Class Inequalities in Health

Class Inequalities in Health The Black Report (Black et al, 1980) was commissioned in 1977 by the Labour Secretary of State. Though there had always been a public concern about social class difference and mortality, it was the first ever review of the Health of Britains working age population. The initial purpose of the report was to measure the impact of ill health within the workforce (Macintyre, 1997). However, the report shocked the government by revealing a clear correlation between ill heath and lower social class. Conversely these inequalities have been widening rather than diminishing since the establishment of the National Health Service (NHS) (Gray, 1982). This essay is going to focus on the main factors behind class inequalities that the Black Report identified and how relevant this report is today. The Black Report identified a relationship between social class and ill health, life expectancy and infant mortality rates. The persistence of these inequalities has become the subject of continuing debate. The Black report identified four different possible explanations; artefact, social selection, cultural and material. The artefact explanation considers the existence of health inequalities as simply an artefact of the measurement system used. According to this theory any variance in health within social classes will depend on how both health and class are measured (McIntyre, 1997). However, these inequalities are often still present even when different techniques are employed when measuring social class. It is thought, if anything, that the statistics may in fact under report the extent of class and health inequalities (Kirby et al. 1997). The second explanation for these health inequalities is social selection. This theory speculates that people with ill health will generally decrease in social status while a fit and healthy person would be more likely to advance social class (Maguire, 2010). This combined effect contributes to the evident health inequalities. Within this idea a distinction between direct and indirect health selection has been made. Direct is where health alone is attributed to social mobility whereas indirect is where another quality is involved with the mobility process (Wilkinson, 1987, Platt, 2006) Few supporters of this extreme view can be found. Though ill health may have an effect on social mobility, it is often too small to account for any significant health difference (Wilkinson, 1996). Townsend and Davison (1990) also found that relatively few sick professionals experience downward occupational changes. However, as regards the social selections importance as an explanation of health inequali ties it appears to play a small but yet still significant role (Platt, 2006). The two remaining (cultural and material) explanations of health inequalities have received considerable attention. The cultural explanation proposes that members of lower social classes often choose less healthy lifestyles (smoking, eating larger quantities of fatty foods and participating in less exercise) compared to members of middle or upper class groups, thus resulting in comparatively ill health. However, similar patterns in ill health can also be found within people who follow a relatively healthy lifestyle. Though it cant be disputed that there is a correlation between a less healthy lifestyle choice and ill health, it cannot be considered the full explanation for the presence of health inequalities (Townsend and Davison, 1990, Pratt 2006) The final factor behind inequalities in health identified by the Black Report is material. This explanation highlights the role of economic factors in the distribution of ill health. Within this it is thought that members of lower social groups face material constraints and poor living conditions which prevent them from living a healthy lifestyle. These material constraints include poverty, bad housing, low income and a lack of health and educational resources. This theory coincides with Wilkinsons (1997) argument that Poverty is the most important determinant of health. The material explanation does account for a significant amount of the inequality between social classes, possibly more so than the other explanations, but once again it cannot account for all. The Black Report clearly identified many shortcomings within healthcare. It is also apparent that each of the four factors previously identified play a role in explaining the presence of these health inequalities, though some play a more significant role than others. Due to the change to a Conservative government at the time the report was published it was released quietly (only 450 copies available) with the hope it would go unnoticed (Abercrombie and Ward, 2000). This meant that it was many years until any action was taken. In 1987 the Health Education Council (HEC) commissioned the Health Divide. This report was concerned with measuring the current health inequalities and to determine what progress had been made since the Black Report was published 7 years previously. Like the Black Report the findings emphasized the link between ill health and social class and identified that the gap between social classes had widened. More recently in 1997 Labour commissioned the Acheson report (Acheson, 1998) which was an independent inquiry into health inequalities (Abercrombie and Ward, 2000). Similar to the Health Divide, the Acheson Reports findings mirrored those of the Black report. These included rates of long term illness (e.g heart disease and strokes) in 45-64 year olds being 17% in members of upper class groups compared to 48% in lower socioeconomic groups. These results once again indicate a considerable social class health inequality that is still widening (Davey et al, 1990). Also these results agreed with the fourth explanation within the Black report (material) as poverty was identified as the main cause of social inequality. It is clear that over the last thirty years social inequalities within health has been a major issue. Since these reports were issued reversing this trend of health inequalities has been a high priority on the government agenda (Abercrombie Ward, 2000). Who are committed to lower these inequalities (Department of Health, 2004). Unfortunately, even with all the actions that have been taken the gap between social groups is thought to have worsened (Sim and Mackie, 2006, Davey, 1990).

The Friendly Friar :: essays research papers

The Friendly Friar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the drama Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Friar Lawrence is a kind, knowledgeable, peacekeeping, and wise character. He also acts as a foil to the Montaques, Capulets, and the nurse. He is a priest to both the Montaque and Capulet houses. He is a well-liked person in the town of Verona. The Friar is a positive figure in the community and serves as a good role model for the children of Verona.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Friar Lawrence is wise, educated kind, and peace loving. When Romeo comes to tell Friar Lawrence about his engagement the Friar offers many wise pieces of advice. Such as when he says that young men's love lies in their eyes he means for Romeo to make sure he loves Juliet for who she is and not how she looks. He also tells Romeo that women may fall when there is no strength in men. This means that if he is not stable and constant Juliet may become inconstant herself. His knowledge of Greek mythology and his great understanding of plants show Friar Lawrence's high level of education. When he is collecting plants in the beginning of scene three he speaks of the Greek god Titan. His reference to Titan shows he has had some background in mythology. Friar Lawrence also has a vast knowledge of plants and flowers. Friar Lawrence grows a magnificent garden which he tends to during the time in which he is not fulfilling his church duties. He speaks to Romeo about a plant t hat can be used for healing or as poison. This discussion leads into a speech by Friar Lawrence about people having a good side and a bad side like the flower he spoke of. This suggests that he has a background in philosophy. The friar is also very kind and peace loving. He is speaks to Romeo as if they are best friends and Romeo seems to really enjoy being around the friar. They laugh, joke, and discuss Romeo's love life showing that Romeo is very comfortable around the friar. The friar is an all-around good guy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the drama Friar Lawrence acts as a foil to both the Capulets and the Montaques. The two houses show no signs of attempting to make peace with one another they don't even seem to really know what their feud is about. Friar Lawrence states that he hopes the marriage of Romeo and Juliet will bring an end to their quarrel.

Explication de Texte of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis

I. SUBJECT Carol Milford is a student of Blodgett College, and the protagonist of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. Her ambition is to settle down in a prairie village and transform it into a place of beauty. She works as a librarian at St. Paul after her graduation. She marries the doctor Kennicott, whom she met at a friend’s house. Life in Gopher Prairie offers no challenges. Kennicott takes her on a long tour to California and other places. Carol returns to Gopher Prairie and tries to be enthusiastic about the town but feels tired of the hypocrisy and decides to leave. Kennicott feels distressed and she assures him that she would come back if she is able to find out what she needs. She works in Washington for two years. Kennicott visits her in Washington to woo her for the second time. Carol mellows and admits her desire to return to Gopher Prairie. Kennicott asks her to return only when she is prepared. She talks to the leader of the suffrage movement who tells her that she cannot achieve anything without total dedication. She convinces Carol that she can play at least a small role in changing life by persistently asking questions whenever she finds anything that hinders social change. Her life in Washington helps her to acquire a mature outlook towards life and is at last able to accept Gopher Prairie and its people as they are, but she does not give up her fight to make Gopher Prairie a better place. She gives birth to a daughter and feels optimistic that her daughter will carry on the fight that she had started and witness a united world. II. THEME The main theme of the story is rebellion and reformation. The rebellion is against materialism, lack of equality between the rich and the poor, the ugliness of the town, its narrow-mindedness and its prejudices. Carol wants to reform the town by teaching the people to appreciate poetry and to surround themselves with beauty and by teaching them to play. She tries to put up a play, read poetry to Kennicott and campaign for a new city hall, school and a better rest room and also by organizing parties and games. Though she cannot bring about any radical changes, her triumph lies in utting up a fight and keeping her faith. Main Street brings to light the discontent of the protagonist because of her inability to bring about a change in the attitudes of the people of Gopher Prairie. She appreciates beauty of simplicity. She believes that life should uphold the virtues of equality and freedom. She disapproves of exploitation. Therefore she opposes the industrialization which wipes out the b eauty of the land and the spirit of adventure of the pioneers of America. She also rebels against the exploitation of the farmers and the laborers. She incurs the wrath of the matrons of Gopher Prairie by paying six dollars a week to her maid and also by justifying the wages by pointing out that the job they did is very tedious. She insists that the rest room for the farmer’s wives should have better facilities, because it brought the farmer’s business to the merchants of the town. The reforms she proposes are very simple. She wants beautiful buildings. She wants to cultivate the taste of the people. She wants to teach the farmer’s wives the proper way to care for their babies and to make good stew. She suggests setting up an employment bureau so that they will not depend on charity. The women of Gopher Prairie snigger at Carol’s suggestions. They oppose the idea of empowering the poor women to be self-sufficient because that will deny them the chance to be charitable. When Carol suggests that they should mend the clothes before handing them out as charity, the women pounce once again on Carol and overrule the suggestion as unnecessary because it would encourage those women to be lazy. Carol feels frustrated by this mindlessness. Hence she leaves Gopher Prairie so that she can find out what she can achieve in life. In Washington, she gains the objectivity necessary for any reformer. She gains courage and learns how to direct her energy to effect changes, and returns to Gopher Prairie reconciled. The minor theme of the novel is that marriage is not to be taken lightly. Carol does not accept the institution of marriage blindly. Her expectations and demands as a wife are juxtaposed with the other wives in Gopher Prairie. Her rebellion seeps into her personal life as well and makes it so much the better for it. III. DICTION Sinclair Lewis has a vivid style. His description of nature provides the appropriate background for the mood of the characters. When Carol goes out for a walk with Erik they pass a grove of â€Å"scrub poplars†¦ looming now like a menacing wall† (392). When she is with Kennicott beside the lake she watches â€Å"long grass†¦ mossy bogs and red winged black birds† (57). When she is brooding she sees gray fields closing in on her. He uses verbs very effectively. Carol â€Å"perceives† when she observes something seriously. When she is upset with Kennicott for forgetting to give her money, she â€Å"commands† him to come upstairs because she does not wish to discuss the matter in the presence of company and Kennicott â€Å"clumps† after her. His use of satire is very effective and adds color to his narration. Carol watches a professional play, which to her is boringly ordinary in all aspects and finds the audience lapping it up. She comments sarcastically that â€Å"the only trouble with The Girl from Kankakee is that it is too subtle for Gopher Prairie† (225). The description of the idiosyncrasies of the occupants of Gopher Prairie is full of humor. When Raymie praises about the trust of Kennicott’s patients in the doctor comments wryly, â€Å"It’s me that got to do all the trusting†, and in a dramatic aside, whispers to Carol â€Å"gentleman hen† (59). When Kennicott is excited about the motor trip he expects Carol â€Å"to be effusive about academic questions as ‘now I wonder if we could stop at Baraboo†¦ ’† (196). Kennicott’s faith in cars is a â€Å"high-church cult with electric sparks for candles, and Piston rings become the alter-vessels† and â€Å"liturgy† composed of â€Å"intoned and metrical road comments† (196). The plot moves through a combination of dialogue and narrative. With minor pauses in some seemingly meaningless conversation, the diction shows the inner workings in Carol’s mind and throughout the other characters of Gopher Prairie, such as Vida who was a devout Christian. The narrative half of the plot gives insight characterization. For instance, she says this to no one, but Vida had considered her moment with â€Å"Professor’ George Edwin Mott† somehow naughty, and thought that she was â€Å"superior†¦ to have kept her virginity† (251). The diction upholds the subject and theme through the usage of words such as â€Å"reformer†, â€Å"suffragist†, and other choice words involving civil rights. It relates to Carol’s constant want to change the town of Gopher Prairie, and the other reformations happening in Washington, D. C. and the opposition she faces in her town, and in her own home. In times of despair, she finds her surroundings closing in around her: â€Å"She saw the furniture as a circle of elderly judges condemning her to death by smothering† (31). IV. TONE The atmosphere of hostility is produced by the conflict between Carol’s desire to change the town and the town’s resistance to Carol’s ideas. She is bewildered and hurt by the rebukes and rebuttals. Carol develops the right attitudes necessary for a reformer in the last three chapters of the novel. This helps her to face life with more sympathy, tolerance and hope. V. SYMBOLISM Carol’s interests in trains, books, and nature all symbolize her desire to escape the narrow confines Gopher Prairie. In Chapter 19, she daydreams about taking a train to escape the town. In Chapter 22, she escapes the town mentally through reading a number of books. Beginning in Chapter 5, she finds natural beauty in the countryside that she does not find in town. Indeed, throughout the novel, Carol often takes walks and spends time in the countryside in order to escape Gopher Prairie. In Chapter 2 and Chapter 38, Kennicott shows his wife pictures of Gopher Prairie as he attempts to court her and convince her return to the town. In Chapter 2, Carol sees only â€Å"streaky† pictures of â€Å"trees, shrubbery, a porch indistinct in leafy shadows, [and] lakes† (18). The fact that she sees the pictures in Chapter 2 as â€Å"streaky† and â€Å"indistinct† symbolizes her detachment from the community. However, in Chapter 38, she sees her own house and familiar faces in the photographs, symbolizing her connection to the town. As Lewis indicates in his preface, Gopher Prairie represents a microcosm of America in the early twentieth century. Lewis creates many characters as exaggerations, or typical, rather than individuals, to suggest that the people and institutions found in Gopher Prairie can be found anywhere. By criticizing Gopher Prairie, Lewis therefore attacks American society as a whole. Carol and Vida seem to be foils in that Carol is a reformer, whereas Vida is the representation of a society reluctant to let go of their ways. Though in a passage Vida thinks that she is, â€Å"and always will be, a reformer, a liberal† (253), she puts lie to this statement at the beginning of the chapter: she displays as much open-mindedness as a nun when Lewis writes that â€Å"[s]he hated even the sound of the word ‘sex’†¦ and prayed to Jesus†¦addressing him as her eternal lover† (251). Carol, on the other hand, indeed does try to bring reform to the town. She tries to bring beauty and culture, but is met by the bulwark of Gopher Prairie. Yet still she pushes on, introducing a professional play, music and poetry. Despite all her attempts, she still fails. Though some battles cannot be won, she wants to give her fighting spirit to her daughter. VI. SPEAKER The speaker of Main Street is in third person, who is omniscient of the happenings and minds of the citizens of Gopher Prairie. VII. STRUCTURE The novel is divided into six parts, plot-wise. The first part introduces Carol, the heroine of the novel. The second part deals with her marriage and elaborates on her fears of life as the wife of Dr. Kennicott in the small prairie town. The third part describes her house warming party in which Carol makes a statement about her taste and attitude followed by the details of the trials and tribulations of Carol as a reformer of the smug town. The fourth part is the thirty-sixth chapter, which may be called the climax of the story because Carol walks out of her marriage and Gopher Prairie. The following two chapters form the fifth part which describes Carol’s work in Washington, her reconciliation to life in Gopher Prairie and it also reunites Carol and Kennicott. The physical construction of the novel consists of a yellow and black cover, with a small portrait of the author in the approximate middle. It is four hundred and fifty-one pages, divided into thirty-nine chapters, which are then sub-divided; both are numbered by Roman numerals. Preceding the story is a miniature biography of the author (viii) and a small preface that explains Gopher Prairie is a small pocket of America, but America nonetheless, whose citizens are set in their ways. VIII. IMAGERY This is an example of personification: â€Å"the land humming† (139). This describes the beauty of the land around Gopher Prairie and inspires Carol, since she wants to make the town just as beautiful through her reforms. This is an example of a simile: â€Å"Kennicott was as fixed in routine as an isolated old man† (291). With the use of â€Å"as†, Kennicott is compared an old man being set in his ways. An example of antithesis would be that when Kennicott, before his marriage to Carol, had put his arm around Vida â€Å"carelessly†. While she strained away, she longed to move nearer to him† (251). In this example of personification, â€Å"the deep-bosomed bed stiffened in disgust† (32) at having such an extravagant shirt laid on it. In the same paragraph, the said â€Å"chemise and lace was a hussy† (32) and seemed overly lavish in the simple house in which Carol lived. In this conceit, Lewis writes that â€Å"[a] villag e is†¦a force seeking to dominate the earth, drain the hills and seas of color† (267). He is saying that such a village drains the world of its natural beauty, to be replaced by man-made materialistic things, with a standard style. Anything else would seem out of place. Carol calls the people who live in the Northern Middlewest â€Å"pioneers, these sweaty wayfarers† (24). They have just begun to build a society in that area, and she thinks that such an area has much hope. When Dr. Kennicott takes Carol hunting, she wonders why he hasn’t fired when a â€Å"crash† sounded and â€Å"two birds turned somersaults in the air, plumped down† (55). Such is an example of onomatopoeia.

A Strategy To Align Organization And Environment Essay

This paper analyzes the term ‘strategic fit’ exactly means, types of strategic fit, necessities to focus on strategic fit, and most importantly how well an organization can align its resources & capabilities with the opportunities that exist in the external environment so as to achieve peak performance in the business. Strategy of Nestle as an example to discuss how far it is true that effective strategic fit ensures organization’s resources & capabilities and what the environment exactly needs from it. Key Words Strategic, Fit, Strategy, Resource, Capabilities, Opportunities, Environment, Business Introduction It should be recognized that any strategy or management style is appropriate only in a particular set of circumstances. Strategic fit enables an organization to operate in its particular competitive situation at peak effectiveness. It expresses the degree to which an organization is matching its resources and capabilities with the opportunities in the external environment. The matching takes place through strategy and it is therefore vital that the company have the actual resources and capabilities to execute and support the strategy. Meaning of Strategic Fit The contingency theorist’s argument that performance outcomes are maximized when a firm achieves an alignment or â€Å"fit† between a firm’s external environment, its internal factors and its strategy has been well established in the literature (Burns & Stalker 1967; Lawrence & Lorsch 1967; Keats & Hitt, 1988). Nadler and Tushman (1979) theorized that the greater the total degree of congruence or fit between the various components, the more effective will be the organization, leading to higher levels of goal attainment, utilization of resources, and adaptation. Need for Strategic Fit Strategic fit is a quest to align the organization’s operation with the needs of the market. It also involves identification of the opportunities and the action to capitalize on the opportunities. Strategic fit can be used actively to evaluate the current strategic situation of a company as well as opportunities such as M&A and divestitures of organizational divisions. Strategic fit is related to the Resource-based view of the firm which suggests that the key to profitability is not only through positioning and industry selection but rather through an internal focus which seeks to utilize the unique characteristics of the company’s portfolio of resources and capabilities. Resources s Capabilities A unique combination of resources and capabilities can eventually be developed into a competitive advantage which the company can profit from. However, it is important to differentiate between resources and capabilities. Resources relate to the inputs to production owned by the company, whereas capabilities describe the accumulation of learning the company possesses. Types of Resources Resources can be classified as tangible resources and intangible resources. Tangible Resources The term tangible means capable of being touched, real or actual, rather than imaginary or visionary, definite; not vague or elusive, having actual physical existence, as real estate or chattels, and therefore capable of being assigned a value in monetary terms. Financial (Cash, securities) †¢ Physical (Location, plant, machinery) are some of the tangible resources Intangible Resources Resources that are not physical in nature are said to be Intangible resources. Corporate intellectual property (items such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, business methodologies), goodwill and brand recognition are all common intangible resources in business point of view. An intangible resource can be classified as either indefinite o r definite depending on the specifics of that resource. A company brand name is considered to be an indefinite resource, as it stays with the company as long as the company continues operations. However, if a company enters a legal agreement to operate under another company’s patent, with no plans of extending the agreement, it would have a limited life and would be classified as a definite resource. †¢ Technology (Patents, copyrights) †¢ Human resources †¢ Reputation (Brands) †¢ Culture, are some of the intangible resources. Capabilities Capabilities are what a firm does, and represents the firm’s capacity to deploy resources that have been purposely integrated to achieve the desired end state. Capabilities become important when they are combined in unique combinations which create core competencies which have strategic value and can lead to competitive advantage. Capabilities needed for strategic fit are 1. Coordination 2. Commitment 3. Competence (technology, management and leadership) 4. Communication 5. Creativity 6. Capacity management (allocation of resources) Benefits of Strategic Fit The extent to which the activities of a single organization or of organizations working in partnership complement each other in such a way as to contribute to competitive advantage. The benefits of good strategic fit include cost reduction, due to economies of scale, and the transfer of knowledge and skills (technological expertise, managerial know how), use of common brand name. The success of a merger, joint venture, or strategic alliance may be affected by the degree of strategic fit between the organizations involved. Similarly, the strategic fit of one organization with another is often a factor in decisions about acquisitions, mergers, diversification, or divestment. Types of Strategic Fit 1. Market related fit 2. Operating fit 3. Management fit Market Related Fit Market related fit arises when value chains of different businesses overlap so that the products can be used by same customers, marketed and promoted in similar ways, distributed through common dealers and retailers.

westward expansion dbq essays

westward expansion dbq essays Beginning in the early 1800s the United States began a mission of westward expansion. The concept of Manifest Destiny encouraged Americans to spread their civilization all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and even down into Mexico and Central America. However, with a rapidly developing economy, the United States began looking to foreign countries for new markets and materials. With the strengthening of the U.S. navy and nationalism, the United States began to participate in a race for foreign markets. After the Spanish-American War, U.S. citizens were even more zealous in the idea of imperialism. Although pressured with questions of the constitutional rights of new peoples, the United States was able to open new trading markets with valuable sources, such as the Chinese. Expansionism from the nineteenth and early twentieth century was, in fact, a continuation of past United States expansionism, and yet also a departure. Beginning in the 1830s and continuing to the 1860s, the Unite d States adopted the popular belief of Manifest Destiny. They believed they had a divine mission from God to extend their power and civilization across North America. The U.S. continually expanded westward, trying its best to protect themselves from foreign influence, meanwhile gaining such territories as Oregon, California, and New Mexico. However, after their economies began to flourish, the U.S. began to look toward foreign continents to fulfill their needs of worldwide markets and raw materials. Many American conservatives also believed that overseas territories could offer a safety valve for unhappiness at home. Expansionists looked to achieve their gains by economic and diplomatic means, instead of military action, as they did in the past. One concept that was applied to the competition among nations for new land was Darwinism. This theory stated that only the strongest nations survived (Doc. B.) This meant that the United States h...

Mesoamerican essays

Mesoamerican essays Highly developed written language Elaborate funeral practices Yucatan Peninsula has the largest known ball court. Ballplayer was among the ceremonial titles of Maya kings. First widespread art style s mother culture Settled village life; rise of an elite class Pronounced Ole Mek...1st earliest artistic representations of ballplayers and archaeological evidence of ballgame equipment...Rare ball: earliest rubber ball recovered from the site of el manati The Mesoamericans discovered how to make a very bouncy ball out of a native plant. This plant is the rubber tree. Early tools were probably made of sharp bone or wood. The channels allow the raw liquid rubber, latex, to flow down the vertical container and into a container. The juice of the Morning Glory vine is added to the latex to give the ball its extraordinary bounce. Some balls had human skulls at the core. The size of the balls varied form location to location. Some were the size of softballs some were larger than a beach ball. The uniform that the players had to wear had to protect the player but also allow for quick movement. Most of the uniforms had headgear, a sash, or a belt. The court was shaped like a capital letter I, built of cut stone, and painted with bright colors. It was a symbol of a citys wealth and power. The game wasnt only a sporting competition; it was based on religious beliefs also. The outcome affected the lives of everyone playing and watching. The ballgame was the first organized game in the history of sports. Yuguitos are among the earliest pieces of ballgame equipment. They ...

What Polypropylene Plastics Are and How Theyre Used

What Polypropylene Plastics Are and How They're Used The world of plastic is not a cut and dried one. There are around 45 different types of plastic and each one has its own properties and uses, from commercial to residential. Polypropylene is one type of plastic that is used for a number of different products, due to its wide variety of properties. Understanding the chemical properties, history and advantages of this plastic can allow you to see the importance that this type of plastic has on your everyday life. What are the chemical properties of this plastic? Chemical Properties of Polypropylene Polypropylene is located between low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on the crystallinity level. It is flexible and tough, especially when it is copolymerized with ethylene. This copolymerization allows this plastic to be used as engineering plastic that is in a number of different products and uses. The flow rate is a measure of molecular weight and this determines how easily it will flow during processing. A higher MFR allows the polypropylene to fill the mold more easily. As the melt flow increases, some of the physical properties of the plastic decreases, however, such as impact strength. History of Polypropylene German chemist, Karl Rehn, and Giulio Natta first polymerized propylene to a crystalline isotatic polymer in March 1954. This discovery soon led to a commercial production of polypropylene starting in 1957. Others claimed the discovery, as often occurs when a general body of knowledge is used, and this litigation was not resolved until 1989. This very popular plastic is one that many different manufacturers use for a number of different products. What Is Polypropylene Used For? Polypropylene is used for a wide number of different products. Due to the resistance to fatigue, this means that it can be used on items that are going to have high stress, such as hinge mechanisms on water bottles and more. It is also used in manufacturing piping systems, as well as chairs, and in medical or laboratory use. The colorfastness means that it is also used in carpeting, rugs, and mats. Ropes, cable insulation, roofing membranes, storage boxes, disposable bottles, plastic pails and other items are also made using this type of plastic. When you consider the impact of this plastic on your everyday use, you will see that it is one plastic that most people just cannot live without. PP plastics are also used in fiber reinforced composites. Common trade names for FRP glass fiber reinforced polyproplyene include Polystrand and Twintex. Polypropylene Advantages Polypropylene offers many different advantages. These advantages allow it to be used for a wide variety of different products and uses, from high heat to cold weather and more. What are some of these advantages? -Low cost makes it budget friendly for a wide number of uses -Has a moderate strength and stability -Has flexibility, which makes it easy to mold into different shapes -Colorfast, which means that any colors will stay bright and beautiful -Resistant to fatigue, which allows it to be used for things such as water bottle hinges and spouts -Offers good insulation for pipes, cables, and more -Chemically resistant to most oils and solvents -Excellent impact strength -Low coefficient of friction -Excellence moisture resistance -High temperature resistance, which means it can be used in laboratories When you look at polypropylene, you can see that it has many different properties that explain its widespread use. From clothing to pipes to carpet and more, this type of plastic is one that is used in a number of different products. Understanding its importance will allow you to appreciate it to the fullest. Polypropylene is one plastic that can be used for products now and can be recycled into products for the future as well.