User Centred Design for Web Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

User Centred Design for Web - Coursework Example The test was carried out by having the site on a computer and then supplying the youth with the scenario. The youth was told why he was supposed to carry out the activity. The developers had to stay aside and watch how the youth carried out the activity. The time that was taken by the youth to complete the activity had to be recorded. The more time the youth took to carry out an activity meant how hard navigation on the page was. Think aloud Technique This technique was to involve the chairman of the management committee. The method was chosen because it allowed the chairman to talk aloud of what he was doing in the website. The chairman was chosen because he was seen to be the person who would be more representative of the elderly Sudanese member visiting the site. The evaluation was carried out by having the paper prototype prepared and given to the chairman. The task of finding and uploading pictures within the gallery was to be carried out using the prototype. The developers had to record the thoughts of the chairman as he carried out the activity. The record would convey how the chairman intended to carry out the activity and the way he carried them using the site. The efficiency of the recording had to be ensured by having an audio recorder and also one of the developers writing down the important points. These will be evaluated later after the test. Lessons Learned The evaluation technique was a success because it identified main areas of weakness of our site. The evaluation technique arrived at changes to be carried on the site. One of the changes was on the gallery page. People suggested that a transformation tool needed to be included in the gallery. This tool would enable them make any changes to their pictures after uploading them on the site. The gallery also needed an additional feature to enable visitors label their pictures once they were online. Change on the menu was also identified. People suggested that they required the horizontal menu adde d at the top of the page. They claimed the horizontal menu is universal and that is the first menu they look for in a site. The evaluation was an eye opener how developers make software having themselves as the users in the mind. This thought makes them make complex software that can only be used by experts in the field. One of the place is the gallery where the group though that any user would have edited their picture before uploading it on the site which was wrong. It also brought to my attention how different users have different needs when using the same software. This was seen by seeing those activities being carried by the youths were different from those the elderly group required. Knowledge gained from the evaluation would be used in future in determining selection criteria of evaluators of software. The criteria will always take into consideration the age as a factor. This is because different people in different age groups like to carry out activities in different modes. In future the evaluation technique would be carried out using multiple evaluation techniques. This is because each evaluation technique identified new errors in the system that meaning the more the evaluation technique the more the improvement would be carried out on the system. This ensures maximum satisfaction of the clients with the system. Reflections on the design process The design process played a major part in testing my leadership skills. This was done because the whole development process involved interacting with different people who acted different. I had to take the

How to prevent pitching Injuries Essay Example for Free

How to prevent pitching Injuries Essay Throwing a baseball is one of the most strenuous motions a person can put their body through. When you throw a baseball it puts large amounts of pressure on your arm which can cause very serious injury over an amount of time. The shoulder and elbow joint were not designed to throw a ball overhand. The natural way to throw a ball would be to throw it underhand. If you are going to be a pitcher, you need to be aware of the effects that throwing a baseball can have on your shoulder and elbow. You also need to know what you can do to prevent these injuries from happening. If your arm is going to withstand the strain that throwing has on your arm, you are going to need to know the stretches and exercises that will strengthen the arm muscles so that your arm is strong enough to take the pressure. Before you pick up the baseball you have to be absolutely sure that youre arm is thoroughly stretched out. The amount of time a person needs to stretch is going to vary, so you will have to be the judge about when you are good and stretched. When you are beginning to stretch you want to focus on getting the blood to penetrate to the arm. You accomplish this by moving your arms in a circular motion. You are going to want to rotate your arms fifteen times forward and fifteen times backward. Once you have gotten the blood flowing to the arms you are ready to begin throwing the baseball. When you first start out throwing you want to throw at a short distance, and gradually work your way back as your arm begins to get loose. When warming up you never want to start throwing as hard as you can right from the beginning. The arm needs time to get loose before you can start throwing at full speed. Now that you have warmed up, and your arm is ready to throw in a game, you need to too put a long sleeve jacket or sweatshirt on so that your arm stays warm. If you do not do this the blood that has rushed to your arm will begin to leave, which will prevent your arm from staying warm. Now that you know what to do when you are warming up, now we will go over on what to do when youre done pitching so that your arm will recover faster. After a pitcher has thrown, the joints and muscles in the arm have gone through a great deal of wear. The muscle tissue in the arm has actually started to bruise, which eventually creates lactic acid. This is a chemical in your body that helps heal these bruises, but it does not heal the arm very quickly. Instead of these acids helping your body to re-cooperate the pitcher is going to ice his shoulder and elbow (which are the main points of wear). This will help the swelling in the muscles because this ice will cause the swelling to go down. After you are done icing the pitcher is going to go on a long distance run. This long distance run helps to get the blood flowing back through the arm which causes the lactic acids that are still in your arm, to get washed out of the elbow and shoulder. For your arm to recover from pitching as quickly as possible, you are also going to need to do arm exercises until the next time that you are going to be pitching again. These exercises are also going to help prevent major injuries to your elbow and shoulder. The exercises that the pitcher will do will be done with a three foot piece of surgical tubing. With this piece of tubing you are going to strengthen the small muscles that hold your rotator cuff together and the tendons in your elbow. The tubing will be tied to an object such as a fence, and the pitcher is going to pull the tubing away from the fence creating resistance against the small muscles and tendons. These arm exercises are vital if your arm is going to withstand the pressure of throwing the baseball. Pitchers put there shoulder and elbow in a situation to have major injury. If a pitcher is going to survive through the strains of throwing a baseball he is going to need to do everything he can to try to prevent these injuries from arising. Even by doing the stretches and exercises covered in this essay, you may still go through a serious arm injury, but at least you know that you did everything that you could to try to prevent serious injury.

Analysis of Act Three Scene Five of William Shakespeares Romeo and Jul

Analysis of Act Three Scene Five of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is a dramatic tragedy, and was first performed in 1595. The novel is about two young lovers, Romeo & Juliet and the struggle with their relationship. Romeo and Juliet are from opposing families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The conflict between their two families causes problems for their love of one another. Shakespeare's main themes throughout the play are of love, conflict and of youth versus age. The scene that we are analysing, Act 3 Scene 5 is one of the most important scenes in the novel. This is mainly because; the character of Juliet is developed tremendously. Juliet's feelings and thoughts are shown more in this scene than in any other. Other reasons why the scene is important are that we get to the see the huge gap in the relationship of Juliet and her mother, and also we get to see other sides of the characters. One other way of getting across Romeo and Juliet's struggle is the way Shakespeare uses fate. Everything seems to happen to them because of something they did earlier. For example, because Romeo killed Tybalt, Juliet's parents want her to marry Paris. The audience feels more sorrow for the young couple because everything seems to be happening to them, although all they want is top be in love. Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony is very prominent in Act 3 Scene 5, and also throughout the play. When Lady Capulet tells her daughter Juliet "Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride," she is telling her that she is going to marry Paris. The dramatic irony in this is that the audience knows that she cannot marry Paris because she is already married to Romeo. This ... ...es of the play because Shakespeare uses contrast a lot to keep the audience interested. Another way in which Shakespeare uses contrast is with the character of the nurse. She shifts her opinion on Romeo very quickly. Here she is talking about Paris "A lovely gentleman." She also says that Romeo could never compare to him. Like Lord Capulet her mood changes very quickly. In Act 2 Scene 5, it was the nurse who organised Juliet's marriage and honeymoon. Then now she decides she does not like Romeo. This shows how the nurse's mood changes very quickly. She does not seem to understand Juliet's love for Romeo. This makes the audience feel bad for Juliet; it makes them more involved in the atmosphere of the scene. The strongest contrast in this scene is between the idyllic and loveliness of Romeo and Juliet's world and the angry world of her parents. Analysis of Act Three Scene Five of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Jul Analysis of Act Three Scene Five of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is a dramatic tragedy, and was first performed in 1595. The novel is about two young lovers, Romeo & Juliet and the struggle with their relationship. Romeo and Juliet are from opposing families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The conflict between their two families causes problems for their love of one another. Shakespeare's main themes throughout the play are of love, conflict and of youth versus age. The scene that we are analysing, Act 3 Scene 5 is one of the most important scenes in the novel. This is mainly because; the character of Juliet is developed tremendously. Juliet's feelings and thoughts are shown more in this scene than in any other. Other reasons why the scene is important are that we get to the see the huge gap in the relationship of Juliet and her mother, and also we get to see other sides of the characters. One other way of getting across Romeo and Juliet's struggle is the way Shakespeare uses fate. Everything seems to happen to them because of something they did earlier. For example, because Romeo killed Tybalt, Juliet's parents want her to marry Paris. The audience feels more sorrow for the young couple because everything seems to be happening to them, although all they want is top be in love. Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony is very prominent in Act 3 Scene 5, and also throughout the play. When Lady Capulet tells her daughter Juliet "Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride," she is telling her that she is going to marry Paris. The dramatic irony in this is that the audience knows that she cannot marry Paris because she is already married to Romeo. This ... ...es of the play because Shakespeare uses contrast a lot to keep the audience interested. Another way in which Shakespeare uses contrast is with the character of the nurse. She shifts her opinion on Romeo very quickly. Here she is talking about Paris "A lovely gentleman." She also says that Romeo could never compare to him. Like Lord Capulet her mood changes very quickly. In Act 2 Scene 5, it was the nurse who organised Juliet's marriage and honeymoon. Then now she decides she does not like Romeo. This shows how the nurse's mood changes very quickly. She does not seem to understand Juliet's love for Romeo. This makes the audience feel bad for Juliet; it makes them more involved in the atmosphere of the scene. The strongest contrast in this scene is between the idyllic and loveliness of Romeo and Juliet's world and the angry world of her parents.

Unit 4 Per Diary Task

Unit 4 Practice Evidence Record Diary 4. 1-  During my time at placement I have had to encourage children to use resources in a safe and controlled way. For example while working outside in the settings back garden the children wanted to play on the slide. For children to be playing on the slide they will need to climb up from the one side where there are steps. However I made sure that I was close by in case a child injures themselves.While supporting the children I also allow myself to encourage the children to hold onto the handrail allowing them to have a steady balance, preventing them from falling. Due to keeping children safe and secure I am able to acknowledge that I am suppose to be asking the children not to run to fast and ensure that I am providing positive instructions for example to take turns on the slide allowing all the children to have a chance in playing on the slide I also supervised the children during the activity to make sure they were safe.It states in Tasso ni. P ^et al^ Heinemann 4th edition child care and education cache level 3 that P. Tassoni, 2007, page, 218 says  Ã‚  health and safety policy- this will give guidelines on how to keep children, parents and staff safe, for example guidelines on handing over children at the end of a session safely. However this practice shows that I am able to follow all policies and procedures such as the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 or the Equal opportunity policy.

How Music Influences Memory Essay

I lay in my bed listening to the endless stream of music coming through my headphones. My iTunes is on shuffle, some songs I skip but most of them I let play without interference. Zoning out only enough to let my mind wonder, I relax and take in the sounds surrounding me. I feel restful, at piece. A brief moment of silence from the time one song ends and another begins. I hear the first five notes on a piano — instantly, I have a lump in my throat, my heart quickens, and my eyes begin to sting. â€Å"Through the Years† by Kenny Rogers has just come on. After fifteen seconds of a piano introduction, Rogers’ soothing voice starts in, â€Å"I can’t remember when you weren’t there†¦ I am reminded of my family. I am taken back to a time when all my grandparents were still alive and well. My father’s mother’s face comes into view, she has been gone twelve years but I can almost feel her presence. I think of the love my family and I have for each other. I think of my sister. My cheeks and ears begin to feel warm. The air I’m breathing suddenly becomes thick, my vision is blurred by the water filling my eyes. The chorus begins, â€Å"Through the years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My eyes overflow and tears silently fall down my face. After the second chorus the song builds on itself, it rises and keeps on rising. The tension is broken by Rogers’ voice full of love and sincerity at the bridge. I have graduated from softly crying to full on sobbing. My face, my ears, my neck and my pillow are wet with tears. What I am crying about, I am not entirely certain of. What I am certain of, however, is that this wave of emotion that I am drowning in was induced solely by this song. Now in the fetal position, cuddling the blanket and bear that I have had since I was born, I gasp and choke a deep breath in and cough it out as I sob. â€Å"As long as it’s okay / I’ll stay with you / Through the years† The song ends, and after a short while I return to the restful state I was in prior to my breakdown, noticeably more tired. All of this because of a song. This experience and countless others like it (varying in memories and emotions) that made me wonder about the power of music. We have all been influenced by music at one point in our lives; oose bumps, shivers, hair standing on end, tears, dancing, tapping to the beat. Music is all around us, and it is there no matter where you go; it transcends borders and cultures, it is the one universal thing that does. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best: â€Å"Music is the universal language of mankind. † Music has the ability to elicit emotions and trigger memories of our past, transporting us to a specific moment or time in our lives. Music can help us cope, the proof of this is in the success of break-up songs. We rely on music. But, what is it about music that makes it so powerful? How is it able to influence us the way it does? Studying music from a scientific approach is relatively new practice, especially music and its effects on the brain. Thanks to advances in neuroscience such a study is made possible. Neuroscientists use fMRI and PET scans to study the brain and what music does to it. When we listen to music different parts of our brain are stimulated. What scientists have learned is that music activates more areas of the brain than anything else. Elena Mannes, author of the book The Power of Music: Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song, identifies some of parts and functions of the brain that are used to process music: †¦the auditory cortex (first stage in the listening process, perception and analysis of tones), the motor cortex (foot tapping, playing an instrument), the prefrontal cortex (the creation of expectations triggered by musical patterns and the violation of patterns/expectations), the sensory cortex (tactile feedback, as in playing an instrument), the visual cortex (reading music), the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala (emotional reactions), the hippocampus (memory for music), the cerebellum (also movement and emotional reactions). (Mannes, 32). When we listen to music our brain is actually extracting something from the music and making sense of it. Some scientists believe that this could contribute to our brain’s ability to remember songs so well. (Kunz). An intriguing aspect of music and how we relate to it is our seemingly instinctual ability to analyze a piece of music. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University, discusses in his book, This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, how our brain perceives and understands music. When we start out we have thousands of neurons in our brains that are completely free, not tied down or associated to anything. However, as we grow and learn, these neurons are shaped by experience and make connections. Through our experiences our brains learn the rules of whatever music we are exposed to. For example, we have songs that we recognize as happy or sad, even if it is only an instrumental piece. We are able to recognize the mood or feeling of a song from its elements; in Western society we tend to associate a fast tempo with energy and spiritedness and a slow tempo with sadness. These associations, or connections, are learned from our experiences. (Levitin, 87-89). There are a variety of different factors that contribute to our physical and emotional reactions to music. Music often mirrors the natural world and picks up on cues that are prevalent in human behavior. Expectations not fulfilled, surprise, when something happens not as planned, often in life these are what elicit our strongest emotions. Composers employ structural devices that imitate these real-life occurrences and thereby prompt a reaction from the listener. An easily relatable physical reaction to music is called frisson, or more commonly referred to as goose bumps or shivers down one’s spine. These reactions can and are most commonly achieved through the use of an enharmonic change. A simple example (in simple terms, the following chords and notes do not actually exist) of an enharmonic change is when chord(x) is played and harmonizes melody note(a), (this chord is often played again at least once, if not more) then chord(y) is played and re-harmonizes melody note(a), so it is the same but different. The composer creates an expectation and then those expectations are not carried out and that elicits a reaction from the listener (Mannes, 283). A myriad of elements contribute to the influencing power music has over our emotions. Two of the main reasons people listen to music is for emotional impact and regulation (Chanda and Levitin, 180). Music can provide us with a wide range of feelings, such as happiness, sadness, excitement and tranquility Music is also known to produce feelings of euphoria, and what some even describe as a high. Scientists have discovered the reason for this so-called high: the areas in the brain that are activated by drugs or during sex are also activated by listening to music that we enjoy. Listening to pleasurable music activates the production of neurochemicals. The most recognizable chemical that is produced is dopamine, the feel-good hormone, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation. Prolactin, the comfort or satisfaction hormone, normally associated with mothers breastfeeding their infant, is also produced. The third chemical produced is oxytocin, the cuddle or trust hormone commonly associated with sex and bonding with other people. The production of these hormones explain the â€Å"euphoric† feeling people sometimes experience when listening to music. These hormones also influence our mood and perception (Chanda and Levitin180; Mannes, 35). Another factor that contributes to our emotional response to music is our emotional connection to a song. Often times, memories that we associate with a particular song that we heard in a particular time in our lives are triggered when we hear that song. Researchers have found that there is a significant difference in brain activity when we hear a song that we have emotional connections to. A potential and simple explanation for this is that we are not only processing the music but we are also recalling past events. Memories are stored as proteins in different parts of our brains, when memories are triggered, different parts of the brain are put into action to recall those memories. Both functions (processing music and remembering) use a large portion of our brain on their own, combine the two and that is a lot of brain activity (Kunz). Memories triggered by music are often times much more powerful than when triggered simply by thought. For example, a friend might say, â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and we reminisce with our friend about a time or an event of past. We may laugh, or feel a sentimental twinge of longing, but usually, not more than that. When a memory is triggered by a song, however, we are somehow transported back in time and are able to experience the feelings we had at that time. There has been speculation for why our memories are much more vivid when triggered by music. Some have theorized that because our brain has already done the work of processing a particular piece of music, we recognize that we have done it before. The recognition of that precise action manifests itself through our feelings. For example, when I hear the song â€Å"Crazy† by Gnarls Barkley, I am immediately taken back to the summer of 2006. I am instantly overcome with a feeling that I can only describe as being the feeling I felt the summer I was sixteen. It’s a happy feeling; a feeling of freedom mixed with confusion and carelessness. My senses are activated; I am able to smell the salt air from the beach, I can taste the Arizona Raspberry Iced Tea that I perpetually consumed, I am almost able to feel my jean shorts around my legs, I even have a clear vision of Highway 33 from the passenger’s seat of mine and my sister’s car as we make our way to the beach, the scene before me shaded by the sunglasses I wore. When a memory is triggered by one of the senses, the other senses are triggered as well. Our senses dictate what we perceive, and therefore, influence how we feel. At that time in my life when my brain was processing that song, it was also processing all of my other senses, all of these elements combined and gave me a very specific feeling. So now when I hear that song, my brain processes it and says something like, Oh, I have done this before, this is the result. It can be likened to muscle memory (Kunz). Intrigued by the power music has, I interviewed Matthew J. Kunz, a researcher currently exploring potential methods to treat patients suffering from neurological injuries and illnesses. One medium of particular interest to him is forms of music therapy. It has been proven that music engages and even enhances motor and auditory skills. Music could potentially serve as a form of physical therapy after an injury or an illness that has impaired an individual’s motor skills. A great example of this is Parkinson’s disease. Humans are instinctively able to march or walk to a beat. By providing someone with a rhythm track their actions, e. g. walking, could be improved if accompanied by music (Kunz). Another neurological illness that is being treated by music is Alzheimer’s disease. However severe a dementia is, even if the patient has lost language, they almost never seem to lose the memory or ability to respond to music. Not only can it assist in the recalling of memories but it can also strengthen areas of the brain. Some music therapists have the patient learn and play music. Somehow, the ability to do this stays in their brain, once the song is in there (their brain) it stays. Through learning and playing music the patient exercises their brain, and as a result, functions of the brain, like motor skills, are improved. Even severely demented patients will recognize old songs and be delighted by them. Kunz confesses, â€Å"If nothing else, the patients are able to experience joy. Even if that’s the only thing it gave them, it would be worth the work that is being done now. † Kunz’s heart is in the right place regardless of the outcome of the research, however, studies have already shown the positive benefits of the diverse forms of musical therapy (Kunz). Whether we want to feel rapture and be delighted by something, or shed a few tears, if we are in need of therapy, or simply want to break the silence, music is there for us. The power music holds is so strong that we depend on it and integrate it to nearly every aspect of our lives. Ill, or injured, or completely well, music is therapeutic to us all; it can bring groups of people together or provide a sense of company when one is alone. It makes our highest highs higher and our lowest lows lower, but that is the magic and power of music. I am certain that our existence and experience as human beings would be far less than what it is if it were not for music.

How to Make Water From Hydrogen and Oxygen

How to Make Water From Hydrogen and Oxygen Water is the common name for dihydrogen monoxide or H2O. The molecule is produced from numerous chemical reactions, including the synthesis reaction from its elements, hydrogen, and oxygen. The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is: 2 H2 O2 → 2 H2O How to Make Water In theory, its easy to make water from hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. Mix the two gases together, add a spark or sufficient heat to provide the activation energy to start the reaction, and presto- instant water. Merely mixing the two gases at room temperature, however, wont do anything, like hydrogen and oxygen molecules in the air dont spontaneously form water. Energy must be supplied to break the covalent bonds that hold H2 and O2Â  molecules together. The hydrogen cations and oxygen anions are then free to react with each other, which they do because of their electronegativity differences. When the chemical bonds re-form to make water, additional energy is released, which propagates the reaction. The net reaction is highly exothermic, meaning a reaction that is accompanied by the release of heat. Two Demonstrations One common chemistry demonstration is to fill a small balloon with hydrogen and oxygen and to touch the balloon- from a distance and behind a safety shield- with a burning splint. A safer variation is to fill a balloon with hydrogen gas and to ignite the balloon in the air. The limited oxygen in the air reacts to form water but in a more controlled reaction. Yet another easy demonstration is to bubble hydrogen into soapy water to form hydrogen gas bubbles. The bubbles float because they are lighter than air. A long-handled lighter or burning splint at the end of a meter stick can be used to ignite them to form water. You can use hydrogen from a compressed gas tank or from any of several chemical reactions (e.g., reacting acid with metal). However you do the reaction, its best to wear ear protection and maintain a safe distance from the reaction. Start small, so that you know what to expect. Understanding the Reaction French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier named hydrogen, Greek for water-forming, based on its reaction with oxygen, another element Lavoisier named, meaning acid-producer. Lavoisier was fascinated by combustion reactions. He devised an apparatus to form water from hydrogen and oxygen to observe the reaction. Essentially, his setup employed two bell jars- one for hydrogen and one for oxygen- that fed into a separate container. A sparking mechanism initiated the reaction, forming water. You can construct an apparatus the same way as long as you are careful to control the flow rate of oxygen and hydrogen so that you dont try to form too much water at once. You also should use a heat- and shock-resistant container. Role of Oxygen While other scientists of the time were familiar with the process of forming water from hydrogen and oxygen, Lavoisier discovered the role of oxygen in combustion. His studies eventually disproved the phlogiston theory, which had proposed that a fire-like element called phlogiston was released from matter during combustion. Lavoisier showed that a gas must have mass for combustion to occur and that the mass was conserved following the reaction. Reacting hydrogen and oxygen to produce water was an excellent oxidation reaction to study because nearly all the mass of water comes from oxygen. Why We Cant Just Make Water? A 2006 report by the United Nations estimated that 20 percent of people on the planet dont have access to clean drinking water. If its so hard to purify water or desalinate sea water, you might be wondering why we dont just make water from its elements. The reason? In a word- BOOM! Reacting hydrogen and oxygen is basically burning hydrogen gas, except rather than using the limited amount of oxygen in the air, youre feeding the fire. During combustion, oxygen is added to a molecule, which produces water in this reaction. Combustion also releases a lot of energy. Heat and light are produced so quickly that a shock wave expands outward. Basically, you have an explosion. The more water you make at once, the bigger the explosion. It works for launching rockets, but youve seen videos where that went horribly wrong. The Hindenburg explosion is another example of what happens when a lot of hydrogen and oxygen get together. So, we can make water from hydrogen and oxygen, and chemists and educators often do- in small quantities. Its not practical to use the method on a large scale because of the risks and because its much more expensive to purify hydrogen and oxygen to feed the reaction than it is to make water using other methods, to purify contaminated water, or to condense water vapor from the air.

group dynamics can help you when working in groups as part of your master programme and in your career. Essays

critically discuss how an understanding of group processes/ group dynamics can help you when working in groups as part of your master programme and in your career. Essays critically discuss how an understanding of group processes/ group dynamics can help you when working in groups as part of your master programme and in your career. Essay critically discuss how an understanding of group processes/ group dynamics can help you when working in groups as part of your master programme and in your career. Essay critically discuss how an understanding of group processes/ group dynamics can help you when working in groups as part of your master programme and in your career. By katfount It is generally acceptable that successful teams arising long-term, after hard work. But what do they mean by team? According to Pattison (2013), there is a differentiation between the terms group and team, because groups need time and effort in order to be transformed into teams, having common sense of purpose as a starting point for their progress. This essay will address three main theories, oncerning the development and the format of successful teams. Students, especially postgraduate ones, are requested to deal with various group assignments, having the opportunity to learn how to cooperate with their peers. The groups are usually multicultural with different educational and social background. Therefore, it is essential to find ways in order to communicate and collaborate, respecting the cast of mind of each culture. A similar situation exists also in working environments, where employers, consider teamwork skills as essential requirement for hiring new mployees (Levin, 2005). According to Levin (2005), team-mates tend to adopt a specific role that reflects better their personality. This statement is based on Belbins Team Roles Model, consisting of nine different roles. The Co-ordinator has leadership skills and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the others but lacks of creativity. The Shaper is also a passionate leader but he possibly can hurt peoples feelings with his criticism. On the other hand, the Plant is very intelligent, trying to find new and innovative ideas, sometimes unorthodox ones, but he is less ociable, and The Resource Investigator is also clever and he tries to find ways to make useful external contacts for the future. It is common for this type of leader to miss his passion soon. : A real Monitor evaluator Judges each aspect of teams work, forming an overall view of the situation. In other words, this role Judges everything and everyone with an unpleasant way. As regards the Implementer, this role acts like a soldier in a battle, but lacks of decision making abilities. Similarly, the Team Worker supports his colleagues, finding ways to maintain a close connection etween them but dislikes being the leader. Furthermore, the Complete- finisher pays much attention to the details in order to avoid mistakes, finding ways to organise every single detail. Finally, the Specialist is characterised by his valuable working experience, which gives a professional dimension to teams work. A common mistake for him is to stick to the technical details and to neglect other serious aspects (Levin, 2005). The above mentioned theory can work extremely well in every group but could you imagine what happens if one of these roles is missing? To make atters worse, Belbins Team Role Theory can be successful only in case that none of the nine roles is missed of the same team, because if there are, for instance, two or more Implementers, it could be impossible for this team to work properly. Another regarding to the lifecycle of teams. Each team should pass through four different stages: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. According to Levin (2005), Forming is the first stage, where new people are meeting and set a leader, who tries to from the teams strategic plan, while during Storming is quite difficult for the roup to make decisions because each member has its own point of you and the leader should make efforts to avoid the conflicts and generate ideas. During the next stage, Norming, there is cohesion between the members, who can easily make decision and identify the strengths and weaknesses of groups work. It is common for this stage the members to socialise outside the working environment, strengthening their bond. Finally, during Performing the group works ideally, as the team roles are distinguished, each member expresses ideas and then make a Joint decision. As regards the leader, his role is more to oversees rather than decide. Tuckman added a fifth stage, called Adjourning, which describes what is happening when teams come to an end. To be more specific, during this stage the teamwork is finished successfully and members tend to go your separate way, feeling insecure for this change. In spite of that, Tuckmans Team Development team theory is considered as an overgeneralization because it is not easy to clarify when one step ends and another begins. It is possible one step to overlap the other, depending on the works volume. Moreover, this theory does not take into consideration the special haracteristics of each member like the educational background, the working experience or the personality, which affect peoples ability to work successfully. An equally significant aspect of teams development is the cultural background as it is quite difficult for people from different cultures to collaborate effectively. This is the reason why Geert Hofstede has tried to examine the features of cross cultural team work. According to Hofstede (2010), there are five different dimensions of culture. The first index is called Power distance (PDI) and it is referred to the inequality of power mong the members of a team, as they accept a different degree of power, forming, consequently, a hierarchy. As far as Individualism (IDV) is concerned, this dimension measures whether the bond between the members of a team is strong or not. In general terms, it describes the fght between individualism and collectivism. The third dimension is called Masculinity (MAS), being related to the characteristics of each gender, as it is believed that women and men build different working skills as members of a team. Uncertainty avoidance index (IJAI) has to do with the peoples feeling of insecurity and anxiety about future ventures. Finally, there is a new index, the Long term orientation (L TO), suggesting that people from cultures with long term orientation tend to believe that everything is a matter of good timing and planning, as opposed to short term orientated cultures, which pay respect to tradition and values. Like any other theory, also this has a grey area as Hofstede did not include some important stimuli, which affect peoples behaviour and contribute to the formation of a culture, such as the political, educational or professional background of a person that affects his behaviour in the community. Moreover, people of the same nations could have different cultures, depending on individual believes. To sum up, through my short experience as a member of a multicultural team, I members to realize the transaction from one step to the other. In my opinion the daily contact with the group strengthens members relationship and through the problems that they should face, they build a strong bond. Although, the key to success is firstly to listening to others opinion and then to have clear team objectives, being comfortable with conflicts, having trust, respect and common sense of purpose. Following this technique the success is guaranteed and this is a valuable treasure for the future ventures in the world of work. REFERENCES Hofstede, G. H. et al. 2010. Cultures and organizations: software of the mind: intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. 3rd ed. New York; London: McGraw-Hill. Levin, P. 2005. Successful teamwork! : For undergraduates and taught postgraduates working on group projects. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Pattison, L. 2013. Professional Skills and Employability. United Kingdom: Pearson, Higher Education.

A Kindergarten Lesson Plan on Addition and Subtraction

A Kindergarten Lesson Plan on Addition and Subtraction In this sample lesson plan, students represent addition and subtraction with objects and actions. The plan is designed for kindergarten students.  It requires three class periods of 30 to 45 minutes each. Objective The objective of this lesson is for students to represent addition and  subtraction with objects and actions to understand the concepts of adding to and taking from. The key vocabulary words in this lesson are addition, subtraction, together and apart. Common Core Standard Met This lesson plan satisfies the following Common Core standard in the Operations and Algebraic Thinking category and Understanding Addition as Putting Together and Adding To and Understand Subtraction as Taking Apart and Taking From sub-category.   This lesson meets standard K.OA.1: Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions or  equations. Materials PencilsPaper  Sticky notesCereal in small baggies for each childOverhead projector Key Terms AdditionSubtractionTogetherApart Lesson Introduction   The day before the lesson, write 1 1 and 3 - 2 on the blackboard. Give each student a sticky note, and see if they know how to solve the problems. If a large number of students successfully answer these problems, you can begin this lesson midway through the procedures described below. Instruction   Write 1 1 on the blackboard. Ask students if they know what this means. Put one pencil in one hand, and one pencil in your other hand. Show students that this means one (pencil) and one (pencil) together equal two pencils. Bring your hands together to reinforce the concept.Draw two flowers on the board. Write down a plus sign followed by three more flowers. Say aloud, â€Å"Two flowers together with three flowers make what?† The students should be able to count and answer five flowers. Then, write down 2 3 5 to show how to record equations like this. Activity   Give each student  a bag of cereal and a piece of paper. Together, do the following problems and say them like this (adjust as you see fit, depending on other vocabulary  words you use in the math classroom): Allow the students to eat some of their cereal as soon as they write down the correct equation. Continue with problems such as these until the students feel comfortable with addition.Say 4 pieces together with 1 piece is 5. Write 4 1 5 and ask the students to write it down too.Say 6 pieces together with 2 pieces is 8. Write 6 2 8 or the board and ask the students to write it down.Say 3 pieces together with 6 pieces is 9. Write 3 6 9 and ask the students to write it down.The practice with addition should make the subtraction concept a bit easier. Pull out five pieces of cereal from your bag and put them on the overhead projector. Ask students, â€Å"How many do I have?† After they answer, eat two of the pieces of cereal. Ask â€Å"Now how many do I have?† Discuss that if you start with five pieces and then take away two, you have three pieces left over. Repeat this with the students several times. Have them take out three pieces of cereal from their bags, eat one and tell you how many are left over. Tell them that there is a way to record this on paper. Together, do the following problems and say them like this (adjust as you see fit):Say 6 pieces, take away 2 pieces, is 4 left over. Write 6 - 2 4 and ask the students to write it as well.Say 8 pieces, take away 1 piece, is 7 left over. Write 8 - 1 7 and ask the students to write it.Say 3 pieces, take away 2 pieces, is 1 left over. Write 3 - 2 1 and ask the students to write it.After the students have practiced this, it’s time to have them create their own simple problems. Divide them into groups of 4 or 5 and tell them that they can make their own addition or subtraction problems for the class. They can use their fingers (5 5 10), their books, their pencils, their crayons or even each other. Demonstrate 3 1 4 by bringing up three students and then asking another to come to the front of the class.  Give students a few minutes to think of a problem. Walk around the room to assist with their thinking.Ask the groups to show their problems to the class and have the seated students record the problems on a piece of paper. Differentiation In step four, separate students into tiered groups and adjust problems based on complexity and number of steps. Support struggling students by spending more time with these groups and challenge advanced students by asking them to experiment with different types of counting, such as with their fingers or even with each other. Assessment   Repeat steps six  through eight together as a class at the end of math class for a week or so. Then, have groups demonstrate a problem and do not discuss it as a class. Use this as an assessment for their  portfolio or to discuss with parents. Lesson Extensions   Ask students to go home and describe to their family what putting together and taking away means and what it looks like on paper. Have a family member sign off that this discussion took place.

Karen Millen - The Fashion brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Karen Millen - The Fashion brand - Essay Example The essay "The Fashion brand" concerns the fashion brand. The company has stores in United Kingdom and other countries. Karen Millen was founded in the year 1981 through the partnership between Kevin Stanford and Karen Millen. The brand continued to expand through acquisitions and partnerships. The company trades from 46 concessions and 84 standalone stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company has spread to 23 countries and has 16 international stores and 57 franchise stores. The company majors in clothing accessories, shoes and clothing. Karen Millen has encountered stiff competition from major rivals like Reiss and French Connection. The French Connection has developed a strong brand identity through heavy embellished eveningwear and dresses. The target market includes young professional women aged 25-35. French Connection has been increasing the product range to include stylish outwears, shoes and dresses. The company has proved to be a major competitor for the Karen Mil ler brand. Both companies seem to have the same target market, necessitating Karen Miller to have differentiated products. French connection offers competitive products, coupled with intensive advertising and promotion campaigns. The brand has turned to internet marketing as it widens its scope of influence in the fashion market. However, the company needs to carve a niche in the stiff fashion market. Reiss is a fashion brand in the United Kingdom owned by its founder, David Reiss. The brand produces feminine clothing. The company has a strong reputation and was declared fashion retailer of the Year in 2003. Reiss competes from the same target market with French Connection and Karen Miller. A strong reputation is its principle asset. Reiss targets young professional men and women. The brand is offering competitive prices and an effective brand equity program. Brand equity can be developed by building, borrowing or buying it. Buying or borrowing brand equity for Karen miller can be d one successfully through acquisitions. Rebranding is one of the ways of reforming brand equity. In business, rebranding entails creating a new name, symbol and design for an established brand. The aim is to develop a differentiated product in the stakeholders mind frame. Rebranding assists in identifying the product or the company from competitors. According to research, rebranding is changing the name of the company, positioning and targeting. This is meant to attract new meanings to the corporate brand and to inform the stakeholders concerning these meanings (Grose 45). In fashion and clothing industry in the United Kingdom, the rebranding can lead to increased revenues. Rebranding the Karen Miller fashion brand entails the use of integrated marketing communications campaigns to communicate the image and the values of the new brand to all the stakeholders. Rebranding is connected to changing slogans, logos, names or a combination of them. Karen Millen fashion brand is using rebran d to appeal to wider market share and increase the sales revenues. The concept of revolutionary and evolutionary rebranding has been incorporated in the strategic rebranding plan of Karen Millen. Evolutionary branding is the concept of minor developments in brand positioning. These include logo change and slogan. Revolutionary rebranding causes major overhauls and identifiable changes which are essentially meant to redefine Karen Millen brand. Through rebranding,

Ethics Paper (Intrapreneurship) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Paper (Intrapreneurship) - Essay Example Ethics and Business As per the chapter under consideration that is Chapter One in Making Innovations Work, the authors, nowhere appear to be visibly, directly and discernibly identifying ethics as a driving force in business innovation. In the context of innovation, the authors in the chapter under consideration have amply touched on varied precursors of innovation like leadership, business strategy and mentality, pragmatism, change management, networking and incentives. However, the authors have visibly failed to touch on the ethical dilemmas and problems associated with these aspects of business. The authors have approached the issue of innovation in a format that seems to be mechanically systematic, without delving deeper into the problems that may arise while taking decisions that may seem to challenge the established ethics and morals. The authors have also failed to extend a set of viable and reasonable principles that an organization needs to hold sacrosanct, while opting for innovation and change. Innovation, by its very nature is a process that is bound to challenge the established ethics in a plethora of ways. Ethics and Innovation Strategy There is no denying the fact that ethics should play a major role in the innovation strategy of a company or organization. Businesses constitute a part of the society, and hence must stick to ethical norms and values while pursuing innovation to maintain trustworthiness both within and in a larger social context (Oden, 1997, p. 4). Any business is a sub-system within a larger system called society. A viable business responds to this responsibility in a variety of ways like vying to protect the interests of the shareholders, by being transparent, by being sensitive to the expectations and aspirations of its employees, by being committed to enhancing efficiency, by being responsible towards environmental concerns, and the like. Besides, business ethics play a pivotal role in the context of decisional freedom associat ed with any innovation strategy (Oden, 1997, p. 7). Hence, it is the business ethics that extend a viable framework for balancing the varied interests and values tagged to any innovation strategy. Rewriting the Rules of Innovation â€Å"The Rules of Innovation† presented in Chapter one could be rewritten to bring in an ethical dimension into the overall innovation strategy of a business: 1. Exert strong leadership on the innovation strategy and compliance with the agreed upon ethics and moral constraints within an organization. 2. Integrate innovation and ethical compliance as unexceptional constituents of the company’s business mentality. 3. Aligning the amount and type of innovation with a distinct regard for ethical conduct and behavior. 4. Well managing the natural tension that exists between creativity, profitability and ethical conduct 5. Retaining a strong ethical sense of direction, while doing away with the superfluous routines and cultural norms. 6. Forging a n innovation oriented network both within and without, based on the respect for the values and aspirations of all the stakeholders associated with this network. 7. Giving way to apt rewards and incentives to encourage innovation, without relying on the negative stimuli like fear, power politics and threats. Ethical Impact Inculcation of an ethical component within each of â€Å"

Persuasive Speech with outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Persuasive Speech with outline - Essay Example A young adult was involved in an accident and his kidney was a good match. My nephew’s story ended happily, but not so many actually do. II. I am certain that you can perceive the need for individuals such as you to donate your organs. Most students in this class have already claimed they prefer donating their organs when they pass away. However, you might be questioning the certainty and trust of the donation of your organs after demise. That is what I am going to address now. 1. Discuss about your choice with your relatives. Your relatives will be responsible for the donation preparations after your demise. If they are not aware of your choice of becoming a donor, your requests might be denied (Stevens, 2008, p. 12). 2. If you choose to donate your organs and eventually make no effort, no one knows your intent and your organs will not be donated. The consequences of this decision are that more people waiting for organs might end up dead while your organs could have saved their lives (Committee on Increasing Rates of Organ Donation, 2006, p.

Lockheed Martin vs Boeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Lockheed Martin vs Boeing - Essay Example Over the last few decades, the aviation industry has witnessed significant changes in its overall operating business environment. This change has resulted in creating both favorable as well as unfavorable circumstances. Nonetheless, these changes fundamentally impose challenges within an aviation industry to sustain the business efficiently by relying on the old business model (Office of Inspector General, 2012). At the same time, the current aviation industry can be regarded as highly competitive, high-technology and safety sensitive. Contextually, the effective human resource management (HRM) has emerged as one of the primary options among the airline companies in the aviation industry to establish their competitive advantages over their competitors. Due to the increasing customer awareness and expectation along with intense competition flourishing in the industry, the performance of an airline company is largely being determined by the efficiency and competencies of its human reso urces. Additionally, in order to survive in the global aviation industry, it is often being argued that a company must have skilled and dedicated employees who contribute their best for transforming the company’s mission and vision into reality. ... of human resource management (HRM) on the aviation industry and compares and contrasts the HRM practices of two major companies currently operating around the world which include Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Impact of Human Resource Management on the Aviation Industry Role of HRM in Aviation Industry Human resource management (HRM) is firmly related with the management of human assets within the internal context of an organization. The HRM deals with certain specific activities and practices that are being related with planning, developing, and retaining the most appropriate number of skilled and competent staffs within an organization which in turn facilitates in gaining competitive advantages and attaining the organization’s goals and objectives. Additionally, the role of HRM has dramatically expanded almost in all the sectors of business. Consequently, aviation industry is one where the dimensions of HRM are often being perceived as the crucial factors for attaining competit ive advantages in the highly competitive industry. Thus, the airline companies in the global aviation industry are primarily engaged in framing and implementing their own human resource strategies in order to seek the advantages of their efficient HRM over their major competitors in the current as well as future aspects. The aviation industry is also engulfed by several challenges from various sources such as recession, changes in technology and privatization. In order to warmly respond to such circumstances the global aviation industry has undertaken numerous measures to effectively tackle these problems arising from the aforesaid issues. A few major measures that have been widely implemented in the aviation industry include cost control strategies, positioning strategies and most importantly

Diversity training manual part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity training manual part 2 - Essay Example As such, HR managers should be ready to handle and manage a diverse workforce composed of persons from different cultural, as well as racial backgrounds. There is bound to be tensions and conflicts arising from their differences when people from different races and cultural backgrounds converge at one place for a common goal, such as at a workplace. For instance, the racial differences may lead to creation of classes and social status among the workers, even for those in the same level in the organizational structure. The whites tend to look down upon other races, especially the Africans, as inferior. As such, some of these whites will blatantly discriminate against the blacks, as well as those from different races unlike theirs, for feeling superior and more deserving of better job opportunities than the rest. Such cases are particularly rampant in companies incorporated and owned by the whites who are acute racists. These whites carry on modern day slavery by overworking the blacks, and workers from other races who are their juniors or of an inferior race (Jackson, 1992). Discrimination or victimization of any kind against racial, as well as cultural backgrounds is wrong. As such, this should not occur in any organization. This creates tensions and a poor working environment that hampers productivity and efficiency within the organization. Instead of the workers doing their work diligently, cooperating with one another, and coordinating organization activities in order to meet the specific objectives of the organization, they spent most of their time fighting amongst one another. This leads to a grave wastage of important person-hours for the company in which it would be undertaking production activities. Furthermore, if the management of the organization do not active measures to bring this situation under control, then the company risks falling into

Lockheed Martin vs Boeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Lockheed Martin vs Boeing - Essay Example Over the last few decades, the aviation industry has witnessed significant changes in its overall operating business environment. This change has resulted in creating both favorable as well as unfavorable circumstances. Nonetheless, these changes fundamentally impose challenges within an aviation industry to sustain the business efficiently by relying on the old business model (Office of Inspector General, 2012). At the same time, the current aviation industry can be regarded as highly competitive, high-technology and safety sensitive. Contextually, the effective human resource management (HRM) has emerged as one of the primary options among the airline companies in the aviation industry to establish their competitive advantages over their competitors. Due to the increasing customer awareness and expectation along with intense competition flourishing in the industry, the performance of an airline company is largely being determined by the efficiency and competencies of its human reso urces. Additionally, in order to survive in the global aviation industry, it is often being argued that a company must have skilled and dedicated employees who contribute their best for transforming the company’s mission and vision into reality. ... of human resource management (HRM) on the aviation industry and compares and contrasts the HRM practices of two major companies currently operating around the world which include Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Impact of Human Resource Management on the Aviation Industry Role of HRM in Aviation Industry Human resource management (HRM) is firmly related with the management of human assets within the internal context of an organization. The HRM deals with certain specific activities and practices that are being related with planning, developing, and retaining the most appropriate number of skilled and competent staffs within an organization which in turn facilitates in gaining competitive advantages and attaining the organization’s goals and objectives. Additionally, the role of HRM has dramatically expanded almost in all the sectors of business. Consequently, aviation industry is one where the dimensions of HRM are often being perceived as the crucial factors for attaining competit ive advantages in the highly competitive industry. Thus, the airline companies in the global aviation industry are primarily engaged in framing and implementing their own human resource strategies in order to seek the advantages of their efficient HRM over their major competitors in the current as well as future aspects. The aviation industry is also engulfed by several challenges from various sources such as recession, changes in technology and privatization. In order to warmly respond to such circumstances the global aviation industry has undertaken numerous measures to effectively tackle these problems arising from the aforesaid issues. A few major measures that have been widely implemented in the aviation industry include cost control strategies, positioning strategies and most importantly

Virtualization for Healthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Virtualization for Healthcare - Research Paper Example 1.0 What is Virtual Healthcare? Virtual healthcare is, in a nutshell, any kind of health care that is accomplished through a means that is not face-to-face interaction. Harrop (2001) defines virtual healthcare as â€Å"asynchronicity, outsourcing and anonymity† (Harrop, 2001, p. 244). Demiris (2005) describes a number of different, broad, categories under which health care virtualization would fall. One is that of health care delivery systems, which is where a team of professionals and caregivers are assembled, for the benefit of the patient, and participate in therapy or health care by videophone. This enables a patient, such as one who is homebound, to participate in meetings regarding the patient’s care virtually, without having to leave his home. Another of the broad groups is that of virtual research teams. Virtual research teams concern health care researchers, and this is where the health care researchers communicate and exchange information with one another thro ugh the Internet or other advanced technology. Virtual disease management is another category cited by Demiris. This is where a patient, who has a chronic illness, interacts with health care professionals in an effort for the health care professionals to intervene and communicate with their health care professional. ... Virtual disease management also has, as one its top goals, education of the patient in self-care (Demiris, 2006, pp. 180-181). Virtual healthcare differs from traditional health care in that the patient does not necessarily meet with his or her health-care provider face to face. As indicated below, this has a number of advantages with regards to costs, yet also has a number of disadvantages when compared against traditional face-to-face healthcare. 2.0 Examples of Virtual Healthcare There are many different examples that may be used to illustrate some of the benefits and uses of virtual health care. One such is the concept of telehome care. This is where a patient accesses, from his or her home, audio and video data between the patient and the health care provider, such as a nurse. This visit is facilitated by such hands-on devices, such as stethoscopes, blood pressure readings, wounds dressing, and auscultation (Shea et al., 2008, p. 136). These different readings are performed by t he patient or the care-giver with the supervision of the nurse, who appears through the patient’s audio or video set, and is also on hand to answer any questions that the patient might have about his or her care (Shea et al., 2008, p. 136). The University of Cyprus, in the Eurasian country of Cyprus, has innovated a virtual health-care system called DITIS, which is a Network for Medical Collaboration (Pitsillides et al., 2008, p. 1). DITIS was originally developed so that the difficulties in communication and continuity of care between a home health multidisciplinary team, and the team and an oncologist, could be addressed (Jossif, 2005, pp. 6-7). DITIS is a team that consists of a variety of different providers and family members, such as a social worker,

Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Essay Example for Free

Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Essay The foundation of Euclidean geometry is the concept of a few undefined terms: points, lines, and planes. In essence, a point is an exact position or location on a surface. A point has no actual length or width. A line shows infinite distance and direction but absolutely no width. A line has at least two points lying on it. Euclid’s first postulate is that only one unique straight line can be drawn between any two points. Line segments are lines that have a set length and do not go on forever. Euclid’s second postulate is that a finite straight line, or line segment, can be extended continuously into a straight line. The last of Euclid’s undefined terms is a plane, a flat surface similar to a table top or floor. However, a plane’s area is infinite. It has never ending length and width but has no depth. Lines can intersect each other or they can be parallel. Intersecting lines can be perpendicular, meaning they cross at a right angle. Lines in a plane that do not intersect or touch at a point and have a constant, unchanging distance between each other are called parallel lines. Line segments can be used to create different polygons. As in Euclid’s third postulate, with any straight line segment, a circle can be drawn having the segment as radius and one endpoint as center. All the angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees. An acute angle is less than 90 degrees. A right angle is 90 degrees; all right angles are equal, as stated in Euclid’s fourth postulate. An obtuse angle is greater than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees. Lastly, 180 degrees makes up a straight line. Two triangles with the same angles are not necessarily congruent. Today we know the fifth postulate as the rule that through any point that is not on a line, there is only one line that is parallel to the line. One kind of Non-Euclidean Geometry is Riemannian, or elliptic, geometry. It is a geometry based on curved/spherical, surfaces invented by a German man named Bernhard Riemann. In 1889 he rediscovered the work of an Italian mathematician which stated certain problems in Euclidean Geometry. The earth is round and spherical so elliptic geometry is useful, and directly related to our everyday lives. Elliptical geometry is not limited to spheres and can be used applied on cylinders (Roberts). Euclid’s first postulate is false in elliptic geometry. Between two points there are many different lines that will connect them. The shortest distance between two points is called a minimal geodesic. Also, because it is based on curved surfaces, straight lines are impossible. This makes Euclid’s second postulate untrue as well. If you extend a line on a sphere or cylinder, most of the time the line will curve back around and form a circle. A line will always curve in elliptic geometry. In elliptic geometry all the angles in a triangle add up to greater than 180 degrees. Two triangles with the same angles are not just similar, they are actually congruent. In Elliptic there are no parallel lines (Elliptic geometry). Another kind of Non-Euclidean Geometry is Lobachevsky, or Hyperbolic, Geometry. It is also called Lobachevsky-Bolyai-Gauss (Weisstein). It is a geometry based on saddle-shaped space, similar to a Pringle. Hyperbolic geometry was invented by a Russian mathematician named Nicholas Lobachevsky. Lobachevsky also expanded on Euclid’s ideas. It’s very hard to see how this geometry is useful but it can be used in gradational fields, space travel, and astronomy (Roberts).

Biomedical Model of Health

Biomedical Model of Health Name: Erica Rogers-Compton Per the World Health Organisation 1948 constitution, Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing with not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In the middle of the nineteenth century, biomedicine was considered to be an essential model, it was used by the healthcare practitioners, in order to identify disease (Lupton, 2012). The biomedical model of health focused on how the human body works and how infection can be controlled, or cured by means of medical intervention. It provided the support on which the establishment of healthcare system is founded within societies; there have however been numerous uncertainties related to its impact on the common health pattern, as most of the health determinants are more environmental and social. The World Health Organisation (WHO), term biomedical model of health emphasises completely on biological determinants and eliminates all environmental, psychological and social influences. Moreover, Deacon (2013) has claime d that, since the last two centuries, biomedical model of health is viewed as a reductionist approach in the Western countries. In this method, illness is supposed to be caused by infections or injury and there is neglect to the socio-economic, psychological and environmental influences. In the course of the most recent two centuries the biomedical model has been enormously tested by researchers in the medicinal and sociological field. This feedback was realised by the intense increment in the therapeutic costs. Mettler (2016) conducted in which he discussed that the viability of the medicinal model has been over accentuated. He additionally contended that the lessening in the demise rate, which occurred a few years back inside the created world was impacted by great dietary pattern and appropriate cleanliness than it was with inoculation (vaccinations), and other social insurance intercession. This view was supported through the re-evaluation of the spending operating cost and money on medicinal services framework, which prompted only wastage. Moreover, Darlow, et al. (2012), has also mentioned that rather than medication giving a healing help to the masses, it added more to their issue by presenting what is called Iatrogenesis which signifies Specialist created ill ness, for illustration, the result impact of utilising medication and some destructive impact of surgery. It is faulted the medicinal services suppliers and the pharmaceutical organizations of creating the social Iatrogenesis. This brought into spotlight utilization of human services item which was brought on by increment wellbeing need. He likewise affirmed that the arrangement of medicalisation additionally achieved what we call social iatrogenesis, which implies that the healthcare organization has taken individuals off the capacity to adapt the illness and pain. Additionally, Rotheram-Borus, et al. (2012), has claimed that person ought to attempt to maintain a strategic distance from the control of medication over their lives. He guaranteed that the restraining infrastructure of solution over cure ought to be halted, so individuals can settle on choice on their lifestyle. Critically; The biomedical model of illness received by society can have vital outcomes. In the primary world war, for instance, officers griping of side effects in the wake of encountering serious issues were once in a while shot as malingerers (pretending to be sick), however today they are considered casualties and qualified for money related settlements or Social acknowledgment that a conducted or reported manifestation constitutes a sickness offers benefits on an individual and formal obligations on society. Presently, most models of illness accept a causal connection amongst illness and disease, the apparent state of weakness felt by a person. Social wellbeing convictions and models of sickness decide the apparent significance of side effects and the ensuing utilisation of therapeutic resources. The thought that a particular disease underlies overall illness has prompted medicalisation of regularly experienced atypical sensations and frequently doubt of patients who represent with illness without any verifiable process of disease. In spite of their significance, biomedical models of health are once in a while expressly discussed about or characterised. The regularly disapproval however incidentally overwhelming twentieth century biomedical models begin from Virchows decision that all ailment comes about because of abnormalities of cells of a human body. The biomedical model distinctly significant for some infection based diseases, has instinctive advances, and is supported by an abundance of underneath natural and scientific findings. By grasping reductionism, in any case, biomedical models of ailment consolidate a few firmly related arrangements of principles. These can be outlined as: All sickness, indications and signs emerge from a basic irregularity inside the body (generally in the working or structure of particular organs), alluded to as an infection or disease, all infections offer ascent to indications, finally if not primarily, and even though different elements may impact the outcomes of the illness , they are not identified with its manifestations or developments, wellbeing is the nonappearance of illness or disease, mental experience, for example, emotional delusions and depression, are separate from and associated to the other types of disturbances of functions within the human body, the patient is a casualty of situation with practically no liability regarding the nearness or reason for the illness, and the patient is an inactive receiver of treatment, in spite of the fact that collaboration with treatment is normal. A wide range of models of disease exist, starting in professions, specialties, and elsewhere. The social model essentially concentrates on the causation of incapacity by society instead of the entire range of illness. The bio-psychosocial model is maybe the most popular. Over 400 Medline titles incorporate the word, and it is progressively utilised as a part of numerous zones of medicine. As compare to the biomedical model, it perceives that mental and social components impact a patients discernments and activities and thusly the experience of what it feels like to be ill.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ In Britain, Carrier (2015) reported that, it was evaluated that around 10% of individuals hospitalised experience some sort of iatrogenisis, which is equal to about 850.000 event for each year. Wellbeing is said to be exceedingly medicalised in this model which prompted a general perspective of individuals (Carrier, 2015). Ogden (2012), reported this reality about restorative locale by referring to a case of labor. This was detracted from ladies by the establishment of drug by guaranteeing that by the 1970s all youngster conveyance occurred in the healing facility. This activity made pregnant ladies to be taken care of like a wiped out individual. In this regard an ordinary educational affair was transformed into a restorative issue, which requires the help of the medicinal group (Ogden, 2012). The model concentrates for the most part on the mending procedure which is off guard to anticipation and wellbeing advancement mind nearer to the people. Travis, (2014) expressed that biomedicine has declined to recognise the way that the human body is connected with the social environment. Besides, it also has emphasised that the biomedical model ignored the nearness of the social disparities in wellbeing. He likewise contended that for successful treatment, the general population experience about illness and health must be recognised. As indicated by the viewpoint of biomedical health of model it has been contended that doctors support the rate of production of the general public by clarifying wellbeing as the possibility to work, he additionally dispersed that working is superior to joblessness (Travis 2014) It was underlined that the healthcare professionals are faulted of medicalisation in the event that they consider the societal impact of patient and on the off chance that they disregard, the claim still holds. The bias of gender inside the biomedical space was unmistakably underlined from the contention viewpoint. It was referred to by Nettleton from the womens activist perspective that sexist belief systems of the therapeutic calling present ladies as a peon (unskilled), contrasted with the men folks. For case, it was connected that the continuous female visits to the healing facility and centres contrasted with their male partner is a result of the way their body is intended for childbearing, furthermore for the nurture other relatives. Gabrielsen (2014) expressed that there are numerous routes in which the womens activist censure how the therapeutic professionals cooperate with patient. She emphasized that a large portion of the female issues from the restorative perspective should be addressed. She bolstered are proof by referring to a case of menstrual torment among ladies. She said that some female overstretches the seriousness of the torment, while most overlooks it. She additionally specified that the therapeutic specialists considers male as top of the line resident in the ways they interface with them contrasted with their female people. Gendered nature of force in biomedical research and clinical practice was connected in the US Public Health Service Task Force (Miller, et al., 2013). This was composed in 1985 on issue of health of females. It was expressed in it that there was disregard in the way females wellbeing was being taken care of. They contended that the biomedical research laid more accentuation on illnesses that can bring about high danger of mortality in men contrasted with the ladies regardless of that the sicknesses were not sex-particular example breast Cancer. Similarly, it has been supported to this reality by tolerating that male sexual orientation still stands as a measure to assess the status of wellbeing of both genders, notwithstanding the commotion to expand individuals learning about ladies wellbeing. Gabrielsen (2014), reported that a social arrangement was proclaimed by the Federal Food and Drug Administration in 1993.This was achieved to put a stop to the unending utilization of ladies as research creatures and to diminish the issue that could happen if hatchling is presented to look into. Females wellbeing was imperilled through premature birth realised by the biomedical model. This view was supported through relating that the healthcare professionals help the male by urging the female to experience tuba ligation which is a type of family arranging that make females permanently sterile. This activity supports the male, yet negative to the female always due to powerlessness to get pregnant. This demonstrates the men has truly overwhelmed the world and couldnt care less about the females prosperity. The radical womens activist referred to acknowledged that the western pharmaceutical has given men an excessive amount of chance contrasted with the ladies. This has permitted men to assume control over the ladies bodies. It was proposed that this procedure can be controlled by guaranteeing that ladies specialists treat the wiped out ladies inside the general public that is antiracist, hostile to exist, and against heterosexist. This thought was likewise contended from anoth er perspective by the reformist that the wellbeing framework should be changed from inside. This is to guarantee that female specialists are additionally utilized in more noteworthy number furthermore implementing responsibility by the restorative experts. It has been concluded that the biomedical model of health offers a method for adjusting clinical strategies in biomedical practice to culturally diverse care and study. Every progression of the critical thinking process has parallel exercises in customary and family frameworks of care. At every progression, discrepant desires, rehearses, family capacity, and correspondence style highlight territories of potential worry in clinical critical thinking. Critical thinking crosswise over social limit regularly includes looking for assistance from individuals from the group, from the sociologic, humanities, and from anthropologists. Whats more, patients turn into an important wellspring of data and, when wiped out, regularly uncover issues that may somehow or another never be revealed. Bibliography Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. (2013) Haralambos Holborn sociology: Themes and perspectives. 8th edn. London, United Kingdom: Collins Educational. al, et, Moore, S. and etc, et al (2001) Sociology for AS level. London: Collins Educational. Giddens, A. and Griffiths, S. (2006) Sociology. 5th edn. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. References Carrier, J. (2015). Managing long-term conditions and chronic illness in primary care: A guide to good practice. . Routledge. Darlow, B., Fullen, B. M., Dean, S., Hurley, D. A., Baxter, G. D., Dowell, A. (2012). The association between health care professional attitudes and beliefs and the attitudes and beliefs, clinical management, and outcomes of patients with low back pain:. European Journal of Pain, 16(1) , 3-17. Deacon, B. J. (2013). The biomedical model of mental disorder: A critical analysis of its validity, utility, and effects on psychotherapy research. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(7) , 846-861. Gabrielsen, L. (2014). Bias at the Gate? The Pharmaceutical Industrys Influence on the Federally Approved Drug Compendia. American journal of law medicine, 40(1), 141-163. Lupton, D. (2012). Medicine as culture: Illness, disease and the body. . Sage. Mettler, T. (2016). Anticipating mismatches of HIT investments: Developing a viability-fit model for e-health services. International journal of medical informatics, 85(1) , 104-115. Miller, V. M., Rice, M., Schiebinger, L., Jenkins, M. R., Werbinski, J., Nà ºÃƒ ±ez, A., et al. (2013). Embedding concepts of sex and gender health differences into medical curricula. . Journal of Womens Health, 22(3) , 194-202. Biomedical model of health Biomedical model of health THE SOCIOLOGICAL CRITIQUE OF THE BIOMEDICAL MODEL OF HEALTH AND HOW IT AFFECTS WOMENS HEALTH Biomedicine has been around since the middle of the nineteenth century as the major model used by health practitioners to detect diseases (Nettleton, 1995).This biomedical model of health have centred on how the human body functions and how diseases can be stopped, or healed through medical intervention(Taylor and field 2003). This model continues to be the bedrock in which foundation of health care system is based in the western societies, but there has being a lot of queries concerning its influence on the general pattern of health, since majority of health determinant are social and environmental. Arkinson (1988 p.180)claimed that the biomedical model, which as taken over the formal health care system in the West since the last two centuries view health along the reductionist approach. In this approach illness is said to be caused by injury or infections and there is neglect to the psychological, socio-economic and environmental influences (Taylor and field 2003). Over the last two centuries the biomedical model has being greatly challenged by scholars in the medical (Engel, 1981) and sociological field. This criticism was brought about by the drastic increase in the medical expenses. Engel (1981) stated that the effectiveness of the medical model has been over emphasized. Mc Keown (1976) also argued that the reduction in the death rate which happened some years back within the developed world was influenced by good eating habit and proper hygiene than it was with immunisation, and other health care intervention. This view was supported by Powles (1973) by re-emphasizing that spending money on health care system had led to nothing but wastage. Illich (1990) also argued that instead of medicine providing a curative assistance to the populace, it added more to their problem by introducing what is called iatrogenesis which means Doctor-caused illness,for example, the aftermath effect of using drug and some harmful effect of surgery. Illich(1990) blamed the health care providers and the pharmaceutical companies of inventing the social iatrogenesis .This brought into limelight consumption of health care product which was caused by increase health need. He also testified that the system of medicalisation also brought about what we call cultural iatrogenesis, which means that the medical industry has robbed people off the ability to cope with pains and illness .Illich (1990) argued that human being should try to avoid the control of medicine over their lives. He claimed that the monopoly of medicine over cure should be stopped, so that people can make decision on their way of life. Stryer and Clancy (2005) reported that in Britain it was estimated that around 10% of people hospitalised undergo some kind of iatrogenisis, which is equivalent to roughly 850.000 occurrence per year. Health is said to be highly medicalised in this model which led to a general view of human beings (Illich, 1976).Oakley, 1976 and Donnison, 1977 reported this fact about medical jurisdiction by citing an example of childbirth. This was taken away from women by the institute of medicine by ensuring that by the 1970s all child delivery took place in the hospital (Tew, i990).This action made pregnant women to be handled like a sick person. In this respect a normal life experience was turned into a medical problem, which requires the assistance of the medical team (Martin, 1989). The model focuses mainly on the healing process which is at a disadvantage to prevention and health promotion care closer to the populace (Taylor and field 2003). Engel (1981) stated that biomedicine has refused to acknowledge the fact that the human body is linked with the social environment. Nettleton (1995) reiterated that the biomedical model neglected the presence of the social inequalities in health. He also argued that for effective treatment, the lay people experience about health and illness must be acknowledged. According to the perspective of Marxists, he argued that doctors encourage the production rate of the society by explaining health as the potential to work, he also disseminated that working is better than idleness(Waitzkin, 1989).It was emphasized that the health professionals are blamed of medicalisation if they consider the societal influence of patient and if they ignore, the accusation still holds (Nettleton, 1995). The gender bias within the biomedical domain was clearly emphasized from the conflict perspective (Nettleton,1995).It was cited by Nettleton from the feminist point of view that sexist ideologies of the medical profession present women as a second class citizen, compared to the men folks(Scully and Bart,1978;Martin,1989).For example, it was related by (Nettleton,1995)that the frequent female visit to the hospital and clinics compared to their male counterpart is because of the way their body is designed for childbearing and also for the care they provide for other family members. Foster (1989) stated that there are many ways in which the feminist criticize how the medical practitioners interact with patient. She reiterated that most of the female problems from the medical point of view need to be questioned. She supported are evidence by citing an example of menstrual pain among women. She said that some female overstretch the severity of the pain, while most ignores it(Foster,1989 p.339).She also mentioned that the medical practitioners considers male as first class citizen in the ways they interact with them compared to their female folks. Gendered nature of power in biomedical research and clinical practice was related in the US Public Health Service Task Force (Patricia and Chiloe 1999).This was written in 1985 on womens health issue. It was stated in it that there was neglect in the way womens health was being handled .They argued that the biomedical research laid more emphasis on diseases that can cause high risk of mortality in men compared to the women despite that the diseases were not sex-specific like breast cancer. Robert (1990, 1992) also supported this fact by accepting that male gender still stands as a measure to evaluate the status of health of both sexes, despite the clamour to broaden peoples knowledge about womens health. Patricia and Chiloe (1999) reported that a social policy was promulgated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration in 1993.This was brought about to put a stop to the incessant use of women as research animals and to decrease the problem that could occur if foetus is exposed to res earch. Womens health was endangered through abortion brought about by the biomedical model. This view was supported by Foster (1989)by relating that the doctors assist the male by encouraging the female to undergo tuba ligation which is a form of family planning that make women sterile forever. This action favours the male, but detrimental to the female forever because of inability to get pregnant. This shows that the men has really dominated the world and do not care about the well being of women. The radical feminist cited by Nettleton (1995) accepted that the western medicine have given men too much opportunity compared to the women. This has allowed men to take over the womens bodies. It was suggested that this process can be controlled by ensuring that women doctors treat the sick women within the society that is antiracist, anti-sexist, and anti-heterosexist (Williams,1989;Abbott and Wallance,1990).This idea was also argued from another point of view by the reformist that the health s ystem need to be changed from within .This is to ensure that female doctors are also employed in greater number and also enforcing accountability by the medical practitioners.

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Popular culture can be defined as the general accepted culture in society. Anyone can learn about what is the generally accepted culture in America because it’s usually advertised in music, books, fashion, literature, schools and the mass media to name a few. In the book images of color, images of crime, chapter 1 shows how Indians have been negatively affected by popular culture throughout the years. However, I would say that many races have been affected by popular culture to the point in which the identity and the heritage of different culture is rapidly disappearing. Throughout my life, I have seen how African American have been portrayed by popular culture as a race of people in which it is acceptable for one to be ignorant, loud, conceded, and flamboyant. As a matter of fact, if one does not act in this manner, that person would be considered to be acting white. To uphold a certain image and to not be categorized as a White person, I have seen people purposely behave in a manner to portray trends advertised by the commonly accepted culture in our society. I have also seen how...

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Essay

Reading the Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen makes you want to discern what entirely wives can afford to sacrifice for their families just to be good mothers and perfect wives for their husbands. This is the story of a woman who have succumbed to life’s realities which tell us that sometimes being a mother and a wife does not always make a woman complete but may even rob her of her rights as a real person. The first part of the story showed us that despite the lack of affluence, Nora has always been a happy mother and a contented wife for her husband. Such sweet and compassionate her life with her family that we, as readers are lured to think that this is the kind of story that you would never expect it would end up in an uncompromising conclusion and leave us wondering how things have suddenly turned against general expectations. Nora grew up with the luxury of life provided by her father. She is a beautiful and attractive woman but the day she marries and had children she disregard her affinity with the vanities of life as she was deprived of the things she used to have. When her husband quit his job, Nora worked really hard even discreetly to earn money. She buys cheap clothes to dress herself up decently and from her small savings she would buy small gifts for her three children to make her feel she is giving justice for herself and for the people she love. In doing this, Torvald always compare her to her father who knows nothing but spend his money on useless things. Although Nora loved her father so dearly she never dared to go against Torvald’s words when he speaks of her father. The most gracious thing that Nora did in her life was to love her father and her husband dearly although each opposes each other. When Torvald got sick he was forced to go to Italy to seek the proper medical attention with his family. Although Nora’s father was also critically ill she went by to help her husband get through with it. In Italy, life was even harder and Torvald need a large sum of money to go on with his hospitalization. Nora was helpless for they are also desolate. Nowhere to go and tremendously need to save her husband’s life she discreetly borrowed money from Nils Krogstad, a notorious bank employee who is infamous in sealing under the table agreements. Nora agreed to Krogstad’s plan of using her father’s bond and borrowed money from the bank while Nora pay it in installment to Krogstad. Nora’s father is already critically ill so she has to forge his signature or else there will be no money for her husband’s treatment. Apparently all became too complex when Torvald was about to take charge of the bank where Krogstad work and basically Torvald instantly wants to get rid of Krogstad because of his notorious reputation. When Krogstad learned of his impending fate, he talked to Nora to influence her husband so he can remain at the bank. Nora realized the outcome of the scandal in dealing with Krogstad and so tried to persuade her husband but Torvald is really bent on taking out Krogstad and replace him with Christine, Nora’s friend. Krogstad continued to blackmail her and threaten of exposing her to her husband but Nora was helpless. Finally all the anomalies behind Nora’s dealing were revealed by Krogstad through a letter to Torvald. When Torvald discovered of the irregularity that Nora got into, he became so furious he purged her with insulting words telling her as a worthless wife and a useless mother to her children. He threw accusations of his father’s ill habits and again compared him to her. Consequently, he never dared to ask the reason for the forgery. As she was maligned and degraded by her husband, everything snapped in front of her. Suddenly realizing all the guilt and pain she had endured, she suddenly opted for freedom (Ibsen, 2002). Perhaps this is where we can critically analyze how the characters have successfully or failed to play their part to end the story with a happy ending or otherwise end the event in failure. Probably most of us will have mixed inclination on believing Nora’s actions were of righteous deeds or perhaps the other way around. But however we see it, her forfeiture of his father’s signature signifies her love of Torvald because without doing it, she will surely lose her husband. On the other hand, we see a little shortcoming here with her actions. When Krogstad threatened to blackmail her she should have told this to her husband to prevent danger in their relationship as well as of his career. Instead she let things happened and then decided to end her life when Torvald knew all about it. Although this makes us readers to feel upset for Nora’s failures, the pointlessness of her weakness put more pain to her than gain. On the other hand, Nora can still be considered a noble person because the sacrifice she did to save her husband’s life was most dignified. We must face the fact that she only happened to love dearly a husband that she can afford to do such crime. Nora as we see here is the victim in this story not only because Krogstad used her but her feelings as a person was extremely disregarded. In the end she accused Torvald of loving her not as a person but like a ‘doll’ without feelings much like what her father do before. She said that all the while she loved them they did not love her back and never treated her as a person. Nora embodies women who can sacrifice for their families. Unfortunately she can only take too much. She got lost along the way and immersed herself with so much self pity and when she decided to go away she forgot about her children. This is the part which confuses us because leaving her children is somewhat uncalled for even though she would be searching for her freedom. Also, however it may seem, committing suicide as she previously planned is not the right answer to run away from all her anxieties. As with the plot of the story, it is filled with treachery, lies, drama, friendship, adultery and perception of ignorance and ill commitment. An example of treachery here is when Dr. Frank, a great friend of Torvald expresses his desire to Nora and wants to commit an adulterous relationship with her. On the other hand, Catherine, the best friend of Nora also betrayed Nora in a sense that she did not tell Nora that she and Krogstad were previously involved or it would have lightened the situation in the first place. Noticeably, there seemed to be predictability with the plot as well. The characters already knew each other long but did not meet altogether until all were in one event to highlight the drama. This is the usual concept that is generally used among stories when emphasizing the twist of events to highlight the heavy scenes with strong emotions. Nevertheless, the climax of the story make us think that though some of us realized that Nora’s decision to leave Helmer Torvald and her children does not seemed to be logical and heartless for a mother, we maybe able to understand that she is the victim of disrespect, a woman who did everything but was deprived of love and affection. However, this is good book to read for it is full of compassion and delight that normally happens with people in our society. Reference: Ibsen, H. (2002). A Doll’s House: Plain Label Books â€Å"A Doll’s House† by Henrik Ibsen Essay After reading â€Å"A Dolls House† by Henrik Ibsen, I realized that just like life, Noras overt symptoms were simply a byproduct of a problem that lies much deeper than simple financial spontaneity. Torvald, a patronizing, and solely appearance-driven man sets up the relationship for failure from the beginning. The fact that he treats Nora like a child and almost as a toy is not only demeaning to anyone, but it is actually awful that any man could treat a woman that way. I do not believe that Nora is the one to blame for her problems with spending money. However, it is unfortunate that Nora forges a loan paper because she is looking for fulfillment through money. Obviously there is a void in the relationship, true love. Love is something that Torvald should have been giving Nora all along, instead he demeans her. Therefore, Nora looks to money to provide her the happiness and love that should be given to her by her husband. This play appealed to me because I think it is wonderful that Ibsen spoke out so strongly in this play for the support of womens rights. The theme of this play is the unjust sacrificial role of women. In the Victorian era, the man held the majority of power in a relationship, and was deemed with the more important role in society. Women, on the other hand, were expected to be acquiescent and dependent on men in all areas of their lives. I was shocked that women were not legally allowed to sign a legal document, such a personal loan without a man’s signature. It must have been a huge issue for some strong willed women to fall into the position of full dependence on a man. I believe that Nora was one of these strong willed women. In Nora’s case Torvald was a kind man, however it seemed to me that he was always belittling her with subtle, gentle verbal abuse that Nora absorbed like a sponge. Her problem, along with the subtle, degrading comments, was that she was cooped up in such an ordinary life and stuck with a man that did not effectively show his love for her. This caused Nora to fall into the stereotypical role of the dependent woman. However, that is not who she truly was. Nora tolerated these actions as long as there was security for her and her children. Women of this era married mainly for security rather than love. If there was love in a marriage it was a by product of chance and a blessing, not the usual state of affairs between men and women. When Nora finally realizes that Torvald was not a man of honor the need for security and dependence was broken. Nora prays for a â€Å"miracle of miracles† hoping that Torvald will step up and save her from dishonor for the illegal loan she signed for. She prayed that Torvald would take the blame and leave her blameless and spotless. Somehow in all of this mess, we see Nora as an incredibly respectable woman. She only wants Torvald to make the gesture so she can respect and look up to him, to see that he is a man of honor and strength. Instead, she sees that he is a hypocrite and with that the break in their one-sided marriage is complete. Noras subtle gestures of rebellion throughout the play show that a decision is brewing in the back of her mind, and that she is ready for some sort of change. She realizes that who she really is, is a mystery to her. After realizing this, she was determined to solve it. Her newfound determination fueled her to embark on the journey to find out who the women inside of her really was. She knew to only way to do it would be to leave her â€Å"doll house† and go out in the real world and find out who Nora really is. By Nora slamming the door behind her, she closed the door on her old life. She now has the chance to discover who she really is without actually being someones property. The decision to leave her husband and children was shocking, but foreshadowed. She had been subtly rebelling against Torvalds wishes constantly. She eats the macaroons when Torvald says No. This was just one of the many instances where Nora showed that she was getting sick of being told what to do by her master. Nora was not even truly raising her children, she hired Anne Marie for that. Nora simply entertained the children in a superficial relationship. She no longer respected Torvald, and needed a fresh start on a new life; so she slams the door. Finally, the real Nora has a chance to come alive. Sources Used: â€Å"Stages of Drama† By Klaus, Gilbert, and Field Jr. 5th Edition, 2003. Bedford/St. Martin’s. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Essay A Doll’s House is the most famous work of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It has been staged throughout the world since way back until now, one and a half century later. However, few plays have had a similar impact globally on social norms and conditions (UNESCO, 2008). Ibsen introduces a play that is adequate in all aspects, much as it is intriguing in his time. It is a play of depth, gravity, and social relevance that it extends it’s importance and application even in the present society. This play tackles the life of middle class people in Ibsen’s time and how their lives are heavily affected when they encounter various crises. However, much as it is about families, it highlights the struggles of women and their sacrifices in creating harmony and stability in the home at the expense of their own personal, physical, and emotional well-being. A Doll’s House criticises the traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage (Shapiro, 99). During this era, this was considered quite scandalous in the European countries because of the great value that they put on marriage. This play was met with a lot of criticisms but was eventually accepted as it simulated real-life occurrences that are experienced by a lot of women. The theme dwells highly on the sacrificial role of women in the different classes of society. Since a number of the characters are women with their own stories to tell, the play was at one point or another considered as a feminist play. The theme was highlighted in the play with the introduction of these various women and their circumstances. For instance, the nanny in the play had her own share of sacrifice when she has to leave her own household to be a caretaker in the house of Nora and Torvald. This is an act of love by a mother to provide better means for her own child. Another character who has impacted the play was Mrs. Linde who had to give up Krogstad despite her love for him. This was sacrificial of her happiness because she opted on marrying a richer man as society may have forced her to do. The most influential character and protagonist in the story is Nora, who in her lifetime, experieneced a lot of hardships and sacrifices in pleasing her husband as well as her father. It was a series of hardships for her because of the fact that society dictated Torvald to be the dominant partner and she has to be a slave to his every whim. She was like a puppet on strings that should never fail to beguile, charm and entertain her husband as well as be like a trophy for him. She even has to be deathly afraid of the possibility that he may know of the loan despite the fact that it was for his sake. To quote Nora, â€Å"I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life. † This is somehow a summary of how she was made to feel like a childish, innocent woman, when in fact, she is just as intelligent and capable as they thought she was. The moods of the play ranged from light to heavy as different secrets and stories unfold. This moods are highlighted by focusing on different scenes that contribute to the understanding of the story. For example, the lighter moods such as Torvald calling Nora using affectionate names highlights the theme in a way that it expresses Nora’s dependence on Torvald as well as her helplessness. Another notable aspect in the stage direction of the play is the use of the scene of the porter in the opening and Nora’s and Torvald’s discussion of money. This also puts the spotlight on money being one of the forces that creates the conflict in the play. As the scenes progress, some aspects of the play contribute to the progression of the theme like the scene where Nora still practiced her routine despite her nervousness on the impending confrontation about the loan. This simply shows how she is experiencing extreme anxiety but still refuses to give in to the fear and prefer to still please her husband. This also highlights the title as it is symbolic of the characteristics of dolls. It reiterates the idea that as a doll, Nora should only work on being pleasing to her husband and never grow or improve. Another inclusion, such as Nora eating maccaroons even if Torvald forbids it, is quite satirical but is also symbolic of Nora’s realization that she should take a stand sometimes. â€Å"As to symbolism, [Ibsen] says that life is full of it, and therefore his plays are full of it, though critics insist on discovering all sorts of esoteric meanings in his work of which he is entirely innocent (Metheun, 1991. † As to symbolisms, the use of the christmas tree in the play is very important as it embodies the character of Nora as a decorative element in the house. It reduces to her being just a plaything for Torvald and nothing more. This parallel observation was even highlighted in the second act as the christmas tree was decsribed as being â€Å"dishevelled† which is also the start of Nora’s questions and self instrospection. Another symbolic part of the play is the use of the New Year. Being a festive event, it also is a symbol for newer things and beginnings. For Torvald, it was supposed to be the start of his new post in his job and the end to the loan that Nora is paying. However, the New Year proved to be something more than that. It was a start of conflicts and realizations that the married couple must face as they embark on a challenge on their marriage due to the radical decision that Nora has made. A Doll House is a play that is definitely noteworthy because of it’s timelessness. The scocial relevance that it carries with it encompasses centuries as they are still obervable today. Society is definitely of patriarchal design and tends to be very critical of women and their actuations as well as their rights in the way of life. In the past, this was very much evident in almost a worldwide scale. Today, it is slowly improving as women are now open to doing more things for their self-improvement as the previously did. This play is not only releveant as it showcases the life of women in the 19th century, but it also serves as an inspiration and a mark in the timeline of how women have gone from being dolls in the household to being independent and strong in real life. Works Cited Shapiro, Ann R. â€Å"The slammed door that still reverberates†. in Fisher, Jerilyn; Silber, Ellen S. Women in literature: reading through the lens of gender. Westport, CT: Greenwood. pp. 99–101. ISBN9780313313462. â€Å"Henrik Ibsen: A Doll’s House†. UNESCO Memory of the World Programme. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2009. â€Å"A Dolls House† by Henrik Ibsen Essay After reading â€Å"A Dolls House† by Henrik Ibsen, I felt that I had a better grasp of the relationship between men and women in the Victorian era. The man was all- powerful in this time; women were well in the background, subservient and dependent on men in all areas of her life. It was surprising to me that women were not allowed to sign legal documents, such a personal loan without a man’s signature. Total dependency had to be a tough pill to swallow for strong willed women. I am sure that many clever and cunning women were able to manipulate the men in their lives, letting the man believe that they were in full control of the relationship. However the majority of women who were not able to assert themselves as forcefully as I am sure they wished. Men were able to run the household through kind or cruel intentions. In Nora’s case Torvald was a kind man, however it seemed to me that he was always belittling her with subtle, gentle verbal abuse that Nora absorbed like a sponge. Nora tolerated these actions as long as there was security for her and her children. Women of this era married mainly for security rather than love. If there was love in a marriage it was a by product of chance and a blessing, not the usual state of affairs between men and women. When Nora finally realizes that Torvald is not a man of honor the need for security and dependence is broken. Nora prays for a â€Å"miracle of miracles† hoping that Torvald will come to her rescue and be her Knight on a white horse and save her from dishonor for the illegal loan she signed for. She prayed that Torvald would take the blame and leave her blameless and spotless. Even though she states at the same time that she would not let him take the blame for her actions, she wished that he would place his reputation and the line for hers. In this Nora is a remarkable woman. She only wants Torvald to make the gesture so she can respect and look up to him, to see that he is a man of honor and strength. But she sees that he is a hypocrite and with that the break in their one-sided marriage is complete. She realizes that she does  not know who she is but she is determined to take the journey and find out what kind of women she is. She must leave her â€Å"doll house† and go out in the real world and find out what she is made of. I feel that Nora will find that she is a better person than most people that she knows in her sheltered and pampered life. The decision to leave her husband and children was shocking in her day and how the people must have gossiped. Wagging their fingers at her saying â€Å"For shamed, for shamed.† Nora was not even truly raising her children; she had Anne Marie for that task. Nora simply entertained the children in a superficial relationship. She no longer respected Torvald; she did not even know who she was. She had to leave to find Nora, the Nora that never was, so she had to go. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Essay Happiness is a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. In â€Å"A doll’s house† by Henrick Ibsen, the feelings concerning the home are not mutual. Torvald thinks that they have the ideal home and a perfect, happy life; Nora realizes that their life is far from perfect. Their home is like a playground, it is only all fun and games—there is no real love or care. A home that is like a playground, and not filled with love and care, is not a happy home. From the very beginning, Torvald treated Nora like a baby. Is that my little lark twittering out there? † (5). â€Å"Is it my little squirrel bustling about? † (6). Before all things that Torvald called Nora, he would put the adjective â€Å"little† before it, meaning it in a patronizing manner. He looked down on Nora from the start, but that’s how she thought it was supposed to be. He treated her like a little kid, and did not love her and care for her like she needed to be loved and cared for. Nora says to Mrs. Christine Linde that she was living a happy life. â€Å"The last eight years have been a happy time for me, I can tell you. (82). Nora believed that she was supposed to be treated like a little girl, just as Torvald treated her. She was not aware that she deserved to be treated like an adult and not a little kid. She deserved to be treated with kindness, respect, love, and care. At this point of the story, she has not yet realized how a husband is truly supposed to act. Nora compares their house during the past eight years she has spent with Torvald to a playroom; they had been like little kids just playing around, not a married couple. Our home has been nothing but a playroom†¦That is what our marriage has been, Torvald. † (288/289). Nora now realizes that they have not been living a truly happy life. Their marriage has been just like little kids playing ‘house’; they had been playing a ‘game’ and not truly acting like a married couple should. Nora decided that she wanted a husband who would love her and care for her, not one that just treated her like a little doll. â€Å"It was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a strange man. (302/303). This is when Nora realized that she wanted something better in her life and that Torvald was not right for her. She realized that Torvald was only a stranger, not really her husband. Spouses are supposed to love you with everything they have, care for you and adore you. All Torvald cared about was money; he thought money could buy happiness. Nora knew this was not true and she could not take it anymore, so she stopped considering him her spouse. Nora and Torvald think they have the ideal life, until Nora comes to the realization that Torvald’s life revolves around money and material objects. She realized that Torvald didn’t show her the love and care that he should have. So in order to be happy, she needed to be free from Torvald, so she divorced him. Divorcing him gave her the capability to go find somebody else to marry, and have a home with true love and true happiness. The key to having a happy home is having a home filled with love and care.