Past and present and fuuture technologies in his field of study or his Essay

Past and present and fuuture technologies in his field of study or his interest - Essay Example Students who study science and engineering are supposed to have more interest in the history of their main subject of study. In terms of the evolution of computers, the same capital has always been used but fresh and creative ideas over the years have allowed the technology to become better than the ones which were already being used. This paper will consider the development and improvement of computers over the years all the way to the present and will continue to predict what the computers are likely to do in the in the coming years. This paper should give a proper description of the improvement of computers together with the progress that have been seen it their technology. It is obvious that computers have become important in all the countries of the world even though the success they have achieved did not come overnight. The capabilities and abilities of computers have undergone a lot of improvement since they were invented with numerous advancements on a regular basis (Thyagarajan, Chelvi & Rangaswamy, 2000). This essay will study the progress that has been made in terms of computers, the way that they exist today as well as try to try to predict what they will be and the abilities they might have in the days to come. The initial function associated with computers, which was computing, was also important in coming up with their name as computing involves accepting inputs and creating outputs. During the Second World War, computing assisted physicists to develop the first ever atomic bomb as well as intelligence officers to understand the message in communications that were being sent by enemy soldiers. Regardless of the fact that these activities could have been done without the help of computers, they made the entire processes easy therefore decreasing the chances of human errors simply through provision of instruction making the activities undertaken efficient and effective. Even though the first computer had huge

Green Tree City Case Study (Question 3 only) Assignment

Green Tree City Case Study (Question 3 only) - Assignment Example This entails ensuring good packing and entry for clients and all other users of the building. The accessibility of the building also ensures easy and quick evacuation and rescue operations in time of attacks as well as other disaster like fire and floods (National Research Council, 2001). This makes the accessibility of a building a main concern for owners as it forms a factor in elevating the number of people rescued during rescue operations and increases the building’s safety. The other concern for a building owner is ensuring the building is leased to known parties as a means of reducing chances of leasing arts of the building to terrorists who can cause bombings like in the case study. The person renting, therefore, has to provide documentation and a stated use for the building or art of the building leased. The main reason for this is that the owner has the authority in deciding the lease agreement, hence has the responsibility. The other concern of the owner entails limiting the points of entry to a building as a way to limit unauthorized access to the building. The measures for this include use of not less than eight feet fence along the perimeter, slowing of incoming vehicles through design of the road, use of high security lights protected by wire, to avoid tampering and improve lighting, and the use of anti-ram devices (U.S. Department Security & Federal Emergency Agency, 2013). The importance of these measures includes increased standoff protection against driving in with unwanted materials including bombs and explosives. Limiting access to ventilation system to only authorized personnel also reduces instances of using ventilation systems as channels to spread explosives by terrorists. The erection of electronic security detection devices in all doors and entrances to the building forms the other concern of the owner. Use of glass break censors and closed-circuit cameras surveillance is another securi ty

Qualities Of Good Leadership Management Assignment

Qualities Of Good Leadership Management Assignment With the advent of networking, collectivization and team working, leadership has become a widely discussed topic in the world at the present time. No matter in the field of politics or economy, enterprises or small business, or south or north, leadership has already been accepted as a core quality, individually and generally. This essay is expected to analyze the qualities of good leadership, aims to identify and account for the most important two qualities of good leadership, comparing different type of leaders and illustrating some successful examples. The definition of leadership in the prior research is varied. For example, some people argue that, leadership is ‘a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal’ (Northouse, cited in Grint, 2005:21), while some recognize the leadership is a kind of personal ability. Nevertheless, the term of ‘leadership’ used in this essay will be built upon on the definition given by Hogan and Kaiser (2005:172) ‘the ability to build and maintain a group that performs well compared to its competition.’ Charismatic leadership and strategic leadership are considered to be the most important two qualities of leadership in this essay. Charismatic leadership has outstanding performance in attracting followers while the strategic leadership could guard the further development of the business and the group in the right direction. It is a tough way to become a successful leader, although, theoretically, everyone has the possibility of being a leader. According to Dick Nettell, the new executive officer of Bank of Americas Consumer Call Center in Concord, California, â€Å"everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to be successful. Everybody comes to work trying to make a difference† (cited in James and Barry, 2007:4). However, the numerous people that can be labeled as ‘leaders’, but only a few of them could become a successful leader. That is because only those minority leaders have the qualities of good leadership. Therefore, it is vital to identify and analyze what kinds of qualities of good leadership are indispensable. To some extent, these qualities can be summarized in two points. Firstly, charismatic leadership is essential for a successful leader. That means a successful leader should be charismatic. On the one hand, internally, the relationship between leaders and other team members is quite influential, though it is invisible. There is a vivid saying in ancient China, the relationship between leaders and their fellows is like a metaphor, the boat and the water, and water could support the boat, also could overturn it. In the west, it is believed that, the leaders should ‘attract and inspire his followers’ (Gill, 2006: 54-55). If there is no follower, the leader could not be called a leader. On the other hand, leadership not only have to deal with the troubles from inside, but also, have to face the pressure and difficulties from outside, especially in the network society. Leaders have to built a very good networking with their partners, investors, customers, public, and sometimes, even with their counterworkers. An interesting study of senior managers in Fortune 500 companies in the US by David Waldman et al., shows that, under some conditions, ‘charismatic leadership is associated with net profit margin’ (cited in Gill, 2006:54). Thus, to some extent, charismatic leadership can bring benefit into business, even the world. In fact, it can be seen that there were many charismatic leaders in political field, such as Chairman Mao, who was the first leader of Peoples Republic of China, successfully led the revolutions in China and established the Peoples Republic of China, and Martin Luther King, who had a famous speech I have a dream in 1963, became the president of US during the American Civil Rights Act. In sort, charismatic leadership can help to establish good relationship with both inside and outside the organization, and it can benefit the world and organization itself. However, the charismatic is not the only impact in this research, there is another aspect for a good leader, that is to say, strategic leadership. Johnson and Scholes ‘define strategic leadership as encapsulating entrepreneurial processes and strategic vision’ (cited in Gill, 2006:59). That means the leader should be the core decision maker in a group, and the main conductor in carrying out the decisions. In Johnson and Scholess words, strategic leadership is ‘concerned with strategy development and change’ (cited in Gill, 2006, p: 59). Gill states that main point of strategic leadership is to decide about ‘whether and when to act’ (2006, p: 60). Significantly, strategic leadership is closely related to the personal background of the leader himself, such as the education background and the professional experience. Compare to charismatic leadership, strategic leadership gives more attentions to the practical experience, instead of personalities. Thus, strategic leadership is much easier to be developed by the leaders who would like to be successful but lack personal qualities. Furthermore, it is also worth to be pointed out that the achievement of a group, a company or a business activity could be guaranteed or lost simply by a leaders decision. For example, Kmart, Tyco and ATT were beset by ‘acquisition lust’ and were virtually destroyed because of wrong strategy they followed by (Charan and Useem, cited in Gill, 2006:19). On the other hand, the organization is highly likely to be successful if the leader has good strategic leadership. Take Marks Spencer (Gill, 2006: 197-198) for an example. Marks Spencer suffered from decline during 1990s because of poor strategic management. However, Luc Vandevelde, the chairman and CEO of MarksSpencer in 2000, made his three famous strategies, which were ‘to focus on the heart of the business’, ‘to stop all activities which were non- core or making a lo ss’, and ‘to achieve the right capital structure to make the balance sheet more efficient and to generate greater value for shareholders’, in order to cross the crisis. Resulting from these three strategies, Vandevelde ensured the success of his business for years. In a word, strategic leadership can not only bring success to leaders themselves, but also to the organizations. Although there are many others qualities of leadership, these two qualities are considered to be the most important two for being a successful leader: charismatic leadership and strategic leadership. Charismatic leadership can attract followers and get support from both inside and outside of the organization; meanwhile, Strategic leadership can guarantee the achievement of the whole business and the whole group, and benefits the organizations. If a leader lacks these two qualities of leadership, he might not achieve success in his career life.

Foundations of Psychology Essay -- What Is Psychology, Define Psycholo

When psychology first emerged as a science, the process of explaining the human mind and human behavior began. In this essay we will present a brief synopsis of what psychology is and introduce the reader to the primary biological foundations of psychology that are linked to behavior as well as introducing the reader to the major schools of thought in psychology. In Kowalski and Westen Fifth Edition of Psychology, psychology is define as â€Å"the scientific investigation of mental processes such as; thinking, remembering, feeling, and behavior. Understanding a person requires attention to the individual’s biology, psychological experience, and cultural context.†(Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 4). Each component is necessary in formulating who the individual is. As we delve into history, we must be cautious in our analyzation of human behavior and the human mind that we do not contribute our analyzation to a single thought or process as many times it may be a conglomerat ion of events or items that contribute to the overall picture of a person’s psychological process. Furthermore, Kowalski specifies in his writing that â€Å"humans are complex creatures whose psychological experience lies at the intersection of biology and culture.†(Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 3). He expounds upon this fact by stating that â€Å"all psychological processes occur through the interaction of cells in the nervous system and all human action occurs in the context of cultural beliefs and values that render it meaningful.† (Kowalski & Weston, 2009, p. 3). The primary biological foundation of psychology is linked to biopsychology. Biopsychology is an extension of psychology that analyzes our brains and the neurotransmitter that are prevalent in our nervous system... ... internalized. Sigmund Freud three elements of id, ego and superego when implemented together explained human behavior even in the most complex form. Psychology has many roles in the greater realm of science, but I will always believe that the most profound role of psychology is to enable humans to have a better understanding of their self and their world. Psychology delves into the deeper levels of the mind and intrigues us with the various theories and observations of our mental and physical capacities and although there are many schools of thought, each school of thought opens our mind to new theories and concepts that stretch our brains to boundaries unlimited! Works Cited Kowalski, R. & Westen, D. (2009). Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Functional Psychology. (2011). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_psychology

Curley’s Wife Essay

Examine how your chosen novelist presents a particular character. Refer closely to the text in your answer to support your views. In this essay I will explore â€Å"Of Mice and Men† written by John Steinbeck and how the author represents the character â€Å"Curley’s Wife† who is a vindictive and cruel person throughout the story up until near to her death Steinbeck portrays her as â€Å"can be nice†. Curley’s Wife from the start was seen as property of Curley and Steinbeck has never mentioned that Curley’s Wife never had a name and is always referred to as ‘Curley’s Wife’ the possessive apostrophe is symbolic Curley’s Wife was very flirtatious ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’. She was also very lonely because her husband didn’t love her and only wanted her as property. Steinbeck first introduced Curley’s Wife as a girl not a woman which implies that she is looked down upon and obviously isn’t yet worthy enough to be a woman. She always pr etends to be looking for Curley for an excuse to talk to the other men on the ranch and flirts with them and when Slim tells her Curley is in the house she instantly runs off this would mean that she’s scared of Curley and doesn’t want to socialize with him. She wears red clothing as sign as danger to men and is responsible of her death because Lennie has a mind of a seven year old and her red clothing attracts Lennie. She likes to talk to George and Lennie even though she doesn’t know them. Candy discriminates Curley’s Wife by saying ‘Curley’s married†¦ a tart’. He warns George and Lennie about her. The novel is set in the 1930’s at the time of the great depression in America. The woman back then had then had no rights and was classed as ‘property’ of their husbands. Also racism was a problem and the black people also had no rights. They were treating as slaves. Crooks in Of Mice and Men is black and Curley’s Wife is racist towards him numerous times throughout the story ‘Well you keep your trap shut, Nigger’, she also calls Lennie horrible names such ‘Dum-Dum’ because of his disability. Because of the great depression in the 1930’s and employers wouldn’t employ woman because of the discrimination, she couldn’t leave Curley because she couldn’t afford to. She also attacks Candy and calls him ‘a lousy ol’ sheep’ because he is  old and not very active he also follows round with the group (Curley, Crooks G&L etc). In part 5 of the story we see a softer side of Curley’s wife because she shares her hopes and with Lennie. She sees herself in movies and hopes to be a big Hollywood star. She herself was once taken advantage of by a man who stated that he would make her hopes and dreams come true

Mandatory Questions and Answers Essay

Outline the guidelines, procedures and codes of practice relevant to personal work? (1.1.1) Follow a set routine so you don’t make any mistakes. Confidentiality. Explain the purpose of planning work, and being accountable to others for own work? (1.1.2) Throughout the day I will always find out what job is the most important for me to do first and do my other work afterwards. Any delay in the important jobs could impact on someone else’s work e.g. (Every hour we have to go online and collect VBS’s for the drivers otherwise they cannot get on the docks to empty or load their container which delays them from their next job meaning it impacts on their work.) Explain the purpose and benefits of agreeing realistic targets for work? (1.1.3, 1.1.4) It gives a good working practice and gives you something to aim for. Describe types of problems that may occur during work and how would you seek assistance in resolving problem? (1.1.8, 1.1.9) Part of my job is dealing with POD’s and it is important that I chase for outstanding ones otherwise we cannot prove the delivery of container was made which could delay payment or some other issues like insurance claims. Explain the purpose and benefits of recognising and learning from mistakes? (1.1.10) One of the mistakes I have done could have lost the company money but luckily it didn’t. The way I have learnt from this is because I wasn’t very careful but now I take more precautions e.g. checking twice when sending out invoices so I don’t send it to the wrong person. Explain the purpose and benefits of agreeing and setting high standards for own work? (1.2.1, 2.1.1) The benefits for setting high standards for your own work means that it is always done to the best of your ability. Describe ways of setting high standards for work? (1.2.2) * Making goals and sticking to them. * Writing a list of what needs to be done. * Aiming to do certain things by a certain time/day. Explain the purpose and benefits of taking on new challenges if they arise? (1.2.3) It means I get to learn more about the company and interact with everyday tasks; I will be more involved and have a lot more options. Accounts, POD’s and traffic sheets are some examples of what I would do which also gives me more option in the future. Explain the purpose and benefits of adapting to change? (1.2.4) Sometimes change can make things more efficient and easier to complete tasks. Explain the purpose and benefits of treating others with honesty, respect and consideration and what types of behaviour show this and what ones don’t? (1.2.5, 1.2.7) Good behaviour * Friendly * Considerate * Confident Bad behaviour * Being unmotivated * Refusing to do work * Being cold towards other employees Explain why behaviour in the workplace is important? (1.2.6) Being friendly to others makes it a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere to work in meaning there are no uncomfortable and awkward moments so you can enjoy being at work. Explain the purpose and benefits of encouraging and accepting feedback from others? (2.1.2) Shows you where your good and bad flaws are and what you can improve on. Explain how learning and development can improve own work, benefit organisations and identify career options? (2.1.3) It can improve your own knowledge and make you understand your job role better. Describe possible career progression routes and development opportunities? (2.1.4, 2.1.5) I could possibly work in a bank or something with accounting as an option which would be a potentially good career or I could stay in this area of work. Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? (3.1.1) Diversity refers to the fact that we are all different. Diversity should be appreciated and valued because nobody is the same as anyone else. Describe how to treat other people in a way that is sensitive to their needs? (3.1.2) You should be kind and be caring towards people. Look out for their needs as you would like them to look out for yours. Treat others how you would like to be treated. Describe how to treat people in a way that respects their abilities, background, values, customs and beliefs? (3.1.3) Don’t judge anyone by their race, religion systems, mental capabilities, physical appearance. Get to know them before you take judgement on them. Describe ways in which it’s possible to learn from others at work? (3.1.4) You can watch how they act with certain people e.g. you learn different mannerisms and personalities. Describe the purpose and benefits of maintaining security and confidentiality at work, what are the company and legal requirements and how do you deal with any concerns? (3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4) Confidential information is only allowed to be looked at by your employer and other staff but not to be discussed outside of work as this could breach your contract. Explain the purpose of keeping waste to a minimum? (3.3.1, 3.5.2) It is better for the environment. Describe the main causes of waste that may occur in a business environment? (3.3.2) I would say paper is the most common cause of waste the business as there is so much information to take down, re-write and make notes. It is all recycled though. Describe ways to keep waste to a minimum? (3.3.3, 3.5.1, 3.5.2) Recycle and reuse. Identify ways of using technology to reduce waste? (3.3.4) * Shredder * Moving paper files on to the computer * Using a compost pot for wasted food Outline the purpose and benefits of recycling and what are your organisational procedures? (3.3.5, 3.3.6) Reduces carbon footprint and pollution Describe the benefits and procedures and organisational procedures for the recycling and disposal of hazardous materials? (3.4.1, 3.4.2) The benefits of recycling can be extremely beneficial to all different things. The only hazardous object we have that we recycle is the toner from our printer and it goes when a man picks it up to recycle and give to a charity. Explain reasons for knowing the purpose of communication? (4.1.1) The purpose of communication is to understand each other and connect. Communication is the means in which information is circulated. Explain the reasons for knowing the audience to whom the communication is being presented? (4.1.2) You modify your presentation style to suit the audience so you get optimum results. Describe the best methods of communication and when to use them? (4.1.3, 4.1.4) 1. In person – for an immediate response to your question/query 2. Telephone – when you are not near the person you wish to receive information but would like a quick response. 3. Email – when you are replying to a request and need to send them something or when you need something sent to you. Identify different sources of information that may be used when preparing written communication? (4.2.1) Websites on the internet, a dictionary and previous correspondents could be used to prepare written communication. Describe the communication principles for using electronic forms of written communication in a business environment? (4.2.2) It is environmentally friendly and easier to use. Describe the reasons for using language that suits the purpose of written communication? (4.2.3) You use different languages to address the matter in the right context for example; informal or formal letters/emails. Describe ways of organising, structuring and presenting written information so it meets the needs of the audience? (4.2.4) PowerPoint presentations can be very good for presenting and gives you a lot of room for information. You can use a wide range of different effects that make the information look more interesting. Describe ways of checking for the accuracy of written information and the purpose of accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling? (4.2.5, 4.2.6) If you are using the computer you can use spell check on almost any document to make your grammar correct. Explain what is meant by plain English, and why it is used? (4.2.7) Plain English is a general term for communication styles that emphasise clarity, brevity and the avoidance of technical language. The intention is to write in a manner that is easily understood by its target audience: appropriate to their reading skills and knowledge, clear and direct, free of clichà © and unnecessary jargon. Explain the need to proofread and check written work? (4.2.8) In case you have made any mistakes or your work doesn’t make sense. Explain how to identify work that is important and work that is urgent? (4.2.9) Urgent means as soon as possible and important means take a little more time and care over it but do it quickly. Describe organisational procedures for saving and filing written communications? (4.2.10) We scan all the documents so there is always a back up file on the computer and then we file the paperwork into a folder and archive. Describe ways to verbally present information and ideas clearly? (4.3.1) Use number points, examples and be clear when presenting information. Explain ways of making contributions to discussions that help move them forward? (4.3.2) Always ask questions, recap information and listen carefully.

NURS 60271 Social Work Intervention and Service Users The WritePass Journal

NURS 60271 Social Work Intervention and Service Users Introduction NURS 60271 Social Work Intervention and Service Users IntroductionREFERENCESRelated Introduction This essay is based around a children and families case study and will first set out the significant issues for the individuals involved before outlining the policy and legislative mandates and frameworks that would provide the basis for informed assessment and intervention. It will then highlight the most effective interventions, designed to improve the situation, using practice theories and approaches. Finally it will detail the interdisciplinary and multi-agency context and provide the framework and guidance to ensure it was completed in an anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive way. A significant issue, common to many families dealing with social services departments, is that they often feel a lack of control and autonomy (Harwath, 2002). As social work professionals it is essential that we engage with Josie and her family, establishing their views and opinions, (Thompson, 2002). An initial assessment of Josie’s situation has taken place and this has progressed through enquires under Section 47 of the 1989 Children Act, to the decision to hold a child protection conference. At this conference a recommendation was made to speak to legal services about initiating Care Proceedings in relation to both Michael and baby Perdita. One must consider that the family and professionals may have different perceptions of the current situation and this becomes problematic when assessments focus on family weaknesses and disadvantages (Milner O’Byrne, 1998). There are contradictory reports about Josie’s parenting skills, which could have a significant impact on any decisions taken. Mary, her foster mother, reports that Josie is trying hard with Perdita, demonstrating good levels of affection, whilst staff at the family centre state they have, â€Å"grave doubts† about her ability to parent. Josie is considered to have learning disabilities, however a key issue is the fact that no adequate   assessment has taken place to assess the level, if any, of her learning difficulties. Adult services state that they consider Josie to have ‘only has mild to moderate, not severe learning difficulties,’ and if this is the case, then there could very limited impact on her potential parental capaci ty, however, it must be noted that single parents that have learning difficulties often face prejudice, (Thomas Woods, 2003). Josie’s first child, Michael, has lived with his grandparents since he was just a few months old, but returned to live with her, as a result of his grandmother’s recent death.   It must be confusing and disorientating for him to be temporarily placed back with his mother, and then almost immediately removed again into foster care. Equally it must have placed an additional strain and burden on Josie when Michael was first returned, but then removed, affecting her ability to cope during Perdita’s birth and immediate aftercare. At birth, Perdita’s father was registered on the birth certificate, and through this action he has   parental responsibility. However, when he last visited the police had to be called, after he struck Josie, and therefore extreme sensitivity and care will need to be taken in decisions and agreements made over his future involvement with the family due to the potential problem of domestic violence. The legal position over Emma, Josie’s middle child, who was adopted at age two, needs to be fully established. It is possible that it was agreed as a condition for Josie to have some form of limited contact visits and agreed letterbox contact, and if so then the possibility of restoring this contact should be investigated. The familys economic status is not clear. The nature of Josie’s potential work and the effect of any employment on the family as a whole is currently unknown but could be viewed as a risk factor by some. The core key issues become whether Josie is currently able to provide best care for Perdita and Michael, whether this can be achieved with further support or whether Perdita and Michael need to be removed from Josie’s care and placed elsewhere. There are a wide number of policy and legislative mandates that would provide guidance and inform the assessment process and potential interventions in this case study, however, due to the limits of the word count they will be listed and their relevance outlined in brief. The four principal pieces of legislation relevant to this case study are the Children Act 1989, the Protection of Children Act 1999, the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004.   The Children Act 1989 sought to carry into legislation the belief that where possible: children are generally best looked after within the family, with both parents playing a full part and without resort to legal proceedings. The welfare of the children is the paramount consideration, (Children Act, 1989). Thus the Children Act sought, where possible, to protect children within a family environment. Sections 27 and 47 of the Act significantly titled Co-operation Between Authorities and Local Authoritys Duty to Investigate sets out the Governments demands for closer agency communication. The main themes of the Children Act 2004 were an emphasis upon integrated planning, delivery of services, multi-disciplinary working, increased accountability and, especially, more provision for those children with special needs. The core legislation relating to children and their families in England and Wales is the Children Act 1989, (Warman,2003). Section 17 states that it is a duty of every local authority to â€Å"safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need†. Whilst Section 47 lays a specific duty to â€Å"make enquires or cause enquiries to be made and to take action in response to reported concerns of significant harm†. Being placed with a foster mother indicates that the family is currently subject to an interim care and supervision order under Section 38, which provides the court with the power to make interim care and supervision orders, which place the children in the care of the local authority on an interim basis, whilst the family is assessed, and until the court can make a final decision. The interim care order has the same effect as a final care order in giving the local authority parental responsibility (Children Act 1989). In fulfilling these duties agencies are assisted by guidance published by the Department of Health . Working Together to Safeguard Families (DoH,1999), directs inter-professional practice where children may be experiencing risk of significant harm, whilst Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (DoH, 2000), provides broad guidance on the conduct of various types of assessment, including the level and nature of the need, the type of appropriate services to meet the assessed need, and how, when, and by whom, such services will be delivered,(Harwarth,2002). To date such interim assessments have seen Josie and Perdita placed with a specialist Mother and baby foster carer, however, it is questionable as to whether the local authority have fully complied with the Children and Young Person Act 2008, as it is possible to argue that suitable accommodation for Michael to reside with his mother and sister, should have been sought and provided. In addition, in circumstances where the authority intends to accommodate a child with a parent or someone with parental responsibility, the authority must first review the proposed arrangements according to regulations made under Section 26 of the Children Act 1989, that is a review by an Independent Reviewing Officer. A sensitive balance needs to be struck by reviewing the placement whilst also promoting a sense of permanence and stability for the child and carers, (Warman, 2003). Looked after childrens reviews are meetings were identified needs are tailored in light of the care plan and status of the placement. Integral to the review is the Every Child Matters ethos, whereby the government seeks to guarantee equal opportunities for all children. Adding further weight, Article 8 of The Humans Rights Act 1998 outlines a persons right to respect for their private life and family, whilst the Mental Capacity Act 2005, provides a statutory framework to empower and protect people who may lack capacity to make some decisions for themselves (HMG, 2005). In Josie’s case this would include people recognised as having some learning difficulties which may affect their capacity to make some decisions. The act makes it clear who can make the decisions, and in which situations, and how they should go abou t this. The Adoption and Children Act 2002, introduced a completely new court order, Special Guardianship, which provides another option for legal permanence for children who cannot grow up with their birth families. Under the Act Special Guardianship is an order made by the court that places a child or a young person to live with someone permanently, and gives legal status for non parents who wish to care for that child or young person in a long term secure placement. A residence order is an order from the court to say who the child should live with. Adoption places a child or young person in a permanent home but upon adoption the birth parents lose parental responsibility, and links with the birth parents are lost in most cases, (Lowe Murch, 2002). Long term fostering offers a similar approach, but it does not always allow the child or young person to feel a sense of security and belonging (Rushton,2003). Also, the long term foster parent would not obtain parental responsibility and there fore not have a legal right to have a say in the decisions involving the child/young person. The role of a family court in child protection cases is to make rulings about the rights to custody of the children involved, (Shepard, 2004). A family court can be convened where the state, on the advice of care agencies, seek custody of a child or children. The family court hears evidence and recommendations from social service workers, doctors, mental health workers and other professionals. This evidence is intended to highlight the potential risk that the children are exposed to, (Bentovim Miller, 2001). If the family court finds that the potential risk to children is too high then it may rule that custody should be removed from the parents and given, either temporarily or permanently, to the State (Schepard, 2004). Such children are referred to as looked after children. The case of Michael and Perdita has reached the point where it has been recommended that Care proceedings in a family court take place and a decision over placement be made. The physical smacking and shouting re ported by staff at the family centre   may become evidential of the view of care services that it is necessary to recommend that custody of Perdita be removed from Josie. With effect from 6th April 2011 The Family Procedure Rule 2010 came into force for all family proceedings, including adoption proceedings. Regarded as the most significant development in the procedure of the family courts for 20 years, (HMCS, 2010), Family Procedure Rules 201, replaces all existing procedural rules for family proceedings, creating a comprehensive and accessible source for all who come into contact with the family justice system. Covering all family proceedings in the High Court, the County Court and the Family Proceedings Court, the Rules were developed by Her Majestys Courts Service (HMCS) and the Family Procedure Rules Committee as a result of requirements set out in the Courts Act 2003. The Rules specify the need to secure that â€Å"the family justice system is accessible, fair and efficient and the rules are simple and simply expressed.†(HMCS, 2010) In seeking solutions about how to intervene most effectively, using practice theories and approaches, there is a need for a holistic approach seeking to utilise any strengths in Josie’s case, before identifying where assistance may be required, (Gibbs, 2003). As a profession we are committed to the pursuit of social justice for the poor, disadvantaged, disenfranchised and oppressed people, (Finn Jocobson 2003), however, prior awareness of the possibility of conflicting opinions, as to how to achieve this commitment, will enable the social worker to react thoughtfully and mediate effectively, (Dalrymple Burke, 1995). My recommendation would be for the Child Protection Conference to take place as required under the legislation. A main purpose of the conference is then to convene, in one place and at one time, all the relevant people interested in the care of Michael and Perdita, to include care professionals, medical practitioners, and if possible, subject to all necessary agreements and consents, Michael’s grandfather and Perdita’s father. Care professionals would then have the opportunity to decide whether legal proceedings ought to be brought on behalf of the children. This conference is a legal requirement and events have transpired to the point that this now cannot be avoided or delayed, however I would advocate that the outcome should, for now, include Perdita staying under the supervision of Josie, with the continued support of the foster mother Mary, whilst a more robust plan of support was investigated and recommendations made for additional support and education to aid impr ovements in her parenting capacity. I would further advocate for Michael to be placed with his grandfather under a special guardianship arrangement. Michael’s paternal attachment to date has been to his grandparents, as an older child Michael might struggle to deal with the status of being adopted and where there is evidence of a good relationship with members of the family, special guardian ship has the advantage of being less disruptive than either fostering or adoption, (Lowe Murch,2003). In the short term, Perdita remains a potential safeguarding issue. The staff have concerns over her being smacked and if this was viewed as a regular occurrence then most professionals would agree that Perdita was at least subject to inadequate parenting, whereas others would go further, and describe this as physical maltreatment, (Harwarth,2002). However, it must be born in mind that Josie may believe that she is attempting to be a good mother and merely modelling her own behaviour on her own experiences (Bandura 1977). The reason for Josie taking an excessive disciplinary approach to Perdita may be linked to her own experience of childrearing. If Josie was herself physically or emotionally maltreated, she may have developed ambivalent or disorganised attachment behaviours which apply to her own parenting relationship with Perdita, (Ainsworth 1989, Dominelli, 2002). The evidence base for proving that child maltreatment is passed form one generation to another is not conclusive (Macd onald, 2001), however it would need to be considered that Josie’s experiences of being raised in care could have an impact her own parenting skills which could be improved with education and support. The following legislation provides for the recommended solutions for this case study. The Children Act 1989 states that, where possible, the welfare of the children must be attempted inside the family environment. Thus the Children Act allows for social work professionals and other carers to monitor the current home situation before formulating their final recommendations. The Child Protection Act 1999 makes provision for Child Protection Conferences and such a conference regarding both Perdita and Michael would be an important short term measure to assess the risk to the children and to co-ordinate a Child Protection Plan for them. Legislation under the Child Protection Act 1999 would allow social workers to place either child on the Child Protection Register which would then require the design of a Child Protection Plan, to control future proceedings towards ensuring the safety of the children. These plans would clearly define what duties each care agency has for the protection of the children, and ensure that there is coherent and productive communication between these individual agencies, (Harwarth,2002). After the initial conference a further meeting can be convened after three months and then further six monthly conferences if felt necessary. I do not feel that Josie’s actions have reached the threshold for removing Perdita, at this time, and instead advocate further education and support should be indentified and provided to help improve her parenting capacity, of Perdita, in the short term, with the potential longer term aim of being placed in suitable supported accommodation to receive Michael also. However, I must also accept that if such short term support measures prove unsuccessful, and improved parental capacity is not observed, then it may be necessary to bring a public law case (family court) against Josie as set out in the Children Act 1989. If the court thinks it necessary to remove custody of Michael and Perdita from Josie, then the Ad option of Children Act 2002 would be utilised to make provisions for the long term care of the children under the status of looked after children. After the child protection conference there would be clear summaries, which identify from the information gathered, the child’s developmental needs, parenting capacity and family and environmental factors. In each of these domains, both strengths and difficulties would then be identified, (Booth Keegan, 1996). Children’s needs do not exist in a vacuum, (Hugman, 1991), therefore the inter-relationships between the child, family and environment must be understood. Michael and Perdita are not yet looked after children, since Jodie is their biological mother and as such, the provisions for looked after children are not part of my recommendations, at this time, however, this could become a possibility.   If this happened, then Perdita’s father, by virtue of having parental responsibility, would need to be consulted and his viewpoint sought before any final placement decision was made, hence my recommendation he be present, if agreement is possible, at the child protection conference. Fundamental to the recommended plan, from the beginning, is the commitment of all the parties involved, and the signatures to the plan of those who have lead responsibility, for ensuring it is carried forward. There should also be a clear recorded statement, on the plan, about when and how it will be reviewed, as reviewing the child’s progress, and the effectiveness of services, and other interventions is a continuous part, (Booth Kegan, 1996). Some of the information for these recommendations would have been gathered at the initial and core assessments and could have been complimented through the use of questionnaires and scales, (Department of Health, Cox and Bentovim, 2000). The Home Inventory (Caldwell and Bradley, 1984) and the Assessment of Family Competence, Strengths and Difficulties (Bentovim Bingley Miller, 2000), also provide important information about the child’s world and family functioning respectively. Service users, such as Josie, know little about the servicers available to them therefore social workers must act as the brokers to resources through referring them, (Payne, 2005). Just as the problems facing families are often interlinked, so the service providers for children and their families need to work closely together to be most effective, (Schneider Lester, 2001). It is important that all those concerned with services to children and families, statutory and voluntary bodies, community groups and families, contribute to the development of these plans, (Payne,1996). Everyone benefits if services are properly co-ordinated and integrated, (Rushton,2003). The structure and organisation of services to safeguard children are dictated by core legislation, guidance and policy, (Dalrymple J. and Burke B (1995). Government key objectives for improvements in outcomes, for children in need, can only be achieved by close collaboration between professionals and agencies working with child ren and families, (Harwarth, 2002). In particular Working together to Safeguard Children (DOH, 1999) and the Framework for the Assessment for Children in Need and Their Families, (DoH, 2000), provide comphrehensive guidance. The Framework for Assessment, (DoH,2000) provides guidance on the initial assessments and core assessments of a child in need including time frames that need to be met. Section 11 of The Children Act 2004 establishes the duty of different service providers to co-operate. â€Å"The support and protection of children cannot be achieved by a single agency Every Service has to play its part. All staff must have placed upon them the clear expectation that their primary responsibility is to the child and his or her family.† Lord Laming in the Victoria Climbià © Inquiry Report, Paragraphs 17.92 and 17.93. Securing the wellbeing of children, by protecting them from all forms of harm, and ensuring their developmental needs are responded to appropriately, are primary aims of social work (Milner O’Byrne, 1998). The effectiveness with which a child’s needs are assessed will be key to the effectiveness of subsequent actions and services and, ultimately, to the outcomes for the child and this can only happen within an interdisciplinary and multiagency context. Many social workers practice in settings where they complete dual roles, protecting vulnerable individuals, and the community at large, in addition to playing other supportive roles, (Payne, 1996). In order to demonstrate adherence to working in an anti- discriminatory and anti-oppressive way it would be important to record the specific views and opinions and feelings of all concerned and attempt to build these, (sometimes contradictory) views into the recommended solutions where possible. At times it would be important to advocate on the family’s behalf with other agencies, taking time to reassure Josie that her views will be sought and listened to in this process, whilst also listening to and integrating the potentially different needs of Michael, the grandfather and Perdita’s father, (Sinclair et al, 2007). Only by working in partnership with the family could you begin to empower them to enable to seek the correct support and assistance. No matter where they are employed, social workers are influenced by the social work value of self determination for their client, (Thompson 2002). In defending this value you can begin to ensure that there has been an adherence to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. Further to these general aims, policy guidelines and codes of practice provide the framework for such casework, and are there to enable professionals maintain the standards expected of them, (Payne, 2005). Using the Department of Health Framework for Assessment, as the initial assessment tool, would provide the opportunity to highlight and record the clients involvement in the solutions recommended. The aim of the practice guidance is to make transparent the evidence base for the assessment framework, thereby assisting professionals in their tasks of analysis, judgement and dec ision making and working together to promote anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. If we are not attuned to recognising and challenging discrimination we run the risk of condoning it, or even exacerbating it, through our own actions, (Thompson, 1998). We need to be sensitive to discrimination and oppression to avoid the pitfall of becoming oblivious to their existence, (Tomlinson Trew, 2002). Giddons (1977) argues that power is intrinsic to all social interaction, we therefore cannot escape the significance of power in our dealings with other people. Assessments and subsequent care plans are more effective if the child and family feel empowered and involved throughout the process (Department for Education and Skills, 2001), to demonstrate that for Josie and her family you had worked in an anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive way it would be important to establish and document their individual contributions to the process, and ensure they felt involvement in the solutions and recommendations made. One of the hallmarks of good practice in traditional approaches t o social work has been a sensitivity to feelings, (Dominelli, 2002), this aim should run through all aspects of the recommendations. REFERENCES Adoption and Children Act (2002), London: HMSO Ainsworth,M.D.S., (1989) Attatchment Beyond Infancy, American Psychologist, 44, 709-716. In: Cassidy, J. Shaver,P., (2008) Handbook of Attachment: Theory Research and Clinical Application (2nd Ed). New York: Guildford. Bentovim, A. Bingley Miller, L. (2001) The Family Assessment: Assessment of Family Competence, Strengths and Difficulties. Brighton: Pavillion Publishing Booth, M. Kegan, P. (1996). Avoiding Delay in Children Act Cases. Routledge, London. Children Act (1989), London: HMSO   Children Act (2004), London: HMSO. www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrenreport Cox, A. Bentovin, A. (2002) The Family Assessment Pack of Questionnaires and Scales. London: HMSO. Cox, A Walker, S. (2002) The HOME Inventory- Home Observation and Measurement of the Environment. Brighton: Pavillion Publishing Dalrymple J. and Burke B (1995) Anti Oppressive Practice Social Care and the Law Buckingham Open University Press DDA – Disability Discrimination Act, 2005 from www.disability.gov.uk/Department of Health, Department of Health (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families. London: HMSO. Dominelli, L.(2002). Anti-oppressive Social Work Theory and Practice. London: Palgrave MacMillan Family Procedure Rules (2010) www.legislation.gov.uk Finn,J.L, Jacobson, M. (2003) Just Practice: Steps Towards a New Social Work Paradigm. In: Journal of Social Work Education Vol 39 2003. Gibbs, L. (2003) Evidence-based practice for the helping professions. Monterey C.A.: Brooks Cole. Harwarth, J. (2002). Maintaining a Focus on the Child? First Impressions of The Framework for The Assessment of Children In Need and Their Families In Cases of Child Neglect. Child Abuse Review Voll11 Issue 4 Pages 195-213. Her Majesty’s Court Service (2010). Courts Act 2003. Direct Gov website. Direct.gov.uk Her Majesty’s Government (2005) Understanding the Mental Capacity Act. Direct Gov website. Direct.gov.uk Holder, W Corey, M. (1986) Child Protective Services Risk Management: A Decision Making Handbook. Action for Child Protection, Charlotte, N.C. Hugman, R., (1991) Power in the caring professions. London: Boyers. Lowe  N, Murch M, (2002) The Plan for the Child: Adoption or long-term fostering, BAAF. Macdonald, G.M., (2001). Interventions for Child Abuse and Neglect: An Evidence Based Approach to Planning and Evaluating Interventions. London: Wiley. Milner,J O’Byrne,P. (1998), Assessment in Social Work, Basingstoke: MacMillan. Payne, M. (1996) What is Professional Social Work? Birmingham:Venture Payne, M. (2005) Modern Social Work Theory. New York: Palgrave Macmillan Protection of Children Act (1999), London: HMSO www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/protectionofchildrenact Rushton, A. (2003). The Adoption of Looked After Children. Social Care Institute for Excellence, London. Schepard, A. I. (2004) Children,Courts and Custody. Hofstra University, New York. Schneider, R.L. and Lester,L.,( 2001) Social Work Advocacy: A new framework for action. Belmont C.A: Brooks/Cole. Sinclair  I, Baker C, Lee J, Gibbs I, (2007) The Pursuit of Permanence Jessica Kingsley Publishing. www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/adoptionofchildrenact Thomas,D. Woods, H., (2003) Working with People with Learning Difficulties: Theory and Practice. Philadelphia: Jessica Kinglsey. Thompson, N. (2001) Anti-Discriminatory practice 3rd Ed. London,Palgrave Thompson,N. (1998) Promoting Equality London Macmillan Press Limited. In : Learning disability:  A handbook for integrated care /  edited by Michael Brown. Salisbury :  APS,  2003. Tomlinson, D.R. Trew, W., (2002), Equalising Opportunities, Minimising Oppression: A Critical Review of Anti-discriminatory Policies in Health and Social Welfare. London: Routledge. Warman, A.(2003) Adoption and Looked After Children: International Comparisons. Family Policies Study Centre, Oxford.

Personality theories the nature of the being

Personality theories the nature of the being The thirst for the understanding of human nature is one of the main reasons why scientists spend most of their lives experimenting on ideas and forming theories that explain why certain things are the way they are and the effect that they have on a person, in cases where the attainment of tangible results to the experiments is not possible.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personality theories: the nature of the being specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, various theories explain why people act the way they do and the possible causes for such actions. Different scholars express their ideologies on the nature of the being from different perspectives and using different elements such as morality and personality. Of concern to this paper is the aspect of personality. This paper is a discussion on the views of different scholars on how personality affects or contributes to the nature of a person. One of the theor ies that explain personalities is Sigmund Freud’s id, ego, and super ego theory. Duane Schultz, a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, together with his wife, Sydney Ellen Shultz, have written an informative book that contains an analytical view of some of the major theories, including that of Sigmund Freud. The book titled Theories of Personality has the intention of help other scholars, with an interest in the subject, to understand the various theories applicable. The book explains that Sigmund Freud was the founder of the Psychoanalytical theory on personalities. His theory is more of an analytical explanation of the nature of people using their personality as the basis. In the Freudian theory, Schultz explains that personality â€Å"is divisible into three components, viz. the id, the ego and the super ego† (Schultz Schultz, 2008, p.73). The ‘id’ acts according to the pleasure principle, thus desiring pleasure without the consi deration of the environment. The ‘ego’ becomes operational at this point, with its function being to synchronize the desires of the id with the environment, thus meeting the desires in accordance to reality. The ‘super ego’ applies societal ideals and moral judgment upon the ego thus resulting in actions that are both realistic and moral (Myers, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alfred Alder, a neo-Freudian scholar supports Freud’s theory while creating an extension of it, with the view that early childhood experiences determine an adult’s personality. Most Neo-Freudian scholars have used the Freudian theory in the development of their own theories similar to that of Freud with minor differences. According to Adler, early childhood experiences determine the personality of a person in his or her adulthood (Gazzaniga Heatherton, 2 006). He adds that the birth order is also a contributory aspect. In explaining this assertion, Adler points out that the oldest child in a family has the tendency to be an over achiever in a bid to make up for the loss of attention, which is caused by the birth of other children into the family. He describes the middle children as ambitious and competitive, mainly aiming to surpass the first-born child, although not for the same reasons. He describes the youngest children in the family as being more secure about themselves and more dependent on others (Schultz Schultz, 2008). Although Adler’s theory is an extension of the Freudian theory, it also possesses some descriptive qualities as opposed to Freud’s work that is purely analytical. He gives the reason behind the characteristic nature of the first child, but only describes that of the other children in a family setting (Marcus, 2004). This perspective is easy to relate to and essentially true as most siblings seem ingly have the opinion that their parents judge them according to the actions of the eldest child. However, first-born children do not always seek attention. Sometimes they act according to the manner the parents describe, such as setting examples for younger siblings to follow. This theory is plausible and easy to relate to for most people. Another theory that borrows Freud’s view is that of Heinz Kohut, who uses the Freudian theory to introduce the idea of mirroring and idealization, suggesting that children need to develop particular skills in life through the internalization of circumstances. For instance, when a child cries and he or she does not get anyone’s attention, he or she is likely to develop ways of soothing him or herself. This is especially true for children who come from large families and thus cannot always get attention when they desire it. Just as is the case with Alder, Heinz does not provide a full analysis to include the reason for such behavior. The two scholars offer a more social view of the theory as opposed to Freud’s analytical view. Karen Horney offers a female perspective to the discussion with her contribution to the theory.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Personality theories: the nature of the being specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Karen introduces the concepts of the ‘real self’ and the ‘ideal self’, stating that each individual possesses both. She describes the ‘real self’ as the manner in which humans act regarding morals, values, and personality while the ‘ideal self’ is an individual’s construction that enables conformity with personal and societal norms (Feist Feist, 2009). Although her perspective is plausible, sometimes people’s individual personalities coincide with society’s expectations, negating the need for the ideal self. An example of this is an indivi dual prefers talking only when necessary, a characteristic that also suits society’s expectations. The behavioral theory is another example of an analytical viewpoint of the nature of a being, whereby theorists try to explain human behavior or personality by analyzing the effects of external factors on the behavior of a person. One of the proponents of this theory is B. F. Skinner. He came up with the ‘stimulus-response-consequence’ model of analysis. Scientific thinking and experimentation are characteristics of this theory as opposed to theories such as the trait theory. Skinner proposes the concept that people respond more frequently in certain ways if they perceive previous success of such actions. He gives the example that a baby cries to draw attention the same act has shown success in prior similar circumstances. Crying, in this case, is a response to a stimulus, while attention is the consequence. The stimulus is the circumstance that would cause the chil d to cry for attention. Such behavior, over time, embeds in the child and thus becomes part of his or her personality. The determinant question in understanding the nature of the person is the circumstances under which the organism (person) engages in a particular behavior or response. However, there arises a weakness in this theory, which is the fact that the description of a personality indicates a sense of permanence and uniqueness of behavior. The circumstances or stimulus in a person’s childhood changes as the child grows. The implication that this aspect has is that the personality of the person also changes as the person grows, thus eroding the sense of permanence in the description of personality. Therefore, although Skinner presents a different perspective from Adler and Heinz, his theory contains a weakness.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The trait theory suggests that traits have the characteristic of a wholesome definition of people. Theorists are of the opinion that traits are relatively constant and rarely change with time. Anther characteristics that traits possess is that they are bipolar, which means that they dwell on extremities. This aspect means, for instance, that a person is either good or evil and not in between the two. There are three main assumptions that proponents of this theory agree on; firstly, they agree that traits are stable with time. Secondly, theorists presume that traits possess a characteristic ability to influence behavior in addition to bearing significant differences in every individual. Based on these assumptions, traits thus cause uniqueness in the personality of different people, hence making it possible for personality to be a distinguishing characteristic in people. Gordon Allport is one of the proponents of this theory and makes his contribution by stating that different traits mould the nature of a person by influencing his or her behavior, giving classifications to traits. He presents different classifications of traits including cardinal traits, common traits, and central traits (Allport, 1937). Central traits, he explains, are present in every individual and are thus inherent. Cardinal traits are different from central traits in that they are the traits that give a strong recognition to an individual, and therefore bring out his or her uniqueness. Common traits underscore the category that is different from cardinal traits as they bear cultural influence. As such, common traits thus differ within various cultures according to the prescriptive norms applicable. Raymond Cattel agrees with Gordon adding that the definition of personality forms in terms of behavioral prediction (Schultz Schultz, 2008). Predictable behavior is in his view what personality consists of and forms its definition. A person who believes easily, for instance, has the characterist ic of being gullible, which forms his or her personality. Lewis Goldberg contributes to this theory by proposing that there are five dimensions of personality. Theorists refer to this formulation as the ‘Big Five model’. The five dimensions include openness to experience, which is evident in the tendency to be imaginative and the other extreme being conformity. The second dimension is conscientiousness, which is a tem that he uses in the definitions of extremes such as being careful and constructive or careless and impulsive. Thirdly, he includes extraversion, which defines the ability to be sociable and affectionate or the lack of it. Agreeableness is the forth component and neurotism the last (Goldberg, 1990). One of the notable weaknesses of this theory, in comparison with others such as the psychoanalytical and behavioral theories, is that the trait theory is descriptive as it only gives the characteristics of behaviors that people portray and not the underlying cau ses of such behaviors. The latter theories are analytical as they focus on the reasons for behavior as part of the nature of people. Alfred Adler, for instance, gives the reason for the tendency of first-born children to be overachievers as a means of regaining attention lost due to the birth of other children. Sigmund Freud also gives an explanation as to the reason that behavior is realistic and moral. Understanding the nature of a person largely depends on a person’s understanding of why people act in certain ways in certain circumstances. For instance, Heinz Kohut, a proponent of the psychoanalytical theory, explains that children cry in order to attract attention and that they do so as the action has had prior success in attaining what they want. The different propositions from the different proponents of this theory also bear their own personal weaknesses and strengths. For instance, Allport’s classification of â€Å"central traits suggests that these traits are unique to specific individuals† (Feist Feist, 2009, p.112), which is difficult to determine as many people bear astounding similarities in their traits. Cattel’s theory bears truth as the entire purpose of personality identification lays basis on predictability of traits. The personal construct theory has the characteristics of being both analytical and experimental as it suggests that people have the ability of identifying their own personality by analyzing past experiences. Its main purpose, as psychologists apply it, is to enable a person to understand the nature of another person. However, it can also enable a person to understand himself or herself. An American psychologist, George Kelly, came up with the theory in the 1950s. George was of the idea that each person is a scientist in one form or the other by experimenting on situations and outcomes from childhood (Myers, 2010). He gave an example similar to Heinz Kohut’s by suggesting that a child cries in order to experiment on the effect that it has and enable him or her to predict the results of his or her actions. The circumstances that individuals experiment on change as a person grows and according to the issue the person chooses to focus on. Kelly was of the idea that each â€Å"person’s task in understanding his or her own psychology was putting facts of his or her own experiences†¦the theory suggests that for individuals to understand their environments, they come up with theories based on their interpretations of observations and experiences† (Goldberg, 1990, p.88). Kelly refers to these theories as constructs and adds that they form the basis of each person’s perception of reality (Schultz Schultz, 2008). It is possible for people to form the character of a person by the set of constructs they apply to him or her, like greedy or generous. This theory suggests that constructs are bipolar in nature as they have two extremes on which people or circum stances fall on, depending on the person making the construct. Apart from the fact that constructs allow people to categorize other people and predict their actions, listening to another person’s constructs provides psychologists with information from which inferences of the person’s personality is possible. This aspect enables psychologists to understand the nature of the person. The personal construct theory enables people to understand their own nature and come up with personal solutions to problems. It is similar to the psychoanalytical theory, as it is analytical and experimental in nature. The technique used by psychologists in the application of this theory is the repertory grid technique, which involves identifying ways that a person interprets his or her own experiences and using the information to form a conclusion of his or her character, thus enabling the prediction of future behaviors under specific circumstances. This ideology bears significant resemblanc e to Cattel’s idea of predictability of behavior. The social learning theory forms part of the social cognitive theories in the same category as the personal construct theory, emphasizing on memory and the environment as determinants of personalities. This theory â€Å"suggests that memory or cognition and the environment interact to form a person’s personality through the molding of his or her behavior† (Buss Greiling, 1999, p.211). The theory proposes that people’s behavior is resultant of what s/he learns from others through observation and modeling. Modeling is descriptive of the art of doing as others do. One of the proponents of this theory, Albert Bandura, is of the view that there exist three variables, each with the ability to influence the other. The three variables are â€Å"the person, the environment and behavior† (Buss Greiling, 1999, p.241). Bandura is of the view that these three variables are inter-connected, thus causing a chang e in one to affect the other. Some of the forms of modeling he mentions are imitation, which is the use of a person’s behavior as stimulus for one’s actions, vicarious punishment, which he describes as an indication of unacceptable behavior, and vicarious reinforcement, which consists of enforcing acceptable behavior. This theory is analytical in the sense that individuals analyze the environment and the behavior of others in the formation of their own (Marcus, 2004). This aspect makes it similar to the psychoanalytical and behavioral theories. Another similarity is that these theories use the result of an action in the determination of actions that people continuously practice, thus forming behavioral patterns and personalities. It is part of cognitive psychology as the memory of an individual is essential in the determination of future reactions to circumstances. The humanistic and positive psychology theories are similar as they both focus on human need as the main determinant of a person’s personality. According to Maslow (1999), the humanistic theory suggests that in the determination of personality, a person should look at behavior done out of free will in order to understand the nature of a person. Positive psychology, which Robert White proposes, suggests that personality is based on the human need to strive for positive goals like influence and power (White Watt, 1981). Both theories are analytical, describing the reason behind certain behavior. Although both theories are plausible, they are both inconclusive and bear different weaknesses. Maslow’s theory’ weakness is that most of the time, people portray their personality traits, whether they act of their own free will or as results of coercion. For instance, a person under coercion to kill another, as part of their personality, may accept to shoot or refuse. Robert theory’s weakness lies in the fact that not all people strive for positive goals. Laziness is a personality trait that suggests that a person is not bothered about attaining positive goals. In conclusion, all these theories bear plausible suggestions as well as a few weaknesses, but they bear one thing in common, viz. they aid in the understanding of human nature by attempting to explain personality through different viewpoints. Reference List Allport, W. (1937). Personality: The Psychological Interpretation. New York, NY: Holt, Reinhart Winston. Buss, M., Greiling H. (1999). Adaptive Individual Differences. Journal of Personality  67(2), 209-243. Feist, J., Feist, G. (2009). Theories of Personality. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill Higher Education. Gazzaniga, S., Heather, T. (2006). Psychological Science: Mind, Brain and Behavior,  New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Goldberg, R. (1990). An Alternative â€Å"Description of Personality†. The Big-Five Factor Structure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(6), 1216-29. Marcus, G. (2004). The Birth of the Mind. New York, NY: Basic Books. Maslow, H. (1999). Towards a Psychology of Being. New York, NY: Wiley. Myers, D., (2010). Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Schultz, P., Schultz, S. (2008). Theories of Personality (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. White, R., Watt, N. (1981). The Abnormal Personality (5th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley Sons.

Cadbury Schweppes plc

Cadbury Schweppes plc Introduction Cadbury Schweppes plc is a confectionery and non-alcoholic beverage company. The Company’s products include brands, such as such as Cadbury, Schweppes, Halls, Trident, Dr Pepper, Snapple, Trebor, Dentyne, Bubblicious and Bassett. Cadbury Schweppes operates in five segments: Britain, Ireland, Middle East and Africa (BIMA), Europe, Americas Confectionery, Asia Pacific and Americas Beverages. Americas Confectionery, BIMA and Europe produce and distribute confectionery products in their respective geographical markets. (Google Finance, 2008). The Asia Pacific segment produces and distributes confectionery and beverages products in the Asia Pacific region. Americas Beverages market, produce and distribute branded soft drinks in North America. During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company acquired confectionery businesses in Romania (Kandia-Excelent), Japan (Sansei Foods) and Turkey (Intergum). (Google Finance, 2008) Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited operate a s one business organization (Rio Tinto). Rio Tinto is an international mining company. The Company’s business is finding, mining and processing mineral resources. (Google Finance, 2008). Its major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc), and iron ore. Businesses include open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries and smelters, as well as a number of research and service facilities. On October 23, 2007, Rio Tinto acquired Alcan Inc. (Google Finance, 2008) Both companies have operations that span across national boundaries, as well as long term liabilities. This indicates that they face both exchange rate and interest rate risks. This paper is aimed at looking at the different exchange rate and interest rate risks that these companies face, the risk management policies, the instruments used in hedging these risks and the implications of these risk and risk management strategies to investors. H aving said this, the paper will now go on to discuss the different types of risks. Currency Risk Currency exposure refers to the risk of financial loss that a company suffers as a result of changes or fluctuations in interest rates. The financial loss may come as a result of changes in the value of cash flows or as a result of changes in the recorded value of assets and liabilities of the company. There are three main types of exposure that a company may face. These include (Shapiro, 2003): Translation exposure; Transaction exposure; and Economic Exposure. Translation exposure is the exposure a firm faces because of its assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currency. It is the exposure that is basically faced by multinational companies that have subsidiaries in many other countries. Translation exposure has no major effect on value of the firm because it affects only balance sheet and income statement items that are denominated in a foreign currency. Transac tion exposure is the exposure a firm faces as a result of its contractual obligations that are denominated in a foreign currency. It represents the exposure a company faces as a result of its contractual obligations that have already been booked but that would be settled at a future date (Shapiro, 2003). These include for example, repayment of loans denominated in overseas currencies, purchases from overseas companies and dividends

Unfair Dismissal Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Unfair Dismissal Report - Essay Example 9. Employed in Victoria or in a Territory. In determining if this has been the case, the Commission must have regard to a number of factors including: 1. whether there was a valid reason for the termination and whether the employee was notified of that reason; 2. whether the employee was given an opportunity to respond; 3. if the termination related to unsatisfactory performance by the employee and whether the employee had previously been warned about that unsatisfactory performance; 4. the degree to which the size of the employer's business, or the absence of dedicated human resource management specialists, may have had an impact on termination procedures. The AIRC hears cases which are still unresolved after going through the conciliation process. Its role is to decide, after hearing from both sides, whether the dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable. It also exercises a range of powers under the Act in relation to ensuring the establishment and maintenance of fair minimum wages and conditions of employment, preventing and settling industrial disputes, facilitating agreement making between employers and employees, conciliating and arbitrating claims in relation to the termination of employees and dealing with matters concerning industrial organizations. The AIRC seeks to help employers and employees to reach a settlement in a way that minimizes legal costs and discourages vexatious and unreasonable claims. If matters are not settled, the AIRC will make a decision that is binding on both the employer and employee. Under the Act, the AIRC is responsible for conciliation in both unfair dismissal and unlawful termination cases. Only unfair dismissal cases, however, can be arbitrated in the AIRC. Procedural fairness has two meanings in... Unfair Dismissal Report The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) had to decide on a balance of probabilities whether the applicant had proven her allegations regarding unlawful discrimination and harassment taking into account all the evidence available to it. The AIRC seeks to help employers and employees to reach a settlement in a way that minimizes legal costs and discourages vexatious and unreasonable claims. If matters are not settled, the AIRC will make a decision that is binding on both the employer and employee. Procedural fairness has two meanings in this context. Firstly, one of the characteristics of a Tribunal is informality - which generally means excluding the rules of evidence, whilst retaining due process, natural justice or procedural fairness. The AIRC are required to do what is fair in the circumstances of each case. The onus is on yielding a fair result and if that requires greater formality then the AIRC will do so in order to establish any disputed facts. For example in the case study, the Tribunal arranged for the parties to agree the matters which were not in dispute prior to the hearing of the matter. Tribunal members hearing cases are also ready to help applicants to understand the issues in their cases and the procedures in the Tribunal where they can. In particular, Mrs Huang was given the opportunity to change her interpreter. The Tribunal also reminded the interpreter that he could ask to stop the proceedings if they were going too quickly for him to ensure an accurate translation of what was said. The Tribunal was of the view that it was imperative that Mrs Huang understood the proceedings as if it were her first language.

CRITIQUE of 1 out of 4 FILMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CRITIQUE of 1 out of 4 FILMS - Essay Example Maria searches for Kynaston to learn more about the craft of acting. What they find in each other is something that they never found on stage – love. The basic human drive that motivates Hughes’ and Kynaston’s behavior, I think, is the need for acceptance and search for identity. Kynaston grew up being trained to portray female roles in the theater. It was on stage that he found his identity regardless of the roles he played. King Charles II’s proclamation indirectly detached Kynaston from his true being, leaving him searching for his identity. Hughes, meanwhile, was an aspiring actress who struggled to find her identity on stage. Although considered a star in her own right, Hughes needed an affirmation and validation for her acting skills which she struggled to get on stage. The film â€Å"Stage Beauty† shows the fine artistry in portraying roles that are alien to one’s being, as in Kynaston’s portrayal of female roles. Acting like a man or a woman on stage can be learned through years of training and hard work. The stage, therefore, is the place where these various roles are performed and lived out. The stage’s appeal lies in the illusion and trickery conjured by its performers who act out different roles. Like the society from which we play a part (whether as a mother, a son, or a lover, for instance), the world is our very own stage where these gender roles are played out, or rather, performed to maintain the trickery and illusion which separate one gender from the other. The film, as this paper argues, breaks the artifice of gender roles by showing precisely that these roles are performances rather than naturally occurring through one’s identity. Moreover, the film challenges society’s definition of how a ma n or a woman should be and invites us to transcend the differences between gender roles. The film’s elements (mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, music, and

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 60

Case study - Essay Example The deal was going on well with the company making small losses and gains to balance the losses, an indication that all systems were right. However, in mid April 1994, Artzt, the chairman of P & G, made a shocking revelation that the company had made a whopping $157 million loss after liquidating two interest rate swap contracts (Smith, 68). This was in addition to a $102 million after tax charge against the company’s third quarter profits to cover the losses incurred in the transaction (Malkin, 1994). The scenario was that P $ G had a signed a contract that considerably magnified the interest rates swings in a 3 years swap in which the company paid a floating rate on Libor (Smith, 69). The intention of the company was to make an interest in the event that interest rates fell or remained constant, which could have led the prices of the relevant bonds increasing or remaining constant. As a result, the company could have paid the expected Libor rate while still benefiting from t he income from Bankers Trust for the options. However, the short interest rates rose significantly leading to a decline in the prices of the long term bonds, forcing P & G to buy the derivatives at rates way above the selling value. In other words, P &G found itself paying rates above the selling value due to the sensitivity of the long term bonds to the slightest movement in interest rates. Consequently, P & G had to pay much higher to purchase back the derivatives from Bankers Trust than what the bank had paid for them due to the increase in the value of the options held by the bank as a result of a rise in interest rates (Heffernan, 641). P & G incurred the above losses due to interest rates volatility in the market, which made the company buy its swiped instruments at much higher costs than the bank had paid. The outcome of the transaction was that two P & G employees considered to bear the

Politics and Love in Contemporary Arabic Literature Essay

Politics and Love in Contemporary Arabic Literature - Essay Example In prose, western short story version, drama and novel versions replaced Arabian styles. Majority of the writers in Arabic literature have conjured love and politics in their writing. The issues discussed have shifted to feature the political atmosphere in Middle East. First, works of Adonis have grown with the political trends in Arabic countries. He uses his works to highlight aesthetics of literature and its purpose in shaping the society. His content, having pioneered prose poem in Arabic, have taken an influential as well as controversial role in Arabic modernism (Arana 87). For example, through poetry, he has championed democracy and popularized secular perspective in Middle East. His poetic genre is a cosmopolitan work, which not only tackles issues in Arab world but also the entire globe. In his poem, ‘Love’ Adonis exemplifies his unique blend of revolutionary artistic diction. Away from the traditional Arab poetry of simple language and forms, the poem revolves in the themes of politics, love, culture, and philosophy. Adonis alludes that newness in Arabic society are identifiable with Arabic character. In the poem, ‘Love’ he depicts the feel of affection for the context he is in, like the road, house, the dead, t he neighbors and the toiling hands of the world (Arana 120). The selected diction shows the high stakes in Adonis works, which invites every bit of creativity and intellect. He heightens the reader’s originality to new thoughts and realms that create curiosity. No, wonder his love for renewal and democratic consciousness won him the Goethe prestigious award. The reflection in the poem, ‘Celebrating Childhood’ affirms that the history of Arabic is not that of the sword but also lately made of great men. His literary writing still captures the current issues in Arab world. Lately, comments from Adonis on the political

Intellectual property law (UK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual property law (UK) - Essay Example The present UK law regulating trademarks is the Trade Marks Act 1994. According to the Act, a "trade mark" means any sign capable of being represented graphically, which is capable of distinguishing goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. A trademark may, in particular, consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters, numerals or the shape of goods or their packaging.1 It is clear that any sign, including designs, is capable of being registrable when conditions are met. Shape of goods can be registered as trademarks. Though not explicitly worded, it is accepted that shapes include both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. The general elements of a trademark include the capability of being represented graphically and distinguishing the goods or service from those of other undertakings. The distinguishing, or, distinctive capability of a trademark is essential, which can be seen from many UK and EU cases. For example, in the Procter & Gamble Company v Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market, a registration was applied for a square tablet with slightly rounded edges and corners, but the registrar refused the application under Article 38 of Regulation No 40/94 on the ground that the mark applied for was devoid of any distinctive character.2 Descriptive Trade Marks This trademarks law is in contrast to what we will refer to as "descriptive" trade marks-that is, naming a product or company using words that describe what it is or what it sells. For instance, if one were to open a blue jean manufacturer in London, and refer to the company as "London Blue Jeans" this is considered a "descriptive trademark, and until recently was not allowed under UK law due to the highly descriptive nature and arrangement of the words. Rights of Trade Marks The UK Trade Mark Act 1994 Article 9 (1) provides that "the proprietor of a registered trade mark has exclusive rights in the trade mark which are infringed by use of the trade mark in the United Kingdom without his consent." This article and Article 43 (1), which provides that the registration of a trade mark may be renewed at the request of the proprietor so long as the renewal fee has been paid3, conferred actually perpetual monopoly on the proprietors. Purpose and rationale: General rationale of IP law The intellectual property rights, argued by economists, are accorded in that if everyone would be allowed to take the advantage of the results of innovative and creative activities freely, the problems of "free rider" would have been rise. Therefore, no one would try to create anything, such as a car or plane if no special advantages would be given, and the economic growth and prosperity would become impossible. The IP law, to solve the problem, confers rights on those who invested (the creator, inventor or who paid for it) on the creations the right of monopoly to ensure that they would make use of the creation to maximize profits4. However, at the same time, there is also a principle of IP law to afford free accesses to those rights to the public after a certain period of monopoly in that it will enhance the economic development of the society with trade mark as an exception. Purpose and rationale: Trade Marks Law The function of trade marks, non-exceptive

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 60

Case study - Essay Example The deal was going on well with the company making small losses and gains to balance the losses, an indication that all systems were right. However, in mid April 1994, Artzt, the chairman of P & G, made a shocking revelation that the company had made a whopping $157 million loss after liquidating two interest rate swap contracts (Smith, 68). This was in addition to a $102 million after tax charge against the company’s third quarter profits to cover the losses incurred in the transaction (Malkin, 1994). The scenario was that P $ G had a signed a contract that considerably magnified the interest rates swings in a 3 years swap in which the company paid a floating rate on Libor (Smith, 69). The intention of the company was to make an interest in the event that interest rates fell or remained constant, which could have led the prices of the relevant bonds increasing or remaining constant. As a result, the company could have paid the expected Libor rate while still benefiting from t he income from Bankers Trust for the options. However, the short interest rates rose significantly leading to a decline in the prices of the long term bonds, forcing P & G to buy the derivatives at rates way above the selling value. In other words, P &G found itself paying rates above the selling value due to the sensitivity of the long term bonds to the slightest movement in interest rates. Consequently, P & G had to pay much higher to purchase back the derivatives from Bankers Trust than what the bank had paid for them due to the increase in the value of the options held by the bank as a result of a rise in interest rates (Heffernan, 641). P & G incurred the above losses due to interest rates volatility in the market, which made the company buy its swiped instruments at much higher costs than the bank had paid. The outcome of the transaction was that two P & G employees considered to bear the

Intellectual property law (UK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual property law (UK) - Essay Example The present UK law regulating trademarks is the Trade Marks Act 1994. According to the Act, a "trade mark" means any sign capable of being represented graphically, which is capable of distinguishing goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings. A trademark may, in particular, consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters, numerals or the shape of goods or their packaging.1 It is clear that any sign, including designs, is capable of being registrable when conditions are met. Shape of goods can be registered as trademarks. Though not explicitly worded, it is accepted that shapes include both two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. The general elements of a trademark include the capability of being represented graphically and distinguishing the goods or service from those of other undertakings. The distinguishing, or, distinctive capability of a trademark is essential, which can be seen from many UK and EU cases. For example, in the Procter & Gamble Company v Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market, a registration was applied for a square tablet with slightly rounded edges and corners, but the registrar refused the application under Article 38 of Regulation No 40/94 on the ground that the mark applied for was devoid of any distinctive character.2 Descriptive Trade Marks This trademarks law is in contrast to what we will refer to as "descriptive" trade marks-that is, naming a product or company using words that describe what it is or what it sells. For instance, if one were to open a blue jean manufacturer in London, and refer to the company as "London Blue Jeans" this is considered a "descriptive trademark, and until recently was not allowed under UK law due to the highly descriptive nature and arrangement of the words. Rights of Trade Marks The UK Trade Mark Act 1994 Article 9 (1) provides that "the proprietor of a registered trade mark has exclusive rights in the trade mark which are infringed by use of the trade mark in the United Kingdom without his consent." This article and Article 43 (1), which provides that the registration of a trade mark may be renewed at the request of the proprietor so long as the renewal fee has been paid3, conferred actually perpetual monopoly on the proprietors. Purpose and rationale: General rationale of IP law The intellectual property rights, argued by economists, are accorded in that if everyone would be allowed to take the advantage of the results of innovative and creative activities freely, the problems of "free rider" would have been rise. Therefore, no one would try to create anything, such as a car or plane if no special advantages would be given, and the economic growth and prosperity would become impossible. The IP law, to solve the problem, confers rights on those who invested (the creator, inventor or who paid for it) on the creations the right of monopoly to ensure that they would make use of the creation to maximize profits4. However, at the same time, there is also a principle of IP law to afford free accesses to those rights to the public after a certain period of monopoly in that it will enhance the economic development of the society with trade mark as an exception. Purpose and rationale: Trade Marks Law The function of trade marks, non-exceptive

The Fall of the House of Usher Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Fall of the House of Usher Analysis Essay â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is a short story written by Edger Allan Poe in 1839. Almost everything about the story is very gloomy, dark and depressing. For example, the house is described by the narrator as â€Å"the melancholy House of Usher† and the description of Roderick Usher himself makes you think of a corpse. This theme of dreariness and sorrow pervades the story and is done to a very chilling effect, which really draws in the reader. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† has lots of necessary elements of a traditional Gothic tale: a dreary landscape, a haunted house, mysterious characters, etc. but for all of these elements, the vagueness of the story is a large part of the terror about it. One of the most interesting and endearing elements of this story is its mystery, the fact that Edgar Allan Poe, despite the brilliant description of the setting and physical features of the characters, doesn’t actually give us a lot of information about the characters themselves makes the reader ask a lot of questions: Why is the house in such a state of disrepair? ; If the narrator was a childhood friend of Roderick Usher, why doesn’t he know much about him – like the basic fact that he has a twin sister? Etc. Even the information that Poe does give us begs more questions than it answers, for example, the fact that the Usher family doesn’t have any collateral damage. This feeling of mystery really is a brilliant way of writing a story as it makes the reader want and indeed need to read on in order to answer the questions posed. Due to this, the reader will find it near impossible to put the story down which is definitely a credit to Poe’s talent and style of writing. The characters in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† are very intriguing as well. All three main characters are interesting in their own right and they all have at least something that makes them seem out of the ordinary. Roderick Usher in particular has certain qualities that are extremely interesting and make you want to know more about him. One of them is his appearance; he looks extremely strange and has a look about him that is not easy to forget. He is described as having â€Å"a cadaverousness of complexion; n eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His appearance is especially strange because he had once actually been an attractive man and â€Å"†¦the character of his face had been at all times remarkable. † However, his looks have slowly deteriorated over time. He had in fact changed so much that the narrator â€Å"doubted to whom [he] spoke. † This fact of course then begs the question: What happened to make him change so much? The most obvious quality that makes you want to find out more about him, however, is his mental state. Throughout the story, Roderick displays obvious symptoms of insanity that the narrator picks up on from Roderick Usher’s behaviour: â€Å"In the manner of my friend I was struck with an incoherence an inconsistency; and I soon found this to arise from a series of feeble and futile struggles to overcome a habitual trepidancy an excessive nervous agitation. † The narrator is also an extremely interesting character. At first he seems to simply be a normal, educated man who has a good heart enough to come to the aid of his boyhood friend. However, as soon as he comes into the grounds of the house he becomes more superstitious: â€Å"There can be no doubt that the consciousness of the rapid increase of my superstition†¦Ã¢â‚¬  confused: â€Å"Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and even starts to develop a certain insanity and hysteria of his own: â€Å"Rationally Ushers condition terrified, it infected me I felt creeping upon me, by slow yet uncertain degrees, the wild influence of his own fantastic yet impressive superstitions. This shows that, although he is an educated and analytical man, he is susceptible to other influences. He tries to suppress his fears and help his friend throughout the story and is successful until, at the very end, his fear finally overcomes him as Lady Madeline’s reappearance after her death is just too much for him and ends up driving him out the house. Edgar Allan Poe creates a sensation of claustrophobia in this story. The narrator is mysteriously trapped by Roderick’s lure and his need to help his friend. He cannot escape until the house of Usher collapses completely. The house, because of its deteriorated state and seemingly seclusion from everything else, seems to take on a monstrous character of its own—the Gothic mastermind that controls the fate of its inhabitants. Edgar Allan Poe creates confusion between the living things and inanimate objects by doubling the physical house of Usher with the genetic family line of the Usher family, which he refers to as the house of Usher. It is even said in the story that the people of the nearby village refer to both the actual house and the Usher family as â€Å"the house of Usher† which reinforces the idea that they are the same thing. Poe employs the word â€Å"house† metaphorically, but he also describes a real house. The use of description in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is incredible. The way Edgar Allan Poe uses the emotions of the narrator to enhance the descriptions of the house in particular really helps the reader to paint a picture of the setting in their mind. Personification of the house is used to aid in description as well, which definitely gives it a whole new dynamic and also ends up helping with the actual story being told. The house is described as having â€Å"eye-like windows† which would suggest that the house is like a face staring out at anyone who comes close to it. This really gives the story a new feeling and eeriness about it. Symmetry is a main feature throughout â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† and is also a very interesting and important theme. The first aspect of symmetry that we know of is when the narrator sees a reflection of the house of Usher in the tarn in front of it. The second is when the narrator notices a fissure running down the middle of the house itself. The two halves of the house and the house and its reflection seem to represent the two Usher twins, Roderick and Madeline. This idea is reinforced when the two siblings die together as, when they do, the two halves of the house crumble and so the reflection disappears as well. The inhabitants of the village calling the two entities by the same name â€Å"The House of Usher† represent this connection between the family Usher and the actual house of Usher. The Fall of the House of Usher† is a very interesting story that appeals to the modern day person as it undoubtedly did to the people who read it when it was first published. It is a timeless Gothic story that is extremely interesting and intriguing all the way through. There are some faults though such as the fact that the language can be confusing for people nowadays and it’s suggestions, nuances and hints may not be picked up on the first time around. However, it uses different and effective techniques of drawing the reader in and I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who appreciates good literature.