Hrm and Employment Relationships

HRM and Employment Relationships Employment Relationship Employment Relationship can economical, social and political relationship in which employees provide manual and mental labour in exchange for reward from employers (Gospel and Palmer 1993) There are 4 Dimensions within the employment relationship * Economic exchange – Wage-effort bargain * Socio-political – Power * Legal/Contractual * Psychological contract/social exchange Contract of employment is formed when an offer of employment is made and accepted There are 3 ‘types’ of contract in the employment relationship (Schein 1980): 1. Formal – Economic and legal; 2. Informal – Reflecting the social norms in the workplace (the organisational ‘culture’) and those in wider society about how people should treat each other (‘Natural justice’); 3. Psychologrcal (implicit ‘contract’ made up of unspoken expectations and obligations). The Psychological Contract of Employment A set of unwritten reciprocal expectations between an individual employee and the organisation’ (Schein 1977) Positive psychological contract through particular configurations of HR policies and practices * Behavioural and performance outcomes such as job satisfaction, employee commitment, motivation and lowered intention to quit. The Explicit Contract of employment An agreement between two parties enforceable by law†¦ a contract of service and comes into being when an employee agrees to work for an employer in return for pay’ (ACAS) * Accumulation of rights and responsibilities for both parties * The terms of a contract can be: * Express (explicitly agreed between the parties, either in writing or orally) * Implied (not explicitly agreed but which would be taken by the parties to form part of the contract Control VS Commitment With the evolution of people management there is now more of a focus on control. The logic of control Direct control * Low trust employment relationship * Strict supervision and task specification * Subordination of labour to capital. Responsible autonomy High trust commitment relationships A degree of worker discretions and responsibility Edwards (1979) developed this analysis by identifying two ‘structural’ strategies for control: Technical control -built into machinery and technology (Fordist) Bureaucratic control -Control via internal labour markets, career structures and the position of individuals relative to one another with regard to job security, status and ‘rank’. Social control Conformity and compliance with a set of formal or informal rules Internalisation of norms and values of a group Handy (1976), referring to organisations in their broadest possible sense (not only work organisations), identifies three types of psychological contract: Coercive * Contract is not entered into freely (e. . prisons) * Majority dominated by minority who exercise control by rule/punishment * Emphasis on conformity. Calculative * Contract is entered into freely but control is maintained by management * Power is expressed in terms of their ability to give desired rewards to the individual. Co-operative * Individual tends to identify with the goals of the organisation and strive for their attainment through individual effort. * Effort is based on the degree the individual has input in the company's goals. Commitment is closely associated with motivation, but whereas motivation is focused mainly on the individual, commitment is more strongly associated with the individual’s attachment to, and identification with, the work organisation and the organisation’s goals’ (Blyton ; Jenkins 2008; 139) Employee commitment and association with the aims and values of the firm are the mediating link between HR policies and practices and enhanced individual and organisational performance Relationship reflects form of ‘labour’ involved and that can be ‘bought’ in this exchange: * Physical * Mental (‘thinking’) * Emotional (‘the act of expressing organisationally-desired emotions during service transactions’: Morris ; Feldman 1996; 987) * Aesthetic (‘looking good’ or ‘sounding right’: Nickson et al. 2003).

Not All Criminals Are Bad (Great Expectations)

In the novel Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens he tackles various social problems that plagued London in the Victorian era, some of which were Poverty, Hunger, Child Labour and Crime, which Dickens himself endured. Crime as a main source of London’s social problems ran rampant, streets became unsafe as criminal activity spiked and new criminals were being imprisoned every day. In these times criminals were considered to be the lowest people in terms of social class and so were often deemed as dangerous, Disgraceful and generally bad in every sense. Charles Dickens believed that there are exceptions to all criminals being bad, in the sense that you cannot determine a person’s character just because he commits a crime but rather by his motives for doing it. Dickens expresses his theory in Great Expectations through Characters such as Abel Magwitch who is a criminal who seeks redemption and Compeyson who is a criminal who wishes to do nothing more than to swindle people. A criminal by definition is someone who breaks the laws set by society (government), therefore although these characters are not stated or known as criminals in the novel Pip, Herbert, and Wemmick by definition can also be considered as criminals for helping Magwitch, this proves that Dickens also believed that anyone can be a criminal not just people of low social class even the innocent but, Dickens did not fail to expose that criminals can be bad and that even though some criminals do not chose to live the life they do there are those who like the life of crime , which he shows through Compeyson. You can read also King v Cogdon The character Compeyson represents Charles Dickens ideal image of a criminal and in fact Compeyson is the stereotypical criminal with the exception thathe is not a lowly criminal but that of a gentleman: â€Å"He set up fur a gentleman, this Compeyson, and he’d been to a public boarding school and had learning. He was a smooth one to talk and was a dab at the ways of gentlefolks. He was good looking too† (Pg. 343). Although Compeyson is a gentleman he chooses a life of crime, his motives for committing crimes is simply for the fun of swindling people he is portrayed as a cold hearted and disloyal man in which Dickens wished to fully convey as his view of a bad person. Compeyson is much smarter than the average criminal for example Magwitch and uses his wit to manipulate his partners. In the novel it was said that Compeyson had a former partner by the name of Arthur who helped Compeyson form an elaborate plan to steal money from his own sister in law namely Miss Havisham and leave her at the alter on the day of their wedding day. After which his partner Arthur unable to bear the guilt of what he had done killed himself and Compeyson shows no remorse even saying that it’s a good riddance (Pg. 345). This shows how low Compeyson is in terms of him as a person, not caring for his own partner and shows no guilt for using him as nothing more than a tool for committing the crime. It is also revealed that Compeyson had a wife that he kicked mostly, here Charles Dickens further develops Compeyson’s bad image by adding minor details that he abuses his wife giving readers a foul image of him and a general dislike for his character. Compeyson also has history with the more redeemable criminal Abel Magwitch and it becomes evident that Magwitch was used by Compeyson just like Arthur was. In the novel Magwitch tells Pip of how he met Compeyson, Magwitch meets him a couple years back before ever meeting Pip and they quickly become accomplices, after getting committed for felony on the charge of putting stolen notes in circulation and other charges, Magwitch and Compeyson were both sent to trial, Compeyson deserted Magwitch and made it seem like Magwitch did all the dirty work and he was helpless under him. The fact that unlike Magwitch, Compeyson is a gentleman and younger works in his favour and he is given a lighter sentence, exactly 7 years to Magwitch’s 14 year sentence: â€Å"when we was put in the dock†¦ain’t it me as the judge perceives to bea old offender of wiolent passion, likely to come to worse? † (Pg. 346-347). Charles Dickens again gives more information on Compeyson’s past involving Magwitch to show what a dark and sinister person he really is , he sold out yet another accomplice proving that he is indeed bad person because instead of him to try to help Magwitch he looks out for himself and ensures his verdict is lighter, Here Dickens uses bad characteristics as his evidence that he is bad . Later in the novel when Pip is aware of him, Compeyson becomes the main antagonist as he tries to foil Pip’s plans of helping Magwitch; the antagonist is usually a bad person in any play, novel or film so Dickens supports his view of Compeyson being a bad person by subjecting him into this role and not only does Dickens support that Compeyson is a bad criminal by him being dangerous, cold and untrustworthy he also shows the difference in character between him and Magwitch because Compeyson was afforded a great opportunity in life him being a gentleman and yet he wasted his life being a criminal when he could have become so much more in life unlike Magwitch who was not granted the same opportunities. The character Abel Magwitch in the novel represents Charles Dickens exception to the belief that all criminals are bad people. Magwitch is first introduced in the novel through the eyes of Pip the main character: â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin† (Pg. ). Here Dickens uses powerful adjectives to describe Magwitch as most people would view a criminal to suggest that his appearance was just as he was which is low. The impression of Magwitch at this point would be a bad person purely base on dickens description of him, I believe that Dickens does this purposely not only to relate how Pip felt but to later prove that not everything is what it appears to be. Magwitch at this point of the novel has just escaped from prison and threatens Pip into retrieving food and file to remove his shackles, here Magwitch is given a negative image by corrupting Pip, an innocent child to steal for him contrasting Dickens belief but readers are also given a hint of compassion through Pip who instantly sees redeeming qualities within the criminal Magwitch who although he sees as terrifying but also as a starving, shaken man who is in need of help. Already Dickens has established that Magwitch is not all bad and that there is more to his story which must be revealed before making any final judgements which is proven when he meets Pip again who is no longer a poor boy living in the Marshes but a Gentleman through acquired expectations from a secret benefactor. Later on in the novel Magwitch seeks out Pip, who now lives in London and the shocking truth is exposed as Magwitch tells pip that he in fact is his secret benefactor (310-315). Magwitch then explains himself saying that he was so moved by what Pip had done for him when he was a child that he felt that he had to repay him by doing everything in his power to make him a gentleman which was Pip’s lifelong dream. Magwitch also tells pip how he went to Australia where he worked in sheep ranching and earned a huge fortune in which he gave to him. Dickens completely turns Magwitch’s image around by showing that he is very loyal and generous, that he is not cold hearted like how a criminal would normally be viewed as. His devotion to Pip’s success proves that Magwitch is not a bad person, it shows that he somewhat cares for Pip and the fact that he had a chance to become rich elevating his own status but instead chose to give all his fortune to Pip shows that he is very selfless. Charles Dickens gives Magwitch redeeming qualities to prove that the man behind the criminal is not bad but indeed good at heart. If the fact that Magwitch was a criminal was removed Magwitch can be seen as a loyal, honest and hardworking Person whose heart is filled with admiration towards a young man namely Pip and wishes to do nothing more but to see him become a gentleman all characteristics of a good person but, one question arises which has not been answered, since Magwitch can become so virtuous why is he even a criminal in the first place, this explanation of why Magwitch is a criminal further explains what dickens meant that there is an exception to the statement all criminals are bad people. Magwitch explains to Pip the reason behind his hatred for his former accomplice Compeyson and basically how he became a criminal. In this he tells Pip the story of how he met Compeyson and the story of Arthur and Compeyson. Magwitch’s background story is that of poverty, he was an orphan just as Pip was and he had to steal as a means of surviving. Magwitch’s story gives readers and understanding of why he got into the life of crime and although stealing cannot be excused as a crime, Dickens represents Magwitch’s case as a justifiable reason for being who he is in terms of being a criminal. Magwitch was not given the same opportunities as his partner Compeyson and so basically grew up into a life of crime, with him being an orphan he had no other means of living, he had to fend for himself, but although he was already at this great disadvantage he also tells Pip that he tried to work sometimes but it wasn’t enough which unfortunately turned him into a criminal when he met Compeyson: â€Å"I’ve no notion where I was born†¦tramping, begging, thieving†¦gone last night† (Pg. 342-343). This suggests that maybe if Magwitch was given a better chance to be successful in life like Compeyson was that he would not be a criminal ultimately supporting that it was out of his hands and that he had no other choice, His motives unlike Compeyson, was purely to survive. It is evident in the novel that Charles Dickens has a soft spot for Magwitch through his history with Compeyson in which he got a heavier sentence just because he looked more of a criminal than Compeyson. Dickens does this to show sympathy for Magwitch but also a satire towards the justice system. Magwitch’s relationship with Pip grows towards the end of the novel as Pip realises that Magwitch sincerely cares for him and that he has not been very accepting of him. Dickens uses Pip’s realization to bring across the point that Magwitch is indeed a good person and that him being a criminal does not define who he is, even a person such as Pip who looked down on Magwitch as being low and nothing more than a criminal even being ashamed when he found out that he was his secret benefactor has been enlightened and now accepts him. Charles Dickens contrast of both characters was his major evidence in proving what he believed, both characters were similar in the sense that they were both criminals but their personalities were completely different, showing that being a criminal has nothing to do with him being good or bad but rather his reason for committing crimes is what actually determines whether he can be judged as a bad person or not. Charles Dickens in proving this also suggested that anyone can become a criminal from Magwitch’s life story and to further prove this the man Character in the novel Pip is surrounded by a life of crime. As a small boy Pip has his first encounter with crime through Magwitch and it is evidently seen that the Marshes has some tainted atmosphere filled with crime through Convicts always breaking out, the hulks (prisoner ship) sailing by and cannons firing to alert residence of a breakout, so it can therefore be said that Pip’s life even before meeting Magwitch had some element of crime in it. When Pip receives his great expectations and moves to London to meet Jaggers (criminal lawyer), he finds out that Jaggers office is beside New gate prison and realises that crime has always been present in his life. Dickens incorporates this element of crime in this new setting not only to relate his experience with the Debtors prison in his own life and foreshadow future encounters with crime but I believe it can be connected to Magwitch in the sense that Magwitch lived in poverty something that he could not control meaning he did not choose to be poor which drove him to become a criminal and Pip now is surrounded by all this crime, he could be easily be influenced in the future to become a riminal also and although one might say that you decide your own future and if you turn out to become a criminal it is your own fault but Dickens gives evidence through Magwitch’s story that sometimes our future can be influenced by factors surrounding us that we have no power over. Pip’s involvement in crime worsens when Magwitch told him that he was his benefactor, he is torn apart with guilt and shame but is further concerned by the fact that Magwitch has yet again escaped from prison and ne eds Pip’s help to prevent him from being caught. By law anyone who assists a criminal is also considered a criminal by association, Pip knows this but feels guilty that Magwitch who although at this point he was still ashamed of had done so much for him and so he felt obliged to returned the favour. Here it is proven that Pip has been influenced to become a criminal and has no power over this situation, Pip eventually decides to help Magwitch knowing that he could also be sent to jail. Dickens shows that even though Pip wants commit a crime it is for a justifiable reason just as Magwitch did stealing turnips to eat as a child. Pip receives help from Wemmick (Jagger’s clerk) and Herbert (Matthew Pocket’s son) with hiding Magwitch from the police and planning to smuggle him out of London. They also could be considered as criminals by helping Pip but their motives for helping Pip is purely good, Pip is their friend who they care for and so they would do anything to help him by doing this Dickens has proven that anyone can become a criminal under the circumstance meaning even good people can become criminals for good reasons. In the world today there are many different types of people, when we say that all criminals are bad it is not true which dickens himself believed, an example of what he meant by an exception is in the case of an 80 year old woman who has nothing left, no one to take care of her, if she has no other means of surviving but to steal does that make her a bad person? What about the man whose father is dying of an illness and he needs money for the operation but he lives in poverty so he robs a bank to pay for the operation, is he also bad for wanting to save his father’s life? Although there is no excuse for committing a crime just as Magwitch realized that the life he lived was inexcusable (), it does not mean that he should be labelled as being a bad person. Therefore with all the evidence that has been given it can be concluded that if people who commit crimes based on good intentions are considered criminals not all criminals are bad, but the question now becomes , who decides which intentions are good?.

Profane Language in Music and MTVs Essay

We often hear from parents how difficult it is to raise children with good values. Although family plays a crucial role, environment still plays the dominant role in affecting a child’s attitude and perception. Included in this environment, and perhaps the most influential, is media. Specifically, as television becomes part of every home, people have become accustomed to watching television programs, and letting children watch on their own, without parental guidance. In this case, it is possible for children to learn from TV and imitate what they see and hear from it, thus making it more difficult for parents to identify sources and explanation for their children’s attitude. While it is the responsibility of parents to monitor their children’s behavior, media should likewise assume its role in censoring television shows that incorporate the use of profane or foul language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the government agency under the Congress in the United States responsible for regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. As such, it is also responsible to ensure that laws regarding television program requirements are being applied. For instance, in 1990, Congress enacted the Children’s Television Act (CTA) in order to increase the amount of educational and informational programming available on television. This act requires each broadcast television station to serve the educational and informational needs of children through its programming activities. Moreover, it also limits the amount of time devoted to commercial matter during children’s programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given that such rules on children’s programming exist, we may cite instances when the FCC may have been too lax in its campaign to serve the educational and informational needs of children, or to censor television programs in general. For instance, we may cite the phenomenal hit that music videos have among teenagers and even children under the age of thirteen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two elements of profanity are embedded in music videos: first, the music itself, and second, the video used to interpret the music. In music, we see a direct misuse of the language while in videos, there is the indirect misuse of the language through gestures that convey violence, sex, and other taboo themes. Suffice to mention, we may include the video as part of non-verbal language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The history of American music accounts for a number of songs being banned from radio stations or states due to their obscene, profane, or racist lyrics. Among the songs included Jethro Tull’s â€Å"Locomotive Breath† which was pulled off by record executives for its lyric that said, â€Å"and the all time winner has got him by the balls.† Another one is John Lennon’s song, â€Å"Woman is the Nigger of the World† which was banned by radio stations for its racist context. Then, there was also John Denver’s hit song â€Å"Rocky Mountain High,† which suggested drug abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sometime in 1985, there were also moves to ban the MTV station from the local cable in Emporia, Virginia, and also in Hartford Connecticut for fear that it induced a â€Å"temporary state of insanity† (Bridgberg 1985) over patients in the Institute of Living Hospital. Hospital spokesperson Robert Fagan added that MTV is â€Å"too inciting† (Fagan 1985) and â€Å"can potentially cause hallucinations† (Mark 2003). Moreover, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence forbid playing of â€Å"Danny Boy† and other secular songs during funeral masses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although this history of banning songs and the MTV station aroused protests from music fans in general—those who believe that music should not be censored for it mirrors the souls of the artists—a lot of banning should still be done specially these days since many artists today are producing music with either direct or subliminal contexts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the phenomenal hit of music videos and rap and hip hop music come music artists like Akon, T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, etc. who impart subliminal messages resulting in profanity in their music. For instance, Akon’s song, I Wanna Love You which has another version that alters the word â€Å"love† with the f-word, simply presents obscenity that should be censored for young listeners and viewers of the video. Another example is T-Pain’s I’m in Love with a Stripper, which talks about one man’s feelings for a stripper. Sexual undertones such as   â€Å"Teddy bend her ass down is bout to see this sexy girl in my bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are included in the song.    In addition, there is also Snoop Dogg’s Drop it Like it’s Hot, which suggests violence and killing with a â€Å"hot† gun. Unlike other songs, however, which do not contain a good message, the song is in narrative form, ending with a message to gangsters regarding being caught and paying the price of killing, as suggested in the line, â€Å"You’re family’s crying, now you on the news.† Also another artist that uses profane language is Eminem. In most of his music, Eminem utters the word â€Å"fuck† a lot of times, and introduces violence, although just like Snoop Dogg in Drop it Like it’s Hot, Eminem generally imparts message regarding the consequences of violence and doing bad things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It follows that when these songs appear as music videos, they feature sexy women in lingeries or bikinis, either dancing or lying in bed. As children listen to the songs on TV, they consciously and subconsciously absorb these languages and the images incorporated in the songs. This could be the reason why a lot of Americans are fond of using the f-word nowadays because we hear it almost everywhere, specially from media sources such as the television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the modern generation has learned to accept this kind of music and the present market promotes it, there should still be a limitation as to the amount of profane language contained in a song. Basically, it is the duty of the government to ban these songs to protect the innocence of children. However, every artist should also remember to bear the responsibility of incorporating good message into their songs instead of the negative themes mentioned such as sex and violence. The rampant use of these two themes should be limited to a certain degree if we want to pursue peace and maintain society’s decency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, most often, the victims of artists who abuse their power to self-expression are women. In a lot of MTVs, women are portrayed as sex objects or sex interests of the artist. From this, we can judge that the purpose is truly devastating. Therefore, the Church, schools, feminists, and parents should work hand-in-hand and protest against the proliferation of this kind of music and MTVs before it corrupts the minds of our children. Works Cited Music Sponsorship in the U.S.A. John Mark Ministries. Last updated 13 December 2007. 17 December 2007 . Children’s Television Rules. Federal Communications Commission. 22 May 2003. 17 December 2007 . FCC Chairman Reed Hundt Encourages Parents and Activists to Watch, Critique, and Report on New Kids’ TV Shows. In FC News. Washington: Federal Communications Commission. 4 September 1997. 17 December 2007 .

Documentary Critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Documentary Critiques - Essay Example These three boys and the other children on the top of the freight train, tell Rebecca Cammisa about their life in their hometown and the things they have experienced (Kung). The location of the documentary is Central American and America, where the journey is taking place, to the U.S. border. The freight train on which the children are travelling is known as â€Å"la bestia†, which means the beast. It is known as â€Å"la bestia† because many children have lost their lives travelling on a freight train, and many have lost their lives residing in the desert, with no food and water. The documentary is all about the hardships faced by the children and how they reach the U.S. border; it has been produced and the directed by Rebecca Cammisa; the executive producers include Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith, Jack Turner, Bristol Baughan and Better Cerf Hill. The production company of this documentary is Mr. Mudd and it was distributed by HBO Films; the documentary was made in 2006 but release in 2009. The documentary holds significance because immigration is an issue, which has been seen from different perspectives, like how illegal immigrants impact the security and economy of the USA. This documentary looks at immigration in a different way, as it tells about the difficult conditions through which children emigrate from Mexico to the USA; some of these children are sent by their parents, because they can no longer feed or support their children in any way. Most of the children run away from home, looking for a better life in the USA, because no one cares about them at home and they have to bear different types of abuse. Mexico is a place where drug dealing and violence is quite common, and these children have a dream to go to the USA and find peace and a better lifestyle, where they won’t be at the hands of criminal predators. The mode or approach used in the documentary is

Research Paper on A Raisin In The Sun Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On A Raisin In The Sun - Research Paper Example According to Miller (32), tragedy involves common people, not necessarily heroes. A â€Å"Raisin in the Sun† satisfies the requisites that Miller suggests. For example, in the play, the tragic hero appears to be normal, he does not have any superior qualities that would differentiate him from other characters in the play. Lorraine Hansberry creates common people who experience similar problems to people in the real world. The entire Younger family lives a poor lifestyle and only hopes for a better life than their current one in future. This is evident from the plant that Mama keeps in the play. This plant appears to symbolize the lack of direction that this family has. It has half a life and it grows in all directions that appear to have light (Hansberry 48). Lorraine Hansberry’s play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† presents the younger family that has struggles with acceptance throughout the play. She creates the title of this play from Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Harlem†. Throughout the play, Lorraine Hansberry struggles to make her audience understand the challenges faced by the Younger family in their rented ghetto apartment (Rorty 29). Each member of the family seems to have intense issues that he /she must address to avoid conflicts within their families. For example, the tragic hero in this play wishes to head the family after their father dies. Walter Lee feels emasculated probably because of the presence of several women in his life. His mother controls all the cash that flows to this family, making the tragic hero to question his role as a man in the Younger household (Hansberry 42). Aristotle focuses on the element of Harmatia in tragic plays. He also suggests that the ideal tragic play must involve catha rsis. This implies that the readership of the respective play must connect with the characters by sympathizing. Aristotle also seems to indicate that successful tragic plays should reveals extremely sympathetic situations for their respective protagonists. This facilitates a quick purging of emotions that must be present for the success of a tragic plays. In his definition of tragedy Aristotle suggests that perfect tragic heroes must experience serious loses in their lives. For example, a tragic hero must fall from a high ranking to an extremely low one. The tragedy is implied in the fall that the hero experiences. Normally in all these tragedies, the fall is a punishment to the hero who disrespects either the gods or fundamental rules of society (NYTC 3). Critics Some critics disagree on the perfection of â€Å"A Raisin in the sun† as a perfect tragedy. The reasons attributable to these allegations are the evident differences between this play and Shakespeare plays whose str ategic heroes were always superior and could never compare to the common person as Lorraine Hansberry does in this play (Hansberry 46). Other critics argue that in this, there are intense elements of positivity that should not be in tragedies. There could be certain sad scenes but when the play ends, the Younger family has resolved almost all of their issues. Mama cannot forget the flower because of the extreme that it suggests for the family. According to these critics, this play cannot be tragic because there are no major loses to the Younger family that Lorraine Hansberry highlights. The final category of critics suggests that the characters in this play do not have any flaws. Ideally, characters in tragedies must have flaws that make characters commit regrettable

Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Othello by William Shakespeare - Essay Example Outdoors, the cool autumn New York City air was tinged for a moment with the melancholy sounds of Billy Holliday belting out her first-hand impression of the ever-present scourge of lynching in the Deep South; painfully echoing through the words of a song she named Strange Fruit. Set in northern Italy during the late sixteen century, William Shakespeare's tragedy has never been able to avoid its powerful racial imagery. Perhaps that is as it was meant to be. However today, in such a multi-cultural and yet arguably still a rather segregated society, it is often difficult for Americans to truly gage racial sensibilities across several centuries and such wide bodies of water. When have we ever been able to gage an honest understanding of the true nature of racism within our own society So it is, that the best that we may hope to do is to put notions of racial antagonism and identity within the proper context of a prominent European city immersed within the waning years of the Italian Renaissance. Watching from the very first scene, as Iago appears to speak somewhat disparagingly of him as - 'The Moor', and Roderigo mocks his 'thick lips', what are we to make of the contemporary at

Film Studies (thinking film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film Studies (thinking film - Essay Example One cannot be condemned or belittled for saying that life often imitates art and vice versa. In fact, it's a statement of facts and contradictions that needs to be revered, understood and deconstructed in its entirety. Now really, it's not that premature to say that our past makes our future, and it's owing to this meticulous and oversensitive fashion that our life moves in that we are caught in this struggle of assessing the correlating what has happened and what is about to happen. Lights, camera, actionfrozen in time, and captured for time's keep! Sure enough, literature and informative articles and write ups give us an insight into the past events and the sands of time that have elapsed over centuries, but it's needless to say that while this past may seem suitably exciting owing to the proficient writings of our forefathers, the cinematic past too speaks clearly, indeed alternatively. Alternative Most will be baffled by the use of the term alternative used to describe cinema. Ho wever, if one sees this medium in isolation, it becomes apparent that the reason for this is because Cinema has always been an alternative to conventional wisdom and movement through the ages. It's a reflection of the time, the aspirations, and the realizations one makes in that period. Its history etched in frames, in dialogue, expressions and color. While the past seems magnificent in its appeal, it goes without saying that it reflects on the future. Cinema has seen a lot of transitions, and manifestations through the years, and its appeal remains unbeatable even now. It's got the power to stop us in our tracks, take note of the direction and the paths we have chosen for ourselves and then question possibilities for the future. While one can go on and on about cinematic brilliance, one thing that cannot escape prominence is its history and its beautiful transformation. And while we are gushing at the past it seems only right to pay tribute to the rich past that has inspired present day cinema. Robert Stam wrote, "Theories do not usually fall into disuse like old automobiles relegated to a conceptual junkyard. They do not die; they transform themselves, leaving traces and reminiscences." While Stam eloquently talks about the old giving way to the new and instigating room for experimentation in the process of this transition, what remains inspiring in all this is the cinema prior to the 1960's which raised the bar for filmmakers and technicians alike. It set the foundation from which great cinema emerged and found acceptance. The era prior to the 1960's gave us filmmakers and pioneering geniuses like John Ford, Sergio Leone, David Lean, Orson Welles, Akira Kurosowa, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, and Isaac Julien. The list of filmmakers who have made a niche for themselves is long when you tread the boundaries of world cinema. These are the names of only a few who have paved the way for the new generation filmmakers to follow suit. Many theories developed from this school of thought. Isaac Julien's film, Battle of Algiers, not only thematizes the racialised and sexualized look but also provides audio visual illustrations that highlight the protagonist's angst. One can also further interpret it as a theorized orchestration of looks and glances, captured and analyzed in all their permutations

How the west was won Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How the west was won - Essay Example Through foreign treaties, political sabotage, military conquest, and digging mines, and pulling in enormous migrations of foreigners, the United States expanded greatly from coast to coast. With time, the American frontier drifted into history, and the myths of the west firmly held to the imagination of Americans and foreigners alike. From this understanding, this paper will give a detailed analysis of How the West Was Won. The outer line of settlement moved steadily towards the west from the 1630s to the 1880s, with some movements from towards the north. The ‘west’ was always the area beyond that boundary. Thus, the Midwest and parts of the American south have a frontier history with the modern western states. Politicians prioritized the west during the colonial period (Leslie 73). In terms of expansion and settlement, the English, Dutch, and Spanish happened quite differently. The Dutch traded in the Hudson River valley, taking up tracts of land, but they did not push westward. In contrast, the Britons gave priority to individual land ownership among farmers (Otten 85). Some American politicians began to argue that the United States should absorb the whole of North America. Bills were introduced into the senate, in an attempt to allow granting of free land to reward those willing to travel and claim the Rocky Mountains. Other politicians were of the opinion that such legislation would trigger war with Britain, and the bill did not sail through (Addison 4). There were several reasons, which made people risk travelling to California and Oregon. Emigrants emphasized on the importance of leaving the swamps of Mississippi, which were infested with fever. Antonie Robidoux claimed that he had never witnessed any case of fever. Stories regarding the high quality crops and the possible yields after growing spread widely. Claims were thrive that the motives, which brought

I need a research proposal that is related to nursing

I need a that is related to nursing - Research Proposal Example 5 series of 2008, setting new policies/standards and increasing Bachelor of Nursing to a 5-year course from its previous 4-year program. Drawing from perceptions of graduates before and after the CHED Memo NO. 5 ( School Years 2005-2010), the strengths and weaknesses of the old curriculum (SY2005-2009) and the new (SY 2009-2010) can be assessed (Simbulan, p.1). The proposed study will gather data on perceptions of CEU College of Nursing graduates, who passed the Nursing board examination, and have been employed as professional nurses in the country or abroad. Their opinions will be drawn not only from their years of education, but the actual application of their knowledge, competence, and commitment to the profession. Evaluation research shall be applied to determine whether the CHED social intervention produced the intended results, using the method of survey and interview of respondents drawn randomly from the list of practicing CEU nursing graduate-professionals. Response variable s consist in the relevance and effectiveness of (a) the required general education subjects (b) theoretical foundation and fundamentals of nursing practice, and (c) apprenticeship program. Survey instruments shall be farmed out and retrieved by way of e-mail or letters through the assistance of the CEU Alumni Foundation. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis shall be done, utilizing survey and open interview data results.

Spies Essay Example for Free

Spies Essay Michael Frayn uses a unique style of writing in the novel Spies, dual narration. So in this essay there will be an investigation into this distinctive style of writing that magnetises the audience, as it makes the audience feel part of the story. Stephen and Stefan versions of accounts vary, this appeals to the audience as it leaves you guessing too many unanswered questions during the plot. Dual narration has many positives to contribute to the novel, for example numerous independent viewpoints. However during this novel not entirely independent view points, as the narrators remain the same individual in two separate time periods. The older character Stefan has the benefit of hindsight whilst remember the events of that summer in the 1940’s. Whilst Stephen as the enthusiasm of a typical young lad. The two accounts vary as memories are forgotten or Stefan hasn’t remembered the events in the correct chronological order. (Frayn, Spies, p. 32) So this essay will look into the effect that dual narration has upon on the reader throughout the novel. Michael Frayn is capable of using dual narration to such an impressive extent during Spies because he as an author is able to connect with the character Stephen and Stefan. The reason as to why these connections can be made is because Michael Frayn would have grown up as a child during the same time period as we see Stephen growing up in the novel, World War 2. (literature. britishcouncil. org/michael-frayn). This also indicates that Frayn would have same ability to remember certain events and recall the memories in the same manner as what Stefan does. The nature of the dual narration in this novel can become frustrating for the reader. (Hudson, everything is as it was, but everything has changed) The slow progression through the story generates complacency, as the reader wants to advance to the significant events, before the story arrives at them. As you seem to progress quicker than Stephen is able to, because of the hints and clues Stefan has informed you off prior to Stephen’s narrating. Even when Stephen finally describes the event, many of the questions you find yourself asking do not get answered. However the tension and anxiety that Frayn is capable of creating whilst leaving many questions opened and unanswered can entice the reader further into the depth of the novel. (Holtsberry, 2004). This effect gets the readers mind thinking about the possibilities and directions the story could precede and conclude in. Nevertheless you do find yourself bemused when the story continues in an opposite direction as to the one you had expected it to follow. During Spies dual narration is capable of portraying how an individual’s outlook can change over a period time. The memories can be forgotten, they can be missed interpreted, or the memories Stefan possesses may not even be his memories, instead they maybe what he wanted to happen instead. (Frayn, Spies, P. 233) This specific passage of the text indicates that Stefan is capable of remembering and realising how significant certain childhood memories are, even though he did not realise the importance or even consider the possible outcomes at the time as a child’s memory is an innocent one. It’s only with hind sight that Stefan is capable of understand the importance of Stephens memories. (Lancaster, the New York Book Review). The reader is allowed to accept and believe in Stephens’s memories and recollection of events only for Stefan to later on correct the series of events. This can also get extremely confusing for the reader, because Stefan and Stephen at various points with in the Novel have a conflict or memories. The way in which Michael Frayn has used the dual narration technique to write Spies has made the novel one of mystery and suspense. It engages the reader into the depth of the Novel. This leaves many readers having to restart certain chapters, or even rereading the entire novel to obtain and figure out the answers to the questions Frayn has cleverly left opened. The way in which in the novel flows from past to present also engulfs the reader, as you are always trying to figure out Stephens next move through the narrative of Stefan. As a reader this absorbs you into the novel as you feel as though you’re a character in the novel alongside Stephen in his childhood.

The Physical Soil Properties Environmental Sciences Essay

The Physical Soil Properties Environmental Sciences Essay Soils are composed of five main components mineral particles derived from rocks by weathering; organic materials humus from dead and decaying plant material; soil water in which nutrient elements are dissolved; soil air both carbon dioxide and oxygen; and living organisms including bacteria that help plant decomposition. Soils differ in their fertility levels, because they have different proportions of these components and because the mineral particles have been affected to different degrees by weathering. Age of soil minerals, prevailing temperatures, rainfall, leaching and soil physico-chemistry are the main factors which determine how much a particular soil will weather (Sinha and Shrivastava, 2000). Soil thus, is important to everyone either directly or indirectly. It is the natural bodies on which agricultural products grow and it has fragile ecosystem (Sinha and Shrivastava, 2000). South Africa ranks among the countries with the highest rate of income inequality in the world (Aliber, 2009). Compared to other middle income countries, it has extremely high levels of absolute poverty and food insecurity threat (FAO, 2009). As part of this, a potential contributor to food security might be small-scale agricultural production. Aliber (2009) indicated that input support targeting smallholder farmers could boost production and food security. Utilisation of uncultivated arable lands and subsistence agriculture might be one option to contribute to incomes and/or savings, as well as to encourage food diversification (Altman et al., 2009). Land with high agricultural suitability is considered to have greater long-term security with regards to both agricultural production and development. From a planning perspective, high agricultural flexibility is therefore considered an appropriate measure of high quality agricultural land that is highly productive and fertile. Only a small proportion of worlds soils have a very good level of fertility, most of which have only good to medium fertility and some have very low fertility, and are often referred to as marginal soils (Ashman and Puri, 2002). Well-known fertile soils are deep alluvial soils formed from river mud, organic matter- rich soils on loess material, nutrient rich Vertisols and volcanic soils (Brady and Weil, 2004). Under poor management, soil fertility can be seriously depleted and soils may become useless for agriculture. 2.2. SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMISTRY Soil is a natural medium on which agricultural products grow and it is dependent on several factors such as fertility to be considered productive (Shah et al., 2011). The fertility of the soil is depended on concentration of soil nutrients, organic and inorganic materials and water. These soil physico-chemical properties are classified as being physical, chemical and biological, which greatly influence soil fertility (Ramaru et al., 2000). To manage soil fertility, knowledge and understanding of these properties is required (as discussed below). 2.2.1. Physical soil properties (i) Soil texture Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of the various size groups of individual particles or grains in a soil (Rowell, 1994). It is dependent on the mixture of the different particle sizes present in the soil. Based on these different sizes, soil particles are classified as sand (0.05- 2mm), silt (0.002-0,5mm) and clay ( Clay particles hold larger quantities of water and nutrients, because of their large surface areas (Brady and Weil, 1999). This property causes the swelling and shrinking of clay soils, but only those with smectitic group of clay minerals. The large surface area of clay particles gives nutrients numerous binding sites especially when the surface charge density is high, which is part of the reason that fine textured soils have such high abilities to retain nutrients (Velde, 1995). The pores between clay particles are very small and complex, so movement of both air and water is very slow (Brady and Weil, 1999). Clay particles are negatively charged because of their mineralogical composition. Soils with such particles usually have high CEC and can retain water and plant nutrients; thus such soils are considered to be fertile and good for plant growth (Brady and Weil, 1999). The knowledge of the proportions of different-sized particles in soils is critical to understand soil behavior and their management. Since sand particles are relatively large, so are the voids between them, which promote free drainage of water and entry of air into the soil (Brady and Weil, 2002). The implication of free drainage in sandy soil is that soil nutrients are easily washed down into the soil and become inaccessible for use by plants (Brady and Weil, 2002). Sandy soils are considered non-cohesive and because of their large size, have low specific surface areas and thus have low nutrient retention capacity (Rowell, 1994). Sand particles can hold little water due to low specific surface area and are prone to drought, therefore have a very low CEC and fertility status (Petersen et al., 1996). The pores between silt particles are much smaller than those in sand, so silt retains more water and nutrients (Rowell, 1994). Soils dominated by silt particles therefore have a higher fertility status than sandy soils and provides favorable conditions for plant growth when other growth factors are favorable (Miller and Donahue, 1992). (ii) Soil structure The term soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil particles into aggregates (Six et al., 2000). Soil structure is affected by biological activities, organic matter, and cultivation practices (Rowell, 1994). It influences soil water movement and retention, erosion, nutrient recycling, sealing and crusting of the soil surface, together with aeration and soils structural stability, root penetration and crop yield (Lupwayi et al., 2001). Soil structure can be platy, prismatic, granular, crumbly, columnar and blocky (RCEP, 1996). An ideal soil structure for plant growth is often described as granular or crumb-like, because it provides good movement for air and water through a variety of different pore sizes and it also affects root penetration (RCEP, 1996). An ideal soil structure is also stable and resistant to erosion (Duiker et al., 2003). Organic matter and humification processes improve structural stability, and can rebuild degraded soil structures (Brady and Weil, 1999). Therefore it is vital to return or add organic material to the soil and to maintain its biological activity in order to enhance soil structure for plant growth. Favorable soil structure and high aggregate stability are therefore vital to improving soil fertility, increasing agronomic productivity, enhancing porosity and decreasing erodibility. (iii) Water retention capacity Water holding capacity refers to the quantity of water that the soil is capable of storing for use by plants (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil water is held in, and flows through pore spaces in soils. Soil water can be described into the following stages: gravitational, capillary, and hygroscopic, based upon the energy with which water is held by the soil solids, which in turn governs their behavior and availability to plants (Rowell, 1994). Water holding capacity is an important factor in the choice of plants or crops to be grown and in the design and management of irrigation systems (Brady and Weil, 1999). The total amount of water available to plants growing in field soils is a function of the rooting depth of the plant and sum of the water held between field capacity and wilting percentage in each of the horizons explored by the roots (Brady and Weil, 1999). Field capacity is the amount of soil moisture or water content held in soil after excess water has drained away and the rate of downward movement has materially decreased, which usually takes place within 2-3 days after a rain or irrigation in pervious soils of uniform structure and texture (Govers, 2002). The ability of the soil to provide water for plants is an important fertility characteristic (RCEP, 1996). The capacity for water storage varies, depending on soil properties such as organic matter, soil texture, bulk density, and soil structure (RCEP, 1996). This is explained by the degree of soil compaction, where problems will arise if excessive compaction occurs which would results in increased bulk density, a decrease in porosity and aeration and poor water drainage (Gregory et al., 2006), all resulting in poor plant growth. (iv) Electrical Conductivity (EC) Soil electrical conductivity (EC), is the ability of soil to conduct electrical current (Doerge, 1999). EC is expressed in milliSiemens per meter (mS/m) or cm (cm/m). Traditionally, soil scientists used EC to estimate soil salinity (Doerge, 1999). EC measurements also have the potential for estimating variation in some of the soil physical properties such as soil moisture and porosity, in a field where soil salinity is not a problem (Farahani and Buchleiter, 2004). Soil salinity refers to the presence of major dissolved inorganic solutes in the soil aqueous phase, which consist of soluble and readily dissolvable salts including charged species (e.g., Na+, K+, Mg+2, Ca+2, Clà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, HCO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, NO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, SO4à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2 and CO3à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2), non-ionic solutes, and ions that combine to form ion pairs (Smith and Doran, 1996). Salt tolerances are usually given in terms of the stage of plant growth over a range of electrical conductivity (EC) levels. EC greater than 4dS/m are considered saline (Munshower, 1994). Salt sensitive plants may be affected by conductivities below 4dS/m and salt tolerant species may not be impacted by concentrations of up to twice this maximum agricultural tolerance limit (Munshower, 1994). Electrical conductivity is the ability of a solution to transmit an electrical current. The conduction of electricity in soil takes place through the moisture-filled pores that occur between individual soil particles. Therefore, the EC of soil is determined by the following soil properties (Doerge, 1999): . Porosity, where the greater soil porosity, the more easily electricity is conducted. Soil with high clay content has higher porosity than sandier soil. Compaction normally increases soil EC. . Water content, dry soil is much lower in conductivity than moist soil. . Salinity level, increasing concentration of electrolytes (salts) in soil water will dramatically increase soil EC. . Cation exchange capacity (CEC), mineral soil containing high levels of organic matter (humus) and/or 2:1 clay minerals such as montmorillonite, illite, or vermiculite have a much higher ability to retain positively charged ions (such as Ca, Mg, K, Na, NH4, or H) than soil lacking these constituents. The presence of these ions in the moisture-filled soil pores will enhance soil EC in the same way that salinity does. . Temperature, as temperature decreases toward the freezing point of water, soil EC decreases slightly. Below freezing, soil pores become increasingly insulated from each other and overall soil EC declines rapidly. Plants are detrimentally affected, both physically and chemically, by excess salts in some soils and by high levels of exchangeable Na in others. Soils with an accumulation of exchangeable Na are often characterized by poor tilth and low permeability and therefore low soil fertility status, making them unfavorable for plant growth (Munshower, 1994). (v) Bulk Density (BD) Soil bulk density is defined as the mass of dry soil (g) per unit volume (cm3) and is routinely used as a measure of soil compaction (Gregory et al., 2006). The total volume includes particle volume, inter-particle void volume and internal pore volume (Gregory et al., 2006). Bulk density takes into account solid space as well as pore space (Greenland, 1998). Thus soils that are porous or well-aggregated (e.g. clay soil) will have lower bulk densities than soils that are not aggregated (sand) (Greenland, 1998). Plant roots cannot penetrate compacted soil as freely as they would in non-compacted soil, which limits their access to water and nutrients present in sub-soil and inhibits their growth (Hagan et al., 2010). Compacted soil requires more frequent applications of irrigation and fertilizer to sustain plant growth, which can increase runoff and nutrient levels in runoff (Gregory et al., 2006). The bulk density of soil depends greatly on the soils mineral make up and the degree of compaction. High bulk density usually indicate a poorer environment for root growth, reduced aeration and undesirable changes in hydrologic function, such as reduced infiltration (Brady and Weil, 1999). The presence of soil organic matter, which is considerably lighter than mineral soil, can help decrease bulk density and thereby enhancing soil fertility (Hagan et al., 2010). 2.2.2. Soil Chemical properties Soil chemical properties which include the concentrations of nutrients, cations, anions, ion exchange reactions and redox properties, but for the purpose of this study focus will be based on properties that have an implication on soil fertility including: (i) Soil pH Soil pH is an important soil property that affects several soil reactions and processes and is defined as a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil (Bohn, 2001). It has considerable effect on soil processes including ion exchange reactions and nutrient availability (Rowell, 1994). Soil pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, where a pH of 7.0 is considered neutral, readings higher than 7.0 are alkaline, and readings lower than 7.0 are considered acidic (McGuiness, 1993). Most plants are tolerant of a pH range of 5.5-6.5 which is near neutral pH range (Bohn, 2001). Soil pH is one of the most important characteristics of soil fertility, because it has a direct impact on nutrient availability and plant growth. Most nutrients are more soluble in acid soils than in neutral or slightly alkaline soils (Bohn, 2001). In strongly acidic soils the availability of macronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, N and S) as well as molybdenum and boron is reduced. In contrast, availability of micronutrient cations (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Al) is increased by low soil pH, even to the extent of toxicity of higher plants and microorganisms (Bohn, 2001). The pH of a soil is also reported to affect so many other soil properties (Brady and Weil, 1999), including nutrient availability, effects on soil organisms, fungi thrive in acidic soils, CEC and plant preferences of either acidic or alkaline soils. Most plants prefer alkaline soils, but there are a few which need acidic soils and will die if placed in an alkaline environment (Brady and Weil, 1999). (ii) Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) Cation exchange capacity is defined as the sum of the total of the exchangeable cations that a soil can hold or adsorb (Brady and Weil, 1999). A cation is a positively charged ion and most nutrients cations are: Ca2+, Mg2+, K +, NH4+, Zn2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+. These cations are in the soil solution and are in dynamic equilibrium with the cations adsorbed on the surface of clay and organic matter (Brady and Weil, 1999). Clay and organic matter are the main sources of CEC (Peinemann et al., 2002). The more clay and organic matter (humus) a soil contains, the higher its CEC and the greater the potential fertility of that soil. CEC varies according to the type of clay. It is highest in montmorillonite clay, lowest in heavily weathered kaolinite clay and slightly higher in the less weathered illite clay (Peinemann et al., 2002). Sand particles have no capacity to exchange cations because it has no electrical charge (Brady and Weil, 1999). CEC is used as a measure of soil nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination (Brady and Weil, 1999). It buffers fluctuations in nutrient availability and soil pH (Bergaya and Vayer, 1997). Plants obtain many of their nutrients from soil by an electrochemical process called cation exchange. This process is the key to understanding soil fertility (Rowell, 1994). Nutrients that are held by charges on a soil are termed exchangeable as they become readily available to plants (Rowell, 1994).The higher the CEC of a soil, the more nutrients it is likely to hold and the higher will be its fertility level (Fullen and Catt, 2004). Factors affecting cation exchange capacity The factors affecting cation exchange capacity include the following (Brady and Weil 1999), soil texture, soil humus content, nature of clay and soil reaction. Soil texture influences the CEC of soils in a way that it increases when soils percentage of clay increases i.e. the finer the soil texture, the higher the CEC as indicated in Table 2. CEC depends on the nature of clay minerals present, since each mineral has its own capacity to exchange and hold cations e.g. the CEC of a soil dominated by vermiculite is much higher than the CEC of another soil dominated by kaolinite, as vermiculite is high activity clay unlike kaolinte which is low activity clay. When the pH of soil increases, more H+ ions dissociate from the clay minerals especially kaolinite, thus the CEC of soil dominated by kaolinite also increases. CEC varies according to the type of soil. Humus, the end product of decomposed organic matter, has the highest CEC value because organic matter colloids have large quantities of negative charges. Humus has a CEC two to five times greater than montmorillonite clay and up to 30 times greater than kaolinite clay, so is very important in improving soil fertility. Table 2.1: CEC values for different soil textures (Brady and Weil, 1999) Soil texture CEC range (meq/100g soil) Sand 2-4 Sandy loam 2-12 Loam 7-16 Silt loam 9-26 Clay, clay loam 4-60 (iii) Organic Matter The importance of soil organic matter in relation to soil fertility and physical condition is widely recognized in agriculture. However, organic matter contributes to the fertility or productivity of the soil through its positive effects on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil (Rowell, 1994), as follows: physical stabilizes soil structure, improves water holding characteristics, lowers bulk density, dark color may alter thermal properties; chemical higher CEC, acts as a pH buffer, ties up metals, interacts with biological supplies energy and body-building constituents for soil organisms, increases microbial populations and their activities, source and sink for nutrients, ecosystem resilience, affects soil enzymes. Soil organic matter consists of a wide range of organic substances, including living organisms, carboneous remains of organisms which once occupied the soil, and organic compounds produced by current and past metabolism of the soil (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil organic matter plays a critical role in soil processes and is a key element of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) (Brady and Weil, 2004). Organic matter is widely considered to be the single most important indicator of soil fertility and productivity (Rowell, 1994). It consists primarily of decayed or decaying plant and animal residues and is a very important soil component. Benefits of Organic matter in soil according to Ashman and Puri, (2002) include: increasing the soils cation exchange capacity and acting as food for soil organisms from bacteria to worms and is an important component in the nutrient and carbon cycles. Organic matter, like clay, has a high surface area and is negatively charged with a high CEC, making it an excellent supplier of nutrients to plants. In addition, as organic matter decomposes, it releases nutrients such as N, P and S that are bound in the organic matters structure, essentially imitating a slow release fertilizer (Myers, 1995). Organic matter can also hold large amounts of water, which helps nutrients move from soil to plant roots (Mikkuta, 2004). An important characteristic of organic matter in soil fertility is C: N ratio. The C: N ratio in organic matter of arable surface horizons commonly ranges from 8:1 to 15:1, the median being near 12:1 (Brady and Weil, 1999). The C:N ratio in organic residues applied to soils is important for two reasons: intense competition among the micro-organisms for available soil nitrogen which occurs when residues having a high C:N ratio are added to soils and it also helps determine their rate of decay and the rate at which nitrogen is made available to plants (Brady and Weil, 1999). (iv) Plant Nutrients Plants require 13 plant nutrients (Table 2.2) (micro and macro nutrients) for their growth. Each is equally important to the plant, yet each is required in vastly different amounts (Ronen, 2007). Essential elements are chemical elements that plants need in order to complete their normal life cycle (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). The functions of these elements in the plant cannot be fulfilled by another, thus making each element essential for plant growth and development (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). Essential nutrients are divided into macro and micronutrients as illustrated in Table 3. Macronutrients are those that are required in relatively high quantities for plant growth and can be distinguish into two sub groups, primary and secondary ones, (Uchida and Silva, 2000). The primary macro-elements are most frequently required for plant growth and also needed in the greatest total quantity by plants. For most crops, secondary macro nutrients are needed in lesser amounts than the primary nutrients. The second group of plant nutrients which are micronutrients are needed only in trace amounts (Scoones and Toulhim, 1998). These micronutrients are required in very small amounts, but they are just as important to plant development and profitable crop production as the major nutrients (Ronen, 2007). Classification Element Function in plant growth Source Deficiency symptoms and toxicities Macro nutrients Primary Nitrogen (N) Chlorophyll and Protein formation Air/Soil, applied fertilisers Slow growth, stunted plants, chlorosis, low protein content Phosphorus (P) Photosynthesis, Stimulates early growth and root formation, hastens maturity Soil and applied fertilisers Slow growth, delayed crop maturity, purplish green coloration of leaves Potassium (K) Photosynthesis and nzyme activity, starch and sugar formation, root growth Soil and applied fertilisers Slow growth, Reduced disease or pest resistance, development of white and yellow spots on leaves Macro nutrients secondary Calcium (Ca) Cell growth and component of cell wall Soil Weakened stems, death of plants growing points, abnormal dark green appearance on foliage Magnesium (Mg) Enzyme activation, photosynthesis and influence Nitrogen metabolism Soil Interveinal chlorosis in older leaves, curling of leaves, stunted growth, Sulfur (S) Amino acids, proteins and nodule formation Soil and animal manure Interveinal chlorosis on corn leaves, retarded growth, delayed maturity and light green to yellowish color in young leaves Micronutrients essential Iron (Fe) Photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis, constituent of various enzymes and proteins Soil Interveinal chlorosis, yellowing of leaves between veins, twig dieback, death of entire limp or plants Manganese (Mn) Enzyme activation, metabolism of nitrogen and organic acids, formation of vitamins and breakdown of carbohydrates Soil Interveinal chlorosis of young leaves, gradation of pale green coloration with darker color next to veins Zinc (Zn) Enzymes and auxins component, protein synthesis, used in formation of growth hormones Soil Mottled leaves, dieback twigs, decrease in stem length Copper (Cu) Enzyme activation, catalyst for respiration Soil Stunted growth, poor pigmentation, wilting of leaves Boron (B) Reproduction Soil Thickened, curled, wilted and chlorotic leaves; reduced flowering Molybdenum (Mo) Nitrogen fixation; nitrate reduction and plant growth Soil Stunting and lack of vigor (induced by nitrogen deficiency), scorching, cupping or rolling of leaves Chlorine (Cl) Root growth, photosynthetic reactions Soil Wilting followed by chlorosis, excessive branching of lateral roots, bronzing of leaves Additional nutrients Carbon (C) Constituent of carbohydrates and photosynthesis Air/ Organic matter Hydrogen (H) Maintains osmotic balance and constituent of carbohydrates Water/Organic matter Oxygen (O) Constituent of carbohydrates and necessary for respiration Air/Water/ Organic matter Table 2.2: Essential plant elements, their sources and role in plants (Ronen,2007) Deficiency of any of these essential nutrients will retard plant development (Brady and Weil, 2004). Deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients in soil present unfavorable conditions for plant growth, such as: poor growth, yellowing of the leaves and possibly the death of the plant as illustrated in Table 3 (Ahmed et al., 1997). Therefore proper nutrient management is required to achieve maximum plant growth, maximum economic and growth response by the crop, and also for minimum environmental impact. In addition to the nutrients listed above, plants require carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are extracted from air and water to make up the bulk of plant weight (Brady and Weil, 1999). Achieving balance between the nutrient requirements of plants and the nutrient reserves in soils is essential for maintaining soil fertility and high yields, preventing environmental contamination and degradation, and sustaining agricultural production over the long term. 2.2.3. Soil Biological properties (i) Soil organisms Soil organisms include mostly microscopic living organisms such as bacteria and fungi which are the foundation of a healthy soil because they are the primary decomposer of organic matter (Brady and Weil, 1999). Soil organisms are grouped into two namely soil microorganisms and soil macro organisms (Table 2.3). Table 2.3: Soil Macro and microorganisms and their role in plant and soil (Brady and Weil, 1999) Classification Organisms Function in plant and/or soil Source Microorganisms Bacteria Decomposition of organic matter Soil surface and humus particles Actinomycetes Source of protein and enhance soil fertility Surface layers of grass lands Fungi Fix atmospheric nitrogen and enhance soil fertility Soil (without organic matter) Algae Add organic matter to soil, improve aeration of swamp soils, and fix atmospheric nitrogen Moist soils Macro-organisms Nematodes They can be applied to crops in large quantities as a biological insecticide Soil and plant roots Earthworms Enhance soil fertility and structural stability Aerated soils Ants and termites Soil development Dominant in tropical soils Soil can contain millions of organisms that feed off decaying material such as old plant material, mulch unprocessed compost (Ashman and Puri, 2002), Microorganisms constitute Soil organic matter is the main food and energy source of soil microorganisms (Ashman and Puri, 2002). Through decomposition of organic matter, microorganisms take up their food elements. Organic matter also serves as a source of energy for both macro and micro organisms and helps in performing various beneficial functions in soil, resulting in highly productive soil (Mikutta et al., 2004). Macro-organisms such as insects, other arthropods, earthworms and nematodes live in the soil and have an important influence on soil fertility (Amezketa, 1999). They ingest soil material and relocate plant material and form burrows. The effects of these activities are variable. Macro-organisms improve aeration, porosity, infiltration, aggregate stability, litter mixing, improved N and C stabilization, C turnover and carbonate reduction and N mineralization, nutrient availability and metal mobility (Amezketa, 1999; Winsome and McColl, 1998 and Brown et al., 2000). The various groups of soil organisms do not live independently of each other, but form an interlocked system more or less in equilibrium with the environment (Brady and Weil, 1999). Their activity in soil depend on moisture content, temperature, soil enzymes, dissolution of soil minerals and breakdown of toxic chemicals. All have a tremendous role in the development of soil fertility (Alam, 2001). Their actions involve the formation of structural systems of the soils which help in the increase of agricultural productivity (Alam, 2001). 2.3. SOIL CLAY MINERALOGY The clay fraction of soil is dominated by clay minerals which control important soil chemical properties including sorption characteristics of soils (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic compounds, with defined chemical and physical properties (Velde, 1995). Minerals that are formed in the depths of a volcano are called primary minerals (Pal et al., 2000). Feldspar, biotite, quartz and hornblende are examples of primary minerals. These minerals and the rocks made from them are often not stable when exposed to the weathering agents at the surface of the earth (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). These rocks are broken down (weathered) continuously into small pieces by exposure to physical and chemical weathering processes (Dixon and Schulze, 2002). Some of the elements that are released during weathering, reform and crystallise in a different structure forming secondary minerals (Melo et al., 2002). Secondary minerals tend to be much smaller in particle size than primary minerals, and are most commonly found in the clay fraction of soils (Guggenheim and Martin, 1995). Soil clay fractions often contain a wide range of secondary minerals such as kaolinite, montmorillonite and aluminum hydrous oxides, whereas the sand or silt particles of soils are dominated by relatively inert primary minerals. The clay fraction is usually dominated by secondary minerals which are more chemically active and contribute the most to soil fertility (Melo et al., 2002). Two major secondary mineral groups, clay minerals and hydrous

Compare Passage A, which is a transcript in which a women working in a :: English Literature

Compare Passage A, which is a transcript in which a women working in a pub, talks about the different managers she has worked under, and passage B, which is an extract from, Odour of Chrysanthemums, a short story by D H Lawrence. Upon reading both passages I can clearly view numerous comparisons and differences. Initially, the subject, (meaning of the text) is extremely different in both extracts. Passage A is a transcript in which a women working in a pub, talks about the different managers she has worked under. Whereas passage B, is an extract from, "Odour of Chrysanthemums", a short story by D H Lawrence, set in the midlands. The passage describes how Elizabeth Bates seeks help from her neighbors one evening, when her husband fails to return home after work. The purpose of the two passages are also extremely diverse, passage A is a transcript, and basically she is informing a group of people or a fellow colleague about her previous managers in comparison to the manager she works under now. For instance she informs the other by telling her how she can get away with things while under her temporary manager, 'were all walking around with four lighted cigarettes in our hand and having a drink off everyone that gives us one. The second passage is there to entertain a particular group of people interested in D H Lawrence's writing. The use of descriptive writing engages the audience brains, in-order for them to carry on reading, 'He stood perplexed'. The audience in passage A is very informal, I believe that she is having a general chat with a fellow worker, because the level of speech is quite informal, 'that's the main thing like isn't it you know', I feel that it is interpersonal, the speaker and listener are in close proximity. While extract B, in my opinion will have an endless audience, because it can be seen over thousands of miles and thousands of years. I believe that the audience will benefit a particular age group, quite elderly people, who understand the particular dialect used. The genre itself is very different as well; principally passage A is a simple review of past and present mangers in which the worker has come across. Whereas on the other hand passage B is a suspenseful story, basically a thriller. You can identify this because of the language used throughout the text. "I don't like leaving the children in bed, and nobody in the house," she said. From this you notice that something eventful has occurred in which has permitted her to leave her children at home by them selves.

Internet Gambling, Online Gambling :: Journalistic Essays

Online Gambling    There is a major issue to be dealt with, which is spreading with little regulatory oversight and no effective screens against participation by the young and the vulnerable.   Internet gambling represents one of the fastest growing segments of online activity with more than seven hundred web sites now providing users the opportunity to wager everything from casino games to sporting events.   According to internet research firms, the industry will pull in $1.5 billion in world-wide revenues this year.   That figure is expected to hit at least $6 billion by 2006.   Also, a survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project concluded that $4.5 million Americans have gambled online and that 1 million gamble online everyday.     Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many different issues dealing with the legalization of online gambling.   The current law dealing with online gambling is the Wire Transfer Act of 1961.   Under this statute, the law is violated when telephone lines are used in interstate or foreign commerce to place wagers.   The statute also bars the transmission of information that assists betters to gamble on sports events and contests.   Recently, Congress have been active in seeking to pass further legislation to restrict betting on the web.   Last November, the Senate proposed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.   This statute would make it a crime to knowingly use the internet or other interactive computer services to place, receive, or otherwise make a bet or wager; or send, receive, or invite information assisting in the placing of a bet or wager.   Penalties would be as high as $20,000 and 4 years in prison.   However, in a vote in July, the bill narrowly missed obtaining the two t hirds majority required to pass the bill.   In May, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act was introduced.   This statute would criminalize and prohibit any person engaged in a gambling business from knowingly accepting from another person who is involved in internet gambling a credit card or extension of credits, an electronic transfer of funds, or any instrument payable through a financial institution.   This would shield certain financial institutions from liability as long as they do not know that their facilities are being used for online gambling.   This bill has also not yet been passed.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Either of these Acts would greatly help the problems of online gambling.   There are a number of reasons why this booming industry should provoke more concern among policy makers.

The Tragic Pride of Anowa Essay -- Character Analysis, Anowa, Kofi Ako

The tragic pride of Anowa In life there is place in between adolescents and adulthood where many decisions that are made will ultimately direct the path of life. There are times when a decisions is made it leads to a great life and other times it leads to a destructive path just not for one person but affects everyone around them. In the story of Anowa the main character Anowa is in the place where every decisions she makes leads to a turning point in her life that sets the trap for a great demise. Anowa’s pride leads to her fall and causes those around her great pain. First, Anowa being a strange woman who refuses to get married and when she finally does decide to get married the man whom she picks is not fitting of her mother’s expectations this is the rift that starts the fall of Anowa. In the Global Crossroads World Literature Badua tells Anowa that â€Å"Marriage is like a piece of cloth†¦ and like cloth; its beauty passes with wear and tear† (Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce103). The cloth signifies strength and beauty of a marriage but without the proper consideration and care it will not last. Badua tries to tell her daughter that what may look good today later on may not be so pleasant and may very well rip apart in time ; but because Anowa’s pride she replies to her mother â€Å"I like mine and it is none of your business. I do not care, Mother. Have I not told you that this is to be my marriage and not yours?†(Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce103). Anowa’s determination to follow through with her dec ision seems to be just like many young ladies today who refuse to adhere to the voice of their mother and although the decision they make may be wrong they would rather be stubborn than to admit that the truth of their m... ...ave children, but the whole time he was the reason they could not have children. Instead of leaving well enough alone she says, â€Å"Now I know. So that is it. My husband is woman now and she giggles† (Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce155). Anowa prideful attitude has lead to the death of her husband, herself and the sorrow of her mother and father. She not only killed his manhood but caused him to commit suicide. In conclusion, every decision Anowa made lead to her tragic demise and pride was the ruler of every decision she made. The life of Anowa showed how pride is selfish, stubborn, and disrespect. Anowa could not see how her attitude determined her altitude. Had she learn how to be temperate and showed concern for others she would have not cause herself and other s sorrow and death. Anowa life teaches a valuable lesson that pride will only lead to a destructive path.

Values- Allport-Vernon

Define Values. Critically evaluate â€Å"Allport-Vernon† classification of values. How values  affectthe business processes. Values represent basic convictions that â€Å"a specific mode of  conduct or end-state of  existence is personally or socially preferable to  an opposite or converse mode of conduct orend-state of existence† (Rokeach, 1973). When the values  are ranked in terms of  theirintensity, i. e. , when the value are prioritized in terms of their intensity, it is called valuesystem.Types of values include ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (political,religious) values, social values, and aesthetic values. Values have both content and intensity  attributes. The content attribute signifies that amode of conduct or end-state of existence is  important. The intensity attribute specifieshow important it is. Ranking an individual’s values in terms of their intensity equals thatperson’s value system. Values build the foundati on for the understanding of attitudes and motivation of anindividual, since; value has a  great impact on perceptions.Values shape relationships,behaviors, and choices. The more positive our values, more positive  are people’s actions. Asignificant portion of the values an individual holds is established in the early years—fromparents, teachers, friends, and others. Allport-Vernon classification of values: 1. Theoretical: Interest in the discovery of truth through reasoning and  systematicthinking. 2. Economic: Interest in usefulness and practicality, including the  accumulation of wealth. 3. Aesthetic:Interest in beauty, form and  artistic harmony. 4. Social: Interest in people and human  relationships. 5. Political: Interest in gaining power and influencing other people. 6. Religious: Interest in unity and understanding the cosmos as  a whole. Work behavior across cultures and  businesses In every culture, there are different sets  of attitudes and values which affect  behavior. Similarly, every individual has a set of attitudes and beliefs – filters through which he/sheviews management situations within organizational context.Managerial  beliefs, attitudesand values can affect organizations positively  or negatively. Managers portray trust andrespect in their employees in different  ways in different cultures. This is a  function of theirown cultural backgrounds. For example, managers from  specific culturestend to focusonly on the behavior that takes place at work, in contrast to managers from diffused  cultures who focus on wider range of behavior  including employees’ private and

A Study On Low Back Pain Anthropology Essay

The well-known anthropologist W.M. Krogman frequently talked about the jobs modern worlds have in some of their biological characteristics as being the consequence of the manner we evolved, what Krogman called the â€Å" cicatrixs of human development. † Discuss a biological composite that you believe Krogman might hold been mentioning to, and include in your essay some grounds why he might hold called these a cicatrix of human development. As hominids began walking upright, they underwent extended morphological versions. The human anchor was forced to suit to new perpendicular weight-bearing emphasiss. As a consequence of this comparatively recent development in the spinal column, modern worlds regularly experience lower back strivings, which can be labeled as â€Å" a cicatrix of human development. † In modern worlds, the vertebral column environments and protects the spinal cord as it descends from the brain-stem at the hiatuss magnum to the lower bole. The vertebral column provides the organic structure ‘s chief axial support, but it still remains flexible ; the spinal column is comprised of 24 single castanetss, called vertebrae, and two amalgamate castanetss, the tail bone and the sacrum. The first 7 vertebrae located in the cervix are cervical vertebrae, followed by 12 thoracic vertebrae that connect to the rib coop, and 5 lumbar vertebrae that make up the lower dorsum. The sacrum is composed of 5 vertebrae ( organizing the dorsum of the pelvic girdle ) that fuse together during maturity. The tail bone ( the tailbone ) is made up of irregularly shaped vertebrae that fuse together between the ages of four and six old ages. The thoracic and sacral curvatures form during foetal development. The cervical curve signifiers when a human baby begins to keep up its caput. The c oncave lumbar curve signifiers when a immature human kid begins to walk. These characteristics maintain the balance and support necessary for bipedalism. In quadrupeds, there is a gently C-shaped curve that makes the pectoral part of the spinal column somewhat convex. The human biped, nevertheless, has an S-shaped spinal column ensuing from opposing curvatures ( in the cervical and lumbar spinal parts ) grafted onto the C-shape curvature of a quadruped. The lower dorsum ( lumbar ) vertebrae signifier a really acute curve in worlds by puting the last two inter-vertebral phonograph record at a pronounced angle to the transition of organic structure weight. The spinal curves in the biped let the weight of the organic structure to be carried straight over the hip joint sockets in the midplane, by conveying the centre of gravitation closer to the hips. The weight of a biped is borne down the spinal column to the sacrum, where it passes to the hips and so through the two legs. Because the sum of weight additions increasingly down the spinal column, the vertebrae of a biped are progressively larger as they approach the lumbar part. In contrast, weight bearing does non increase along the spinal column of a quadruped, and so the vertebrae remain of about equal size in the different parts of the spinal column. Intervertebral phonograph record of connective tissue separate each vertebra. The exterior is made up of several beds of fibrocartilage. The interior is the karyon, which is filled with a mush that has the consistence of Jell-O. The karyon of the phonograph record act to buffer each vertebra and absorb daze. Once a human reaches maturity, the operation of the spinal column goes downhill. With age, the spongy discs between the vertebrae lose wet and snap ; the mush inside loses flexibleness and becomes less lissome. The harder, drier discs lose tallness, conveying the vertebrae closer together. Many persons develop serious complications of the vertebral column. Intervertebral phonograph record dislocations affect 1000000s of people worldwide ; many suffer serious chronic hurting, and life long disablement. A ruptured phonograph record, â€Å" a slipped phonograph record † in common idiom, occurs when an intervertebral phonograph record becomes thinner and compressed, doing a herniation of the phonograph record ‘s contents and force per unit area on the spinal nervousnesss, most significantly, the chief sciatic nervus. A tear in the annulus fibrosis on an intervertebral phonograph record allows the soft nucleus pulpous to seep out. This herniation consequences in loss of musculus. An illustration of this muscular devolution is foot retarding force. Almost 90 per centum of herniations happen in vertebrae 4 and 5 in the lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae have the most acute curve, and bring forth our unsloped position. Because these two vertebrae are so angled, they bear the most differential weight and, consequently, suffer the gr eatest wear and tear. Most people can retrieve from intervertebral phonograph records breakdown without surgery ; the mush that is seeping out will finally abjure from the nervus because it loses wet and it shrinks. However, there are more than 4 million operations a twelvemonth in the United States entirely to rectify disc herniations. If an intervertebral phonograph record interruptions down and consequences in force per unit area on the spinal cord, it can be life endangering. The most immediate symptom is the loss of vesica and bowl control. Another serious complication of the vertebral column is osteoarthritis – the dislocation and eventual loss of the gristle between the vertebrae. This consequences in thickener of the articulations and back uping ligaments and the growing of bony goads that can shut in around the issues for the spinal nervousnesss. Osteoarthritis can take to spinal stricture, which is â€Å" the narrowing of the cardinal spinal canal or its sidelong deferrals † ( Weinstein ) . Lower back hurting was non every bit large as a job for our ascendants. There are three theories to explicate this fact. The first account is that the little organic structure of our ascendants led to less force through lumbar system. The 2nd account is that our ascendants were non couch murphies. Our ascendants had improbably powerful musculuss ( robust castanetss and big articulations ) , as a consequence of changeless physical activity. This helped to continue the lower dorsum. The 3rd account is that our ascendants did non populate every bit long as modern worlds, as so they did non make the age where back jobs emerge. In support of this theory is the fact that the average age for disc surgery is 42 old ages old. Today, more than 70 per centum of grownups suffer from back hurting at one point in their lives, and 30 per centum have had it in the last 30 yearss. There are many ways to handle and forestall back hurting in modern worlds. The most of import is exercising, and increasing our musculus tone of the dorsum and legs. Minimizing sitting is besides good, because chairs offer uneven distribution of weight. Surgery is a intervention option, but it should be the last option ; surgery can be really painful, and sometimes it does non relieve the hurting. Treating back hurting presently costs $ 26 billion a twelvemonth ; which is 2.5 per centum of entire wellness attention costs in the United States. Lower dorsum hurting is a biological composite that Krogman would hold clearly labeled as a cicatrix of human development. It is the inevitable merchandise of bipedalism and length of service. Hopefully medical scientific discipline will progress to a point where it can more efficaciously relieve this painful effect of human development.Mentions:Deyo, Richard A. â€Å" Low Back Pain. † Blackboard. Web.Mann, Alan. â€Å" Bipedalism, Power Point Presentations 1 and 2. † Lecture.

Analysis and Evaluation of the Relationship Between Nora

Analysis and Exploration of the relationship between Nora and Torvald as portrayed in A Doll’s House As a reader, the relationship between Torvald and Nora seemed really interesting to me. While it appears one way on the surface, it is very different essentially. I chose to study this because I think, there is a great deal to explore in order to try and understand the marital dynamic between Nora and Torvald.There are so many things that go into why a relationship is theone that it is but I will focus on three very influential aspects in the book– the Victorian gender roles, societal expectations and the idea of image, as well as the individual personalities and beliefs both the spouses held. In assessing the relationship which Torvald and Nora share, it is most significant that we consider the Victorian gender roles at the time. In a time such as that one, both Torvald and Nora would be pressured and bred to mold themselves according to these gender rules.When you†™re raised a certain way and it is ingrained in you that you are expected to be a certain way, you will. Additionally, they would also expect their spouse to do the same. In Victorian times, there were two clear roles that a man and woman were supposed to play in a marriage. Essentially, the man was responsible for protecting, guarding and most of all, ensuring financial security for his wife. This can be observed in A Dollshouse several times. A blatant example is how Nora receives all her spending money from Torvald.Like a child, she receives allowances and sums of money to take care of the household expenses as well as for herself. To exemplify, I extracted an interaction between the couple that takes place when Torvald presents Nora with a sum of money. â€Å" Nora: Torvald, Thank you! This’ll keep me going for a long time! Torvald: Well, you must see that it does. † As a husband, Torvald also restricts her from doing things which he thinks aren’t good for her but she likes to do and these can be as trivial as eating macaroons.To quote Torvald, when he’s questioning Nora about whether or not she’s eaten macaroons and she denies the accusation, Torvald says â€Å"No, I know you wouldn’t, besides you’ve given me your word†. This little instance goes a long way in portraying his role in the relationship as someone who controls her and who is supposed to determine her actions. Another instance when Torvald acts according to his gender role is when he feels he needs to guide Nora to teach her how to dance for the Tarantella.And not only does he do that, but he revels in this role. When Nora presents a facade of desperately needing Torvald’s help to dance the tarantella, he says â€Å"This evening, I’ll be wholly and entirely at your service- you poor, helpless creature†. This leads me to talk about a womans role in the Victorian society and how it influences Nora in her relationship with her husband. If a husband was expected to provide for his wife, similarly, a woman was supposed to live it in gratitude and forever indebted to him.She was to abide by his standards and keep the house comfortable for him and essentially, be in his service all the time. This can really be observed in A Dolls House where Nora is constantly trying to be the ideal wife to Torvald. In Act 2 of the play, we can quote Nora saying to Kristina- â€Å"Sh! Here’s Torvald coming back. Look, go in and sit with the children for a bit- Torvald cant bear to see dressmaking. † She’s perpetually trying to appear a certain way, but to her own husband in her own home.When she’s undergoing hardships like when she was working because when they were in debt or when she’s distraught, she never lets him realize it. As a reader, one can observe this when Nora is describing to Kristina how she could not tell Torvald of her loan and says â€Å" [Torvald] would be terrib ly hurt and humiliated if he thought he owed anything to me. It’d spoil everything between is, and our lovely happy home would never be the same again†. This was also something that was expected of women in the era in that their personal struggles weren’t ever really shared with their husbands.This may seem really odd to us but at the time it may be because marriages in itself seldom took place because two people were in love, but because it was more of an arrangement for both of them to adhere to standards put up by society. So while Nora and Torvald do appear to be in love in its true form, we have to remember as readers, that he does keep in mind her background, her father’s past and this is because these things really mattered when choosing a spouse. He would never let it go. Even when they are having a completely irrelevant and pleasant discussion, Torvald finds a way to incorporate the unpleasant past of her family. Just like your father- always on t he look out for all the money you can get, but the moment you have it, it seems to slip through your fingers and you never know what becomes of it. Well, I must take you as you are- it’s in your blood. † This brings me to the second aspect that I studied which was holding up an image to society and adhering to its standards. This played a huge role in their relationship many times during the play so we can begin to understand how much it affected their marriage. The concept of â€Å"what will people think† arises so many times.The most notable occurrence demonstrating this is towards the end of the play when Torvald finds out about Nora’s lie and rather than trying to keep their relationship together out of genuine affection for Nora and him truly not wanting her to leave because he loves her, he wants her to stay and put up a facade as a married couple just so they still appear that way to society. This is really when we can see what their marriage really means to him. More than anything , it was something to show to society and perhaps this is why they always felt the need to be the ideal couple.It demonstrated his willingness to brush their problems under the rug to maintain an image to society. And doing this isn’t the way any healthy relationship should be, so from this we can conclude that his motive was elsewhere. And he says this too. â€Å"From now on, forget happiness. Now its about saving the remains, the wreckage, the appearance. † The marriage in itself meant less to him than appearance which really drives a reader to consider again how he interacted with his wife and the genuineness of their marriage as a whole.The idea of loving a woman like Nora was more important to Torvald than actually giving her the love she deserved and this is indicated when Nora says â€Å"You’ve never loved me, you’ve only found it pleasant to be in love with me. † Also, the idea of maintaining an image for s ociety comes in when Nora wants to kill herself instead of telling the truth about her debt. She doesn’t want society to look down upon her and her family, she doesn’t want Torvald to be looked down upon so she feels that is the only way out.And this shows how strongly she feels about society as opposed to herself and her husband as individuals. But Torvald seems to have a really determined moral compass. He feels strongly about crimes, lying and debt . He expresses this in act 1 when he says â€Å"Nora, you know what I think about that sort of thing. No debts, no borrowing. There’s something constrained, something ugly even, about a home that’s founded on borrowing and debt. You and I have managed to keep clear up till now and we shall still do so for the little time that is left. † Torvald makes sure that his wn views are heard in his relationship, which in this case only acted as a catalyst to Nora’s breakdown because she was doing and li stening to two different things. Lastly, I wanted to study Torvald and Nora’s own individual personalities and beliefs which probably play the most important role in their marriage. What else can explain the need for Nora to tell little lies like eating macaroons behind Torvald’s back or her strong notion to kill herself when she’s in debt and does not want it to affect her current family. Torvald’s aversion to debt and views about Nora’s family also come out in the same way.In a way , maybe their respective upbringings played a role in how they acted in their marriage. Nora was brought up being repressed, her father wanted to her to act a certain way and always ensured that his opinions were her opinions. From there she was married and experienced almost the same thing. And this constant repression and control over her life, indicated when Nora says â€Å"I’ve been your doll wife here, just as at home I was papa’s doll child†, might be what subconsciously drives her to do things like eat macroons and feel the need to hide such a thing such as a debt from her husband.Even in her initial conversation with Mrs. Lindt, she almost describes the whole experience of the secret loan as something exciting because for her it is that different because of what her life has always been. When Kristina inquires whether Nora obtained her large sum of money through the lottery, Nora responds â€Å"A lottery! Pooh-where would be the glory in that ? † In the same way, Nora experiences how her father was a victim of society when he was dishonest and committed a crime.. Just remember the wicked things they put in the paper about Papa- how cruelly they slandered him. † She doesn’t want the same thing to happen to her own family and this drives her to react the way that she does- because like anyone else her childhood affects her even in her adulthood Incidentally, Torvald’s strong opinions also infl uence their relationship in that she feels the need to hide things because she knows how he feels about them and he doesn’t make it appear as though he’d understand.His opinions were supposed to be hers and his beliefs were supposed to be Nora’s. † You arranged everything to suit your own tastes† says Nora in the third act,† and so I came to have the same tastes as yours.. or I pretended to. I’m not quite sure which. † His strong hatred towards loans and bad deeds are two examples of the same. The most important idea of their individual views is Torvald’s physical attraction and lust for Nora in that it really limits the depth of their relationship.She loves him for all the right reasons and genuinely accepted him as a husband and would sacrifice anything for him, even her life. The way he interacts with her though, is always a more superficial manner pertaining to her beauty and physical appearance rather than as a person. In their most intense moments of interaction we experience before he finds the letter, he speaks to her through a veil of desire and lust â€Å"When I watched you swaying and becokoning in the tarantella, it set my blood on fire till I couldn’t bear it any longer That’s why I brought you home so early. Rather than treating her on a human level, he objectifies her and treats her as a possession or incidentally, a doll – not his partner or equal. â€Å"How fascinating you are, you lovely little thing†¦ Maynt I look at my dearest treasure? At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me- that’s all my very own† Nora is something Torvald feels like he’s proud to own, rather than as a person on her own. Which is really what she struggles with in the end, herself as a person.How he talked to her and how he belittled her , how she was treated that way almost her whole life influenced the outcome of the play in that she finally realizes that s he’s her own person, not a counterpart to any man. â€Å" You’ve committed a grievous sin against me; its your fault I’ve made nothing of my life. †. This demonstrates Nora’s final revelation in the climax of the play. To conclude, id like to mention that a great deal goes into their marriage and how it ended in the play. But by studying a few aspects it gave me a better understanding as to why they were a certain way.