Describe and Evaluate Milgrams Agency Theory

Milgram’s agency theory basically states that you the state of mind you are in determines if you’re obedient or not. He argued that normally we operate in the autonomous state, where you assert control over yourself and what we do. An example of this is when faced with danger, most people will turn away to try and avoid conflict. Even if you decide not to walk away, this is still the autonomous state because you’re deciding what to do. There is also the agentic state which says you are subconsciously acting as an agent to some authority figure and that you do what they tell you because you feel as if you are an agent of that person.An example of this would be during the trial of Nazi’s Adolf Eichmann said, â€Å"I was just following orders to kill Jews†. This clearly illustrates that he only did what he did, followed orders, because he was told to and he felt like an agent to Adolf Hitler. Milgram also posed the idea of something called moral strain . This is when you obey an order although it goes against your morals, you feel that what you are doing is wrong but you have no choice. An example of this is in the study of obedience carried out by Milgram.The participants objected to shocking learners by saying that they wouldn’t do it and consistently standing up to avoid it, but still carried on anyway. The first strength to Milgram’s study is that his theory has practical application. Practical application means it can be applied to explain real life behaviours. An example of this is during the trial of Nazi’s Adolf Eichmann, he said, â€Å"I was just following orders to kill Jews†. This shows he was in the Agentic State because he saw himself as an agent of Hitler when helping him to complete the Final Solution.Another advantage is that in Milgram’s study of obedience the study had experimental validity. This is when the experiment is carried out so well that the participants believe that it is real. One participant, Fred Pozi, showed physical signs of distress indicating that he thought he was actually harming a man. He stood up multiple times during the experiment, was holding his head in his hands and was nervous laughing throughout the experiment. This indicates moral strain because he did carry out what the researcher asked, but this behaviour clearly shows that he was under stress and unhappy with what he had been asked to do.There is also evidence to support this theory which serves as a strength. In his theory of obedience Milgram found that 65% of participants went to 450 volts and 100% went to 300 volts. From this he concluded that American men would obey an authority figure even if they harmed a stranger. As the participants obeyed the authority figure it shows that they were acting as agents to help the researcher with his study, this illustrates the agentic state. On the other hand there are disadvantages to Milgram’s study as well, for example; Mil gram’s study lacked ecological validity.Ecological validity is when the study takes place in an environment that is familiar to the participants. The experiment took place in a lab and Fred Pozi, a plumber, would be more comfortable in a house or bathroom. As he was not in his natural environment his behaviour might have changed because of it. This will therefore reduce validity because he would not be behaving in a natural way. Another disadvantage to Milgram’s study is that he deceived his participants. He did not tell them what the study was actually researching and there for broke ethics.However he did perform a full debriefing at the end of the study which rectified the problem. There is an alternative theory to the Agency Theory called, The Social Powers theory. The Social Powers theory states that authority figures use reward power to gain obedience. Reward power is when an authority figure uses a reward to get the person to obey. For instance when a parent says if you do your homework you can go to your friends house. The Social Powers theory says it is power and not the mental state of someone that leads to obedience, Milgram’s theory is incomplete.

Han China & Classical Athens DBQ Essay

Classical Athens and Han China were different due to their forms of government, the relationship between the individual and the state, their views on man and nature and their background information. Within the background information of both Athens and Han China there are very evident differences between the two. The first document shows the maps of both the empires side by side. The Han Empire is much bigger than the Athens city-state Attica which is a mere 50 miles long, while the Han Empire stretches over 2400 miles long. The size difference alone shows how the Empires would have developed differently. Since Attica is smaller, the people are closer together, therefore it would be easier to develop a democracy there. Han China, however, is very big and everyone is spread out so it would be very difficult to govern if every citizen had a say in the decisions. The second and third documents show the differences in size and distribution of the population in both empires. The differences here are clear. Han China is about 206 times greater in population than Athens. In Athens about 37% of their population are slaves while in China about 7% of their population are slaves or what they call, â€Å"mean people.† The majority, about 90%, of the population in the Han Empire consists of peasant farmers and some skilled urban workers. In Athens, farmers were very valued and the majority of the citizens there were landowning farmers. A map of population density would be very helpful in understanding the differences between the empires. This would show where most farming took place because the mass population is farmers and slaves. CONCLUSION************* Han China and Classical Athens governments are extremely different. Han China’s government was strictly centralized, with an emperor as their supreme and divine ruler; the Son of Heaven. People believed that Heaven chose the person who was ready to rule the Empire. Many people questioned how Heaven does this. In document 6, a dialogue between Mencius, a student of Confucius, and Wan Chang, Mencius’s student, Chang asks Mencius a few questions of Heaven choosing it’s next son. Mencius’s answer was that Heaven  does not speak but reveals itself by acts and deeds; Heaven sees with the eyes of its people and hears with the ears of his people. Document 7 talks about how Han China’s government system runs. Heaven selects the emperor, the sole ruler, but he needed people to help him rule. Therefore he appointed governors to each part of the Empire and then, in turn, they placed officials at smaller areas. During the Han Dynasty, the government decided to build and expand bureaucracy. The bureaucrats would have to go through an early form of a civil service exam in order to earn a law-making position at stages of government such as local, regional and federal. However, Stearn describes the Han Empire as the largest political system in the classical world, but Stearn’s bias can be seen here and must be considered. However, Classical Athens’ government is a democracy, not entirely a modern democracy like the United States, but a democracy nonetheless. Document 4 is a speech by Pericles, a Greek statesman, which talks about the empire’s qualities of their government. Any man, regardless of their social class can be elected to hold office. Pericles talks very highly about his government, â€Å"†¦ we are rather a role model to others.† His point of view on the government system may be affected by the fact that he is the General of that empire so he would be biased toward their government.

Luxury Goods in Hong Kong, China Essay

Luxury goods experienced a slowdown in current value growth for 2012 against 2011, largely attributed by the unstable economic conditions brought about by the 2011 Euro crisis as well as the slowing down of the Chinese economy. While consumers’ sentiments were still relatively strong, spending continued to tilt towards a more cautious end. Depreciation of Euros also saw more consumers heading to Hong Kong for holidays and in turn purchasing luxury goods from there to take advantage of the. Euromonitor International’s Luxury Goods in Hong Kong, China report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Luxury Goods market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market and their effects on Luxury Goods retailing along with the development of consumers’ shopping patterns. Forecasts to 2017 illustrate how the market is set to change. Buy a Report Copy @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=88087. Product coverage: Designer Apparel (Ready-to-Wear), Fine Wines/Champagne and Spirits, Luxury Accessories, Luxury Cigars, Luxury Electronic Gadgets, Luxury Jewellery and Timepieces, Luxury Travel Goods, Luxury Writing Instruments and Stationery, Super Premium Beauty and Personal Care.Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data. Why buy this report? – Get a detailed picture of the Luxury Goods market; – Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change; – Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands;

How have oil prices affected our economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How have oil prices affected our economy - Essay Example This abnormal worldwide condition reduces the value – the purchasing power – of money and it buys less than it previously did. Hovering at $130 a barrel in June of 2008, oil price has fast become a central problem affecting global politics. Nations with oil supplies recognize the scarcity and importance of oil and deal with any government and the proceeds may be lost either to corruption or may deprive other countries of a much-needed development. It is a huge investment (oil), that some governments use this as leverage for threats and financial advancement. As this has become a global phenomenon, the increasing oil prices have been felt more significantly in the airline industry and other industries as well. The high fuel prices have affected the number of cities major airlines serve as they battle to rise above the oil crisis. Jet fuel prices prompted an airline company (the Alaska Air) to even end its international flights on July of this year to curb the costs of maintaining its company afloat on a floundering market availability of oil alone (â€Å"Oil and Gasoline,† 2008). One can fairly observe the downtrend of most flights in commercial air service as well as this also affected through rising air fares where traditionally, air fares are cheap and commuter-friendly. This turmoil in aviation trickled even in earnings projection that foresee a collapsing and a bleak revenue outlook until next year. Due to these developments, airlines have been forced to cut jobs on their employees thereby increasing the statistics on unemplo yment and job security of employees is waning. The oil surge is spreading economic gloom as thousands turn jobless after companies dependent on oil such as the airline industry struggle to make ends meet and stay afloat in the business. As the shocked employees of airlines investors and airlines companies affected by the oil price increase

Structure and Framework of the Federal Courts Research Paper

Structure and Framework of the Federal Courts - Research Paper Example It is also out of the recognition that the constitution has for the broad nature of legal enforcement and the need to ensure that administration of justice and the enforcement of rule of law goes to the grassroots that there exists different parts and ranks of the court system, which is specifically assigned to interpret the constitution. This paper shall therefore visit the court system as the major framework that embodies the legal system and bring out the structure and role of the federal courts. Purpose and Function of the Topic One key aspect of the legal system in the United States and most other democratic states like United Kingdom and France is the court and the structure of it. In the United States, there is what is known as the Federal Court system, which has been vested with the power of interpretation of the law at the local level2. In essence therefore, the present topic, which is stated as â€Å"the structure and framework of the federal courts† seeks to achieve three major functions and purposes. The first purpose and function of the topic is to aid in the categorization of the federal court system. From a Congress viewpoint, the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land3. This Supreme court is overseen by a Chief Justice and eight other associate justices. But even within the Supreme Court, there are two constitutes of courts, which are the Appellate Court and Trail Courts. These bring the categorization down to smaller courts, which are made up of District Courts and Circuit Courts. In order to ensure that there is not at any point in time overburden on the courts in the jurisdiction of justice, there are as many minor courts as possible, all of whom have been assigned special duties, cases and roles to oversee and hear. Some of these include bankruptcy courts, magistrate courts, the U.S. Court of Claims, the U.S. Court of Veterans' Appeals, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals, the U.S. Tax Court, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. The second purpose and function of the topic is to clearly outline what the differences between a State Court and a Federal Court are. This is an important purpose to achieve with the topic because in a bid to educating the ordinary citizen of the legal system, it is very important for the citizen to have an idea of where to turn to in the event of different cases of legal concern. To this end, it would be said that unlike Federal Courts, most State Courts have very limited jurisdictions. From a legal perspective, this means that State Courts do not have as much power to trail wider range of cases as Federal Courts do4. Because of this, most judges in State Courts are appointed or elected only over a specified time frame and not for life as it is with Federal Courts. Some of the cases that a typical State Court would trail is reflective in the name of the court. Examples are probate court, family court, traffic court, municipal court, small claims court and juvenile court. F inally, this topic seeks to expatiate on the effectiveness of the sovereignty of the various levels of the Federal Court in the legal system and structure of the country. Indeed, one of the main principles on which the legal system works is the principle of independence. This means that every court must be given maximum room to operate without any form of interference from

The ethics that support meat eaters and non-meat eaters Essay

The ethics that support meat eaters and non-meat eaters - Essay Example The paper tells that the ethics that support eating meat is the question of survival and leading a healthy life. Other than the preferences of taste and culinary matters, meat provides many proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients that are vital for people to lead a healthy life. Meat provides sufficient fat and nutrients, especially to people living in regions, where it is difficult to subsist on vegetarian food. Some examples of such regions include the Polar Regions and the desert areas, where it is difficult to grow plants in sufficient numbers, to support a growing population. The issue of killing living things becomes irrelevant since even vegans consume many products such as cosmetics, oils, medicines, wear leather shoes, and fur, all obtained from animals and their body parts. Countless animals are killed during farming, and these include insects, earthworms and others 'non-glamorous' animals, that thrive in their natural habitat. In fact, while clearing up forests for agricul ture, thousands of animals and birds are disrupted from their natural homes and literally 'left in the wild', where they have no chances of survival. The argument that it is unethical to kill an animal, therefore, falls flat. Therefore, vegans also kill animals, maybe unwittingly, but they do aid in their killing and exploitation, in one form or another. It is therefore obvious that the argument used by vegetarians against meat eating seem hollow and filled with sycophancy.

Effects of Internet Social Networking on the Lives of Teenagers Essay - 1

Effects of Internet Social Networking on the Lives of Teenagers - Essay Example Social networking sites most commonly in use today are Facebook and Twitter. Most teenagers necessarily visit these websites several times in a day all over the world. According to a recent research generated by the Pew Internet Project, as many as 93 per cent of the teenagers in America between the age of 12 years and 17 years are regular users of the internet, and 55 per cent of such teenagers spends most of the time using social networking websites (Hall). Social networking sites cause a lot of troubles in the life of teenagers. As a result of the expanded social circle because of internet social networking, teenagers are prone to fall in the hands of pedophiles and kidnappers. Internet social networking increases the interaction of a teenager with others. In fact, many studies have found the social networks of internet using teenagers to be much larger than others that do not use the internet. Not only their social circle increases, but also the way they communicate changes. Nowa days, many teenagers can be heard speaking to one another in slang. The time that teenagers spend socializing with others in the virtual world is no less effective than the real world for building relationships and socializing with others. Everyday, hundreds of teenagers fall prey to pedophiles and end up getting into dangerous real world activities. Anonymity is a special feature of the social networking sites. This allows the unscrupulous people to approach the immature teenagers and involve them in harmful activities by conversing with them. The predators can easily project themselves as teenagers. This allows them to draw the teenagers into harmful activities in the real world along with the virtual world. They send messages to the teenagers via these websites. Many teenagers respond to them. The predators may use social networking sites to drive the teenagers into the business of drug dealing or child pornography.

World Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Religion - Essay Example This report approves that the temple is a place where Buddhist monks and lay people gather to practice meditation. Since meditation requires quiet and concentration, there are special rooms set aside in the temple for groups or individuals to sit on their pillows and meditate. The temple provides lay people with retreats, usually overnight stays but people can stay longer. When a person stays with the monks, they sleep on a simple mat and eat the same foods as the monks using the same simple black bowls. The purpose of a retreat is to simplify the person’s life, to relax, and to concentrate on meditation, so lay people do not get special treatment. The traditional tea ceremony is one of the activities that lay people participate in with the monks. They are also encouraged to work around the temple grounds and to study the grounds and buildings during tours so they can have an understanding of what traditional Buddhist worship is like. All these activities for lay people are me ant to encourage simplicity and concentration. This essay makes a conclusion that it is amazing to think of this place as enduring for more than 1,215 years in the same spot. Even though many events have happened this might have destroyed or disbanded the monks, it continued on even through religious oppression and many wars and natural disasters. This shows that the temple and the ideas of Buddhism are enduring, and even though there is this long history the monks still lead very simple lives. Outsiders can have a little taste of this Buddhist life, too.

Bending moment in a beam Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bending moment in a beam - Lab Report Example l try to explain how bending occurs in simply supported beams, and it will also compare measured or the experimental values of bending moments with that of the theoretical values of the bending moments. The bending moments of different cross –sectional areas have different formulae of calculating the moments. This experiment will use a rectangular shaped cross-sectional beam for easier working and better understanding. The main objective of this simple experiment is to determine the bending of a beam that is simply supported that is subjected to the various loads that are arranged as shown below. The experiment will also help to compare the measured or the experimental values of bending moments with the values calculated using the theoretical approach. In this experiment, a simply supported beam, a spring load gauge and weights placed in weight hangers are used. A level spirit gauge is also used to check whether the beam is properly aligned. A simply supported beam is pivoted at a point and then loaded with different weights. A spring load gauge is connected to the beam at the pivot. The apparatus is as shown in the diagram. The span of the beam (L) and the distance to the bending moment position (x) from the left support are to be measured, and the values are recorded. The vertical distance between the pivot point and the spring load gauge (y) is to be measured too, and the value is recorded. The beam is then leveled by adjusting the horizontal spring load gauge and checked with a spirit level. Load hangers are then applied to the beam at the positions shown in the above diagram, and the positions are then recorded. Masses of 0.5 kilograms or 1.0 kilogram are added to the load hangers as shown in the table below. The beam is then leveled by adjusting the horizontal spring load gauge and checked with a spirit level. The reading from the horizontal spring load gauge is recorded. Remove all the loads from the hangers and repeat the steps from measuring and

Nuclear power as an alternative energy source Essay

Nuclear power as an alternative energy source - Essay Example Several countries like China are waking up to the possibilities of this energy source with staggering 25 nuclear reactors in the pipeline. The benefits of nuclear energy as an energy source are many, especially the fact that it is renewable. However, a few disastrous occurrences like the Chernobyl disaster in Russia and the Fukushima power plant catastrophe in Japan provide a counter-argument. The premise of this paper is to discuss nuclear power generation, its pros and cons, and whether it is worth pursuing as an alternative energy source of the future. Is nuclear power a viable answer to heal a planet ravaged by global warming? Alternatively, is it a dangerous and expensive alternative for energy needs satisfaction? Nuclear energy generation is attained via both nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion has potential for the generation of much less waste of radioactive nature as compared to nuclear fission. However, nuclear fusion, as potentially viable as it seems, is quite technically difficult as a procedure, and is as of now quite some way from being utilized in large scale power plants that can be considered functional (Craddock 117). Interest in nuclear energy for power generation began with the discovery of radioactive elements like uranium in the early 20th century. The splitting of the atomic nucleus, fission, creates energy in a reactor. An element possessing a heavy nucleus, like U-235, is struck by a neutron, which divides it into two lighter nuclei. Energy is released from this splitting, in the form of radiation and heat. Around 3-4 neutrons are released in the process and these split more nuclei, setting off a chain reaction (Craddock 119). The USSR’s nuclear plant at Obninsk became the first nuclear plant to produce power in the world for a power grid, producing some five MW of power. Calder Hall in the English region of Sellafield became the first commercial station

College Geometry - neutral geometry and Euclidean geometry Essay

College Geometry - neutral geometry and Euclidean geometry - Essay Example It is also termed as neutral geometry because it is neutral in reference to parallel postulate. Other geometries related to hyperbolic geometry, neutral geometry, ordered geometry, among others (Ball, 2008). Differences between neutral geometry and Euclidean geometry Euclidean geometry tends to be axiomatic system; in this case, all is theorems in other terms â€Å"true statements† of derivatives of smaller axioms. In reference to the book by the name Elements, Euclid illustrates five axioms (postulates) as far as plane geometry is concerned. The followi9ng is some of the postulations: 1) The first line should be drawn from any point 2) A finite line should be produced and it should be straight and continuous 3) Right angles are equal 4) A circle is described in reference to the center and its radius 5) In parallel lines, it a straight line meets other two straight lines, and makes an interior angle of which both are less than 900, the two lines can meet if extended on those s ides that they make angles less than right angles (the difference between lines in Euclidean and those of spherical are illustrated in spherical geometry). On the other hand, absolute geometry is more the same as ordered geometry. ... If the intersection points forms interior angles of less than 90, they form the basis for both hyperbolic and spherical geometry. They are both under non-Euclidean geometry where they are attained through the parallel postulates in Euclid. In addition, the postulate can be still be defined that â€Å"in every line 1 and each external point q, there exist unique lines through q that are parallel to 1.† this gives a basis for spherical constructions (Ball 2008). Spherical geometry This is a plane geometry that is on a sphere’s surface; its basic elements are lines and points but are defined in a different way. They are defined in such a way that the shortest distance between any two points runs along the same two points. The sum the angles in this triangle is more than 1800 but small triangles of the same kind are slightly larger than 1800; an ideal example being those in football fields. This is because the base length is not a perfect straight line. See a practical exam ple below. The diagram illustrates the structure of a spherical triangle It lines are also continuous and ends up forming a circle. Lines that run around the geometry making the longest distance are known as â€Å"Great Circles.† Below is an illustration of spherical geometry. The diagram above illustrates how lines are different from those in Euclidean and thus forming Great Circles. The sum of the angles in any triangle is 180 degrees In reference to Euclidean geometry, the parallel postulate when extended makes a three sided diagram that is interior angles sum up to 1800. This is because the subsequent angles are reflections of the points of origin (Eves, 1990). (a) (c) (b) From the diagram above, we can prove that the exterior angle at

Islam spread rapidly Essay Example for Free

Islam spread rapidly Essay I went through various different websites on the internet trying to find out why Islam was spread so rapidly, I found so many diverse answers, but the most answer that I kept on finding was The Sword. The sword is when Muslims give non-Muslims two options, either they convert to Islam or they have to face death. Some believed that Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, was a violent man, who forced non Muslims into Islam. They also believe that Early Islam was less tolerant to other religions, other than that they believe that Arabs and Muslims in General hated Christians and Jews, and wanted them to Vanish from earth. I disagree with what Ive read. Prophet Muhammad was known for his kindness and his respect for other religion, adding to that, he tried to follow the steps of the prophets that came before him, and he admired them. His main idea was to spread harmony between all religions and to create peace. Muslims have not forced others into Islam and didnt kill non Muslims because they wouldnt convert. Prophet Muhammad had announced to non Muslims that they only have to pay taxes if they didnt want to convert, other than that they were treated respectfully by Muslims and others. Also, Im not the only one who is disagreeing with such things. The webpage that I attached in the end of this paper also tries to show that Islam being spread by the sword is only a Myth. In the Western Civilization volume one book, starting from page 252 it speaks about how Islam was spread. It states that Islam was spread because of its harmony and tolerance also because of the Prophet Muhammad great personality, and not to forget about the holy wars and Abu Baker. Those had a huge impact on non Muslims who converted to Islam. The message of Islam in early days was rapidly spread through the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay Archipelago. They all converted to Islam not because they were forced to, but because they have learned and saw how real Muslims acted and were. Prophet Mohammed has introduced Islam in a very lovable way, He faced difficulties, such as hater from Qurish, people threw rocks at him, and he was cursed and hit many, many times, however, he didnt stop. He continued spreading the Islam. A lot of people followed him and supported him, until the day of his death. After the prophet, peace upon him, passed away Abu Baker was firmed in spreading Islam around the world. Abu baker was declared as the caliph, and the second-in-command of Mohammed. He created a powerful military that restrained all the Arab trips that didnt accept successors establishment. Other than that, his force of military started to slowly move further than the borders of Arabia. Not to forget to mention that Arabs were not interested in conquering other cities because they wanted to spread Islam. Arabians actually hoped that the cities they conquered wouldnt convert to Islam, so Arabians could preserve their own individuality as a society of leaders and tax gatherers. Anyhow, Arabia was mostly interested in conquering other cites for the wealth and the power, and as I mentioned earlier, not to spread Islam. There were a lot of weak cities beside them that motivated the Arabs to start conquering, also, the idea of new riches played a huge part. There are a lot of reasons why Islam spread so fast, other than the ones that are already mentioned in this text or the webpage that is attached to this paper. People need to know the truth about Islam, and nee to stop judging it based on Myths and lies.

Detecting Autoantibodies in Human Sera Samples using ELISA

Detecting Autoantibodies in Human Sera Samples using ELISA Introduction Autoimmunity is a series of immune responses that is made against an organisms own cells and tissues due to inability to recognise own cells and tissues as self (Mandal, 2014). Diseases can arise as a result of autoimmunity. This includes lupus (SLE). Lupus (SLE) arises because of immunological mechanisms. With tolerance to antigens is lost and production of autoreactive lymphocytes the process of autoantibody is produced. Continuous production of autoantibodies from autoantibody producing cells results in formation of immune complexes. (Bolland and Ravetch, 2000). There are many factors which influence the susceptibility and development of lupus (SLE). These include hormonal, environmental, and genetic factors (Lisnevskaia et al, 2014). Genes involved in lupus (SLE) include MHC loci, tumor necrosis factor alpha, components of the complement factor and the mannose binding protein (Tsao and Grossman, 2001). Environmental triggers have influence on expression for lupus (SLE) such as vi tamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has an important role in order for the immune system to function properly because receptors of vitamin D are found in the cells of the immune system such as T lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells. Also reduced vitamin D intake due to photosensitivity is associated with lupus (SLE). Thus, deficiency in vitamin D has a major consequence for the immune system and can create autoimmune diseases (Albishri et al, 2015). Hormones have a role in acting as chemical messengers in the immune response (Csaba, 2014). These chemical signals produced from hormones are disrupted especially between the brain and target cells which is an important factor in lupus (SLE) (Pick, n.d.). Because of this disrupted balance of hormone production certain hormones are more prevalent which cause lupus (SLE). High estrogen concentrations have been linked to lupus (SLE) due to it causing autoimmunity and with patients having a fast conversion of androgens to estrogens. Patients with joint pains are linked with lupus (SLE) and also have a high concentration of estrogen (Lupusinternational.com, n.d.). Diagnosis of lupus (SLE) include the lupus band test which detects for the presence of antinuclear antibodies. This is done using immunofluorescence. By looking at the florescence pattern the type of antibody can be detected. For a person to be positive for lupus (SLE) IgG and other complement depositions will be found at the dermoepidermal junction. To be specific there will be a bandlike deposit along the epidermal basement membrane due to the presence of IgG. Also a bandlike deposit will be present in the nucleus of the epidermal cells. A high concentration of anti-dsDNA antibody from titers also shows the presence of SLE due to anti-dsDNA antibody having a high specificity for SLE (Gill et al, 2003). Diagnosis can also be made using the SLICC criteria. For a patient to have SLE, at least four criterions need to be met including one clinical criterion (Petr i et al, 2012). There is currently no cure for SLE but a number of treatments are available. Prognosis for SLE has improved significantly since the 1950s with people diagnosed it living for less than five years. Now ninety percent of people with SLE live over ten years. The effect of SLE is more evident in men and children than in women. Causes of early death has been due to failure of organs and infections. Because of improved survival rate other factors have come in to play for the death of SLE patients. Cardiovascular disease is one factor and it is important to prevent this from being developed (Doria et al, 2006).       The ELISA test is a diagnostic test used to measure the concentration of certain antibodies or antigens present in a sample from a disease patient. ELISA is unique due to the separation of specific and non-specific interactions during serial binding to the multiwell plate. At the end of ELISA, a coloured product is produced that is associated with the amount of antibody or antigen present in the solution sample (Bio-Rad, n.d.). The first step of ELISA is coating, where a layer of antigen or antibody is adsorbed to the wells on the plate. After coating, blocking and detection are the next steps. Several washes are needed between each ELISA step to remove unbound materials. During this process excess liquid is removed in order to prevent dilution of the solutions added in the next stage (Bio-Rad, n.d.). For detection of SLE in the patient, the patients serum sample undergoes the ELISA test to detect the concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibodies which is specific for patients with SLE. A h igh concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibodies will indicate that the patient has SLE (Wigand et al, 1997). The aim of this experiment is to measure the concentration of anti-dsDNA-antibody present in both of the serum samples using the ELISA test by binding to the complimentary antigen double stranded DNA in the wells. The samples come from a female patient known to be suffering from SLE. Sample A was obtained when she was feeling relatively well and sample B was collected on the day of the practical. By comparing the yellow colour intensity at the end of the ELISA test for both samples and compared to the controls and using the standard curve the concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies can be obtained and correlated to the relevant SLE prognosis level. An assay result above the laboratory reference range for the anti-dsDNA-antibody at a particular prognosis level will show that the patient is positive for SLE and the level of SLE prognosis. Based on the level of SLE prognosis suitable treatments will be given to the patient. Results On each strip the first three wells were labelled the positive controls, the next three labels were measured the negative controls and the remaining wells were labelled sample A and B (three for each sample). In the first stage 50 µl of purified antigen was added to each well of the microplate strip. The strip was incubated for two minutes at room temperature to allow time for the antigen to bind to each plastic well. A layer of antigens was present in each well once incubation had finished. After incubation the wells were washed using a wash buffer to remove excess liquid. In stage three 100 µl of blocking buffer was added into each well and incubated for two minutes to remove unbound sites. The wells were washed again to remove excess liquid. In the next step 50 µl of the positive controls, negative controls and the test autosera samples were loaded into the relevant wells. The strip was then incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature. After incubation for 10 minutes the we lls were washed to remove the unbound antibodies. Once the wash was done 50 µl of secondary antibody was added to the wells. Then the wells were incubated for 5 minutes at room temperature. The washing procedure was repeated again to remove any unbound secondary antibodies. In stage nine 50 µl of the HRP enzyme substrate was added to the wells. The strip was incubated for 5 minutes at room temperature. This allowed sufficient time for the HRP enzyme which is conjugated to secondary antibodies to metabolise the TBT substrate. The metabolisation of the TBT substrate produced a blue-coloured product. Each well turned blue fairly quickly during the incubation and the final strip is shown in figure 1. The intensity for the positive control was six, negative control was zero, and sample A and sample B was five. Figure 1. The micro plate strip showing the blue-coloured product after the enzyme substrate was added and then incubated for 5 minutes. For the final stage of the ELISA test the reaction was stopped by adding 50 µl of stop solution, (10% (v/v) phosphoric acid/ddH2O) into the wells. The blue solution turned yellow on addition of the stop solution. This is seen in figure 2. The intensity for the positive control was six, negative control was zero, sample A was one and sample B was two. Figure 2. The micro plate strip showing the yellow-coloured product after the addition of the stop buffer to the blue-coloured product. Absorbance measurements were obtained using a plate reader for the controls and samples. The absorbance relates to the concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies present in the samples. The data is shown in table 1. Table 1. The absorbance data for the controls and samples. +ive controls -ive controls Sample 1 Sample 2 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 1 2 3 Avg 0.660 0.717 0.655 0.677 0.063 0.053 0.084 0.067 0.139 0.139 0.141 0.140 0.287 0.255 0.236 0.259 Discussion The antigen that coated the wells of the microplate strip was double stranded DNA. Two epitopes were present. During the reaction when the control and the autosera samples are loaded, the antibodies present are being detected which is complementary to the antigens coated in the wells. The antibodies need to be diluted using a blocking buffer for prevention of non-specific binding of proteins in the antiserum on the well specifically the solid phase. The antibodies in the serum will bind to the complementary antigens during incubation. Any unbound antibodies are removed by washing. After this, secondary antibodies are added in order to detect the primary antibodies. During incubation the secondary antibodies binds to the primary antibodies (Vlab.amrita.edu, 2011). Looking at figure 1, in the positive control samples, the intensity of the blue coloured product was six due to a known amount of anti-dsDNA antibodies present in the sample. This is used to show the procedure is working. The negative control had a blue colour intensity of zero due to no antibodies present in the sample. The intensities of both sample A and B were similar on the scale of five. From figure 2, looking at the positive control sample the intensity of the yellow coloured product is five due to the high amount of known antibodies present which a patient with SLE should have. The mean absorbance value from table 1 for sample 1 is lower than sample 2 which correlates to the colour intensity which is lower than sample 2. This means that sample 1 is from the patient when she was feeling relatively well due to a very low amount of anti-dsDNA antibodies present. Sample 2 has a higher absorbance value than sample 1 with a colour intensity which is also higher at two. Because of t his result sample 2 comes from the patient when she was feeling unwell. Also this level of intensity shows that the patient has a low level for SLE because of low level detection. The experiment was successful because the results obtained were precise and accurate. The only issue during the experiment was that the intensity of the blue-coloured product was the same for both sample A and B when the enzyme substrate was added. Sample 1 had the lowest concentration of anti-DNA antibodies whereas sample 2 had the higher concentration of anti-dsDNA antibodies. This is because of the colour intensity of the final product where sample 1 is low and sample 2 is higher. The mean absorbance value for sample A is 0.14. The laboratory reference range value for sample A is -0.02. Based on the laboratory reference value this means that when the patient was feeling relatively well she was negative towards SLE. The mean absorbance for sample B is 0.26. The laboratory reference value for sample B is 0.13. The absorbance value is higher than the reference value meaning it is positive for a disease prognosis level which is a low level. This means that the patient is mainly disease free but with periods where low disease activity occurs. ELISA is a procedure used to measure the concentration of antigen present in the sample. The estimate of the analyte concentration is as a result from the construction of a standard curve. The standard curve is constructed from the making of several serial dilutions of a known concentration of the analyte across the range of concentrations close to the expected unknown concentration. The unknown samples concentration is derived by interpolation which needs a standard curve which has been properly generated (Natarajan and Remick, 2008). As the intensity yellow colour in the end result has a value of only two we can say that the patient has a very low level of anti-dsDNA present which means the disease is likely to be calm but with a few periods of low disease activity (Kirkbride, 2015). These low disease activities include cutaneous manifestations, musculoskeletal manifestations and serositis which can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) or immunosuppression medications which have a low potency on top of the already taken hydroxychloroquine and corticosteroids (Mosca et al, 2001). Bibliography Albishri, J., Alsubai, K. and Alsubai, H. (2015). Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosis. World journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, 5(1), pp.455-462. Bio-Rad. (n.d.). ELISA Procedure | Bio-Rad. [online] Available at: https://www.bio-rad-antibodies.com/elisa-procedure.html [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. Bio-Rad. (n.d.). What is ELISA? An Introduction to ELISA | Bio-Rad. [Online] Available at: https://www.bio-rad-antibodies.com/an-introduction-to-elisa.html [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. Bolland, S. and Ravetch, J. (2000). Spontaneous Autoimmune Disease in FcÃŽÂ ³RIIB-Deficient Mice Results from Strain-Specific Epistasis. Immunity, 13(2), pp.277-285. Csaba, G. (2014). Hormones in the immune system and their possible role. A critical review. Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica, 61(3), pp.241-260. Doria, A., Iaccarino, L., Ghirardello, A., Zampieri, S., Arienti, S., Sarzi-Puttini, P., Atzeni, F., Piccoli, A. and Todesco, S. (2006). Long-Term Prognosis and Causes of Death in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The American Journal of Medicine, 119(8), pp.700-706. Gill, J., Quisel, A., Rocca, P. and Walters, D. (2003). Diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus. American Family Physician, 68(11), pp.2179-2186. Kirkbride, G. (2015). Understanding Laboratory Tests and Results for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). [Online] Hospital for Special Surgery. Available at: https://www.hss.edu/conditions_understanding-laboratory-tests-and-results-for-systemic-lupus-erythematosus.asp [Accessed 20 Dec. 2016]. Lisnevskaia, L., Murphy, G. and Isenberg, D. (2014). Systemic lupus erythematosus. The Lancet, 384(9957), pp.1878-1888. Lupusinternational.com. (n.d.). Hormones and SLE Lupus International. [Online] Available at: http://www.lupusinternational.com/Living-With-Lupus/Pregnancy-and-Lupus-/Hormones-and-SLE.aspx [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. Mandal, A. (2014). What is Autoimmunity?. [Online] News-Medical.net. Available at: http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Autoimmunity.aspx [Accessed 16 Dec. 2016]. Mosca, M., Ruiz-Irastorza, G., Khamashta, M. and Hughes, G. (2001). Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. International Immunopharmacology, 1(6), pp.1065-1075. Natarajan, S. and Remick, D. (2008). The ELISA Standard Save: Calculation of sample concentrations in assays with a failed standard curve. Journal of Immunological Methods, 336(2), pp.242-245. Petri, M., Orbai, A., Alarcà ³n, G., Gordon, C., Merrill, J., Fortin, P., Bruce, I., Isenberg, D., Wallace, D., Nived, O., Sturfelt, G., Ramsey-Goldman, R., Bae, S., Hanly, J., Sà ¡nchez-Guerrero, J., Clarke, A., Aranow, C., Manzi, S., Urowitz, M., Gladman, D., Kalunian, K., Costner, M., Werth, V., Zoma, A., Bernatsky, S., Ruiz-Irastorza, G., Khamashta, M., Jacobsen, S., Buyon, J., Maddison, P., Dooley, M., van Vollenhoven, R., Ginzler, E., Stoll, T., Peschken, C., Jorizzo, J., Callen, J., Lim, S., Fessler, B., Inanc, M., Kamen, D., Rahman, A., Steinsson, K., Franks, A., Sigler, L., Hameed, S., Fang, H., Pham, N., Brey, R., Weisman, M., McGwin, G. and Magder, L. (2012). Derivation and validation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheumatism, 64(8), pp.2677-2686. Pick, M. (n.d.). Lupus And Hormones | Women to Women. [Online] Womentowomen.com. Available at: https://www.womentowomen.com/inflammation/lupus-and-hormones/ [Accessed 19 Dec. 2016]. Tsao, B. and Grossman, J. (2001). Genetics and systemic lupus erythematosus. Current Rheumatology Reports, 3(3), pp.183-190. Vlab.amrita.edu. (2011). INDIRECT Elisa (Theory) : Immunology Virtual Lab I : Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering : Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Virtual Lab. [Online] Available at: http://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=3brch=69sim=721cnt=1 [Accessed 20 Dec. 2016]. Wigand, R., Gottschalk, R., Falkenbach, A., Matthias, T., Kaltwasser, J. and Hoelzer, D. (1997). Detection of dsDNA antibodies in diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosuscomparative studies of diagnostic effectiveness of 3 ELISA methods with different antigens and a Crithidia luciliae immunofluorescence test. Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie, 56(2), pp.53-62.

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud explored the human mind more thoroughly than any other who became before him. And His is known as the Father of Psychology. His contribution to psychology are big. In 20th century, Sigmund Freud is the one of the most influential people. Besides his contribution to psychology, people are also influenced on his art and literature and even the way they bring out their children. Words like neurotic, denial, Freudian Slip, libido, anal(personality) and cathartic that used by people now’s a day was introduced by Sigmund Freud. Besides that , Sigmund Freud also known as Father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a treating method for mental illness and. Besides, psychoanalysis can also known as a theory to get know of human behaviour. During the process of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud encourage his client to sit on his couch and talk something related to their symptoms and what was in their in their mind. The Case of Anna O Bertha Pappenheim as known as Anna O. Sigmund Freud has met his turning point in this cases of Anna O. Psychology today is also influenced by the case of Anna O. Anna is a people who suffered from hysteria. A person who suffered from hysteria will exhibits paralysis, convulse, hallucinate and loss of speech without apparent physical causes. Josef Breuer the doctor of Anna and also the friend of Sigmund Freud, the one who succeed in treating anna by helping her to recall her memories of traumatic events. Josef has discussed this case with Freud and out of these discussion came of germ of an idea that Freud was to pursue to his life. In [Studies in Hysteria, 1895 Freud] proposed that physical symptoms are often the surface manifestations of deeply repressed conflicts. Freud has advancing on explanation of a particular illness and also proposing a revolutionary new theory of human psyche itself. This theory shows a ‘bit by bit’ as a result of Freud’s clinical investi gations and it led him to propose that there were at least 3 levels to the mind. The Psyche Freud (1923) later developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego and superego (what Freud called â€Å"the psychic apparatus†). These are hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions. The id operated as unconscious level according to pleasure level. These id contains two biological instincts or dives. And Freud called it as Eros and Thanatos. Eros, or life instinct, helps the individual to survive; it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating and sex (Freud, 1925). In contrast, Thanatos or death instinct, is viewed as a set of destructive forces present in all human beings (Freud, 1920). Dream Analysis (Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams) considered dreams to be the royal road to the unconscious as it is in dreams that the egos defenses are lowered so that some of the repressed material comes through to awareness, albeit in distorted form. Dream Analysis involves the manifest content into trustful content. Understand the step various distorting will helps to understand the latent meaning of dream. Condensation is a process of combination of two or more idea/images into one. A dream about a car might be condensation of worries about the security of car. When we transform something or someone we really concern about to someone else is where Displacement take place. For example, there are a patient of Freud who hated Freud’s sister in law and always used to refer to her as a dog and this patient dreamed of killing a dog. Sigmund Freud interpreting this as represent the wish of killing of his sister in law. When the unconscious mind strings together wish-fulfilling images in a logical order of events further obscuring the latent content will causes Second Elaboration. WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910) William James, one of the famous contributor for us in psychology. He born in January 11, 1842 in New York City. His father , Henry James Sr who is very interested in philosophy and theology eager to provide a good study environment to his children. William James and his brothers had gone to Europe frequently. William James and his brother had attended a lot of famous school and immersed with culture and art. At the end William James became one of the important psychologist. While his brother Henry James became on of the famous author. Before William James started his study in Harvard, he told his father what he actually interested in. In the earlier state William wanted to be a painter. After he persisted his father, Henry promised his son to study painting. However, William James gave up his ambition to became a painter after studying few years with the artist William Morris Hunt and started his new life in Harvard with Chemistry. Suffering from a lot of stress, he continued his st udy in France and Germany.William James had a new friend, name Hermann von Helmholtz who focused on illusion.This was the time where William James became gradually interested in psychology. William James got his M.D. from Harvard and started teaching psychology at Harvard. In 1890 William James had his first book which is ‘The Principle Of Psychology’ followed by ‘Will To Believe’ and ‘Pragmatism’. (James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology. New York: Henry Holt and Co.; James, W. (1902)) William James had came out with some theory like Functionalism and James-Lange Theory of Emotion. He believed that the mind has the function of helping us adapt to the environment and human behavior was influenced by the evolution. Human acquire their behavior distinguish them from others species. This approach is called functionalism and is focus on adaptive purpose. For example, Darwin’s finches illustrated the interaction between genes and adaptation to the environment. The different species originated from common genes but their beak change in time for adaption in different places and different food supply. Another theory is James-Lange Theory of Emotion. William James had a same thinking as Carl Georg Lange. Carl Georg Lange (December 4, 1834 – May 29, 1900) was a Danish physician who made contributions to the fields of neurology,psychiatry, and psychology. At the same time , Carl Lange was also writting about emotion similar to William James. Based on this theory, an external stimulus cause psychological effect. Our reaction based on how we interpret those physical reactions. For examaple, when we see a lion suddenly appear in front of us, our heart bit will increase and we will breath faster, then we will start being affraid. Introduction of Wilhelm Wundt Wilhelm Wundt, 1832-1920. Wundt is credited with making psychology an independent science, separate from philosophy. Wundt original training was in medicine, but he became deeply interested in psychology. In his laboratory, Wundt investigated how sensations, images, and feelings combine to build personal experience. Wilhelm Wundt is commonly identified as the father of psychology. It is because Wundt’s formation of the world’s first experimental psychology lab is noted as the official head of psychology as a clearly perceptible science. Wundt take psychology from philosophy and biology to make it a field of study. Wilhelm Wundt granted a degree in medicine from the University of Heidelberg. In 1864, Wundt became an associate professor and independent tutor at the University of Heidelberg, and was promoted in 1871. Wundt had published the Principles of Physiological Psychology (1874), which help to establish experimental procedures psychological research. Wundt founded what is considered to be the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879. He used the technique known as introspection to probe the perceptual processed of his experimental subjects.His approach was called structuralism as he focused on the elements or structure of mental processes. Structuralism Structuralism refers to a theory of consciousness. Structuralism describes the structures that compose the mind. Wundt believed that psychology was the science of intentional experience and professional observers could precisely describe thoughts, feelings, and emotions through introspection. Contributions to Psychology: Wilhelm Wundt is known for establish the first psychology lab in Liepzig (Germany) generally titled as the beginning of psychology as a field of social science divide from philosophy and physiology. In addition, Wundt had published the psychology journal Philosophical Studies. Wundt had also his students who become successful psychologists. For example, Edward Titchener, Hugo Munsterberg, G. Stanley Hall, James McKeen Cattell, Charles Spearman, Charles Judd. Contributions to psychology Margaret Washburn was the first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in psychology, in 1894. Over the next 15 years many woman followed her pioneering lead. Nowadays, more than half of the members of the APA are woman and nearly 75 percent of college graduates in psychology have been women. Obviously, psychology has become fully open to both men and women (Hyde, 2004). Being a psychologist, Washburn published in the areas of perception and imagery. She also developed a motor theory of consciousness, and she is still best known for her work in comparative psychology, (Goodwin, 2008, p. 200). The book The Animal Mind which was published in 1908 focused on research that used scientific data. This work was focused on the cognitive processes of perception, attention, and consciousness, as the behaviors of various species exhibited, (Goodwin, 2008). This book later became a textbook on comparative psychology. Now it is still in circulation. In 1916 Margaret wrote her another book, Movement and mental imagery. This book focused on movement, existing as the ultimate fact of science, and mental imagery, the world of imaginary objects, (Washburn, 1916). In the introduction to the book Movement and Mental imagery Washburn writes â€Å" movements which an animal makes are belong to the world of external observation; they have direction, they have velocity and they are complex movements. An investigator like Professor Loeb can entertain the confident hope that science will someday be able to show their relations to the movements of lifeless things,† (Washburn, 1916, para.4). She wowed an all men’s Wittenberg seminar with her theory on dualistic motor functioning in 1927. Recognition was being received by her from the science circles that draw women out previously. This positive outlook in science was a contribution to help her became the president of the American Psychological Association (1922). She was the seco nd woman to hold this title. Later she was appointed a membership in the National Academy of Science, again in 1931. She was also the second woman to do so. So the conclusion is, Margaret Floy Washburn was truly a dynamo of psychology. She loved science and the study of the mind with such a passion. This passion made her to accomplish much in her life span. Her career lasted from 1894-1937. Financial status and skin color of Margaret allowed her in doors of experimental psychological word mainly shut to women and people of color. Margaret died from stroke in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 29, 1939. The psychological world is indebted to her hard work, her dedication, and her contributions to psychology. She is a good contributor of psychology. She will continue to inspire women and men interested in the science of psychology. Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis INTRODUCTION: The construction Industry has been hailed as the back-bone of many economies, in part or as a whole. It adds in large parts to the GDP of a nation and as a whole enables trade and encourages growth. It currently contributes about one- tenth (1/10) of the worlds GDP. The total global AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) market is about $7.2 trillion and expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2020 (Global Construction 2020. http://www.globalconstruction2020.com/). The Construction industry provides employment for about 7% of the total global employed work force. It also accounts for being the largest energy consuming sector globally where it is recorded to consume about 2/5th of the total consumed energy worldwide and it is responsible for about half the total resources used worldwide. (http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/trends.html#sthash.8UZZiQEb.dpuf) This technical report examines the sum and a specific part of the industry. Looking at factors; Political, Economic, Social, Technological, environmental and social that may affect the industrys growth and the strategic analysis employed by businesses in this industry. This would be done using the PEST analysis and Porters Five Force model when researching the Industry as a whole and the SWOT and Portfolio Analysis in researching a specific part. Being a multi-trillion global industry, it remains an attractive competitive industry where managers must strategically manage their individual companies as it is a project centred industry characterized by short-term partnering between a range of teams with varying levels of Industry experience, information and communication technologies capability. To remain competitive, managers must ensure they have effective strategies to continue to win work for their project centred businesses. The CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: What is the construction Industry? The business dictionary online defines this as; The Sector of national economy engaged in the preparation of land and construction, alteration, and repair of buildings, structures, and other real property. It is an industry known worldwide for operating on narrow profit margins (P. 51 Anthony E Henry. Understanding Strategic Management) and it constitutes one of the most important sectors in any countries national economy. It can be split into three broad categories: Architecture, Engineering and Construction; The construction of heavy and civil engineering which covers the construction of railway tracks, bridges, highways, tunnels , airport and other functional capital intensive ventures. The construction of real estate which covers both commercial and residential buildings. And, the construction of specialized items; pipelines, electrical equipment, decorative materials, and the likes. It is considered as being the worlds single largest industrial employer. Estimates of its size and importance vary from country to country. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100419943/Research_and_Markets_Analyzing_the_European_Construction_Industry_2013) The construction industry like most other industries is affected by a nations financial crisis as government cuts in spending and other factors such as population growth, material costs, climate, urbanisation, globalization and technology can have their direct and indirect toll on the industry. pondering on our modern-day construction consumerism and deliberating the mismanagement of resources and the austere warnings heavily laced by speculation of the ever increasing unstable financial markets taking our world to the threshold of scarcity that analysts in the major resource departments; material, energy, finance and water have warned. In an age of depleting resources and a need to continue to create, the construction industry is facing many threats and has sought many methods to become more efficient and less resource consuming. With this sees a new area of job markets opening up in the construction industry. PEOPLE IN INDUSTRY: The construction industry currently employs; Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Builders, Town Planners, Building inspectors, Project and Construction Managers Contractors (who employ; Electricians, Plumbers, joiners, crafts trades, etc.) However, with the need to be more efficient and streamlined, the construction industry has created new employment in the sustainability sector that deals with using less, working smart and taking responsibility for resources to decrease waste and increase production. With the advent of cutting edge technology used to greatly enhance precision and efficiency, the introduction of Building Information Model (BIM) sees a more efficient stream lined team enabling more specific designers and their design teams to work in a collaborative manner on one platform of information technology minimising error as well as cost. TRENDS: The trends that will continue to drive the industry in the coming years include global warming and new innovative materials to be used to achieve a more sustainable environment (Bjorn, 2009); it would also include population growth and urbanisation world-wide. The global construction industry has seen decline over the last six (6) years. However, there are many emerging markets and a global growth is expected looking up to 2020 through to 2050. With the introduction of BIM and a need for development, recorded fast growths have been in the Asian markets where China now holds the lead and Japan, once the emerging global construction leader has almost altogether halted. Africa has had big construction growths and constitutes one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the construction industry. Although, the vast majority of firms that operate there are international firms especially from the Chinese construction industry. The Middle East continues to grow and Eastern Europe and Latin America are expected to have continuous growth. Most of this growth is influenced by population growths, globalization and urbanization worldwide. Merco Press suggests the global construction industry contributes over 10% to the global GDP and predicts this will rise to about 13% of the global GDP by 2020. This will see a financial input of over $97 trillion up to 2020 with yearly increments of over 5% (global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics). Laing ORourke suggests the majority of the worlds population now lives in towns and cities, with the balance shifting from a rural existence largely in the last three years. By 2050, over 6.5 billion people will be urbanites, with the total world  population estimated to rise towards 11 billion in the same period. Thus, they are positioning themselves in the market to be able to cater to this big shift in global living THE CONSTRUCTION GROUPS: Strategic Analysis is; A theoretically informed understanding of the environment in which an organisation is operating, together with an understanding of the organisations interaction with its environment in order to improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness by increasing the organisations capacity to deploy and redeploy its resources intelligently. (http://www.cimaglobal.com/) There are many construction companies around the world. International construction firms are large multi-billion pounds firms that operate in several countries world-wide delivering construction solutions and growth. A number of the larger industry firms undertake construction work internationally however; majority of work is carried out by the local or national small and medium sized enterprises. The majority of international construction companies will have commenced with limited operation, normally involving one country. Those who experience initial success will be more likely to expand their businesses, eventually leading to growth by investing in other countries. Conversely, a lack of success is likely to encourage withdrawal back into the domestic market. (Howes and Tan, Strategic Management Applied to International Construction P 59) These companies to stay at the top of their markets would have strategically analysed their industry and would use results to try to stay ahead. This report would consider 2012s top 20 construction Groups world-wide focusing on number 1-Balfour Beatty and Number 20- the Mace Group. This report would cover the years running up to 2012 specifically looking between 2009 -2011. Clear changes are seen in the work that were bid for and carried out in a space of 2 years of an economic downturn. More significant market changes are seen with the Bottom two Laing ORourke and the Kier group. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: PEST ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY: PEST stands for; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. These are the Factors used in studying to gain an understanding on the factors that affect an industry. Using the PEST analysis on an industry gives insight on the environmental factors facing that industry. It can also be applied to individual companies, firms and businesses. (P)olitical Factors; The political factors affecting the construction industry are mostly new government changes, changes in legislation, documentation, new policies and permits that have to be obtained and submitted before, during and after the works and at various phases of the construction process to its official hand-over. Globally, it could be affected by unstable governments in emerging markets, law variations and business taxes. It could also cover things like sustainability, reduction of the carbon foot print in the construction industry, the remediation of brown land, the protection of national landmarks, ecology, and habitat. (E)conomic Factors; Price fluctuations of goods can have an impact on the industry. Government cuts, a recession, VAT rises, fluctuations and a decline in economic growth all can affect the construction industry. This can have knock-on effect when jobs have to be placed on hold which invariably costs the industry more losses. Also, a change in demand for services and a change with the financier of the construction bodies could all have an effect. Positively, a decrease in the stamp duty could signal a good sign for the residential construction industry. (S)ocial Factors; Various things affect the social aspect; a development is judged on its location, its proximity to services, the nature of the construction; materials used aesthetic appeal, functionality and safety. The perceived image of the constructing firm, provisions offered by the constructed space, age distribution, Population Growth, cultural and career provisions. (T)echnical / Technological Factors: The Construction industry is a very technical one. Technology changes happen rapidly and the advent of the use of BIM, has seen big changes in the way work is carried out. Techniques change, needs change, new building systems to meet with Zero carbon buildings, prefabricated materials, pre-mixed cement mixtures. The industry works, faster and smarter now. Many new buildings are put together like a puzzle piece. PORTERS FIVE FORCES; The Porters five forces is a framework used for diagnosing an industrys structure. Forces that erode long-term industry average profitability. This framework can be applied at industry, group or individual firm level. (Lecture notes Feb 2013) It breaks down the competitive rivalry within an industry focusing on; the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers and the threat of substitutes. Competitive Rivalry within the Industry; (HIGH) With the down-turn in the economy, the major Construction firms have shown contrasting responses to the downturn in public sector construction work, amid warnings that public sector capital investment will drop by 24% by 2013/ 2014, three of the biggest firms increased their proportion of public sector work won. Balfour Beatty no 1 of the top 100 construction firms moves towards plans for acquisitions of major gas-fired stations. It also uses its US business Parsons Brinkerhoff to become an end-to-end provider for major clients such as SSE. (http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-acquisitions-for-major-gas-fired-stations-move/8643974.article?blocktitle=Top-StoriescontentID=7501) Many of the larger firms are expanding and diversifying their portfolios to stay at the top. Bidding in new categories and offering more. Brand identity gives an advantage in contract acquisition however; there is a level of fair play in that not all construction companies can carry out the same job specs. The small and medium enterprises lower down the construction firm ladder however have steep competition as they all go for the same projects and are bidding on the same levels. And everyone on that ladder competes against itself on; improving technology, continuous innovation and integration to optimise cost. The Threat of New Entrants; (LOW) The construction Industry is very capital intensive. The brand names in the construction industry are well known and well established, location for most of the top 100 construction firms is not an issue as they can easily absorb the costs of travel to win work and diversify their portfolios in other countries. Profitability in the construction industry relies heavily on the economies of scale. It does not offer much for consumers switching costs and retaliation from the top 100 would be an issue for a new smaller firm that does not have the heavy capital investments required. Regulatory approval and licensing is paramount in this industry and it comes with high operational costs. Smaller firms and businesses operate and do smaller jobs and contracts. They are sub-contracted from the larger construction firms and operate in the local markets. They also offer product and service hires which can prove profitable for them. With larger firms having the intensive capital required, they are able to bid lower than smaller firms and win jobs. Bargaining Power of Customers: (High) The Buyers are the clients and end users of the construction industry. They can be government bodies, a consortium, or high net- worth individuals. As most jobs are won through a tender / bid process, the consumer / customer has a fair amount of force here as they naturally have a say in who they would like to carry out their project usually based on best price for quality, portfolio, trust in brand, knowledge of brand and in some instances this can be decided by word-of-mouth. Firms need to keep a good name and work ethic to keep business, win repeat business and win new business from referrals. When dealing with residential property, the consumer has the option to also renovate or buy an already done house. So, they do have a fair amount of force. Bargaining power of Suppliers: (LOW) Supplies are many and products and services can be substituted. New products are constantly coming into the market and as the construction industry is a future forward one, it would move with the better global trends for goods and services. Most goods have a set non-negotiable price range across board which leaves the supplier with little or no force on the industry. Threat of Substitutes: (LOW) Products and services in the construction industry are as they are it is virtually impossible to substitute them. The rise of the Boat-home, the mobile-caravan homes, and holiday cabins are all short-term substitutes. Many other buildings and large civil construction services cannot be substituted. As explained by (Saidi, OBrien and Lytle, 2008), There is limited or no direct substitute for the industrys product, some services can be replaced with others within the industry such as the use of robots in place of human labour. Robotic system cut down labour requirements in a Japanese construction site by approximately 30%. It however does not completely substitute the need for human input. THE ORGANISATION: http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/A_Strategic_Analysis_of_the_Construction.html?id=hk_VT8JpClMC http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hk_VT8JpClMCpg=PA11lpg=PA11dq=how+do+i+strategically+analyse+the+construction+industrysource=blots=LF7UCRNx_Ksig=2P8J4vBhZuubow1Ui9bPP3nrbq0hl=ensa=Xei=POsvUfbwLImb1AXrkoDoAgved=0CDsQ6AEwAg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strategic-Analysis-Construction-Industry-Emirates/dp/3836699206#reader_3836699206 http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/cid_tg_strategic_analysis_tools_nov07.pdf.pdf http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/construction-industry.html#ixzz2N8qeZD8M Strategic Management Applied to International Construction By Rodney Howes, Joseph H. M. Tan Berge Bjorn, (2009) The Ecology of Building Materials. 2d Edition.Architectural Press (- See more at: http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) LOOK AT (http://www.sloanvalve.com/Dec11_global_outlook.pdf) Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Outcome 1: Define Intellectual Disability TASK 1 1.1 Give 2 definitions of intellectual disability in accordance with a recognized source. Follow prescribed APA format when citing sources. Definition 1: Intellectual disability causes limitations in intellectual functioning as well as in adaptive behaviors that include many skills which is needed every day. The onset age is under 18. Source: FAQ on Intellectual Disability, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, retrieved from: http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition/faqs-on-intellectual-disability Definition 2: Intellectual disability is a term used for when people has certain limitations in functioning mentally and in skills such as communicating, performing activities of daily living, and in his or her social behavior. Children with this ability may develop their skills (walking, talking, etc) at a delayed time as compared to normal. They may also have trouble with learning- it usually takes them a longer time to learn new skills. Source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.(2005) Intellectual disability, retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/IntellectualDisability.pdf 1.2 Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the persons adaptive skills: People with intellectual disability have experienced impairment in their ability to comprehend information. As a result, they have a hard time with reading comprehension, handling money, dealing with numbers as well as time. Because of their impaired social functioning, they have tendency not to get along and socially deal with others. They are not able to recognize the laws of society or have a few limited abilities to follow rules. Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the cognitive abilities: Persons suffering from intellectual disability have lack of the ability to explain why they do certain things or why certain things happen. This is due to their impaired intelligence. Learn and apply what is learnt- Intellectually disabled people have a hard time to gain new knowledge. It is difficult for them to process new information and understand new skills. Age of onset of intellectual disability There is no particular age to have start of the disability. But regarding to some research, it has been shown that it usually happen on the developmental period among 0-18 years old. Outcome 2: Describe the causes of intellectual disability TASK 2 2.1 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur before birth and describe two (2) main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Genetic factors Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). Genetic Cause of Intellectual Disabilities, retrieved from: http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10335cn=208 Main characteristics: Fragile X syndrome: Physical features of FXS patients include: large ears, long face, macroorchidism, infections in the ears, flat feet, high arched palate, fingers with double joints and hyper-flexible joints Prader-Willi Syndrome: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. Therefore their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Example 2: Environmental hazards and toxins Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). The Many Causes of Intellectual Disabilities, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Environmental Exposure to Toxins, retrieved from: http://sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10333cn=208 Main characteristics: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: During pregnancy people drink alcohol a lot which might cause fetal alcohol syndrome. People are born with a small head, flat face and nose bridge in the most common features. They tend to be hyperactive and have hard time in socializing. Spinal bifida: It is caused lack of folic acid. People with Spinal Bifida usually have such problems as mental and social. In addition, they have hard time with walking, going somewhere and latex allergy, obesity, skin breakdown, depression. 2.2 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during or immediately following birth and describe 2 main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Trauma Source: Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. (2010-2013). The Merck Manual, Home Health Handbook, retrieved from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/childrens_health_issues/problems_in_newborns/birth_injury.html Main Characteristics: Head and brain injury: Swelling of the scalp and bruising may occur due to birth trauma. Bleeding between the periosteum and skull causes hematoma, usually in the parietal region and sometimes the occipital region. Nerve Injury: when forceps used to assist delivery puts much pressure on the facial nerve, weakness on one side of the face results. This injury becomes evident when the newborn baby cries and the face appears to be asymmetric. Example2: Premature birth and low birth weight. Source: UCSF Children’s Hospital at UCSF Medical Center. 2004. Intensive Care Nursery House Manual, retrieved from: http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/pdf/manuals/20_VLBW_ELBW.pdf Main Characteristics: Hypothermia: Low birth weight infants have a greater body surface area. Thus, a decrease stores of brown fat and glycogen which results to an inability to conserve or generate body heat. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): Respiratory problems due to a lack in surfactant and apnea of prematurity 2.3 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during childhood years and describe the impact on the day-to-day support needs of the person. Example 1: Brain Tumor Source: PMC: US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health. January 2008. â€Å"Caring for the Brain Tumor Patient: Family caregiver burden and unmet needs.†, retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600839/ Impact: Patients with brain tumor need various supports in their day to day lives. Psychosocial support is one of them. It is important for them to learn how to handle the stress of a chronic illness, as family members realize that their lives will be forever changed by the uncertainty that surrounds this diagnosis. It is therefore important for the support provider to make sure the patient and family understands the impact of this illness to them and provide them of ways on how to cope and possibly live a close to normal life. Also, for the caregivers, it is important that they are always prepared for the possibility of disease progression. Even though a patient is stable for a certain period of time, the caregiver will always feel the wear and tear of caring for this patient. Thus, it is important to make sure that caregivers are also taken cared of to ensure quality care. Example 2: Meningitis Source: Kelli de la Rocha (2014). Intellectual disability. NYU Langone medical center. retrieved from: http://pediatrics.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/intellectual-disability# Impact: Children with intellectual disability caused by meningitis can’t learn skills and any knowledge as fast as other children with same age. So supporters need to wait for their achievement with patient. And also they need to be aware of the risk that the children experience seizure, and then they should be trained for coping with them suffering seizure. Outcome 3: Describe conditions frequently associated with intellectual disability. TASK 3 Condition 1: Cerebral Palsy Causes/s: Cerebral Palsy can be caused by having injury of brain before brain development is completed. Usually brain develops within 2 years after birth, so Cerebral Palsy can be occurred during prenatal or infant period. And birth complication can also cause this condition. But many cases get this condition from unknown causes before birth. Main characteristic 1: Cerebral Palsy is characterized by motor function impairment. It causes activity limitation. Main characteristic 2: People with Cerebral Palsy exhibit cognitive and sensory impairments. Physical support: People with Cerebral Palsy suffer from hypotonic and rigidity. So physical therapy is useful to support them physically. Effective physical therapy can help them to improve their muscle. Recent studies report that intensive exercise is effective. So support worker can make a schedule for resistive exercise four times per week. Social support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be easily isolated because of their handicaps. So support workers need to reduce barriers to participation in activities of school, work and society. To participate in activities, many devices are necessary. If the client can’t walk, using wheelchair could be helpful to go watching football games and cheer a team. Cognitive support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be normal intellectually, but they have difficulty in learning because of limitation of hearing, seeing, and movement. So for supporting them cognitively, support worker needs to help their study by give them enough time to understand and express or adjust knowledge. And support worker can provide some aids to improve their speech. Source/s: Karen W. Krigger, M.D., M.ED., university of Louisville school of Medicine, Cerebral Palsy: An Overview, Kentucky Am Fam Physician. 2006 Jan 1; 73(1): 91-100, retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0101/p91.html Condition 2: Prader-Willi Syndrome Causes/s: Prader-Willi Syndrome is caused by genetic abnormality. They have the chromosome number 15 without genetic information that normally people have from the father. It is thought to occur entirely by chance. Main characteristic 1: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. So their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Main characteristic 2: Obesity is commonly caused. This is a result of an excessive appetite, a permanent feeling of hunger, and hyperphagia or overeating, and a low calorific requirement which is due to low energy expenditure levels. Physical support: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome can’t control their eating because they always feel hunger. Furthermore, they can easily become obesity that causes many complications. To prevent them from being obesity, support workers need to give exercise outside where they can’t find food easily. They need regular and continual exercise, so it is important to make a schedule with various and interesting exercise to them. Social support: They should take daily food intake under supervision. Once people between 2 and 4 years old start to overeat, supervision will assist them to minimize food and prevent them from being obesity. Parents make sure that they can easily open refrigerators and cabinets containing food to eat. It is extremely necessary for them to have a well-balanced, low-calorie diet and regular exercise and should be maintained for all of the individuals life. Cognitive support: People who have PWS usually suffer from controlling their emotions. It is helpful to use behavioral therapy which helps them with their emotions. Losing temple, stubbornness and obsessive compulsive behavior as well as obsession with food have to be coped with behavioral management programs using firm limit-setting strategies. Source: Andres Martin, M.D, 1998, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155:1265-1273, retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=173004 Condition 3: Autism Cause/s: Autism, a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder is defined by their behavior. But it is caused from various kind of brain dysfunction that affects the ability to handle information. In many cases, there is a genetic component. Main characteristic 1: People who have autism have impairment in many areas of development. They have difficulty in reciprocal interaction and have learning disability. Main characteristic 2: People with autism have lack of social and communication skill. Their behavior is not typical, but many babies with autism have tendency to overly focus on certain object. They also have poor eye contact and lose interest in others easily. Physical support: They have difficulty with making balance, gait and delicate motor skill. To improve their muscle tone, support workers need to provide regular physical fitness besides it is also important to be provided properly when they exercise. Social support: Children with autism may have the high risk of peer rejection and social isolation. To improve social skill, it is necessary to establish the relationship with support worker. Support workers need to provide practice proper and positive answer as much more as possible in social group. That is why they can learn facial express and eye contact. Cognitive support: People with autism have cognitive impairment, so they can’t be aware of their needs and cope with their mood. It can cause anxiety. It needs for them to recognize their mood. For this reason, support workers can give enough opportunities to express and verbalize their mood and feeling for recognizing their mood. Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2011, A Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder, retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/a-parents-guide-to-autism-spectrum-disorder/parent-guide-to-autism.pdf King Solomon: A History King Solomon: A History King Solomon King Solomon was the third and the greatest king of Israel. He was the second son of David by his wife Bathsheba, and the acknowledged favourite of his father (Oussani). Solomon is mostly known for his great wisdom and just soul. His main accomplishmen, the construction of the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, also made him well-known and honorable among his people and among other nations as well. Apart from great wisdom, God also gave Solomon discerning heart, wealth, and honour, but still, at the end, this didnt prevent him from making the mistake of following other gods. God played the major role in the kings life. Since the day Solomon was born, the LORD guided him through his righteous life; he made him a successful, wise and discerning ruler, helped govern the nation, and build the temple and the the palace in Jerusalem. The fact that Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to govern his people, not long and joyful life, great power and wealth, makes us admire the king and honour his purpose to put the prosperity of his people before his own needs. Long before Solomon grew up and became a powerful king of Israel, we, the readers of the Bible, could foresee his upcoming success. God always was with him since the day he was born, and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25). The name Jedidiah means loved by the LORD. Solomons wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the Earth (1 Kings 4:30). He used his astude and wise mind to rule over his nation and to educate people. He gave them useful knowledge about plants, animals, birds, reptiles and fish. The king became famous and honourable, not only among his people, but also among other nations. Man of all nations came to listen to Solomons wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heared of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:34). Apart from having a great wisdom, Solomon was also a just and discerning judge. The scene in which two women ask him to decide who is the real mother of the child is the most famous example in which the king uses his discerning heart to jugde people. Solomon didnt even need any evidences or the witnesses to make the right judgemen. Soon after ascending his fathers throne, Solomon bagan to build the Holy Temple (Schoenber). He was controling the whole process of building it. The temple and its construction were very important for the king. By this, he showed his gratitude towards God and also fulfiled the intention of his father David. It took Solomon seven years to build the temple. In the end he also brought up the ark of the LORDs covenant in it. During his life, Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs (Shoenberg), which are mostly related to peoples everyday life. Through centuries, his proverbs helped people telling them how to live a righteous and successful life and teaching them how to be right before God: Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence (Proverbs 3:31-32) Nowadays, we can still extract some useful knowledge from these proverbs and use it to make our lifes better. One of the proverbs that we can find in the book of Proverbs tells: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). After becoming familiar with this proverb and knowing that Solomon was wise, and that the LORD is a jealous God, the following question arises: Why did Solomon follow other gods? Only after God had punished him, Solomon understood that he did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Then, after Solomons confessions, which were not completely sincere, God showed his mercy on the king, but after his death, the LORD divided the kingdom into two, and the son of Solomon got the smallest part of it. According to the Bible, Solomon was the greatest king in the Old Testament, who ruled over the people of Israel about three thousand years ago (Maris). Thanks to his wise and discerning heart, that he got from the LORD, the king had no equals. Being a successful ruler and a just judge, Solomon taught people, had built the temple for the Name of the LORD his God in Jerusalem, and had written 3,000 proverbs (Schoenberg). Despite of his great wisdom that was given to him by God, Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD and followed the gods of his wifes. Still, he is remembered as a great and wise king. Wouldnt it be better if our governers would follow his example of being just and discerning towards the people? References Maris, Micki. About the Proverbs of Solomon. Proverbs of Solomon Family Discussion Guide. 11 Dec. 2009 Oussani, Gabriel. Solomon. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Dec. 2009 . Schoenberg, Shira. Solomon. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 Dec. 2009 < ://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html>

Who is the Green Knight? Essay -- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essa

Who is the Green Knight? The Green Knight is described as an unusual and supernatural figure in the fourteenth century story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Throughout the story he is portrayed as a very confident individual who intends to play a game with one of the knights of the Round Table. In doing this, the Green Knight hopes to show that the knights of the Round Table indeed have flaws and weaknesses; this is the Green Knight's overall goal. However, the Green Knight himself can be viewed as a being prone to flaws and experiencing weaknesses. As the deceitful master plan he creates develops throughout the story, so does the truth behind his intentions for such a plan. Thus, the role and purpose of the Green Knight is to be known. The Green Knight's physical features are well depicted in the story. He is noted for his green skin pigmentation and giant size: "One of the greatest on ground in growth of his frame: From broad neck to buttocks so bulky and thick" (161). The Green Knight is looked upon as "half a giant on earth" and highly regarded because of this. Arthur's court becomes amazed to see such a creature of such enormous size. The Green Knight's language is charming and abrupt when he asks firmly: "Where is the captain of this crowd? Keenly I wish to see that sire with sight, and to himself say my say" (163). To a king this may seem a bit rude to addressed in such a way. The Green Knight's plan is to test the court. He wants to test one of Arthur's knights. Because of their fame and how well they are known for their chivalry and courage, the Green Knight seizes this as an opportunity to place before them a challenge. Sir Gawain takes on the challenge. The Green Knight offers his head to be cut off in ex... ...k to it saying: "Sir courteous knight, If contest bare you crave, You shall not fail to fight" (164). He did not know what he was being asked to do or offer. The Green Knight had not yet made it clear to him. Arthur was not going to back down from such a challenge for it was not a knightly thing to do, especially not after hearing what great things the Green Knight says about Arthur and his men. The Green Knight's honesty and confidence places quite an impression on Arthur and his men. Sources Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition, Vol. 1 Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000. pp. 156-210. http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20003a/charactr.htm, by Yevgeniy Gelfand http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/gawain.htm http://www.greenknight.com/ http://www.ancalagon.de/tolkien/howe/gawain.jpg

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Essay -- society, gender stereotype

Literature is the superlative resource when one is attempting to comprehend or fathom how society has transformed over the centuries. Many written works—whether fictional or nonfictional—express the views of gender roles and societies’ expectations. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is an exemplary novel that explores these issues. Ester Greenwood was portrayed the superficial and oppressive values of the mid-twentieth century American society through her experiences of gender inequalities and social conformities. Plath’s own life was correspondingly mirrored in this novel; which in turn left the reader aware of the issues in her time period. At the conclusion of The Bell Jar, the audience realizes that she was pushed to completely conform to society. During the nineteenth century, gender roles were outrageously strict. Linda Brannon, a Doctorate Professor of Psychology at McNeese State University, states â€Å"a gender stereotype consists of beliefs about the psychological traits and characteristics of, as well as the activities appropriate to, men or women† (160). These stereotypes were supposed to be adhered to sternly. Obviously, the stereotypes for men and women were polar opposites. This patriarchal society viewed the male as the head of the household. They were expected to be the workers in the family. Men were expected to be powerful, brave, worldly, rational, independent, and sexual. Joletha Cobb, a minister and an NCCA licensed clinical pastoral counselor, explained the expectations of genders in accordance with past centuries with an emphasis on the bible. Women â€Å"were expected to bear children, stay home, cook and clean, and take care of the children† (Cobb 29). They were expected to be weak, timid, domestic, emotional,... ...her writing career. The Bell Jar was an exceptional novel that can be used to view the ideas of gender roles. Ester, who despised marriage and focused on education, went through multiple events that pushed her to subvert and conform to society’s expectations. Women’s literature—such as this work—of the nineteenth century provided confirmation of society’s emphasis on â€Å"The Cult of Womanhood and Domesticity†. Plath’s life mirrors Ester’s and ultimately brought awareness to the oppression of women. References Brannon, Linda. Gender: Psychological Perspectives. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn And Bacon, 2005. Print. Cobb, Joletha. Women: Who You Are in Christ. Durham: Joletha Cobb, 2006. Print. Hogeland, Ronald W. Women and Womanhood in America. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1973. Print. Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Harperperennial, 2006. Print.