My Experience About Learning English Essay

I bought a book on interpretation last weekend,was written by æžâ€"è ¶â€¦Ã¤ ¼ ¦who is a chief interpreter work for the Ministry of British Foreign Affairs .the book says how to deal with field interpreting. interpreterï ¼Å¡One who translates orally from one language into another.I’m going to be a excellent interpreter.Being a communication emissary to make people more amicable.which simplify the complicated promblems.consequently,To achieve the purpose of cooperation and shared interests. Hello! Everyone  I’d like to share my experience about learning English with u, and I consider it worthwhile trying to summarize our experience in learning English. As matter of fact, speaking English is very easy, even chaild can do it ! first of all,u have to know why we should study English.Maybe most people think its unnecessary for them to speak English,now let me enumerate my reasons one by one in the following; In the first place,u know that china has successful enter the WTO is a great event for Chinese people,especially for our young generation. there is no doubt that it is good for our future to speak English. U can make a trip around the world without being understood. In the second place, u know, most valuable books, newspapers and magazines are written in English. The channel of we getting information is limited, so if u wish to get more knowledge, you must learn English. All above, master a language will bring u unexpected achievement. Second, what is english f or? Some people seem to think it’s for practing grammar rules and learning lists of words the longer the words the better.thats wrong,language is for the exchange of ideas, for communation. it’s an essential tool and a very important weapon in our daily life. The way to learn a language is to practise spaeaking it as often as possible. A great man once said it is necessary to drill as much as possible,and the more u apply it in real situations,the more natural it become. Third, cultivating English thought is very important. We all know that we live in a non-English environment so Successful English learning should be active learning, therefore,. successful learners do not wait for a chance to use the language.you should look for such a chance..u can find people who speak english and ask these people to correct u when u make a mistakes.don’t be afraid of making mistake.the more mistake u made,the more progress u ‘ll get!when commutation is difficult, u can accept information that is inexact or in complete.it is more important for u to learn to think in the language than to know the meaning of every word. of course,u need to learn more about the culture behind the language. When you understand the culturalbackground,you can better use the language.try to think in English whenever possible. When you see something, think of the English word of it;then think about the word in a sentence. Fainally. Interest is the best teacher! Successful language learners are learners with a purpose.thy wanna learn English because u are interested in it and the people who speak it. it’s necessary for u to learn it in order to commucatie with these people and learn from them..we always have much spare time,use a dictionary and grammar guide constanly.keep a small English dictionary with u all the time.when u see a new word,look it up.think about the word—-use it,in ur mind,in a sentence. Here I would like to make three relevant points, first, extensive reading shold be taken as a priority in the learning process,because it is through reading that we get the most language input. next, learning by heart as many as well written essays as possible is also very important. With an enormous stor of excellent assaysin our heads,we will find it much easier to express ourselves in English.finally,it is critical that we should put what we learnt into practice.by doing more reading ,writing, listening and speaking ,we will be able to accomplish the task of perfecting our English. Learning any language takes a lot of effort.but don’t give up.relax!be patient and enjoy yourself.learning forien languages should be fun.†Rome wasn’t built in aday†work harder and practice more,ur hardworking will be rewarded by god one day.God is equal to everyone!

Managing Knowledge and Learning Essay

Managing Knowledge and Learning at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summary National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established by Congress on October 1, 1958, in order for the United States to keep up with the technological advancements achieved from former Soviet Union’s successful launch of the Sputnik (1957). The Apollo Era-Mission had risen from the support of John F. Kennedy’s goal, which was â€Å"landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. † Prioritization at NASA evolved into the center’s motto of â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† (FBC), which was mandated in the Goldin Era beginning in 1992. NASA shifted priorities from: 1) performance, 2) schedule and 3) cost to 1) increase mission performance, 2) cut cost and 3) work force reduction. However, this reform was not as successful as planned. From 1992 and 2000, six of 16 FBC missions failed. To address concern of the impact of failed missions and impending retirements of many of the most experienced NASA employees, Congress enforced that the agency search for the solution to Knowledge Management (KM) and promoting learning initiatives at NASA-JPL. NASA’s KM tools were mainly IT systems of Internet-based databases and portals for ease of lessons. The NASA KM crisis was attributed to the organization’s inability to document experiences of failures and successes of missions or projects; ultimately incapable of capturing the â€Å"experiential knowledge† from expert engineers and scientists. In addition, this lack in KM was due to â€Å"privatizing knowledge† and promoting creativity, that stemmed from NASA’s culture where competition among centers for projects and funding was the norm. Several KM Initiatives were developed including project libraries for document and data management, developing standards, establishing databases to find experts, ask technical questions, and to capture history and legacy reviews. 1) What were the pros and cons of the â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† model? How might outcomes (both positive and negative) of projects executed with this model impact NASA’s stakeholders, i. e. Congress and the general public? The â€Å"Faster, Better, and Cheaper (FBC)† objectives were to cut cost and maximize mission performance. There were several advantages of the FBC reform. FBC allowed compressed development and launch schedules that lead to an increase in the number of missions. Mission time could be reduced from decades to a few years. The number of NASA projects increased from four to 40 under the FBC model. An increase in mission projects was thought to lead to additional discoveries so that NASA could gain further wisdom and space knowledge. FBC missions were changed from one big project to multiple smaller projects. Dividing the program into smaller projects helped to minimize the pressure and stress on the team if a mission failed. Furthermore, one mission failure did not consequently lead to the failure of the entire program. FBC practice allowed senior managers more freedom to implement FBC the way they found fit which promoted creativity and autonomy among senior managers. FBC also reduced the cost of each mission and NASA’s overall budget. For example, the Mars program budget was reduced from one billion dollars to $260 million. There are numerous disadvantages of the FBC reform. Applying the FBC model could lead to more mission failures. During the FBC era, there were 6 failed missions out of 16 FBC missions. Cost and schedule constraints, insufficient risk assessment, planning, and testing, underestimation of complexity and technology maturity, inattention of quality and safety, inadequate review processes, engineering, under-trained staff, poor team communication, and design errors all attributed to NASA’s mission failures. Projects conducted â€Å"faster† does not allow for adequate documentation, time for redlining the project, and recording lessons learned from one mission to the next. This could result in repeated mistakes that could be avoided by future missions. Missions carried out faster do not allow time for mentorship and sharing of knowledge. Also, the term â€Å"better† was not properly defined and was open to interpretation, which may negatively impact maintaining standard procedures and processes. The results of the FBC vision could impact NASA’s stakeholders in several ways. The increase in smaller successful missions would alleviate the risk of one large failure, although any failures will have a negative impact on stakeholders. Congress could be discouraged to provide support and funding for major space programs if they fail but might be more likely to fund smaller missions. The public could either lose or gain confidence, support, and belief in the space program depending on the magnitude of success or failure. FBC mission are less expensive which would decrease NASA’s budget and help satisfy both Congress and the general public by reducing the need for extra taxation by Congress and collection of taxes from the general public. 2) Why was the Mars Pathfinder project so successful? Explain how Anthony Spears management style impacted future missions. Project management was the key to success of the Mars Pathfinder project. It began as an experiment to test the validity of the FBC reform mandated in 1992 when Daniel Goldin was assigned as the new administrator of NASA. A clear and specific plan for the Pathfinder mission was laid out in the beginning and followed through until the end. Analogous to the success of Cisco’s ERP implementation, Anthony Spears, an excellent manager and thought leader with years of experience at NASA, gained the support of top management and the JPL institution (Spears, 1999). Spears developed a unique balance of an advisory committee of experts to support and guide the difficult project, while he recruited talented, yet naive, energetic youngster’s to do what some more experienced people thought impossible. As Spears writes in his lessons learned report it was â€Å"†¦a blend of bright, ambitious youth and scarred old timers, each challenged and empowered, all working each issue together†¦ † (1999). Together, they created a team that bonded and worked together successfully. Spears’ goal was not only the success of the Pathfinder project, but of the FBC program success, unlike the vision of future project managers. The success of Pathfinder did not translate well in future FBC missions. Risk management and testing were important to the Mars Pathfinder success. While the Mars Pathfinder team worked together successfully, the younger players went on to think they were great project managers themselves, but still hadn’t learned enough to manage their next missions successfully. In future FBC projects, some reasons for failure were poor team communication, inadequate or under-trained staff or insufficient testing in 70% of missions and insufficient risk assessment and planning on 86% of missions (exhibit 4). 3) One of the major issues in this case is the retirements of experts. Why is this a problem for NASA? Would it be less of a problem in a different type of organization? Suggest immediate steps that NASA could take to mitigate the problem. Explain your choices. By 2006 half of NASA’s workforce was eligible for retirement which could lead to a major loss of knowledge, especially tacit information, diminishing the collective wisdom of the organization. A senior manager at NASA states, â€Å"we have no formal process for transferring knowledge† from thought leaders to new managers and IT systems had not yet been sufficient in transferring â€Å"experiential knowledge† to the younger generation. Unfortunately, this would be true in many organizations unless they had sufficient knowledge management systems in place and a culture where sharing knowledge was valued and encouraged. In order to mitigate the problem of losing their knowledge base, NASA not only needs to continue to implement their KM strategy, but truly change the culture. Experienced project leaders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), such as design engineers, should openly share their knowledge and not just when asked for it. I support several of the planned KM initiatives such as the capture of information by improving documentation, development of an enterprise web-based portal, and the Knowledge Sharing Initiative (KSI) aimed at changing the companies’ culture. In addition to these activities, an exit strategy could be developed for retiring employees where they must follow standard procedures for employing case-based reasoning in an online database employing a searchable classification system. Additional knowledge could be disseminated by those eligible through training sessions. A reward system should be coupled to these exit requirements and could be increased if the employee decides to be available in the Expert Connections directory of SME’s that could be contacted for support after they leave. New positions might need to be created for dedicated knowledge managers such as Chief knowledge officers. It’s also possible that NASA could obtain some replacement of lost experts by collaborating with space programs in other countries. Collecting the information from experts must be coupled with management support of a corporate wide schema to store the data, methods of dissemination, and apply the information to ultimately make better decisions on projects that involve risking people’s lives. 4) Jean Holm had two options she could choose from: 1) upgrade the IT systems or, 2) change the culture. Which would you choose and why? Is there a third option? Explain your answer. In order for Holm’s to truly have a successful knowledge management system in place, implementation of a hybrid system should be in place; enforcing both upgrade to IT systems occurring simultaneously with changing the private culture into a shared one. Integration of both, changing the culture and IT upgrades will be a lengthy process so it would be critical to first strategically plan for cultivating and managing formal processes for knowledge transfers. Implementing formal processes such as required protocols, reports, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for each mission or project should be enforced from every high-level management as it might help with the KM transfer crisis. Once every item has been completed by the high-level management it would be placed into the appropriate IT systems database in conjunction with the integration of the required knowledge management video synopsis from experienced engineers and scientist who exit the centers. Curriculums would be in place with learning modules with specific need encapsulating these protocols, reports, SOPs, work instructions and video synopsis would then be posted on the intranet, ready for the potential novice engineers and scientists entering the NASA work force; making the system more enriched and meaningful. 5) President Obama is implementing changes to NASA’s charter, which will create new ways of funding/executing projects than NASA is used to. Do a little online research. Do you agree or disagree in this change of direction? Explain. Caution; this is not to be addressed as a political issue) The Obama administration’s new NASA charter includes a couple of key parts: A) In February 2010, the Obama administration canceled the Constellation Program, which was started by former President George W. Bush’s administration in 2004. This program aimed to put US astronauts back on the moon by 2020, for the first time since the final Apollo mission. B) In April 2010, Obama proposed increasing NASA’s overall budget by about $6 billion over five years and shifting NASA’s aim for manned space program to Mars (from the moon). By the mid 2030s, â€Å"I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And landing on Mars will follow,† he said. C) He also challenged the commercial space industry to take up the routine tasks that NASA would abandon – such as ferrying astronauts to and from the space station. I do not agree with him on the part A and Part B of the new charter. The Constellation Program is already 5 year old, and has spent $9. 1 billion. It has already made significant progress and will help America maintaining its space leadership position over Russia and China. On the other hand, I think that it will set a foundation for manned space mission to Mars. Obama’s vision of manned mission to Mars by mid-2030 does not seem realistic to me as he has not talked about its technology feasibility. However, I do agree with his plan’s Part C. I think that it will significantly reduce the cost for transporting people and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit, and might induce the rise of a true space economy.

Eymp3-5.4 Describe Methods of Educating Children

EYMP3-5. 4 Describe methods of educating children and adults in effective food management. It is now accepted that just putting healthy food down on a plate in front of children is not always the best way to help them eat healthy. There are other ways involved in food management. It is important for carer and for parents to understand how much food a child actually needs over the course of a day. Too much food can cause overweight for children even if it is ‘healthy’, similarly, to lacking food intake can cause children to be underweight.A good plan to help parents know how much food should be given to children is to prepare a table or chart sample for each day’s food and work out its overall calorie content using food labels. It’s helpful to see how much food children of different ages may require rather than just being told how many calories they need. It is also important for carer to be aware that ‘healthy drinks’ such as smoothies and frui t juices can be high in calories and so should be limited.It is now thought helpful for parents to be advised early by professionals to notice if that their children are either under- or overweight. Interestingly, few parents notice that that their young children are becoming overweight or underweight and often don’t realize it because of the way they think about how cuddly their child are. Parents of children over 3 years old need to realise that children should begin to look quite slim and by the age of 4 years the healthy profile of children is that they should look lean.There are now plenty of websites and leaflets from variety of organisations that can help parents understand what healthy weight is for their children. Using that website to identify if their children’s weight is not at the expected level for their height, it is also important that young children are not made aware of any problems as this can lead to emotional issues with food later in life.Ideally, food should be enjoyable for children and the environment should be comfortable when its meal times, where the focus is not only on food intake. Unfortunately for some children and their families, food can become a battleground and as a result a child may develop an issues relating to eating food such as food phobia. That’s why many children decided to eat specific food that they prefer and may not try out new foods. Therefore, carer and parents need to watch out for children who are becoming distressed by food.We also need to look out for children who are becoming worried about what they eat, as some dieticians have expressed worries that children are picking up adult concerns about being overweight. If you notice that child seems to have a hard time with food, it will be important to stay relaxed and not create a tense atmosphere. You can try giving food differently or include children in food preparation. If a this method does not work and parents report that they are als o having difficulties, it will be worth parents getting some professional help via their GP.

Ebay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Ebay - Essay Example Marketing is a process that entails finding out what exactly the customers wants and needs, then providing customer with goods and services that meet or exceed their expectations, it is not merely â€Å"selling† and â€Å"advertising†. Some of the internal strength that facilitated success were, product being customer oriented this means finding out what the customer really wants and not what he/she can find an alternative and manage then provide it to them. Service orientation-that is, having an objective of customer satisfaction. A profit orientation is marketing the products in a way that will earn the business good profit to enhance its survival and facilitate its expansion to serve more customers (Blattberg and Scott, 385). Weaknesses that may have hindered complete meeting my objective; knowing what the customer needs its quite difficult because it is not easy to get to interact with all of them in person, finding means of quick delivery of products, constant change in technology constantly affecting customer’s preferences, therefore, need to monitor closer relationships with customers. Since it is marketing at global level one must adhere by all rules of all the countries he/she markets the product and the legality of the product, which is not easy. What came first, your product or your target market? Did you have a product you wanted to sell, find a target market for it on E-Bay, then analyze your environment and adjust your marketing mix-----or, did you analyze your environment, find a target market, and then find a product to market on E-Bay with a specific marketing mix? Explain your strategy. My strategy is by first scanning the environment to which I intend to market my products. By scanning the environment, I identify the factors that are likely to affect marketing my success (global, technological, social, economic influences) such as the availability of the product, demand of the product, competition, technology advancement in

MCH Programs and Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MCH Programs and Policies - Assignment Example y contraceptives were safe for use and a litigation by over 60 women and medical groups’ in 2001 forced FDA to approve emergency contraceptives for use over-the-counter for all women. Thereafter, various state government established laws that allowed sale of emergency contraceptives without a doctor’s prescription but in 2011, the Obama administration restricted access to those under 17 years (Center for Reproductive Rights, 2015). The policy has improved economic welfare of many women. They are not inconvenienced by unwanted pregnancies, although it has not reduced the risk of acquiring sexual infections. Religious groups believe plan B causes abortion while but researchers prove it prevents implantation. Emergency contraceptives have reduced agony and suffering from women who previously had to seek abortion services after unprotected sex. College girls no longer drop out of school due to unwanted pregnancy inconveniences (Glasier & Baird, 1998). Drug manufacturers, women rights group, FDA and religious groups have vested interests the bill. Drug manufactures, would want it approved for use by all without restrictions. Women groups find it a right violation and medical groups such as pediatric associations believe that it important because it reduces the cost of unwanted pregnancies and the risk of complications during delivery and late abortions. Religious groups find it immoral. The FDA and government find that people are likely to abuse the drugs (Culp-Ressler, 2013; Faà ºndes, Tavara, Brache, & Alvarez, 2007). Culp-Ressler, T. (2013). Judge Rules Emergency Contraception Should Be Available To All Women Over The Counter. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/05/1826411/judge-plan-b-over-counter/ Faà ºndes, A., Tavara, L., Brache, V., & Alvarez, F. (2007). Emergency contraception under attack in Latin America: response of the medical establishment and civil society. Reproductive Health Matters, 15(29),

The impact of culture on international marketing Essay

The impact of culture on international marketing - Essay Example However it is observed that the new emerging markets have socio-cultural contexts much different from the parallel contexts in western countries. Such cultural differences present themselves both as an opportunity and threat to those organizations expecting to find niche in these markets. If properly researched and read into the cultural dimensions of the foreign market can be woven into the international marketing mix and help establish the global supplier as a trustworthy supplier who understands the local realities. Inadequate research into these aspects and thereby deficient weaving of cultural dimensions in the international marketing mix can prove to be an expensive marketing mistake. This paper takes up a substantive literature review of the impact of cultural dimensions in international marketing mix before taking up a library based approach to examine major arguments in respect of culture, its dimensions, international marketing mix and the impact of cultural dimensions on i nternational marketing mix. A hypothesis that international marketing mix was made more effective by conscious in building within such mix cultural dimensions and their implications was tested through the analysis of major arguments presented in the researched library material. The analysis also found support in some case studies examined from the library resources.

Why might firms with exposure to foreign markets use foreign currency Coursework

Why might firms with exposure to foreign markets use foreign currency derivatives - Coursework Example A derivative is defined as ‘an instrument whose price is derived from, or depends on, the price of another asset’ (Hull 2009:779). When a company receives foreign currency against supply of services or goods to a foreign based importer, it acknowledges some kind of foreign exchange risk, since there is a possibility of fluctuation between currencies of both exporter and importer from the time of entering into the contract and receipt of funds from the foreign importer. Thus, in case of companies with substantial export earnings, it should assess the quantum of its forex exposure, create a road map for how to minimise that risk, to employ hedging strategies to minimise any substantial loss that may be encountered due to future forex fluctuations in the currencies where it is likely to receive from its foreign importers. (Bragg 2010: 207). For instance, if a company has quoted its export values in US$ and during the interval period where a foreign importer is under obligat ion to pay the exporter, if the dollar appreciates against the exporter’s currency, then the importer might be paying with a decreased –value currency, which creates the company to account for a foreign exchange loss at the time of receipt of funds. (Bragg 2010: 208). As per Froot, Scharstein and Stein (1993), if the level of capital investment of a company is high, the chance for employing forex derivatives in its risk management policy is always on the increase. (Froot, Scharstein and Stein 1993:1631). ... ers of the international companies opt these derivatives so as to take the positions in the anticipation of revenues (speculation) or employment of these instruments to minimise the risk inherent with day to day management of their company’s cashflow hedging).( Aswathappa 2010 :543). The probable advantages from employing forex derivatives are reliant on the anticipated exchange rate movements. Thus, it is essential to comprehend why the exchange rate moves over time before employing the forex derivatives for risk coverage. Different Kinds of Forex Derivatives Forex Forwards: Forward is comprised of spot transactions that have been retained for less than 180 days but held over 48 hours when they due for payment and paid at the current prevailing spot price. If you minus the bid price with that of ask price, then you can arrive at the transaction cost. Forex swaps are financial transactions associated with the swapping of two currency amounts on a particular date and a reverse exchange of the analogues' amount at an afterward date. The main objective is to administer currency risks and liquidity by executing forex transactions at the most apt time. In fact, the underlying currency is borrowed and lent concurrently in both currencies, for instance, by selling Euro for US$ for spot value and consenting to reverse the deal at an afterdate. (Brickford& Brickford 2007:7) Forex Futures: A future can be illustrated as a standardised contract to sell or buy a particular asset at a price previously consented to and at a fixed future date. Forex futures are standardised financial instruments that are negotiated in organised markets. Forex futures have many probable benefits but also have many probable risks. Forex futures markets are not only heavily regulated but also

Marble Cinery Urn Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marble Cinery Urn - Term Paper Example The major theme of the art on the cinery urn is spoils of a war. It is a striking rectilinear box covered with aspects of war like weapon armor, piles of trophies, carriages, and clubs. The fragmentary nature of the marble cinery urn makes it more captivating. The panels making the piece are of high quality, identifying the urn as a unique commission. Other available urns are baskets and vases which make this type of earn unique. The name of the deceased was inscribed on the front but the writing is missing. The marble cinery urn was excavated in south East Rome in a tomb in Anagni in the year 1899. The craftsmanship and the iconography of the art identify it as sarcophagi of the mid imperial period. (metmuseum.org, n.p) A commemorative urn shows the existence of loyalty, love and the beauty of ancient culture. Social messages to the deceased were easily put across using the urns and other portraits. There are other types of urns each with different purposes and cultural meaning. Ancient Romans could choose between burying their dead or cremating them, the choice was left for the family to decide. Cremation was more prevalent in this time since the burying was more foreign before the second century AD. This practice of cremation is evident in their art. Images and the themes of the dead and those mourning were common in the poetry. The urns were used to store the ashes of the dead after cremation. The marble cinery urn described above was probably used to store a victim of war that is why the urn has the weaponry engraved on the outer surface of the urn. The urns containing the ashes were placed in underground chambers or tombs with each individual urn having its own space. The chambers were personal properties or collective burial grounds. There was mass production of the urns but each urn was personalized that is why each urn is different from the other. Traditionally a final sigh signaled the death of a person. The relatives of the deceased would surround the death bed chanting his or her name. Calling of the name would be done continuously to ensure that the deceased had really died and for the burial process to officially start. People believed that this practice was equating breathe and the soul. A close relative would give a deceased a last kiss to catch the soul. The deceased eyes were also closed. Much weight was given to last words of a dying person (Hope, 168). Bodies were removed from the death beds placed on their knees for some time and then placed on the ground for the female relatives to clean it. Wrapping corpses with a black cloth or a white toga signaled the start of the wake. All honors the deceased had achieved in life were placed on the deceased and two cy press branches were planted on the entrance of the home. This was to show that there was a corpse in that specific house. Bodies were placed on a funeral beds in the residence, where people gave their last respects. To indicate a peaceful death the deceased feet were placed facing the door (Hope and Marshall ,34) . Funerary practices had long standing traditions referred to as mos maiorum drawn from Roman traditions and religion. It was one of the means through which cultural and family heritage was preserved and celebrated. Funeral processions (pompa) were made public with professional mourners being part of it. Wealthy families acquired actors who would dance in a satirical way to scare away evil spirits. Mimicking the lifestyle and speech of the deceased was done by the actors. Wax masks were worn by those representing the family’s ancestors who were prominent. Songs, hymns and other chants

Business - WRTG-2 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business - WRTG-2 Assignment - Essay Example However, at the end of the day, one needs to work for the purpose of earning their livelihood. This is the reason why an individual gets paid for doing work. In simple words, work is defined as the process by which an individual accomplishes some activities against some financial offerings. Traditionally, there have been concepts that if one does not work, he/she may get indulged into some illegal activities. In that case work is important for every individual. Now, in the context of the study, I have been in the field of steel industry. From the graduation days I have decided that I will be getting into a sector that has global opportunities. Also, I had a feeling that I should be working for an industry that offers continuous learning and allows me to showcase my talent. Hence, I decided to work for the steel industry. Steel industry has a worldwide scope. A large number of companies operate within the steel industry. However, the steel industry does not exist alone; it collectivel y exists with iron and is known as iron and steel industry. Steel industry is also important for the economy of a country. It acts as an indicator of the national economy. The demand of steel is continuously rising. To cite an example, during the early 2000 the demand for steel increased by 6%. It is mainly due to the massive economic boom in countries such as India and China. Some of the evident players of the steel industry are Tata Steel, Shagang Group and Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation. In the context of the steel manufacturing industry, it has a mixture of both skilled and unskilled labor force. As the industry needs high precision in the tasks, skilled labors are important. The process of manufacturing steel is complex, and there are various scientific ways of production. The industry has a diverse group of workforce; starting from engineers, it has personnel from marketing, sales and other fields of business. However, the task of different departments differs accordingly . Discussion There are eminent personalities who work in the steel industry. Some of them include Ratan Tata, who is the owner of Tata Group and Tata Steel from India. According to Ratan Tata, the demand of steel is hugely increasing in the western part of the world; therefore, the trade fall in the parts of Europe and US has diminished. However, he has also highlighted that steel is yet to get out of trouble. According to him, the financial crunch and high cost of raw material have severely affected the profit of the first quarter. Yet, the signals are encouraging, according to him. Also, according to Prasad Baji of Tata Steel, the industry is witnessing a booming period. Consumption of steel has increased by 5–6 % in the 1st quarter; moreover, it is also estimated that the demand will further increase in the present quarter by about 8–10 % (â€Å"Steel Industry Thinks the Worst Is over and Signals Are Cheery†). Some of the other eminent personalities of this i ndustry include Xu Lejiang, the chairman of Baosteel. According to him, the present situation of the Chinese steel industry is witnessing historic transformations. Nonetheless, in order to transform it for the betterment, it requires the transformation of both the steel and iron industries. He also believes that the key factor towards the development of the industry lies in its system of operation. In addition, he stated that innovation in the most

The factors affecting the resistance of a metalic conductor Essay Example for Free

The factors affecting the resistance of a metalic conductor Essay I1 12 As I have found from my experiments, the results I obtained show that the factors I predicted of affecting the resistance of a wire have proved true. Firstly, the factor of length increasing and resulting in an increase of resistance of the wire held true, because, as I varied the lengths of the wire form 50cm to 200cm the resistance increased from approximately 5 to 20. Secondly, the factor of the cross sectional area increasing and resulting in a decrease of the resistance of the wire also held true, because as I varied the cross sectional areas of the wire from 0. 4mm to 0. 91 mm, the resistance went from approximately 5. 4 to 0. 9. The above-mentioned results occur due to the fact of how many free electrons are being conducted through the wires of different lengths and areas.   In the case of length; the resistance increases as the length increases because a wire with a shorter distance will have a smaller amount of atoms for the free electrons to hit. Whereas a wire with a longer distance will have more atoms for the electrons to hit and the resistance gradually increases as a result.   In the case of the cross-sectional area; a wire with a greater area allows more electrons to flow through it as well as having more channels for the electrons to flow through it. As a result the resistance decreases, because current can flow without any restrictions. Whereas a wire with a smaller area all a smaller number of electrons to flow through it resulting in diminished flow of current through the wire. Thus the resistance increases because the current is flowing with restrictions. From the graphs on the following pages, I have illustrated my results obtained from my experiments and done so with the relationship between the current [I] and the voltage [V]. As predicted earlier, the graphs explain how, as the length of the wire increases, the resistance also increases, as shown in the graph I. As well as explaining how, as the cross sectional area of the wire increases, the resistance decreases, as seen in graph II. I have also plotted a graph to the effect on the resistance of the wire when a specific type of circuit is being used. A series circuit effect is seen in graph III and a parallel circuit effect is seen in graph IV. GRAPH I:   Length as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that the shorter the wire, the steeper the slope. Each line represents the wires I used that were of lengths ranging from 50cm to 200cm. The 50cm wire line has the steepest slope, thus we say it has the lowest resistance, while the 200cm wire has the least steep slope and we say it has the highest resistance. However to verify this fact I calculated R from the graph and found: For the length of the wire: 50 cm GradientÃ'Ž Therefore; R =1/0. 05 = 20 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Length [cm] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] R/L [] 50 5. 06 5 100 9. 83 10 150 14. 63 13 200 19. 87 20 This graph shows, that the length of the wire is directly proportional to the resistance. GRAPH II: * Cross sectional area as a factor affecting resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that the thicker the wire the steeper the slope. Each slope represents the various thickness of wires I used ranging from 0.4mm to 0. 91mm. The 0. 4mm wire has the least steep slope, and we say that it has highest resistance, whereas the 0. 91mm wire line has the steepest slope and thus we say it has the lowest resistance. However I must verify these facts form my graph and calculate the value of R from the graph. Therefore; R = 1/0. 54 = 1. 8 0. 91mm Gradient = 1. 03 0. 81/ 1. 0 0. 8 = 0. 22/0. 2 = 1. 1 Therefore; R = 1/1. 1 = 0. 9 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Area [m ] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] R x A [] 0. 12 5. 49 4. 8 0. 25 2. 86 3 0. 39 1. 62 1. 8 0. 65 0. 97 0. 9 This graph shows that the cross sectional area of the wire is inversely proportional to the resistance of the wire. GRAPH III: * A series circuit as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that when we use a wire of length 50cm, and pass current through it, via a series circuit the resistance is slightly less, than when we pass current through two wires of lengths 20cm and 30 cm and connect them with a series connection then the resistance is slightly higher. This is because were doubling the length of the resistor, thus we say that the resistance increases with the total length of the resistors. To verify my findings   Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Length [cm] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] 2030 6. 04 6. 8 50 5. 06 6. 2 GRAPH IV:   A parallel circuit as a factor affecting the resistance of a wire: From the graph, we can see that when we use a wire with a smaller cross sectional area and pass current through it via a parallel circuit, the resistance is slightly higher than when using a normal circuit. This is because placing resistors in parallel is equivalent to increasing the cross-sectional area A through which current can flow. In my graph I have used a wire of thickness 0. 4mm and passed current through it using a parallel circuit, and the resistance is lower. The resistance for the 0. 56mm wire when passing current through it using a normal circuit is higher. However to verify my findings, I calculated the value of R from my graph and found: 0. 4mm Gradient =Therefore; 35 Therefore; R =1/0. 35 = 2. 8 Below is my observation table that compares the value of R from my tabular calculations and the value of R from my graphical results: Area [m ] Calculated value of R [] Graphical value of R [] 0. 12 2. 62 3. 33 0. 25 2. 86 2. 8 MATHEMATICAL DEDUCTIONS TO FURTHER PROVE MY RESULTS: Consider a wire of length l Where; A = cross -sectional area / number density of electrons n = electron density =number of free electrons per unit volume If voltage V, is applied to the wire, the electrons will drift to the positive terminal with a velocity, v. Volume of the wire = AlÃ'Ž Number of free electrons in conductor = n x A x l = nAl Total charge that is free to move = n x A x l x e =nAle Current = charge/time = Q/t Time required for all electrons to emerge out of the end of the conductor = l/v Therefore; I = Q/t = nAle/l/v = nAve Drift velocity (from battery cell) is the EMF, Therefore; Force = mass x acceleration (force to move current) Acceleration = velocity/time L = m x v / t Work is done by voltage in moving electrons i. e. acceleration: Work done = Force x Distance Distance = l Therefore; work done/electronic charge = w/e Work done per unit charge = V = w/e = lÃ'Ž Therefore; V = l x m x v/et R = V/I therefore; V = l x m x v/et = l x m x et I = nAve nAe From my analysis I can conclude that as the length of a wire increases, so does the resistance. This is because there is a larger amount of wire to travel up and therefore there will be more factors to increase resistance I can now sat that I believe my experiments were quite accurate as I performed them fairly and properly, this is demonstrated in the good results I have obtained. My measurements were accurate enough as I used digital ammeters and voltmeters, making them more reliable. In doing so I also avoided the possibility of parallax errors as well as zero errors. Were my results accurate to draw a conclusion? I was able to draw a valid conclusion for the measurements of current and voltage, as they were more or less what I expected to attain. I managed to prove that resistance is proportional to length as length increases, the resistance of the wire increases and that resistance is inversely proportional to the cross sectional area as cross sectional area increases, the resistance of the wire decreases. As well as that, for 2 wires connected via a series circuit combination, the resistance pattern will be the same as that when length of a wire is varied. Whereas for 2 wires connected via a parallel circuit combination, the resistance pattern will be the same as that for when area of the wire is varied. My results did not agree fully with my heat theory as they showed slight variations, such as a 14. 63 result instead of a result close to 13 for a wire of length 150cm. And a 19. 87 result instead of a result close to 18 for a wire of length 200cm. These were my anomalous results. This was probably due to the temperature variation of the wire. However these anomalous results were not big enough to change my final reading. I believe my results allowed me to cover a wide range of factors affecting the resistance of a wire, because I took a total of 4 lengths and eight readings for each length, giving me enough to analyse. I performed the experiment once, but I did take the reading of the current twice. Once in an ascending order, then in a descending order, thus I had two sets of results, which improved my accuracy. I also did a fair test because I followed the precaution of using the same equipment each time the experiment had to be carried out. Thus I can regard my results as being reliable values, as when compared to actual values, such as getting a 5 resistance for the 50cm wire as compared to supposedly having to get a 4. 5 resistance, or a 9. 83 resistance for a 100cm wire as compared to having to obtain a 9 resistance. I dont have any outstanding anomalous values that showed up on my graphs, only a few points did not quite fit on my line of best fit, which were quite close to it anyway. As I mentioned earlier these could have been caused by the heating effect of the equipment which resulted in slight variations of my readings. OTHER EXPERIMENTS TO MEASURE A CURRENT VOLTAGE RELATIONSHIP: Testing a silicon diode: I could connect a battery, a lamp, and a diode in series. Then connect the narrow end of the diode nearest to the negative terminal of the battery. Using an analog VOM type meter, I would set the meter to one of the lower ohms scales, say 0-2K, and measure the resistance of the diode both ways. If I get zero both ways, the diode is shorted. If I get INFINITY both ways, the diode is open. If I get INFINITY one way but some reading the other way (the value is not important) then the diode is good and I can measure the current and the voltage. As the graph shows, almost no current flows if the voltage applied is in the reverse direction. Testing the transistor: Testing a unijunction transistor (UJT) is a relatively easy task if you view the UJT as being a diode connected to the junction of two resistors, as shown in figure 4-21. With an ohmmeter, measure the resistance between base 1 and base 2; then reverse the ohmmeter leads and take another reading. Both readings should show the same high resistance regardless of the meter lead polarity. Connect the ohmmeters negative lead to the UJTs emitter. Using the positive lead, measure the resistance from the emitter to base 1, and then from the emitter to base 2. Both readings should indicate high resistances approximately equal to each other. Disconnect the negative lead from the emitter and connect the positive lead to it. Using the negative lead, measure the resistance from the emitter to base. From my mathematical deductions (to further prove my investigation) in my analysis section I calculated the value for resistivity for a nichrome wire and compared the calculated value with the actual standard value of rho. That is; LENGTH [cm] R from my experimental results R from my graphical results. REA [m] R from my experimental results [] R from my graphical results therefore; Material Length [m] Area [m ] Resistance [] Calculated [m] Standard [m] NichromeNichrome Nichrome NichromeÃ'Ž Thus we see that my results were not so different from the actual standard value of resistivity, and this is mainly because of the temperature variations that occurred during my experiment. This evidence does support a firm conclusion that if someone was to repeat the same investigation I would expect the to receive the same results. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Impact of Shale Gas on Seismic Activity

Impact of Shale Gas on Seismic Activity Is shale gas development responsible for increased seismic activity? 1. Introduction In recent years, shale gas has become the notorious poster child of the fossil fuel industry (Sovacool, 2014). Proponents tout it as being the answer to current energy needs given that it is available in abundance and has a lower carbon footprint than other fossil fuels e.g. coal and oil (Sovacool, 2014). Contrary to this, opponents have a firm stance against shale gas development, having concerns about its environmental impact. Shale gas has come under fire once again as a link between fracking and earthquakes has stirred up public emotions (Walsh, 2014). There has been a dramatic increase in the number of seismic events in the central and eastern regions of the United States. The US has seen over 300 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale over a period of three years (2010 to 2012) in comparison to an average of 21 events per year over the last three decades (Ellsworth, 2013). In several states such as Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas and Ohio these increased seismic events have been linked to underground injection of waste water from shale gas developments (Ellsworth, 2013). In the United Kingdom hydraulic fracturing at Preese Hall near Blackpool has been linked to two earthquakes of magnitude 2.3 and 1.5 on the Richter scale (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). There are a number of procedural steps required for shale gas development that include the following: road and well pad construction, well drilling, casing, perforating, hydraulic fracturing, completion, production, abandonment and reclamation. This essay focuses on the underlying potential of hydraulic fracturing and underground waste water disposal to trigger seismic activities. Despite seismic activities being recorded at only a handful of the numerous shale gas development sites, the evidence indicates that increased seismic activity can be linked to shale gas development (Ellsworth, 2013). Even though the magnitude of these earthquakes are on the scale of being nuisances rather than catastrophes (Sovacool, 2014), there is a growing interest into understanding the cause of these events and the mitigation strategies to avoid larger catastrophes in terms of earthquakes or surface damage. 2. Induced Seismicity Induced seismic events are earthquakes triggered by human activity such as injecting fluids into rock formations for waste water disposal and hydraulic fracturing (National Research Council, 2013). Induced events have a much smaller magnitude than naturally occurring events and are therefore not usually felt on the Earth’s surface (Davies et al, 2013). Induced earthquakes take place when changes occur in the pore pressure-the pressure of fluid in the pores and fractures of rock-due to injection or withdrawal of fluids from the Earth’s subsurface. This change in pressure alters the stress on nearby faults, causing them to slip creating a seismic event. There are many factors that contribute to the magnitude and likelihood of an induced earthquake which include the injection rate, fluid pressure, fluid volume and injection duration (Davies et al, 2013). Since there is no physical difference between naturally occurring earthquakes and induced earthquakes it is difficult to determine the origin of a seismic event (National Research Council, 2013). A study conducted by Davis and Frohlich (1993) proposed criteria that have to be met in order to consider an earthquake as induced. These are: 1. Are these events the first known earthquakes of this character in the region? 2. Is there a clear correlation between injection and seismicity? 3. Are epicentres near wells (within 5km)? 4. Do some earthquakes occur at or near injection depths? 5. If not, are there known geologic structures that may channel flow to sites of earthquakes? 6. Are changes in fluid pressures at well bottoms sufficient to encourage seismicity? Based on these criterion the seismic activity in Dallas Fort Worth, USA was attributed to disposal of waste water from fracking activities (Frohlich et al, 2010) and the earthquakes at Preese Hall, UK were linked to hydraulic fracturing (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). Figure 1 shows the 198 recorded global induced seismic events (Davies et al, 2013:p.178). Out of the 198 examples of induced seismicity hydraulic fracturing accounts for only 3 instances of ‘felt seismicity’ (seismic activity above magnitude 2.0 on the Richter scale) and waste water disposal, specifically from shale gas activities, also accounts for only 3 ‘felt’ seismic events (Davies et al, 2013). Figure 1. Frequency vs. magnitude for 198 published examples of induced seismicity (Davies et al, 2013:p.178) 3. Seismic activity due to hydraulic fracturing Hydraulic fracturing is the technique used to extract gas from ‘shale rock’ formations. Shale rock has large quantities of methane which are trapped in it due to its low permeability (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). In order to release the gas, fracking fluid is injected at high pressures to create fractures, increasing permeability of the rock and allowing gas to flow out. Micro-seismic events (less than magnitude 2 on the Richter scale) are often associated with the creation of faults in hydraulic fracturing, however their magnitude is too small to be felt on the surface (Davies et al, 2013). In the event of the presence of a pre-stressed fault near the fracked well a larger seismic event can occur although its magnitude will have an upper limit of 3 on the Richter scale (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). The magnitude of induced seismicity is directly proportional to the surface area of the fault and degree of stress on the fault (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). The magnitude also depends on the pressure in the well, which is determined by the following factors (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012): Volume of injected fracking fluid Volume of flow back fluid Injection rate Flow back rate The importance of controlling the well pressure can help mitigate seismicity, as seismic events have occurred only at wells where large volumes of fluid have been injected with little or no flow back leading to pressure build up (de Pater Baisch, 2011). The seismic activity observed at Blackpool, UK was linked to the hydraulic fracturing operations underway at Preese Hall due to spatial and temporal correlation (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). Eisner et al (2011) conducted a study to look into the reasons behind the earthquakes, which concluded that the earthquakes were caused by injection of fracking fluid directly into an adjacent fault. The fluid injection had changed the pore pressure, reduced stress on the fault and caused it to slip resulting in a series of earthquakes. The earthquakes were also measured against the criteria suggested by Davis and Frohlich (1993) to determine whether they were induced or natural events (Eisner et al, 2011): Table 1. Criteria proposed by Davis and Frohlich (1993) to help differentiate between induced and natural seismicity applied to events at Preese Hall (Eisner et al, 2011:p. 21) The table above shows that the criteria were met and hence the events at Blackpool were classified as having been induced by hydraulic fracturing activities at Preese Hall. Mitigation: In order to avoid such events the Department of Energy and Climate Change introduced the following controls and checks for well operators (Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2014): Utilise all geological information available to determine the location of faults before drilling wells to ensure wells are at a distance from existing fault lines. Inject minimum amounts of fracking fluid Constantly monitor seismic activity Introduce ‘traffic light monitoring system’, which determines whether to proceed with injection or not on the basis of seismic activity magnitude. The implementation of these mitigation strategies would help operators assess location of faults before fracking, monitor seismic activity and stop even if minor tremors occur. 4. Seismic activity due to waste water disposal Waste water is a by-product of fracking and is often disposed of by being injected, under pressure, into disposal wells. Waste water injection increases underground pore pressure and weakens nearby faults, lubricating them, and causing them to slip resulting in an earthquake. The magnitude of induced seismic activity from waste water disposal is larger than that of fracking because it involves injection of larger volumes of fluid over a timespan of months or years (as opposed to a few days for fracking) causing greater pressures to build up (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). The upper limit of magnitude of seismicity induced by disposal in 5 on the Richter scale (Majer et al, 2007). In the USA links between waste water disposal and seismicity were drawn when a cluster of earthquakes were noticed in the Guy-Greenbrier area of Arkansas. Since the first disposal wells became operational in April 2009 this area experienced an increase in the number of magnitude 2.5 (or greater) earthquakes, with one in 2007, two in 2008, ten in 2009 and fifty four in 2010 (Horton, 2012). Horton (2012) reports that 98% of the earthquakes occurred within 6 km of one of the disposal wells, began post-injection, increased when the rate of injection increased and tapered off when the well was shutdown. After an extensive study of the area it was noted that the waste water was being injected into an aquifer from where it increased pore pressure on an unknown fault triggering the earthquakes (Horton, 2012). Similar activity was observed in the Dallas Fort Worth area, where 11 ‘non-felt’ (magnitude less than 2 on the Richter scale) seismic events were recorded during the period between the 20th of November and 2nd of December 2008 (Frohlich et al, 2010). The epicentre of all 11 events was less than 0.5 km away from a disposal well thereby causing them to be classified as induced seismic events (Frohlich et al, 2010). Out of the thousands of disposal wells in the US only a handful have displayed seismic activity (Frohlich et al, 2010). The reason for this could be that most of the wells are drilled into porous, permeable rocks suitable for accommodating fluids and that injection induced triggering occurs only if the fluid reaches a favourably oriented fault (Frohlich et al, 2010). Mitigation: The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering (2012) have suggested steps that could be taken to mitigate the seismic activity due to waste water disposal: 1. Injection into active faults and brittle, non-porous rocks should be avoided 2. Pressure changes at depth should be minimised by reducing volume of fluid to be disposed. This could be done by building more wells to accommodate smaller volumes of fluid or injecting into highly permeable rocks. 3. A ‘traffic light monitoring system’ should be deployed to respond to seismicity. 5. Conclusion After analysis of data from shale gas plays in the US and UK it can be concluded that shale gas development is responsible for the increased seismic activity felt in these regions. It must be noted however that most cases of seismic activity had magnitudes well below what could be felt at the surface (Davies et al, 2013). According to the National Research Council (2013) hydraulic fracturing does not pose a high risk for inducing seismic activity while disposal of waste water into underground wells poses a greater risk due to the injection of larger volumes of waste water for longer durations of time. However, of the 30,000 wells in operation in the US, only 3 wells have displayed ‘felt’ seismic activity (Davies et al, 2013). A balanced approach should be taken while addressing this matter as other human activities (mining and oil recovery) are responsible for far greater incidences of induced seismicity (Davies et al, 2013). In order to allay public concerns and reduce risks associated with seismic activity the government should enforce certain regulations e.g. geological assessment of rock system at well site, deployment of ‘traffic monitoring system’, limitations on volume and rate of fluid injected and limitations on the proximity of wells to active seismic zones or critical facilities (hospitals, schools, nuclear power plants etc.). Coordinated efforts should be made between the government and industry to put in place a mechanism to respond to induced seismic events and gather comprehensive geological data from shale gas development sites to better understand why, how and where these events occur. References Davies, R., Foulger, G., Bindley, A. Styles, P. (2013) Induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing for the recovery of hydrocarbons. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 45 (0), 171-185. Davis, S. D. Frohlich, C. (1993) Did (or will) fluid injection cause earthquakes? -criteria for a rational assessment. Seismological Research Letters. 64 (3-4), 207-224. de Pater, C.J,Baish,S. (2011) Geomechanical Study of Bowland Shale Seismicity. Eisner,L.,Janskà ¡,E., OprÃ… ¡al,I.,MatouÃ… ¡ek,P. (2011) Seismic analysis of the events in the vicinity of the Preese Hall well. Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. Ellsworth, W. L. (2013) Injection-Induced Earthquakes. Science. 341 (6142). Frohlich, C., Potter, E., Hayward, C. Stump, B. (2010) Dallas-Fort Worth earthquakes coincident with activity associated with natural gas production. The Leading Edge. 29 (3), 270-275. Green,C.A.,Styles,P.,Baptie, B.J. (2012) Preese Hall Shale Gas Fracturing Review and Recommendations for Induced Seismic Mitigation. Horton, S. (2012) Disposal of Hydrofracking Waste Fluid by Injection into Subsurface Aquifers Triggers Earthquake Swarm in Central Arkansas with Potential for Damaging Earthquake. Seismological Research Letters. 83 (2), 250-260. Majer, E. L., Baria, R., Stark, M., Oates, S., Bommer, J., Smith, B. Asanuma, H. (2007) Induced seismicity associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems. Geothermics. 36 (3), 185-222. National Research Council. (2013) Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies. Washington, DC, The National Academies Press. Sovacool, B. K. (2014) Cornucopia or curse? Reviewing the costs and benefits of shale gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 37 (0), 249-264.

Family Conflict And Triangulation Analysis

Family Conflict And Triangulation Analysis The purpose of this article is to illustrate the importance of boundary setting during parental conflict. Often children are incorporated both voluntarily and involuntarily in dyadic confrontations that involve the parents. This research shows the long term and short term effects on both the parent and child psychologically and physiologically. Boundary setting is important for the growth, development and current maintenance of a family. Involving children in arguments is not only detrimental to the parents marital relationship, but also damaging to the parent-child relationship. This paper illustrates cause and effect consequences of triangulation. Family Conflict and Triangulation Familial conflict is inevitable. A multitude of quantitative and qualitative data has been accumulated in order to improve familial relationships. Numerous studies and focus groups spotlighted adolescents and their parents to find more data on triangulation and its negative effects on families. According to Franck and Buehler (2007), a triangulation study was conducted on 506 teens and their mothers. The study focused on conflict properties, cognitive appraisals of threat and blame, emotional insecurity, and triangulation to determine the possibility of a direct relationship between adolescent behavior problems, marital distress, and maternal depression (Franck and Buehler 2007). After thorough research, it was found that marital hostility and distress were associated with adolescent behavioral problems and familial stressors (Franck Buehler 2007). This paper will focus on parental and child triangulation and its effect on both the adolescent and the adult. Triangulation can be defined in a multitude of ways. Some may use the term mathematically, while others use it psychologically. Fosco and Grych (2008) broadly described the psychological term for triangulation as the involvement of a third person in a dyadic conflict. Triangulation is not possible with two people; it has to involve at least three people triangulate the conversation and ensure one or more of the parties agrees with his or her opinion. Buehler and Welsh (2009) stated that triangulation occurs when two people in a family bring a third party to dissolve stress, anxiety or tension that exists between them. Often feuding parents might involve their children in the conflict to gang up on the other parent. A more in-depth definition that better describes the target group focused on in this paper illustrates a family and child triangulation as childrens direct participation in parental disagreements and their subjective sense of feeling caught in the middle (Fosco and Grych, 2008). Due to ignorance, some parents may be unaware that they are involved in triangulation. Some statements a child might say if he or she is involved in a triangulation situation are My parents make me feel caught in the middle when they argue my mom always asks if I notice how my dad starts the fights mom and dad always ask me questions when they are in the middle of an argument after an argument with mom, dad always comes to me and explains his point of view I hate it when mom and dad involve and ask me questions when they are arguing. Parents should be more cognizant of accidentally or purposely involving children in marital disputes because it can be detrimental to the child. Efforts to better understand the impact of interparental disagreements on children have identified a number of factors that may elude to the fact that exposure to continual hostile and poorly resolved conflict can cause adjustment problems. (Fosco and Grych 2008). Behavior issues may become more frequent when boundaries are not set between parental arguments and children. According to Fosco and Grych (2008), appraisals reflect childrens opinions on parental conflict. Parental conflict can be detrimental to the childs well-being or the functioning of the family unit; therefore, the child may hold himself or herself responsible and believe that the disagreement was caused by his or her conduct. Parents who involve children in marital confrontations fail to realize how detrimental involvement can be to their child. Specifically, appraisals of threat and self-blame, emotional reactivity and distress, and triangulation into parental discrepancies each have been made known to play a key ro le in the relationship involving parental discord and child maladjustment, thereby making the child feel responsible for ending or resolving the conflict. (Fosco and Grych 2008). The effects of parental triangulation on the child can cause long term damage. According to Buehler and Welsh (2009) Parental conflict and tension are proposed to induce emotional arousal in children, triggering emotional and physiological responses. Involving children in arguments can be both mentally and physically exhausting for the child. Families that show patterns of triangulation have emotional, and physiological, responses that tend to have difficulty differentiating when not to turn off than in families with better boundary maintenance (Buehler and Welsh 2009). Often parents will include the child in arguments forcing the child to choose a side. Franck and Buehler focused on triangulation that occurs when parents bring a child into an argument by using the child as a messenger or buffer between the parents; as a confidante or counselor about issues with the other parent, the child is forced to ally against the other parent during marital disputes. By allowing children to get involved in domestic disputes, not only is the child negatively affected, but the involvement is also detrimental to the marriage. Triangulation amplifies adolescences risk for disruptive behavior because this process impedes with numerous prospective strategies that have been found to shield youths from the potential harmful effects of marital hostility (Franck and Buehler 2007). Research shows that repeated exposure to parental conflict can affect a childs experience, expression and control of emotion (Fosco and Grych 2008). Children subjected to constant triangulation can experience major emotional tribulations as well. It was found through trauma theories that recurring exposure to affectively disturbing events undermines a childs ability to regulate his or her emotions (Fosco and Grych 2008). When a child is unable to regulate his or her emotions it becomes difficult for them to maintain control. With this information, it can be concluded that a child from an argumentative family may display a greater sensitivity to his or her parents conflicts (Fosco and Grych 2008). Children who are exposed to tumultuous relationships and constant triangulation by parents are not as thoroughly researched as other topics that have been researched that involve family conflict. Beuhler and Welsh (2009) stated Triangulation into parents disputes has received much less empirical attention than has verbal and physical interparental aggression; however, some evidence exists that triangulation places youth at risk for adjustment problems, particularly internalizing problems such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and social withdrawal (2009). Triangulation does not just occur during an argument between parents with a child present. It also occurs long term when a child is made a confidante. Franck and Buehler (2007) found that when parents get upset they have a tendency to bring children into the argument by making them messengers between the parents. Triangulation can be caused by a number of different reasons. Martial conflict and depression have been named to be some of the main reasons triangulation occurs. Parents involved in domestic disputes have a tendency to want a witness to validate their argument. Counselors, friends, family members, and children have been known to get pulled in to the dispute. Scholars found data proving that parents that involve people in their domestic disputes may be depressed (Frank and Beuhler 2007). Parents feel validated when loved ones and friends side with them in the domestic dispute. Frank and Beuhler (2007), searched even deeper and found that a mothers depression is more closely related to internalizing disruptive behaviors in children than fathers. Frank and Beuhler (2007) felt that a fathers depression is more closely related to poor cognitive functioning in his children than internalizing problem behaviors. Studies show that triangulation affects both the parent and the childs relationships in a negative way. One of the mechanisms by which marital conflict becomes a risk factor is the triangulation of the child or adolescent into parental disputes such that youth feel caught in the middle and torn between divided loyalties (Buehler and Welsh 2009). During an argument, parents feel that their point is more validated if the child agrees with them. Unfortunately, the long term affects of adolescent affirmation during parental altercations are detrimental to the marital relationship. Although their involvement in a parental disagreement may be effective in deflecting attention from problems in the marriage, it may intensify the impact of parental conflict on childrens functioning by making them the target of parental anger or disrupting their relationship with one or both parents (Fosco and Grych 2008). Studies show that it is pertinent that the children be left out of parental conflict. It is clear that triangulation of adolescents also is harmful to adolescents in married families. Thus, clinicians and others who work with families need to assist parents with keeping marital problems within the martial dyad. Adolescent children need to be left out or blocked from parents marital issues; Parents need to improve their ability to cope with and handle the anxiety associated with martial conflict in ways that do not involve their children (Buehler and Welsh 2009). In addition to disrupting marital stability, triangulation can cause long term issues in the growth and development of the family. Fosco and Grych (2008) stated that when children perceive conflict as a threat to themselves or the family, they tend to worry about the stability of the family relationship. Running a family requires order, with no stability, there is no foundation; and with no foundation it tends to be less order. Parents should lead by example when teaching children. Often children mimic their parents and learn from observations. Parents who frequently resort to triangulation as a means of managing their disputes may be less prone to teaching or modeling adaptive conflict resolution to their children (Fosco And Grych 2008). Avoiding the involvement of children can be very difficult for some parents. Not only does triangulation temporarily diffuse marital arguments, but it can also allude to the vindication or validation of a parents actions. Fosco and Grych (2008) found information proving that triangulation could shape the impact of parental discord in children. When the child feels caught in the middle and observes that the attention of the argument is deflected from the parents and reverted to them, they may make a habit of involving themselves and marital disputes. If disruptive behavior is effective at distracting attention from marital problems, children may develop more stable patterns of acting out in stressful circumstances. Triangulation can occur both consciously and subconsciously. Unfortunately, if in the familial setting boundaries are not in place, detrimental repercussions can occur. Triangulation can occur in many different forms. Whether it includes the parent and child, grandparent and grandchild or siblings and parent, an unconstructive outcome is almost inevitable. The need to want to be right and acquire support is human nature and understandable. However, when you engage children in tumultuous relationships and put them in the middle of altercations, serious repercussions may occur for the child and adult. Rather than involving relatives and friends in conflict, it is important that families seek out counseling to secure the growth and stability of the family structure. Therapists can utilize a number of different techniques and or approaches to help families partaking in triangulation. Due to the difference of upbringing, social, cultural, and economic levels, it is best that the counselor incorporate an integrative approach to families who are involved in a triangulation conflict. An integrative approach incorporates all of all the approaches. It allows the therapist to utilize the best fitting approach for the client to obtain optimal results. Conflict is inevitable and felt to be manifest, but if familial conflict involves triangulation it is sure to end unconstructively.

The Killer Angels :: History, Battle of Gettysburg

THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION!!!!! The commanders that served under Lee were blinded by this admiration. â€Å"His presence is everywhere. They hush when he passes, like an Angel of the Lord.† (pg. 63) Even as he walks down the street people salute him, bow to him, praise him. â€Å"A Pennsylvania woman flirted, asked for is autograph.† (pg. 78) Within the army Lee is worshipped by all members, low and high. When something goes wrong they will find someway to avert the blame from Lee, even though it may have been his fault, to someone else. â€Å"They love him. They do not blame him. They do impossible things for him.† (pg. 250) On the second day of the battle, when everything goes horribly wrong for the Confederate Army, no one blames Lee for the loss. It was his idea to (what was his plan again..) and yet after it failed everyone took it out on Longstreet. As Goree says on page 240 â€Å"They can’t blame General Lee. Not no more. So they take it out on [Longstreet].† Although Lee is one of the most loved Generals of all time, I don’t think he enjoyed it all that much. On page 79 he says that â€Å"Fame came too late. I would have enjoyed it, if I were younger man.† The Confederate Army could, and probably should, have won the Battle of Gettysburg. They started off the battle by overpowering the Union Army on the first day. Everyone is in good spirits and feeling that â€Å"with every step of a soldier, with every tick of the clock, the army was gaining safety, closer to victory, closer to the dream of independence.† (pg. 110) With this in mind they charged into the second day. This is when everything went wrong. Lee’s plan was to â€Å"attack en echelon, to take Cemetery Hill in reverse.† (pg. 184) Although most of the Confederate Army was against the procedure and thought it wouldn’t work, no one could persuade Lee to change his mind. And so the army went ahead and attacked the Union Army following Lee’s plan. The battle raged on for hours and by the end the Confederate Army had suffered an unpleasant loss. If they had used a different strategy I think they could have won on the second day. By the third day, however, things are looking grim. Even Longstreet admits it when he is talking to Lee; â€Å"I have to tell you now, sir, that I believe this attack will fail.

The Significance of ?Xenia? Essay -- essays research papers

The Significance of â€Å"Xenia† Ancient Greece is known for its beautiful theaters and its skilled poets. One of the most famous ones at that time and famous even now is Homer. Nobody knows who he actually is but the works that he has created are far more than magnificent. The Odyssey and The Iliad are two poems that turned into myths, have actually been accepted as part of the history of the Greeks. The Odyssey is a story about a hero from the Trojan War who struggles to get home to his family and when he finally does he faces the suitors who he fights and defeats with the help of the gods and his son who he hasn't seen for around twenty years. The gradual development of the plot, the actual, end of the book is easily noticed. A big role in that development plays hospitality or as Homer calls it the xenia. Odysseus' journey on his way back to his island Ithaca contains numerous details about hospitality and what it is to be a good or a bad host. His voyage is based on the kindness and the warmth of the people . There are gods and humans, and giants that do not appreciate the hero but he deals with them and we meet with the actual plot of the story, his homecoming. Warmth and kindness are presented within every visit described in the book. Homer draws a very good picture of how guests are welcomed, what entertainment they are given and the way they are send on their way. The picture is filled with kindness and warmth. We could say that the kind of hospitality presented in the book is hardly seen today. The different steps of welcoming some one are really interesting. The host is bathed and fed right after his arrival no matter who he is. Hosts do not really present the question that identifies their guest until later on, after he has been well rested and entertained. A great example of this is when Telemachos and Athene, in the body of Mentor, visit Nestor. When Nestor sees the two men he has never seen before he has a feast with his sons and companions. In the sight of the strangers they all stand up and greet them. The first thing that is done is to find a place for the two guests on the table and to feed them. â€Å"When they had satisfied their appetite and thirst, Nestor, the Gerenian charioteer, said: ‘Now that our visitors have eaten well, it is the right moment to put some questions to them and enquire who they are?†(Book#3line ... ...e, son, and servants they abuse for so long. "You dogs!’ he cried. ‘You never thought to see me back from troy. So you fleeced my household; you raped my maids; you courted my wife behind my back though I was alive- with no more fear of the gods in heaven than of the human vengeance that might come. One and all, your fate is sealed.†(Book #22, lines 35-40) These are the words of Odysseus, mad with the destruction the suitors have caused to his home. He kills them all, right before they are about to eat. He kills Antinous right when he is about to drink from the wine. The suitors do not deserve the food that is being served to them because of their cruelty towards the host ,the hostess and their disloyalty to him and Ithaca The Odyssey is a book that grabs its reader with its story about Odysseus and his final homecoming. There would be no homecoming or he would have been home too late to save his wife and son from the â€Å"arrogant " suitors if there was not the good hospitality of the people he visits. Everybody Odysseus meets on his way has helped the story progress by their bad or good hospitality. Therefore xenia plays a very significant role in the plot of the story.

High School Start Times

Abstract The debate of what time should high school start has been at large over the past couple decades. Some schools are willing to try the later start time and some are not. Research and studies of schools that start later have proven many positive opportunities for high school students. The later start times will help reduce the risk of sleep deprivation, depression, and other health concerns amongst teens. It will also help reduce absences, increase their school performance, and allow students to get the recommended amount of sleep that their bodies need.My sources include case studies of schools that have tried the later time and research of teenager sleep patterns. As children get older their school time starts earlier every few years. Elementary school’s average a start time around 9:45 a. m. , middle school at 8:00 a. m. , and high school at 7:30 a. m. However, as children get older they usually stay up later because if technology and their bodies being capable of sta ying awake longer resulting in a lesser amount of sleep than is required.With delaying the start time for high school students there is the opportunity to improve grades, reduce the risk of depression, and reduce the risk of sleep deprivation. The issue of school start times has been moiled over for many years now. Schools that have always started early may be skeptical to switching their start time even though research has proved that later start times can be beneficial to the students. Once schools try a later start time for a period of time many keep it because it has so many positive opportunities for the high school students.The later start time not only has proved positive amongst the students, but also among the parents. One study conducted in the Minneapolis School district surveyed and found that, after one year, 92% of parents indicated that they preferred the later start times (2004). Many people are skeptical at first of the switch but if you look at the research and stu dies done, it is obvious that the benefits far outweigh the negatives of a later start time. As stated, when children get older they tend to stay awake longer however they do not understand that they are at risk of sleep deprivation.Sleep deprivation is an overall lack of the necessary amount of sleep. When kids have sleep deprivation they have symptoms that include but are not limited to impairments in mood, attention and memory, behavior control, quality of life, lower academic performances and decreased motivation to learn (2010). Children don’t understand the results of staying up the extra hour to watch a television show or play a video game. The effects are potentially much worse than just everyday mood and academic performance. Sleep deprivation can also cause kids to become unhealthier.This results in an increased risk of weight gain, lack of exercise, and lack of stimulants. Overall, sleep deprivation could cause children to potentially ruin their school career which could affect their future chances of getting into college. The easy argument to avoid sleep deprivation is to make kids go to bed earlier. However, today children have more video games, televisions, and phones in their bedrooms than prior years making it much harder for kids to go to sleep once in their room. The average teenager will stay up for an additional hour every night causing them to lose a total of one night’s sleep over a period of a week (2012).Telling your children to go to bed earlier and even making them get into their beds won’t force them to go to sleep due to modern technology. Also, studies on adolescent sleep patterns show that for biological reasons, teenagers generally cannot go to sleep earlier than 11 p. m. (1999). This also makes it quite difficult for teens to get in bed early enough to sleep the required amount for optimal health and wellness, which is between 8 to 10 hours, especially when the students have to wake up and be at school so ea rly.By pushing school back an hour would allow students to have a better chance of decreasing their chance of getting sleep deprivation. Starting an hour or two later than the average start time would allow high school students to get a full night sleep, thus affecting their overall performance in school and enabling them to make better grades. Evidence has shown that adequate sleep improves performance on a variety of tests of memory, concentration, problem solving and attention, as well as reducing depression and irritability (2004).When allowing children to have a full night sleep it sets them up for future endeavors and is more realistic of a schedule compared to the average adult having a nine to five job. This would be an ideal way to get them in a routine for life outside of school and provide ample opportunity to do better in school. When making the change from starting school from the original start time to an hour later there would be several changes a family could have to make to their everyday schedule.While kids who have the opportunity to take the bus to school should not be inconvenienced by the time change it would affect those who live outside the school district. For these children who have to get a ride to school every day may need to find an alternate mode of transportation due to their parents work schedule. Also parents with non-regular schedules may have to find alternative modes of transportation for their kids. This could also become an inconvenience if there are no friends or family available to help to transport.Changing the start time may become a hassle for the parents and making it almost impossible to get their kids to school on time. While most kids do well in school, generally it is those who study harder that have the better grades. While studying harder could be an answer to getting better grades, as it has been proven, studying harder won’t make kids focus and concentrate better in school. If students could take in mo re information during class, it would result in a better understanding of school lessons and conclude to a better academic performance.Being late to the first class of the day or even missing it completely is something that occurs frequently amongst high school students. Missing that first class can hurt a child’s grade and GPA which is very important during high school. Starting school later, even a half hour later, will allow students an adequate amount of time to get themselves ready and be at school on time. Teachers from a Rhode Island school who tried the later school time reported a 36% decrease in absences or tardiness for the first class of the day (2010).Dr. Robert Vorona said â€Å"Beyond the impact on driving, early start times probably affect other areas calling for research on how they affect teenagers’ moods, tardiness, and academic performance (Holohan, 2013). † Many studies and researchers have proved that having early school start times increas es the amount of absences and tardiness amongst the students. Thus by delaying the start time will reduce the number of students tardy or absent and also allow them to have a better chance of passing their early morning classes.Some people might think that being absent or late is the fault of the student or their parent. They may think that students should still be able to wake up and get to school on time even with an early school time. Many factors play into this though. Students could have fallen asleep late making it difficult to wake up, missed their alarm, or even missed the bus because of waking up late. Some students have parents who are already at work when they wake up to get ready in the morning. Not having a parent at home in the morning can be ough on a child and make it difficult for them to get out of bed. This makes it very easy for a child to sleep in and miss class. It is easy to say that students should get to school on time but there are many different factors th at go into a morning routine that allow, or don’t allow, students to make it to school on time. During high school, students are more likely to experience some type of depression due to relationships, athletics, schoolwork, etc. A major contributor to depression would be having a lack of sleep.A school in Providence Rhode Island tested students when they started school at 8:00 and when they started at 8:30. They found that by having an extra half hour of sleep the number of students that had depression decreased a significant amount from 66% to 45%. Judy Owens, who conducted the study, stated â€Å"A modest start time delay was associated with a significant increase in self-reported sleep duration and a decrease in a number of daytime sleepiness. Perhaps more importantly, students rated themselves as less depressed and more motivated to participate in a variety of activities† (2010).Depression can weigh a kid down and not allow them to do well in school. It is importan t for high school students to get their sleep because about 50% of high school students can drive. A study was done between two high schools that had an hour and twenty minute difference in start time. The school that started later had 41% less crashes than the school that started earlier. The researchers concluded that the students from the school which started earlier were sleep deprived and resulted in them driving more recklessly than the students who started school later.When looking at driving compared to sleep it becomes a more serious issue and this is because there are other people’s lives at risk other than the person who is sleep deprived. Not only does this issue of school start time greatly influence a student’s education but more importantly it plays a factor in their physical wellbeing as they drive to school each morning. A small private high school in Providence, Rhode Island conducted a pilot study that confirms many of the benefits of delayed school start times. A study conducted by Judy Owens, MD, a sleep expert with Hasbro Children’s Hospital had the school delay their normal start time, 8 a. . , to a new start time of 8:30 a. m. The study also had students, with parent permission, participate in an e-mail survey that would help to measure the sleep patterns and behaviors of the students. The study showed that students across all grades (9 to 12) had an average increase of 45 minutes of sleep per night. It also showed significant decreases in the students who felt that they â€Å"rarely/never† got enough sleep, which was 69% to 34%, and significant decreases in the students who felt that they â€Å"never† were satisfied with their sleep, which was 37% to 9%.The study also found other health related issues and how a later start time can decrease those problems. The school had a significant decrease from 66% to 45% of students who felt depressed. The health center at the school reported a drop from 15% to 5 % of fatigued-related complaints and a 56% decrease in requests for â€Å"rest passes. † The teachers also reported that there was a 36% reduction in absences or tardiness for the first class of the day. This Rhode Island study is one of many that have found many benefits to a later school start time for high school students (2010).If you agree that school start times should be later then you can, and should, get involved. There is a website call Start School Later (www. startschoollater. net) that is all about how to get schools to start later and why they should start later. Their mission is â€Å"Start School Later is a coalition of health professionals, sleep scientists, educators, parents, students, and other concerned citizens dedicated to increasing public awareness about the relationship between sleep and school hours and to ensuring school start times compatible with health, safety, education, and equity. They have an immediate goal of trying to present our national petition to legislate a minimum earliest start time to decision-makers in Washington, DC. The Start School Later group also has four long term goals: Advocate for legislation to ensure evidence-based school hours at the national, state and local level. Provide support and guidance to local communities working for later school start times. Serve as an information clearinghouse by collecting and consolidating information and data about school start times and efforts to change them.Build public understanding about the relationship between sleep, school start times, and physical, psychological, and educational well-being. To get involved with the Start School Later campaign, go to their website and sign the petition or donate to the cause. If you would like to become more knowledgeable about the effects of school start times on students and how later times are beneficial, you may also visit their page and read facts and statistics that researchers have found and read success stories of schools that have already started their schools at a later time.There are many positive opportunities that can occur from starting school later. Students have the opportunities to improve their grades, reduce their risk of depression, reduce their risk of sleep deprivation, and many other positive outcomes that will be a result of the extra amount of sleep students may get because of the later school start time. Many schools have switched to a later start time and have found many benefits for the students because of it. If this growing number of schools have already pushed back their start times and experienced the numerous benefits from it, then why hasn’t this become a standard on a national level yet?References â€Å"All About Sleep. † KidsHealth – the Web's most visited site about children's health. N. p. , n. d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . Build our school schedules on sleep. (2004, Feb 22). Lansing State Journal. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. prox y. davenport. edu/docview/438903324? accountid=40195 Dubocovich, Margarita L. , et al. â€Å"The impact of school daily schedule on adolescent sleep. † Pediatrics June 2005: 1555+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Holohan, Ellin. â€Å"Earlier School Start Times Endanger Teen Drivers. † Teen Driving. Ed.Michele Siuda Jacques. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from â€Å"Early School Start Times May Raise Risk of Teen Car Crashes. † 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. â€Å"Insufficient sleep and early school start times contribute to teenage health issues. † Chattanooga Times/Free Press [Chattanooga, TN] 30 Mar. 2012. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. â€Å"Later School Start Times May Foster Better Students; High school pushed back start of day by 30 minutes, with good results. † Consumer Health News [English] 5 July 2010.Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. â€Å"L ater school start times may improve sleep in adolescents and decrease risk of auto accidents. †   NewsRx Health  (Jan 4, 2009):   164. Nursing Resource Center. Gale. Davenport University. 28 Oct. 2012 Moon, Mary Ann. â€Å"More data back value of later school start times. (CHILD/ADOLESCENT)(Report). †   Clinical Psychiatry News  38. 10   (Oct 2010):   23(1). Nursing Resource Center. Gale. Davenport University. 28 Oct. 2012 â€Å"New study confirms positive effects of delayed school start times. † Health & Medicine Weekly 19 July 2010: 1.Print. â€Å"Physician continues to push for later school start times. †Ã‚  Northwest Florida Daily News  [Fort Walton Beach, FL] 18 Nov. 2010. General Reference Center GOLD. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. â€Å"Research Finds High School Students May Get Better Grades If They Get More Sleep†¦ † Health and Wellness 1 (1999): n. pag. Davenport University. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. â€Å"Start School Later – About Us. †Ã‚  Start School Later – About Us. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. Teen sleep: Why is your teen so tired? – MayoClinic. com. † Mayo Clinic. N. p. , n. d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

Jock Culture Essay

In 1975, Robert Lipsyte wrote â€Å"Jock Culture† which was in â€Å"The Sportsmaster.† It didn’t appear in â€Å"The Nation† until 2011. Analysis will examine the credibility of the examples used by the author to stage his claims. Robert is a sportswriter and a broadcast journalist who is also known for his young adult novels. He was born in 1938 in the Bronx. Throughout his childhood, he would’ve described himself as a â€Å"puke.† He was bullied and felt like an outcast. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in English from Columbia University at only 19 years of age. He also received his Master’s degree in journalism. When Lipsyte was a reporter and writer for The New York Times, he published more than 500 columns, & is the author to nearly 30 books. He became a sports commentator for National Public Radio, an on-air essayist for CBS and NBC, and was even the host of a public television show, The Eleventh Hour, which he won an Emm y for. To this day, Robert continues to write both nonfiction and fiction work. Basically, Robert is targeting everyone, both jocks and pukes. Judging by his descriptions of jocks, he assumes none would end up reading this article anyway, so is main focus is â€Å"puke.† Jock Culture glorifies the young, the strong and the beautiful, and Lipsyte gets the tragic implications. Although in his article, he describes himself as a puke, it seems as if he would fit better under the jock section. Given the competitive journalism, he probably owes his success as a sports writer in some measure to his own socialization in Jock Culture or whether his socialization into success in those savage precincts renders him now more sympathetic than he would otherwise be to Jock Culture. He goes on to talk about that there are more than just these 2 categories of people or you can fall under both categories. Boys are taught to be tough, stoical, and aggressive, to play hurt, to hit hard, and to win in every aspect of their lives. Jocks could also be pukes though, they have the jock mentality, and the puke work ethic. They come to work sick, they strive to be the best. It goes to show that there can be more than just the 2 groups. Robert  describes Jock Culture as a danger to the common good, and a distortion of sports. â€Å"It is fueled by greed and desperate competition .† (pg 350) Jock Culture applies the rules of competitive sports to everything. It’s to keep the fear of being known as â€Å"feminine† to the others. You want to be known, overall, as the alpha male, or masculine at least. At a young age, most kids are thrown into peewee sports and classified from then on in that point of their lives, as either a jock or puke. Which is where all the horror starts with Jock Culture. As they grow older, it gets worse, in high school, the jocks are looked up too. As if they belong on a throne or are â€Å"godlike.† This what Robert is trying to explain basically in paragraph 7 and 10. It didn’t use to be all bad like this with Jock Culture. Sports were a way of being taught leadership, teamwork, responsibility, respect, and bravery. Now, it has become a cockpit of bullying, violence, and a commitment to the â€Å"win at all costs† attitude. Which is why Robert is pushing to show the dangers of what Jock Culture actually does to people, especially at a young age. â€Å"Pukes† get out casted but grow up and become writers or such while jocks, the â€Å"in† group, grow up to be stockbrokers or the like, because of the competitive culture the jobs come with. Overall, Jock Culture is everywhere, and very difficult to steer away from. It’s a stupid wasteful destructive madness and there’s nothing good in it. Lipsyte is ri ght to be worried about the growing dominance seen starting earlier and earlier in young boys, but he has scarcely begun to scratch the surface of the hell of Jock Culture and the impact it makes on earth, and not only our youth, but our adult population as well.