these less modern uses have been nerve tonic, painkiller, including effectiveness for relieving arthritis pain and menstrual cramping, and relief for gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, nausea, and more serious problems like ulcers. Now it is becoming more common as a remedy for depression and anxiety but is simultaneously being tested as a possible type of assistance for AIDS patients because it appears to help the immune system combat viruses. St. John's Wort as an antidepressant One out of every 20 Americans will become depressed this year. This is obviously a very major and serious problem. St. John’s Wort’s main ingredient, hypericin, is what appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, although not much is known about whether or not it proves helpful in severe depression. Hypericin is the red pigment of the plant and it seems to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the breakdown of the brain’s neurotransmitters and is also a SRI, serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, according to Jean Carper in Miracle Cures, â€Å"recent research finds hypericin less potent an antidepressant than the whole plant extract itself, suggesting the herb’s complex mixture of chemicals, including xanthones and flavonoids, also are critical in the plant’s pharmacological benefits†. St. John’s Wort is becoming increasingly popular mostly due to the lack of side effects. Other prescription antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil often produce effects like weight loss, sexual dysfunction, and insomnia. In a controlled study of St. John’s Wort, only 2. St. John's Wort and Depression :: Psychology Health Essays St. John's Wort and Depression What is St. John's Wort? St. John's Wort scientifically known as Hypericum Perforatum, an herbal remedy generally used to treat depression, is making a rise throughout Europe and the United States. St. John's Wort is a perennial plant that produces abundant yellow flowers and grows naturally throughout much of the world, including specifically in northern California, southern Oregon, and Colorado. It usually flowers on â€Å"sunlight hills and forest edges† during the summer, between June and August. It was named after St. John the Baptist and is often harvested and in full bloom around St. John's Day, June 24. History of St. John's Wort St. John’s Wort has been in use for about 2400 years and has been utilized for many different purposes throughout history. Some of these less modern uses have been nerve tonic, painkiller, including effectiveness for relieving arthritis pain and menstrual cramping, and relief for gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, nausea, and more serious problems like ulcers. Now it is becoming more common as a remedy for depression and anxiety but is simultaneously being tested as a possible type of assistance for AIDS patients because it appears to help the immune system combat viruses. St. John's Wort as an antidepressant One out of every 20 Americans will become depressed this year. This is obviously a very major and serious problem. St. John’s Wort’s main ingredient, hypericin, is what appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, although not much is known about whether or not it proves helpful in severe depression. Hypericin is the red pigment of the plant and it seems to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the breakdown of the brain’s neurotransmitters and is also a SRI, serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, according to Jean Carper in Miracle Cures, â€Å"recent research finds hypericin less potent an antidepressant than the whole plant extract itself, suggesting the herb’s complex mixture of chemicals, including xanthones and flavonoids, also are critical in the plant’s pharmacological benefits†. St. John’s Wort is becoming increasingly popular mostly due to the lack of side effects. Other prescription antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil often produce effects like weight loss, sexual dysfunction, and insomnia. In a controlled study of St. John’s Wort, only 2.

Constitutionality of Vouchers and School Choice :: Persuasive Argumentative Essay Examples

Constitutionality of School Vouchers Church and state absolutists believe that vouchers will violate the First Amendment of the Constitution. They argue that voucher systems give parents an incentive to send their kids to parochial school and thus represent an unconstitutional endorsement of religious education. As mentioned in the case study, the U.S. Supreme Court will address the Cleveland Scholarship Program's constitutionality. Many are anticipating what precedent will be set in this ruling because it inherently deals with defining the boundaries between church and state. Can taxpayer funds be allocated by the government to send children to a religiously-affiliated school? Consider the case of the Cleveland Scholarship Program. This program gives parents $2250 per year. Meanwhile, the cost of tuition at a religiously-affiliated private school is, on average, about $1200. The cost of tuition at a non-religious private school is, on average, about $5000. This price breakdown shows the implicit incentive in the Cleveland program--parents who cannot afford to pay more money out of their pocket will enroll their children in religiously-affiliated private schools. The founders of Cleveland's program argue that city parents are in no way encouraged to send their kids to religious schools. Parents can choose public magnet or charter schools, which are free and get far more funding per student than voucher schools. The importance of the Supreme Court decision that will be made should not be underestimated. "This is probably the most important church-state case in the last half-century," said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "It will be a historic showdown over

Tess of the d’Urberville :: Literary Analysis, Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a criticism on Victorian society. But the major, universal idea it criticizes is the existence of true love. Through the relationships Tess has been in, as well as the time era in which Hardy lived in, it has become evident that there will always be a flaw with romance. To begin with, Hardy wrote realist works of literature. In order to escape the â€Å"fantasy† of Romantic works realism was a response in which the true social characteristics of life were illustrated. This is evident in Tess of the d’Urbervilles as Tess is depicted as admitting to the condition of our planet, â€Å"a blighted one† (40). By admitting life and Earth to be a decaying one, Hardy has shown that things could be better, a major standpoint of other social writers of his day. But as well as being a novelist, Hardy was a poet and a renowned one at that as well. In his poem â€Å"Between Us Now† Hardy again demonstrates characteristics of a realist writer: â€Å"Let there be truth at last / Even if despair† (lines 7, 8) meaning that he will be acceptant of both the truth and its consequences. Therefore, Hardy is completely capable of describing social issues, and does so in Tess. Now, the first major relationship Tess is in is with Alec d’Urberville in which she is subjugated to mistreatment. One of the most evident examples of the way Alec treats Tess in the garden, in which he feeds her strawberries while she was â€Å"in a slight distress† and even smokes in front of her, although she claims that she minds â€Å"not at all† (52). Now the clearer example, the strawberry abuse, alludes to the rape which comes later on in the novel. She is forced to consume the strawberry although she would rather â€Å"take it in [her] own hand† (52), obviously showing refusal at a blunt state, In addition to this Alec unabashedly smoked around her, which is not only disrespectful but hazardous to her health. The â€Å"narcotic haze† (52), which permeated the rooms Alec and Tess were in, acted like enigmatic amnesiac clouds of death. They not only limited visibility but choked Tess and damaged her eventually later on. This is also parallel to her rape in that the damage done by Alec was invisible for a long time in both cases. Later on in the novel, Alec is very shortly converted into a devout Christian but is â€Å"tempted† by Tess, whom he calls a â€Å"dear damned witch of Babylon† (377).

Rough Water Ahead

Required: 1. How should Smooth Sailings’ management perform the recoverability test for the cruise ship as of December 31, 2010? The following are the required steps to identify, recognize and measure the impairment of a long-lived asset (group) to be held and used: * Indicators of impairment — consider whether indicators of impairment are present. Test for recoverability — If indicators are present, perform a recoverability test by comparing the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows attributable to the asset (group) in question to their carrying amounts (as a reminder, entities cannot record an impairment for a held and used asset unless the asset first fails this recoverability test). Measurement of an impairment — If the undiscounted cash flows used in the test for recoverability are less than the long-lived asset’s (group’s) carrying amount, determine the fair value of the long-lived asset (group) and recognize an impairment loss if the carrying amount of the long-lived asset (group) exceeds its fair value. What assets and liabilities should be included in the â€Å"asset group† as defined by ASC 360-10 for purposes of performing the recoverability test?For purposes of recognition and measurement of an impairment loss, a long-lived asset or assets shall be grouped with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Asset groups may include assets and liabilities outside the scope of ASC 360-10 (for example, goodwill — if certain conditions, discussed later, are met — and other non-amortizing intangible assets).In general, assets should be grouped when they are used together, that is, when they are part of the same group of assets and are used together to generate joint cash flows. If assets and/or liabilities are grouped for purposes of a test for recoverability, they are referred to as an ? asset group. How should the multiple operating scenarios impact the recoverability test? ASC 360-10 allows entities to use either a single-most-likely estimate of expected future cash flows (often referred to as a traditional or best-estimate approach) or a range of possible future outcomes (often referred to as a probability-weighted approach).However, if alternative courses of action to recover the long-lived asset (group) are under consideration or if a range is estimated for the amount of possible cash flows, the likelihood of possible outcomes should be considered. An entity is not required to use the probability-weighted approach, but it may be useful in considering the likelihood of possible outcomes. If the probability-weighted approach is used, the likelihood of possible outcomes should be considered in determining the best estimate of future cash flows. What impact should the potential foreclosure and extinguishment of debt have on the cash flows used t o perform the recoverability test? Generally, debt should not be included in an asset group because the lowest level of identifiable cash flows will typically not include cash flows associated with debt (i. e. , the principal payments associated with the debt). Further, the cash flows associated with debt principal payments are typically easy to identify; therefore, most entities will be able to eliminate the cash flows associated with debt from the cash flows of other assets and liabilities.However, in rare instances, if the lowest level of identifiable cash flows includes cash flows associated with debt principal payments and it is not practical to eliminate those cash flows (which would be more likely to occur when the asset group is a business or reporting unit), then the debt should be included in the asset group (i. e. , netted with the carrying amounts of the assets of the group) so as to maintain an appropriate comparison. This basis adjustment provides the same result as if the debt principal payments have been excluded (e. g. debt with a carrying value of $100 would have undiscounted cash flows of $100). As a reminder, the guidance in ASC 360-10 prohibits the inclusion of interest expense in assessing the recoverability of long-lived assets. When the FASB originally deliberated Statement 144, it considered and rejected requests for a limited exception to the fair value measurement for impaired long-lived assets that are subject to nonrecourse debt. Some constituents believed that the impairment loss on an asset subject entirely to nonrecourse debt should be limited to the loss that would occur if the asset were put back to the lender.The FASB decided not to provide an exception for assets subject to nonrecourse debt. In its basis for conclusions, the FASB explained that the â€Å"Recognition of an impairment loss and the recognition of a gain on the extinguishment of debt are separate events, and each event should be recognized in the period in whic h it occurs. The Board believes that the recognition of an impairment loss should be based on the measurement of the asset at its fair value and that the existence of nonrecourse debt should not influence that measurement. † (Statement 144, paragraph B34) 2.What impairment loss, if any, should be recorded as of December 31, 2010? As discussed above, if indicators of impairment exist for an asset (group) to be held and used, an entity determines whether the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows attributable to the asset (group) in question is less than its carrying amount. If those undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, then an entity will recognize an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset (group) over its respective fair value.However, under ASC 820 cash flows used to determine fair value (using a present value technique) when determining the impairment loss (Step 3) must include assumptions that market partic ipants would use in their estimates of fair value. As a result, entities are not able to simply apply a discount rate to the cash flows used in Step 2 to determine fair value without first determining whether they reflect the expectations of market participants.Entities may use their own assumptions as a starting point in developing market participant assumptions and apply reasonable judgment in analyzing whether such assumptions are representative of market participant assumptions. The determination of market participant assumptions and their effect on fair value estimates are particularly subjective considering that the evaluation is being made for assets to be held and used. When multiple valuation techniques are used, the merits of each valuation technique and the underlying assumptions embedded in each of the techniques should be considered in evaluating and assessing the results.In this case, we do not know the assumptions for the estimated fair value of $3. 0 million and we c onsider the discounted cash flow is more reliable. The first step is to check impairment indicator. Because of an increased presence of pirate in the area which Smooth Sailing cruises, the cruise ship’s operating performance has significantly declined which has directly contributed to a decline in its overall fair value, and may indicate a potential impairment. In the second step, we did the recoverability test.The undiscounted cash flow is the sum of expected operating cash flow and the cash flow from the net working capital. Calculation is shown below: We use the probability-weighted approach to get the estimated future cash flow ($2. 30) which is smaller than the net book value. As a result, the cruise is not recoverable. In the third step, we calculated the impairment loss. We calculated the discounted cash flow as follow: So an impairment of 2. 44 million should be recorded, which is the difference between the net book value of 4. million and the discounted cash flow of 2. 16 million. The detailed calculation is included in the attachment â€Å"rough water ahead. xlsx† Alternate Facts: Would the outcome of the recoverability and impairment tests change if the probability assessment was revised such that there was a 50 percent, 40 percent, and 10 percent probability of scenarios A, B, and C occurring, respectively? If so, how? An impairment of 0. 62 million should be recorded. The calculation is included in the attachment â€Å"rough water ahead. xlsx†