Monday, September 30, 2019

Air Pollution Essay

Air Pollution is another major problem that is yet to be solved. The air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and inert gases. We as humans depend on the air around us to live, without it we would die. Although we rely on this as an essential source for living, it is still littered and polluted with chemicals. Pollution of the atmosphere and the air around us is air pollution, and this is becoming more â€Å"popular† everyday. There are several main types of air pollution that include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and â€Å"holes† in the ozone layer. The types are extremely harmful to the environment and could result in serious damage. There are many causes of air pollution and there are many to blame. The first type of air pollution is smog. The word smog came from a newspaper article almost 50 years ago. The word is slang for smoke and fog, and that is indeed what smog is. Smog is a form of air pollution created by the photochemical reaction with sunlight and the chemicals in the air, and than this deadly mixture is released into the atmosphere. An example of how fatal smog was in 1952 with the incident, â€Å"London’s killer smog.† This incident happened in December of 1952, when a deadly wave of smog hit London killing over 10,000 people. Citizens walked through the streets with surgical masks on, waiting for a wind to raise and blow this terrible wave of pollution away. There wish came true on December 10, after almost a week of terror and many injured and dead people. Smog alone is just as fatal and dangerous as the other forms of air pollution. The other major types of pollution are acid rain, greenhouse effect, and â€Å"holes† in the ozone layer. Acid Rain is any precipitation that has an abnormal acidic amount. Acid rain is formed when chemicals are released from places like cars and factories, these chemicals rise and mingle in the clouds, and than return to earth in the form of precipitation. The Greenhouse effect is another import issue in air pollution. The Greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat and energy due to the gases that form a barrier in the atmosphere. The gases will let heat in but will not let all heat out. This is similar to what happens in a greenhouse. The ozone layer  is also at great risk. In places like Antarctica the ozone layer is disappearing rapidly. Scientists have different theories about that, saying that it is due to chemicals made on earth, the extreme temperature in Antarctica, and some believe it is a solar activity to blame. In any case it is obvious to see that the ozone laye r is in danger. CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS There are numerous causes to air pollution. There are two main causes of air pollution; fuel burning in residential, commercial, and industrial places is one cause. The other cause is automobiles creating immense amounts of carbon monoxide and other toxic fuels. The burning of chemicals releases fumes in the air polluting the atmosphere. Large factories are at blame in this case due to their large amounts of chemicals burned and of their large smoke stack which pumps these fumes into the air. Inside many factories they burn fossil fuels, these fumes than are sent into the atmosphere, further contributing to the air pollution problem Another major cause of air pollution is car fumes. Inside the engines of cars, fossil fuels are being burned, and than these vapors are omitted out through pipes in the car. The major chemical being pumped out of the car is carbon monoxide; this is a very toxic material and can be fatal if enough is in taken. Diesel engines are also very toxic. These engines contain over 450 different chemicals and about 40 of the chemical’s exhaust are considered toxic air contaminants by the State of California. Air Pollution also imposes the biggest threat of all; our health. Our health is the most precious thing to us and air pollution endangers this greatly. The people that are most vulnerable to the air pollution risk are young children, people with breathing problems, and elderly people. Short-term effects to air pollution include irritated eyes, nose, throat and upper respiratory system and other symptoms include headaches and nausea. Some long term effects of air pollution exposure are chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart diseases and damage to important organs such as the brain. Although there are many problems there is also a number of solutions. By completely eliminating the pollution would solve all these problems, so by doing little things we all can make a big difference. Since cars contribute a great deal to the air pollution problem, by using them less would lessen the problem. By not using things like Styrofoam, which are made in a factory that had to burn fossil fuels, you are also helping your community. To eliminate pollution indoors always use clean and clear ventilation machines and filters. Lawmakers should also make more laws on air pollution and pass more bills pertaining to this subject. CONCLUSION There is many to blame when it comes to air pollution. There is the citizens who use cars (that give out carbon monoxide) and use material made in a factory. There are the factory owners, who let their factories run, although they know they’re polluting the air everyday. Than there is the government. Although the government is trying to stop it, they also contribute to the problem by not passing more laws about this situation. Everyone is at blame for the air pollution problem, but if we all work together we can fix our mistake and save the atmosphere. Air Pollution is an extremely serious matter that is not taken seriously. The future of the earth is in our hands and we should treat this with respect. We have the opportunity to change our future, the opportunity to alter the way generations live, we should treat this opportunity with care and kindness. We should be more aware of the things that are happening in the world and what we are doing when the car revs up and puff the smoke. As we drive away in our cars, we are driving our future generations into a tangle of trouble. Soon people will have to wear surgical masks when walking down the street. We cannot let this happen to our society! We must be aware, prevent, and do it. We must be in action at all times trying to save the ozone layer and trying to stop smog from occurring in great masses. Let’s drive away from air pollution and drive into a smog-free life!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Joseph Case Study

Case Study Chapter #3 Case Study: Chapter 3, Joseph’s Story A-H A. ) List Joseph’s risk factors and create a brief summary of the information you have so far. Identify how his risk factors would affect cellular function. * The risk factors that Joseph had were smoking, lack of exercise, excessive weight gain, stressing, fatty foods, and a family history of vascular disease. Joseph is middle age Caucasian male who has suffered a heart attack. This may have been caused by him not taking care of his body properly. Joseph is already at high risk for heart disease due to a family history if vascular disease.He has also been stressing, an increase in weight, not exercising, and unhealthy eating. These things could all play a role in how his heart is affected and functioning. His cellular functions are being affected because there is no oxygen flowing throughout the body getting to the heart, cells, organelles, or membranes that keep the body functioning properly. B. ) Assumin g Joseph’ heart has stopped, what cellular process and membrane functions are going to be affected by the loss of oxygen, blood glucose, and waste removal? If Joseph’s heart stopped, the cellular process and membrane functions that would be affected are the aerobic process and the mitochondria. Oxygen and glucose are used in glycolysis which is reacted in the mitochondria where ATP is produced. Carbon dioxide is the waste product in this process and needs to be released. With oxygen and glucose not being present ATP cannot be produced and carbon dioxide cannot be released out the body. Therefor the cells are beginning to rapidly die and the pumps are begging to shut down.Without the main energy source for all cells the body cannot function properly. C. ) Which intracellular organelles have membranes as part of their structures? How would the breakdown of the membranes of these structures affect the function of Joseph’s heart cells? * The intracellular organelles that have membranes as part of their structures are the Mitochondria which has two membranes, and the ER, Golgi which only have one, and the ribosomes do not have its own membrane but it attaches to them.Breaking down the mitochondria would affect Joseph heart because lysosome enzymes which are bound within the vesicles will digest the plasma membranes and the membranes of the other organelles. D. ) Two important pieces of information- the instructions Joseph’s body needs to repair itself and his predisposition for vascular disease- are both contained within the cell on what structures? – Joseph body is going to need its DNA to replicate itself, and also the growth and reproduction of his cells is going to be found on the Cytosol. E. Joseph’s heart attack has caused the function of his cells to change. What types of proteins in the cell membrane were involved in the homeostatic imbalances of his heart cells? * The type of proteins in the cell membrane that was involved in homeostatic imbalance of his heart cells were ATP. There was no ATP, so it affected the pumps in the membrane. The calcium levels rose, and it caused proteases to spill into the interior of the cell, attacking the cytoskeleton. This caused the lysosome enzymes to digest the plasma membranes and membranes of the organelles. F. Why was reestablishing oxygen flow to Joseph’s body so important? What processes would be affected by the lack of oxygen? * Reestablishing oxygen flow to Joseph’s body was important because the body was not functioning properly without oxygen and ATP which every living organelle and cells in the body needs. There are also major organs that need oxygen flowing to them such as the brain, heart, and lungs which require oxygen to maintain functioning. G. ) Consider once again Joseph’s health history and risk factors. What could you suggest to Joseph to reduce his risk for another heart attack? I would suggest that Joseph take care o f himself more by exercising more, maintaining a healthy diet, staying stress free, and looking into his family history of vascular disease and taking his health more serious. H. ) Explain why Joseph’s heart failed based on what you have learned so far about the function of cells in the human body? * Joseph was living an unhealthy life style which consists of unhealthy eating, lack of exercising, smoking, with a family history of vascular disease; I think that Joseph heart failed because his body could no longer function properly.Joseph heart was no longer receiving oxygen which made the cells work rapidly to try and give oxygen flow to the heart. The body was deprived of oxygen, glucose, and could not remove waste. There was no oxygen so the carbon dioxide levels in the body began to rise due to not being released, and caused a low pH. The cells and membranes lacked ATP the main source of energy in cells. The mitochondria could not produce ATP because there was no oxygen, so the cells began to die and the membrane pumps began to shut down. There was no oxygen flowing throughout the body which killed the cells and they were not able to be reproduced.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Fall of the Roman Empire and How it relates to America today Research Paper

Fall of the Roman Empire and How it relates to America today - Research Paper Example To fight this imminent fall, the Americans ought to swing into action and defy the ill-governing principles and take their economy back to normal. The fall of the Roman Empire is its gradual societal breakdown. Many scholars have come up with numerous theories, aiming to describe the causality of its gradual collapse. Most of these theories base their focus on the military, political, social and economic disintegrations, in tandem with foreign intrusions and usurpers from amongst the empire occupants (Murphy, 2007). The gradual decline has culminated through a period of 4 centuries. Numerous vile events, which had happened in the entire Roman Empire history, have worsened its decline process. These gradual changes can better be termed as complex transformations. Rome went through detrimental transformations in the administration, which profoundly implicated the entire regime negatively. A critical stage arrived where Rome was no longer a suitable or effective administrative centre for the Emperor to administer fro. Consequently, Rome had several emperors administered rule effectively. The eastern emperor launched a gothic war, which was extremely perilous. It affected the eastern domain militarily and caused considerable harm to Italy. Due to these wars during the seventh century, Rome and other Italian municipalities collapsed to their detriment to an extent that Roman citizens completely vacated it. The Persian intrusion of the eastern empire, during the seventh century, further weakened the Roman Empire perilously. Progressively after the Persian invasion, Egyptian Muslim warlords waged heavy wars on the eastern empire (Bury & Gibbon, 2004). This major blow detrimentally hampered and curtailed much Mediterranean trade, in which Europe participated, Following thereafter was an epoch of dominance by the eastern empire, which were periods of cultural

Friday, September 27, 2019

Management Role Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Role - Assignment Example How mny trining progrms tell them how to pply this fund of knowledge This problem is common to ledership selection s well s to ledership trining, nd I shll discuss tht in the pper tht follows. Mngers selection is the decision process by which pplicnts re ssigned to one of two possible outcomes (e.g., "hire" vs. "do not hire"). The decision could be with regrd to hiring for prticulr job or prticulr clss of jobs. Mngers clssifiction refers to decision process tht requires ech individul to be either not hired or hired nd then ssigned to one of two or more job lterntives. Tht is, if individuls re hired, there re lterntive job ssignments for which they could be considered. If there exist some set of ssignment decision rules tht will yield more benefit to the orgniztion thn rndom ssignment, then there exists potentil clssifiction gin. Consequently, the benefits from improving selection nd clssifiction procedures cn ccrue from two mjor sources. Better selection would bring in people whose predicted benefit would be higher, no mtter wht the job ssignment (i.e., verged cross ll the different jobs they could tke). Better clssifiction would, for ll those people hired, chieve better "fit" of individuls with different chrcteristics to jobs with different requirements. The more ny orgniztion cn lern bout the benefits nd costs of lterntive methods for selecting nd clssifying the individuls who pply, the more effective its personnel mngement systems cn be. Idelly, personnel mngement would benefit most from complete simultion of the entire system tht would permit full rnge of "wht if" questions focused on the effects of chnges in () lbor supply, (b) recruiting procedures, (c) selection nd clssifiction mesures, (d) decision-mking lgorithms, (e) pplicnt preferences, (f) vrious orgniztionl constrints, nd (g) orgniztionl gols (e.g.. mximizing ggregte performnce, chieving certin distribution of individul performnce in ech job, minimizing ttrition, minimizing discipline problems, or mximizing morle). Further, it would be desirble to hve good estimte of the specific costs involved when ech prmeter is chnged. However, describing, or "modeling" effective selection nd clssifiction in lrge orgniztion is complex business. When considering ll the vritions in ll the relevnt components, there my be dozens, or even hundreds, of lterntive models. lso, there is lwys t lest one constrint on mngers decision-mking specific to the orgniztion, which complictes the decision model even further. The overll complexity of ny rel-world personnel mngement sitution is such tht it probbly cnnot be fully modeled by currently vilble nlytic methods (Cmpbell, 1990). It my not be possible even to describe ll the potentil prmeters tht influence the outcomes of rel-world selection procedure. However, for purposes of setting the context for this series of projects, we strt by simply listing some of the mjor prmeters of selection nd clssifiction decision-mking tht we do know bout, nd the principl implictions of ech. The Gol(s) of Selection By definition, selection nd clssifiction decision procedures re implemented to chieve prticulr objective, or set of objectives. Identifying the objective(s) for the selection system is the most criticl ingredient in the design of the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Apple Incorporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Incorporation - Research Paper Example However, under the leadership of Steve Jobs- its founder and CEO, Apple has now emerged as an organization with strong capability to continuously roll out new and innovative products which are readily acceptable by the market. There are many products under offer by the Apple including Apple IPod, Apple Mac, Apple Mac Book, Apple IPhone and its most recent sensation Apple IPad- a tablet computer. Such diversified range of products therefore indicates that the overall competition of the firm is diverse in nature and it does not compete in just one market but against many players in different markets. What makes Apple a success story is one of the most important questions of how a firm can turnaround itself with such success. This paper will briefly discuss the history of Apple and will introduce summarize the major products of Apple along with a brief discussion on how the firm has been able to achieve such enormous success. Apple started its journey as Apple Computers on 1st April, 1976 with Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak as two of its owners and employees. What started on a very small scale turned out to be one of the leading ventures of the world? Steven Wozniak before partnering with Steve Jobs worked at HP and had an experience in designing computers whereas Steve Jobs experience was with Atari. It is important to note that Apple manufactured its first computer, Apple-1 in its initial year of operations however; it was not commercialized by the firm till 1977. Apple rolled out its first commercial product with the name of Apple-II during 1977 whereas next brand of computers i.e. Apple III was rolled out in 1980 and Apple was in position to hire other employees to assist the original founders in the management process. What is also important to note that after the successful roll out of its initial brands of computers, Apple started to invest heavily into its research and development efforts. R&D at Apple was the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

JOURNAL REFLECTIVING USE SELF AWRENESS IN HELPING WORK Coursework

JOURNAL REFLECTIVING USE SELF AWRENESS IN HELPING WORK - Coursework Example Self-awareness entails consciousness of communication styles and how they affect the clients’ perceptions of counsellors’ professional abilities and empathy. Self-aware counsellors know how to choose proper communication styles that are best for clients, in order to make them feel that client welfare is their counsellors’ main priority (Uhlemann and Jordan, 2012, p.71). Some self-awareness practices involve appropriate sitting position and distance and eye-contact considerations. Counsellors should be able to sit at the right position and distance that respect clients’ personal space. They must be close enough though to easily show their empathy for them. Counsellors should also be able to know how comfortable clients are with eye contact through observing their nonverbal reactions to it, although many people trust others who can see them literally eye-to-eye. Being aware of these behaviours can make clients feel more comfortable in communicating with thei r counsellors and improve the ease of establishing counsellor-client trust. Besides communication behaviours, self-awareness also means being aware of their strengths and weakness, including biases and limitations. Self-aware counsellors recognize their skills and abilities (Uhlemann and Jordan, 2012, p.71). They know how to be concrete and specific with their advice and how to help their clients improve their ability to make action plans. An example of strength is being able to discuss various coping options for clients because of the knowledge of different coping mechanisms across cultures. Apart from strengths, self-aware counsellors know their weaknesses. An example of a weakness is getting frustrated with female clients who cannot leave their irresponsible husbands, even when these men are violent and unfaithful. Some counsellors may sense anger and frustration in their voices and behaviours when they hear about men taking advantage of these

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Humanities - Essay Example These conditions and poverty levels presented challenges that needed improved laws and law system. Consequently, the authorities’ emphasized on laws, leading to revision and incorporation of new clauses in the existing laws. The justice system continues to influence laws and school of thoughts. Ancient Greek during this time was marked with increased philosophical and medical studies that led to political, education and social changes (Covert 44). However, it is necessary to determine the factors that led to civilization. One has to determine whether geography and Greek are responsible. It is also necessary to compare Greek civilization with Eastern civilization and determine its superiority. Greek civilization, noted as Ancient Greece is a period stretching from 8th century B.C to 600AD. It succeeds the Dark Ages of Greek that was a period marked with orthodox ideas and misguided practices. The Greek civilization succeeds starting in a period called archaic period and ends wi th end of antiquity period. The beginning of the civilization features the influence of five cultures that helped shape Greece to its largely adopted culture. These cultures include Egyptian, Assyrian, Syro-Hittite and Phoenicians (Solway 3) During the onset of the civilization period, several changes began happening that made the period stand out from previous minor civilizations. Coining of the Greek alphabets from Phoenician scripts is one of the first changes. This occurred in the archaic period leading to emergence of written accounts. Water bodies characterize the geographical structure of Greek. Additionally, mountainous structures separate all neighboring community states. The coin emerged during this period that challenged the governing aristocratic regimes because the newfound trading methods led to the rise of a mercantile group that ended up desiring political power. This marks the period of societal governance change to democracy (Solway 23). The population grew in this period causing shortage of land and a deepening gap between the poor and rich. During this conflict, a social change occurred when Spartans males had to join the military whether one is an elite, rich or humble background. This is a period marred with civil wars. For example, Athens encountered land problems and agricultural misgivings that led to civil war. Law became the only solution in countering the conflicts. Initial attempt at settling the conflict failed but later succeeded after Solon reforms successfully established power to the aristocracy and improved the plight of the poor. This depicts the development of social structures, authorities and their shift with the changing economic, political, and educational aspects (Covert 3). Increased population growth led to migration and settlement into other areas that later would be collectively referred to as Greece. The migrations expanded the cultural practices and linguistic styles of the Ancient Greek. This further facilitated economy growth and adoption of the coin within the original states and overseas to the newly conquered colonies. Improvements became apparent in the people’s standards of living (Solway 34) The geographical outlook of the Greece territory was mountainous with numerous valleys and plains. As a result, numerous small communities lived separately, each with its own language, cultural practices and identity. This resulted in a larger community with diverse practices.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tax Breaks as Spending Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax Breaks as Spending - Article Example The tax code in the United States also offers help by giving parents tax breaks to pay for child care. A reduction in the taxes families has to pay puts more money in the hands of American citizens. There is a tax break that exists that allows parents to put aside $5,000 to pay for child care. Those wages escape the burden of being taxable income. The effect of this tax break for people that are in the 25% tax bracket is $1,250 a year in savings, while parents in the 39.6% tax bracket are able to save $1,980. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefits more low-income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper-income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to he lp out students of low-income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side, there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper-income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance, the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise.... The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefit more low income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to help out students of low income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise. The article pro vides a very interesting discussion about the effect of tax breaks and subsidies in America. Most people do not realize that the government is hiding its spending through the tax code. The actions of the government should be praised since the government is looking for ways to help out poor people and provide social justice. A more detailed discussion about the effect the government’s strategy has on the national deficit would have made this article better. Barack Obama has to negotiate a deal with the Republicans to ensure the economic future of the nation. It is imperative for the government to continue to help out poor parents that can not afford child care. These types of incentives allow a lot of people to join the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

A Study of Musical Theatre’s Gilbert and Sullivan Essay Example for Free

A Study of Musical Theatre’s Gilbert and Sullivan Essay Theatre, as we know it, always aims to provoke its audience through emotions, by invoking the muses of comedy and tragedy, and everything else in between. Many names are synonymous to the history and success of theatre, but none comes close to the iconic contributions of Britain’s most illustrious duo, collectively known as Gilbert and Sullivan. Sharp, clever wit and brilliant rhyme have found their rightful places in the theatrical masterpieces composed by renowned playwright William S. Gilbert, and his equally-profound partner, composer Arthur Sullivan. The 1870s marked the beginning of a new ideology in musical theatre, as the partnership brought to the fore previously unheard-of standards that were identified by a mix of intelligence in satire and silliness, as well as melodic instrumentations that complement the passion and creativity of the written word. Such was the success of the outcome that Gilbert and Sullivan managed to pioneer and influence generations of theatre innovations, and eventually, become a solid pillar in both British and American popular culture. Musical comedy writers, Broadway lyricists, literary authors and composers—and even important names in politics and government—are just some of those who have credited Gilbert and Sullivan for a number of their works. Through the excellent vision of production genius Richard D’Oyly Carte, the impressive collaborations of Gilbert and Sullivan were set to stage. The Savoy Theatre in London, Carte’s headquarters, became the setting for many of the duo’s memorable musicals. Innovative from the beginning, The Savoy was the first theatre in the world to utilize electricity, and summoned theatre-goers all over to sample this taste of technology as well as the brilliance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, which were later aptly named â€Å"Savoy Operas† (Kenrick, 2000-2003). The Gilbert and Sullivan era spanned from 1871 to 1896, and between them they were able to create fourteen critically-acclaimed and hugely popular masterpieces—counting The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S. Pinafore as the most widely-received. II. William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, The Beginning The young William Gilbert (1836-1911) was the son of a naval surgeon by profession, and a writer by interest. He jumpstarted his son’s juvenile career by allowing the boy to accompany his articles with illustrations; William soon found his own talent for writing, and came up with his own compositions. These writings, called Bab Ballads, would later find their way into some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most acclaimed musicals. Gilbert’s Bab Ballads were known for their unique use of humor played out through logic (Classic Gilbert and Sullivan). Mike Leigh, English film and theatre director, concludes this style to be decidedly one that had Gilbert’s signature, where the establishment of the strange, absurd, and otherwise unacceptable concept would be expertly formed into perfect examples of reason and truth—all done with a bite of silliness metamorphosing into deadpan prose. On the other hand, the musical inclinations of Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) also had strong parental influences—his father was a bandmaster with the military, and the then 8-year-old Arthur had already become expert in all the band instruments. In 1856, after concluding his initial attempts of composing songs and anthems in school, Arthur proceeded to claim the first Mendelssohn Prize, and took further studies in composition and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, as well as in Leipzig. He performed his 1861 graduation piece, an ode to William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, at the Crystal Palace; this earned him the prestige of being heralded as the country’s most promising young composer. Among Sullivan’s applauded works early in his career were The Masque at Kenilworth (1842), The Prodigal Son (1869), On Shore and Sea (1871), and a ballet entitled L’lle Enchantee (1864) (Classic Gilbert and Sullivan). William Gilbert’s and Arthur Sullivan’s paths crossed as they attended a rehearsal of the play Ages Ago, where the composer Frederic Clay made introductions. A couple of years after that, Gilbert and Sullivan made their first foray as co-creators of what would be a uniquely wonderful style admired by the whole world. III. Gilbert and Sullivan and the Comic Opera A staple of English theatre during the Edwardian era, the comic opera’s origins come from 18th-century Naples, in Italy. Known as intermezzi, short comic routines were used to end the bigger acts, and enjoyed much popularity that they were later written to exist on their own. The final output was the comic opera, the concept of which was soon transported to Paris, where it easily claimed the approval of French dramatists and audiences. However, the same could not be said upon its arrival on English territory, for theatre professionals and enthusiasts at the time were still more interested in evolving the popular Ballad Opera and the newer form of Music Hall; the latter was introduced to fill the need for a lighter, less serious entertainment style. Finally, in 1871, the comic opera was launched in London’s Gaiety Theatre, through the production of Thespis; or the Gods Grown Old. This not only marked a new chapter in British theatre, but also the first entry of the long-running collaboration of musical theatre’s most prestigious partnership—Gilbert and Sullivan. It all started with the efforts of John Hollingshead, then manager of the Gaiety Theatre, who employed Gilbert’s expertise to write the libretto of his theatre’s 1871 Christmas musical. They had worked together once before, on the burlesque Robert the Devil which also ran in Gaiety. To complete the requirement for the musical, Hollingshead contacted Sullivan, who was then still inexperienced in stage production. This first encounter produced Thespis, but was initially given much criticism and low confidence in the team. Four years later, the producer Carte would bring them back together to create Trial By Jury; the resulting 300 performances declared it a resounding success, as well as a much-awaited approval of the partnership. Perhaps the foremost appeal of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works had much to do with their ability to poke fun and humor at establishment, as well as current social and political issues. This was a high time for patriotism in Britain, and the British audience’s validation of the comic operas sealed the career success of the duo. Much of the credit would also have to go to the newness of concept and execution of each piece, that even foreign audiences understood and appreciated the essence of every performance. To this day, comic opera will always be defined by Gilbert and Sullivan—they truly made it their niche, and those that attempted to surpass or equal their achievements failed to do so (Gillan, 2007). Of the fourteen collaborative works of the famed partnership, many were lauded as icons of comic opera. These were the celebrated productions of Thespis: or the Gods Grown Old, Trial By Jury (1975), The Sorcerer (1877), and of course, the previously-mentioned The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S. Pinafore. Thespis: or the Gods Grown Old, being Gilbert and Sullivan’s first collaboration, had no real indications of the phenomenal future awaiting its two creators. Yet the classic Gilbert and Sullivan format was already applied in the work, by setting the opera in the mythical Mount Olympus. In the story, the gods have all grown old and the celestial buildings were all in a state of ruin. Then a group of actors and their leader named Thespis went up the mountain to have a picnic, and noticed the sad condition of the place. Thespis gets into a deal with Jupiter, agreeing that his group would take on the work of the tired gods, provided that Mercury would remain to brief them of their duties. But things do not go as planned, and Mercury only noted all complaints. When the gods on break finally return, they discover the unsatisfactory results and banish the group back to earth. 1875’s Trial By Jury made use of an old legal procedure as the main idea, specifically a ‘breach of promise’ trial. This often took place in earlier times, when a man could be summoned to court and sued for taking back a marriage proposal. The characters included a dashing, worldly bachelor and the woman who called for the hearing, a maiden dressed in wedding attire. An all-male jury and an unscrupulous judge round up the cast, with the woman directing her flirtations toward the jury but would end up receiving a proposal from the judge himself—as a way to resolve the case. The storyline established prevailing comic themes that would later be present in most of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works: (1) true and undying love may come from and end in unexpected sources and directions; (2) the existence of politicians who achieved their public status by charming and lying their way through, and (3) aversion for mature women, specifically those over 40—which is, in truth, a nod to patriarchy and sexism. Two years later, Gilbert and Sullivan produced The Sorcerer, which featured a man of magic who brings chaos and confusion to a tiny English village by creating a love potion. In many ways, The Sorcerer made a satire of class distinction and social propriety, which were standard elements in Victorian society. Yet in true Gilbert and Sullivan style, the output was of inimitable wit and class that the references were not declared offensive at all—so much was its success that aside from its own numerous showings, The Sorcerer was staged even as far as America, albeit unauthorized. And while the opera’s theme could have been translated by the French through a multitude of sexual innuendos and references played out by unreal, fantastic characters, Gilbert and Sullivan designed The Sorcerer with roles that were utterly believable and credible—the kind of people that actually exist in everyday life, that the British audience could identify. The penchant for poking fun at British social conventions became Gilbert and Sullivan’s running objective, and in 1878 they again succeeded in producing a successful show that audiences celebrated. H. M. S. Pinafore once again uses love as a theme, but a deeper reading would reveal that the opera tackles the discussion of England’s class society. With the narrative centering on the daughter of a naval captain’s rejection of the Secretary of the Navy—the highest-ranking man of uniform—for the affections of a common sailor, H. M. S. Pinafore showcases the reality of a person born into a particular class, and the availability of options based on this system. It is also a criticism of their society’s double standard on the issue of marriage; they patronize literature’s ideals about love conquering all, while in real life they disapprove of unions between people of different social classes. This time, audiences were not as forgiving as they were with The Sorcerer—the prevailing adherence and respect for the British class system caused low ticket sales. That, as well as the unrelenting hot weather pulled Gilbert and Sullivan’s celebrity down—for a moment. During Sullivan’s summer concerts, he came up with the smart strategy to include several medleys of his Pinafore score; the result was a revived interest in the opera, and eventually sales and attendance reached phenomenal heights. Such was the success of the opera that it encouraged Carte to involve Gilbert and Sullivan in the actual business, dividing all production expenses and sales profits among the three of them. From this point on, Gilbert and Sullivan were given decision-making authority in all their productions. However, because of the opera’s impact on the British audiences, many unauthorized production of Pinafore were staged, particularly in the United States, where international copyright laws were not yet in place. To assert ownership, Carte brought the production overseas where it enjoyed a brief yet successful run in Broadway, and made sure that Gilbert and Sullivan’s works were covered by copyright laws in the country. Carte had this foremost on his mind when Gilbert and Sullivan came up with yet another opera destined for iconic status, 1880’s Pirates of Penzance. This time, Carte protected the production rights both in Britain and New York, which established the legal precedents still observed today. The move has benefited playwrights and writers all over the world, with this initial case on intellectual property rights. Love as an ideal is again the running theme in Penzance, as the story explores the adventures of a young man named Frederick who, by no choice of his own, worked under the tutelage of a group of pirates. As luck would have it, he falls for the daughter of a Major General—a momentous experience that drove him to make up for his previous deeds by eliminating the pirates he used to be associated with. The pirates in question actually turned out to be noblemen who made the wrong choices in life; in the end, they, including Frederick, all take the Major’s many daughters as their wives. There was no stopping the success of Gilbert and Sullivan, and they forged on to firmly claim their place in popular culture. Several productions were created, among them Patience (1881), which told of the poet’s charm and magnetism, a surefire way to get his way with the women, except for the one he wants—who is but a simple milkmaid. Written as a comedy, Patience ultimately focused on aestheticism, which referred to an artist’s or writer’s obsession with beauty. Carte employed a brilliant marketing strategy to promote the production, with the assistance of famed writer Oscar Wilde. The writer was tasked to do the lecture circuit around the United States, to provide a full background on this new ideology, and to ensure public awareness of the opera. Not surprisingly, this tactic resulted in positive financial reaction. With Patience, Gilbert and Sullivan introduced another innovation, this time with the characters of the opera narrative and the songs assigned to them. In their previous works, the duo’s main goal to put a message across was met; the technical level of the story itself remained the way it was from their early projects. Not the kinds to stay within their comfort zones, Gilbert and Sullivan expanded their competencies as playwrights by integrating the characters with music—producing songs and personalities that were exclusive to each other, and the situations they were in. Comic opera was what people called the Gilbert and Sullivan theatre style; in reality, it was the birth of the integrated musical. The partnership, while perfect on an intellectual realm, was slowly revealing its cracks caused by the personal differences of the two artists. Gilbert was apparently so taken with the love potion plot—which he successfully delivered in The Sorcerer—and wanted to create another opera using the same idea. This was not taken positively by Sullivan, who soon decided, on impulse, to focus more on serious projects. Of course, Gilbert did not take this well either, and the beginning of what would be a personal feud between the two took its place. Carte tried to remedy the situation by staging a rerun of The Sorcerer, only as a stopgap measure for further rifts that may damage company existence and operations. Fate once again played a major role in the succeeding events, because the partnership was saved by a mundane object—a Japanese sword. It fell from the wall of Gilbert’s study and almost hit him, but instead of dismissing the incident, Gilbert took inspiration from it. This set the tone and plot for Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular opera to date. The Mikado, staged in 1885, carried the same elements that had made the duo famous: love, and social commentary; with a generous helping of humor and wit. The plot itself was hilarious—it was a scenario questioning what would happen when the Emperor of Japan, know as the Mikado, passes a decree declaring flirting as illegal, and punishable by law. The townsfolk of Titipu refused to follow the new ruling, and consequently appointed Koko, a condemned tailor, as Lord High Executioner. Strangely, the condition for this appointment was for Koko to be beheaded, as he was proven guilty of violating the new law, unless he finds someone to behead first. Koko manages to find someone to execute, and that was the traveling minstrel named Nanki-Poo, who actually agrees with Koko only if he is allowed to marry the beautiful Yum-Yum—Koko’s fiance. Nanki-Poo was given a month to enjoy the wedded life before he was beheaded and Koko can finally marry Yum-Yum. But soon an old woman named Katisha appears, a representative of the royal court, and announces that Nanki-Poo is really the crown prince—guilty of the crime, as he had flirted with her and tried to escape execution by hiding in the small town. Eventually, the Mikado himself arrives and declares that his goal for decreeing such an inane ruling was to let the punishment fit the crime. More misunderstandings and deceptions came afterwards, but in the end everyone lives happily ever after. Gilbert and Sullivan decided to use Japan as a setting to create a satire about the British penchant for all things Japanese, during the 1880s. And because it was brilliantly written and the references to British pretensions and petty customs subtle and discreet, audiences failed to make any negative observations and promptly applauded the performance. Exporting The Mikado to the United States was the right thing to do, for it replicated the success of H. M. S. Pinafore and drove Americans into a Japanese frenzy. The Mikado is the sole musical by Gilbert and Sullivan that had been performed in a variety of languages, and is also their only work that spawned a diplomatic controversy. In 1907, the Crown Prince of Japan came over for a state visit, and immediately the British government ordered a ban on The Mikado; only to discover that one of the Prince’s objectives in visiting Britain was to watch the musical. To this day, The Mikado is still widely produced and staged worldwide. However, the problem with having a major success in one’s name is the pressure to produce another one of equal or greater impact. In 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan staged Ruddigore, which entailed more melodrama than their previous collaborations. It truly was an accomplished piece, but audiences kept comparing it with The Mikado. Once more, Sullivan was disheartened by this turn of events and threatened to leave the industry altogether and focus on classical compositions instead. Gilbert tried to change his mind with a new libretto, one that was not an echo of their old work. With The Yeomen of the Guard, an operetta set during the reign of Henry VIII, romance was played out within the constraints of political controversies, as well as the possibility of execution. Sullivan, satisfied with the proposition, proceeded to create a score punctuated with melodrama and emotion, while Gilbert reinvented himself and his style by veering from his usual whimsical comic dialogue. Serious was the best word to use to describe Yeoman, and this became a personal favorite of Sullivan. The monarchy did not escape the sharp wit of the two, either. In 1889, Gilbert and Sullivan resurrected their signature comic style with the staging of The Gondoliers. A story of a couple of anti-royalist gondoliers from Venice who ironically discover that they have suddenly become kings of a country in the midst of a revolution, Gilbert and Sullivan once again mixed fun and comedy to discuss the idiosyncrasies of the royals and the issues of democracy. The Gondoliers became an instant international hit. No less than the public-shy Queen Victoria requested for several private performances of The Gondoliers, which validated the immense contribution of Gilbert and Sullivan to musical theatre. But the personal differences between the two icons continued to get in the way of their professional relationship. Some were serious concerns, yet some were downright trivial—such as the argument over the cost of newly-installed carpets in the Savoy Theatre. Carte and his wife ultimately chose to take Sullivan’s side, which resulted in their production of Ivanhoe, Sullivan’s grand opera. However, this project failed to achieve any semblance of financial success; which was a mirror of Gilbert’s own experience when he went back to writing his own plays. Several years later, the three business partners tried to put everything aside and reconcile, but sadly, they were never able to bring back their glory days. Still, they managed to produce Utopia Limited (1893), another satire of Britain’s unsuccessful efforts in its dealings with other countries; and The Grand Duke (1896), featuring a theatre group’s attempts to claim power in a problematic Germany. Both productions were of the same make and quality as their previous ones, but neither enjoyed substantial performance durations because of expensive production costs. More than that, it was already apparent that Gilbert and Sullivan no longer had the fresh and intriguing style and creativity that had earned them the respect of audiences worldwide (Kenrick, 2000-2003). IV. Reviews Interesting to note are the reviews made for each of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas, as made by many critics and journalists during the time. Some of the takes of these writers were documented and used as reference, in order to validate the creative contribution given by the duo. One review for Thespis on its opening night in 1871 commended Gilbert and the magnificent storyline he created, as well as the audience’s superb reception of the play. Credits were specifically given to the talent showcased (Perry, 2001). A Trial By Jury review was not truly exciting—while the critic commended the acting and singing done by the performers, it was the â€Å"lateness of the hour† that possibly accounted for the audience’s lackluster reaction (Perry, 2001). H. F. Frost reviewed The Sorcerer in 1877, and emphasized the effective combination of literary merit and dramatic consistency as created by Gilbert and Sullivan, except that their attempts to subtly mix burlesque and opera was not entirely acceptable. Points were given to the theme of exploring human nature’s weaknesses and imperfections (Perry, 2000). It is evident that H. M. S. Pinafore was a huge crowd favorite, as revealed by a review published in 1878. Pinafore was commended for the use of burlesque but had more humor and charm over Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer. The satire and libretto were both noted, and gave Gilbert and Sullivan credit for managing to pull it off without great offense to the public. The actors were also adjudged suited to their roles, and the musical one that will remain in the bills for a long time (Perry, 2001). A review made in 1880 of Pirates of Penzance saw it as having several allusions to H. M. S. Pinafore, particularly in the similarities of some of the characters. But the audience was not put off by that observation, and still applauded the cynicism and wit of Gilbert’s words as well as the charm of Sullivan’s music (Perry, 2000). V. The Final Years Though they never really regained their old camaraderie, Gilbert and Sullivan remained civil to each other until the end. In 1888, Sullivan was granted knighthood, and the former colleagues shared the same stage once more during revivals of their old classics were produced. Later, Sullivan collaborated with other writers to produce several critically-acclaimed operas, including The Emerald Isle in 1900. Sullivan finally passed away at the age of 58, due to a bout of severe bronchitis. Gilbert, on the other hand, got his second wind at the dawn of the new century, with a notable output of librettos and plays. He eventually received his knighthood in 1907, which was long overdue, but allowed him to experience being touted as a British national living treasure. At age 74, while saving a girl from drowning in his own estate, Gilbert was struck by a fatal heart attack. This happened in late May 1911. The great producer Carte succumbed to the permanent effects of illness in 1901, but his opera company was continued by Helen, his wife, and their son Rupert and his wife. They revived the most acclaimed works of Gilbert and Sullivan throughout the years, until the company closed in 1983 due to financial problems. But Bridget, Rupert’s wife, left a considerable amount of money to allow a new group of theatre producers to form a new company, which still stages revivals of the famous musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan to this day. VI. The Gilbert and Sullivan Legacy The achievements of Gilbert and Sullivan were nothing less than national milestones, particularly in the reality of class-conscious Britain. The brilliant wit, humor, and music created by the duo gained popularity with all class levels of society, which was a feat it itself. Apart from that, the team’s theatre philosophy transformed the standard musical preferences to be more attune to popular music, and less concentration on the obscure and exclusive. However, Carte’s company refused to grant performers and directors the freedom to modify each production—every staging had to adhere to the set guidelines of the original team. Critics and audiences could only imagine how fresh eyes and new voices would be able to interpret the tried-and-tested pieces (Wren, 2001). Britain respected the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan, and their standards of musical theatre bore into all productions made in the late 1800s. George Edwardes, a producer of comic operas, proved to be the duo’s strongest competitor. He started with the success of Dorothy in 1886, which included a ballad entitled â€Å"Queen of My Heart†, that broke all records—even running longer than any of Gilbert and Sullivan’s musicals. But what made Edwardes a respected name was his discovery of a new technique with his production of The Gaiety Girls, a musical named after the famous London theatre. This musical comedy featured many of Gilbert and Sullivan’s standard elements, making it a manifestation of the partnership’s influence on the art. The Gaiety Girls, like most of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas, carried a theme of love gained and lost. But these musicals only had two general narratives—a poor girl in love with a rich man, and wins him in the end, even in the presence of adversities; and a poor girl who attempts to get out of a marriage she did not want, prompting her to involve other characters on a chase. The music and titles of these musicals all had the same essence, which were really just variations on a theme. Interestingly, the seeming monotony of these musicals were greatly appreciated by the audiences and critics, who preferred them exactly as they were. But these productions could never stand up against the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, particularly those that had traveled to the United States. This fact awakened the British audience from their stupor, as they had to acknowledge the international receipt of their own culture (Morley, 1987). Needless to say, the Gilbert and Sullivan operas consistently received much acclaim from their American audiences; the staging of H. M. S. Pinafore started a nationwide craze aptly called â€Å"Pinafore-mania†. Typical of Americans, the music and songs of Pinafore quickly entered the realm of popular culture, and were included in regular talk. The classic line â€Å"What never? Well, hardly ever! † from Pinafore became standard replies of people all over, and the phrase â€Å"short, sharp stock† that was used in The Mikado to mean â€Å"of severe punishment† was borrowed by various writers, artists, commentators and bands. Perhaps the most celebrated American production of a Gilbert and Sullivan original was Pirates of Penzance, which found its way to Broadway in 1981 and enjoyed a run that broke production and staging records. Gilbert, in particular, would often be cited by popular American writers, such as Johnny Mercer, Larry Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, and Stephen Sondheim. Mercer was even quoted as saying, â€Å"We all come from Gilbert†, and Sondheim made a tribute to the famous librettist in â€Å"Please Hello† from his work Pacific Overtures (1976). It is probably not far-fetched to assume that Gilbert and Sullivan’s work lent sophistication and class to the existing brand of musicals then; soon after, new generations of musical talents appeared, putting the USA on top of the list. The Boston Ideal Opera Company, more popularly known as The Bostonians, made the rounds of theatres all over the country, and were received well for their outstanding performances. They included in the repertoire several original American musicals, but were known for their productions of Gilbert and Sullivan works. A listing of American originals that took after the Gilbert and Sullivan tradition is as follows: El Capitan (1896) by John Philip Sousa The Begum (1887) and Robin Hood (1891) by librettist Harry B, Smith and composer Reginald DeKoven The Highwayman (1897), again by Reginald DeKoven (Gillan, 2007). VII. The Gilbert and Sullivan Influence The influence of Gilbert and Sullivan extended all the way to other forms of art ad communication, which included literary works of famous writers. References to their collaborations are found in the work of writer Isaac Asimov, who wrote a number of stories centered on the puzzles and mysteries of the duo’s operas. One such story was of time travel, where one had to go back in the 1800s to rescue the score to Gilbert and Sullivan’s Thespis (Asimov, 1978). â€Å"The Year of the Action† engaged a debate over the actual date of the action in Pirates of Penzance. A story in Asimov’s famous I, Robot, â€Å"Runaround†, had a character singing parts of songs from Ruddigore, Patience, and Pinafore. Cleverly, Asimov concluded his homage to the duo with his story â€Å"The Up-To-Date Sorcerer†, which was obviously a parody of The Sorcerer. Legendary British author P. G. Wodehouse was also known to cite Gilbert and Sullivan in his writings, and more often exclusively referred to Gilbert. His novels and short stories included numerous allusions to the team’s work, many to Gilbert’s early Bab Ballads (Robinson, 2006). The film industry also found the works of Gilbert and Sullivan great material for a wealth of movies. Many of their musicals were adapted into films, including the actors who originally performed in the theatre versions. The Mikado was adapted into a movie in 1939, in full color, for which it won several awards. Also, many films made use of scores composed for a number of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, including The Matchmaker (1958), I Could Go On Singing (1963), The Naughty Victorians (1975), The Bad News Bears Go To Japan (1978), Chariots of Fire (1981), The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989), The Browning Version (1994), and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992). Television is also another medium that has embraced the Gilbert and Sullivan talent. From The Simpsons to Frasier, from Angel to The West Wing, the duo’s music has been showcased in a variety of scenes and episodes. There was even a show dedicated to spoofs of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, entitled The Star of Christmas. Video games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also had visual references of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, particularly of Pirates of Penzance. Outside of media, many personalities in politics also found good material in the team’s celebrated works to promote their platforms and ideologies. A â€Å"short, sharp stock† remains to be a popular mainstay in many manifestos and debates. VIII. On A Personal Level Though their professional partnership was truly accomplished and proven time and again, it was the personal relationship of Gilbert and Sullivan that had suffered the most. Collaborations may or may not be successful if the participants are friends; however, artists like Gilbert and Sullivan probably see no boundaries between who they are and what they do. Sullivan was not rich, and as he grew up he mad it a point to mingle with the rich and influential. He met Gilbert, and immediately discovered the parallels in drive and talent in both of them. However, he also saw something else—that Gilbert’s friendship could be the means for him to make his career flourish. Sullivan had many other powerful friends, including Queen Victoria, who advi

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Politics and Education Essay Example for Free

Politics and Education Essay Education can develop the personality of a person not physically but mentally as well. An educated person can look at a certain issue from various perspectives. A politician has to control over a large community therefore, he needs some extra ordinary skills and the first thing which can make him distinguished, is his qualification. Education can increase his communication and speaking skills. A politician is a social member and his interactions with people are frequent, therefore, he needs maturity and sensibility in his talk and behavior. This is certainly possible with proper education. A politician is the representative of a nation and he should be the perfect person by all means and education plays an important role in making anyone perfect to a great extent. But then, I dont necessarily think that they need to have degrees in a particular field but broader understanding would certainly help. They must have minimum qualification†¦they need to be knowledgeable and must understand the laws. Politicians like Abraham Lincoln set an example of people who had no real formal education and look at the jobs they did and the leadership they offered†¦It is true that there have been great leaders who were uneducated, Kamaraj in India, for example. But, such gems are a rarity. In life, compromises must be made. Until an intelligent and foolproof plan exists for electing such gems from the public, we must resort to what is best for the common man. An educated person is more likely to do a good job as a politician than an illiterate person. Education is a process that makes people more humane and teaches them a lot about the country, how to express themselves through effective communication and so on I think the only key thing they need to be educated in is the Constitution and process of government. A lot of the early leaders of the country were not well educated even for the time. Some foundation of knowledge is beneficial and they definitely need to be able to reason and learn. They need leadership quality, power in speech, integrity, sincerity, honesty and purity in whatever actions they take for development of country.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Sport And Physical Activity Physical Education Essay

Sport And Physical Activity Physical Education Essay 1. INTRODUCTION Sport and physical activity are powerful tools and by engaging all sections of the community, they can help to break down barriers, bring people together to share positive experiences and gain a greater understanding of each others lives. Sport can enrich peoples quality of life, by improving health and well-being. It can help raise self-esteem and confidence and provide enjoyment, which in turn builds stronger, safer communities, strengthens the economy and helps to develop the skills of local people. Sportercise is a multi-faceted company, recently developed in the Liverpool area. This company has developed a programme of initiatives to overcome barriers restricting participation in sport and physical activity amongst young people in the community. The government modernising agenda continues to have an impact on the services delivered. The Recreation Best Value Review, the Customer Focus Initiative, Public, Private, Partnership, the Local Performance Service Agreement (LPSA), the Investors in People Programme and more recently legislation from The Children ACT 2004 sets out new statutory duties and accountabilities for childrens services on local government and other service providers. This is supported by a new national framework for children and young people set out in Every Child Matters and summarised in the table below. The fundamental aspect of the Every Child Matters national framework is that services are built around the needs of young people. The framework is based on five key outcomes that children say are important to their well being now and in later life i.e. being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well being. Research evidence demonstrates the contribution that sport and physical activity can make in meeting the Every Child Matters agenda nationally. Framework outcomes: à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¤Being healthy Sport reduces the risk of illness and ill health for young people can help to prevent or tackle obesity and contributes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¤Staying safe Sport can promote community cohesion and decrease the likelihood of young people being the victims of youth crime or anti-social behaviour, bullying or discrimination. It can also help to reduce some accidents among young people. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¤Enjoying and achieving Sport assists young people to learn and attain educational standards, contributes to their personal and social development and to their enjoyment of leisure time. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¤Making a positive contribution Sport engages young people in community activity, reduces the likelihood of them being involved in youth crime or anti-social behaviour; develops their self confidence and encourages positive behaviour and relationships. à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¤Achieving economic well being Sport helps young people to become economically active through providing training and employment opportunities both directly and indirectly In partnership with relevant agencies, the local and regional sporting community, public, private and voluntary sector organisations in Merseyside for example; Liverpool Youth Service, Liverpool Youth Offending Team, Liverpool Local Education Authority and Local sports clubs. Sportercise will continue to develop a wide range of recreational, health, and sporting opportunities throughout the area. The Governments Policy Action Team 10 Report of the Social Exclusion Units work, recognises the part sport can play in economic regeneration and the promotion of community spirit. The report shows how sport can not only make a valuable contribution to delivering key outcomes of lower long-term employment, less crime, better health and better qualifications. It demonstrates how sport can develop individual pride, community spirit and the capacity to enable communities to implement regeneration programmes for themselves and is a strong endorsement of the policies and activities, which Sportercise has developed in Liverpool. Investment in sport is not just a sports policy. Its a health policy, an education policy, an anti crime policy, and an anti drugs policy (Rt Hon Tony Blair, Prime Minister, September 2000). Sportercise is committed to ensuring equality of access for all members of the community. This will be achieved through liaison with relevant target groups to tackle issues of social exclusion, gun and knife culture, barriers to participation and the development of sport, recreation / health and physical activity within the community. 1.1 Mission Statement The Sportercise Team are committed to developing diverse and high quality programme of sports and physical activity for all people of Liverpool. Sportercise aims to promote a positive sporting and educational environment in order for young people and the community to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, raising awareness of nutrition, healthy eating, education and participation in sport. 1.2 Key Aims and objectives Sportercise will provide sporting, physical activity and health related opportunities for children, young people and families who wish to participate in sport more frequently, with special consideration given to the sedentary population and people with disabilities. Sportercise will continue the development of the physical activity programme through their work and the implementation of the following: Organised sports and physical activities, competitions and events Curriculum/after school initiatives/breakfast clubs Holiday schemes/weekend schemes/sporting camps Taster sessions for all ages and abilities Training, leadership and coaching opportunities for teachers, youth workers, clubs, parents and volunteers interested in supporting the work of the project Specialised assistance for people with disabilities to increase participation in sport To work with the proposed Sub Regional Sports Physical Activity Partnerships to implement an agreed programme of sporting/health related opportunities across Liverpool. Improve pathways and exit routes for talented young people to fulfil their full potential To provide an in depth mentoring programme for school children, looked after children and youth clubs. initiative so that the whole family can participate in sport and physical activity (dads lads, to create an active families, mums daughters) To organise and run sports days in Primary Schools that encourages the whole family. To offer the local school children an opportunity to access and experience alternative activities during the school holidays through local play schemes. Thus allowing those individuals excluded from sport the opportunity to access activities, arts and crafts and alternative forms of exercise. To provide accredited awards for individuals to work towards, such as the sports leaders awards and NGB qualifications. The objectives of the programme being to: Reduce childhood obesity and promote a culture of physical activity Reduce the risk of anti social behaviour Reduce the risk of bullying and violence Improve self confidence and self esteem Improve self image Tackle barriers that prevents young people from taking part in physical activity Have fun Make friends and integrate with someone from different cultures and race Learn new skills and try something completely new 2. THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK A strategic management framework for the Cultural, Tourism and Sport Department has been developed and adopted by Sportercise to ensure that the organisation contributes to Merseyside Sport Vision, values and priorities. It is this process by which continuous improvement within the service will be monitored and reviewed. The Merseyside Sports partnership works with the 5 main community sports networks of Wirral, Halton, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Liverpool The main priorities of this sports partnership are to: Increase the number of people participating in sport Widen access to opportunities for sport and active recreation Bring together and align partners; existing priorities and targets within one joined up local action plan for active recreation in the community sports network, based on the needs of the local community. Over the next 4 years Sportercise aims to promote sport and physical activity across Merseyside, providing numerous opportunities for all people to have access to a variety of sporting activities, regardless of ability. Sportercise 4 Year Plan Year 1 Focus on South Liverpool, whilst making links with other areas Year 2 Focus on South Liverpool and Central Liverpool, whilst making links with other areas Year 3 Focus on South Liverpool, Central Liverpool and North Liverpool whilst making links with other areas Year 4 Focus on the whole of Merseyside This vision relates heavily towards Liverpool City Councils overall vision and values (where this project will initially be set up). Liverpool City Councils Vision and Values have been developed to guide the organisation and the service delivery it provides. The Council aspires to create a district where everyone values the importance of being physically active and has the opportunity to be so. This drives the Councils strategic plans and policies, including the Community Strategy, Local Cultural Strategy and departmental service plans. Supporting this vision the Council has developed, through consultation, six corporate priorities; which Sportercise aims to contribute towards, these are: Building the Infrastructure and settings This is concerned with Increasing and improving the quality of accessible facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity across the Merseyside Encouraging healthier lifestyle Looking to raise the awareness of the value of physical activity and sport, whilst also taking into consideration of the opportunities available to young people Aim to promote a wider variety of activities and not necessarily the more traditional ones. Also developing a sport structure to help individuals change their attitudes and become more active. Closing the Gap To address and remove the barriers which prevent people participating in sport, through increasing physical activity opportunities for minority ethnic groups and disadvantaged communities Create an equal opportunity for everyone to enjoy and participate in sport and physical activity Meeting the needs of children, young people and families Improve the quality time spent of families participating in sport and physical activity to encourage healthier lifestyles. Develop the message thats its cool to be active through the use of both traditional and non traditional activities, Develop programmes specifically designed for those people at are obese or at risk of becoming obese, identify gifted and talented people and providing exit routes and performance pathways for them to compete at the highest level. Increase the participation of older people to improve their health by the active families initiative. Active Ageing Introduce initiatives to get older people more involved in physical activity whether this be through participation or mentoring younger people in a bid to get them to be more active. Building Capacity Increase resources available for sport and physical activity through developing effective partnerships. Develop a workforce within Merseyside who are experienced in the delivery of sport and physical activity that can help identify and nurture talent. By Sportercise focusing on the same strategic aims and priorities as Merseyside and the Cultural, Tourism and Sport Department consistency in the approach to tackling these priorities will be achieved and will ensure that improvements occur in priority areas identified by local people. Other departmental plans that have been developed to achieve this goal include: Sport Physical Activity Strategy 2007 2012 Financial Management Strategy Marketing Strategy Recreation Best Value Review Merseyside Plan for Sport Community Strategy Chart 1.The Strategic Framework Community Strategy A multi-agency partnership approach to promoting the economic, environmental and social well being of the area, which is currently being developed. This local strategy will be delivered through Local Strategic Partnerships and Neighbourhood Partnerships The Councils Vision, Values and Priorities Governments Cross-Cutting Agenda Social Inclusion The involvement and inclusion in cultural activities of those most likely to be excluded and disadvantaged Lifelong Learning Supporting of all kinds of learning at any age Regeneration Improving social, economic and environmental wellbeing of an area Sustainability Managing services and facilities in an economical and environmentally sustainable way e-Government Establishing UK-wide Information Communications Technology (ICT) by 2005 Best Value Programme to achieve continuous improvement of council services and ensure delivery in an efficient, effective and economic way Departmental Performance Plan Sets out how the Department will monitor the implementation of the action plan and key objectives by using a comprehensive Performance Management System The Councils Best Value Performance Plan A statutory document published annually to tell local people what the Council is trying to achieve on their behalf and how it is meeting the demands of Best Value. It reviews the Councils performance and suggested improvements Local Cultural Strategy An overarching strategy developed in partnership with the voluntary, private and public sectors to guide the development of culture in the area Physical Activity and Sport Strategy 2007 2012 Sportercise Business Plan Chart 2. Links between Plans and Strategies Sportercise Business Plan Local Cultural Strategy Departmental Plans Sport, Parks and Recreation Service Plan Recreation Best Value Review Marketing Strategy Information Strategy Departmental Performance Plan National and Regional Strategies Mayors Cultural Strategy National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal Regional Sports Plans Sustainable Transport Strategy Economic Development Strategy Sport England NHS Plan National Framework for Sport Merseyside plan for Sport National Health Service Frameworks for Coronary Disease and Older People Council/ Cross-cutting Plans and Strategies Community Strategy Corporate Plan / Best Value Performance Plan Customer Focus Initiative Unitary Development Plan Local Agenda 21 Crime and Disorder Strategy Tourism Strategy Community Safety Strategy Youth Service Plan Sports Strategy Health Improvement Plan Sport Physical Activity Strategy 2.1 Links with other Plans and Strategies The Sportercise Business Plan and associated Recreational Service documents do not exist in isolation, but links with other plans, strategies and initiatives both within the Council and externally with partner agencies. Linkages and working in partnership avoids duplication of resources and ensures that there is a joined up approach towards achieving related aims and objectives, examples of which can be seen in Chart 2. Merseyside Plan for Sport The Sportercise Business Plan is linked heavily to the Merseyside Plan for Sport, with Sportercise having the same ideas on sport, education and community progress. The Merseyside Plan for Sport was devised in accordance with the governments game plan initiative, in order to raise participation rates in sport whilst also aiming to lower crime and improve community safety. The main targets of the Merseyside Plan for Sport are: Increase participation rates in sport across Merseyside Improve levels of sporting performance in young people Widen access to participation in sport, allowing all people to have equal opportunities to participate Improve the health and well being of people in Merseyside Improve community safety by using sport as a way of reducing crime and anti social behaviour rates Raise standards in education by working in partnerships with the local schools. Using sport as a way of benefitting the economy Merseyside Sport The Sportercise Business Plan links directly to the Merseyside sports plan, which has been devised in order to increase participation levels, generate a wider access to sport and active recreation and also bring together and align partners to meet existing targets within the 5 main areas of Merseyside. Liverpool City Councils Sports and Physical Activity Strategy 2007 2012 The Sports and Physical Activity Strategy 2007 2012 was developed in 2007. The strategy guides the development of sporting / physical activities and facilities in Liverpool and prioritises actions to achieve this. It also underpins bids to secure external funding, which will assist in developing and improving sports and physical activity provision within the area. It aims to develop opportunities for people to participate in sport through direct provision of quality services and in an enabling role with other agencies. Furthermore, it seeks to create equality of access to services through the location of facilities in local areas, considered programming of activities to encourage participation from groups previously excluded and that access issues for those with disabilities are considered for buildings. Customer Focus Initiative (CFI) The Councils commitment to developing the Customer Focus Initiative (a private Finance Initiative) will facilitate the development of ICT systems to provide much needed customer data. It seeks to harness the latest technology to provide increased connectivity between the Council systems and a single point of contact for its customers. It will affect all parts of the Councils service delivery and provide a more efficient and effective service to all Council customers. Through the CFI, many benefits of state of the art computer systems such as customer relationship management (CRM) will provide valuable data on customers, of the type the department needs to meet its strategic aims and improve its knowledge and exploitation of the customer base. By providing a corporate ICT infrastructure, systems will be rationalised, improving efficiency and simplifying service provision to customers. Through business transformation projects, identified as an area for improvement in the CFI Best Value Review, back and front office process will be linked and re-engineered to provide a more effective service to the public. Working in Partnership By adopting a partnership approach to service delivery, it is possible to ensure that the widest range of best quality services and opportunities are provided to the community. Sportercise will depend on a range of partners to develop and deliver its work such as: Neighbourhood Partnership Sport England Sub Regional Partnerships Sportslink Primary Care Trust Liverpool County FA Liverpool Lifestyles Liverpool Council Social Services Liverpool Council Education Services Liverpool Council Youth Services Liverpool Youth Offending Team Charitable Trusts Private Sector Organisations Voluntary sector Local Housing Associations The Police The Fire Brigade 2.3 Consultation Customer involvement will continue as work proceeds on key issues and recommendations. There is a commitment to creating a dialogue with the people of Liverpool to assess how well they think the service is performing and establishing what else needs to be considered. A consultation Audit of the Company will be conducted and a Communications Plan produced to address these issues. The mechanism by which continual dialogue with the public will be achieved is shown in Diagram One. This will be measured through annual satisfaction surveys and through mystery shopping exercises. Sportercise understands that consultation exercises are valuable in relation to gaining specific feedback on the services being provided. Through monitoring of targets, this will provide a measure of the success of increasing participation from people in the traditionally hard to reach groups. Sportercise is proactive in setting up a system to establish dialogue with customers to share information, concerns over aspects of service delivery and feedback on progress of projects or developments that will inform the Sportercise service planning process. Examples that will be used are: Talkback forms Sportslink Sport Physical Activity Forums Local Neighbourhood partnership meetings (by ward) Specialist focus groups to be set up for specific purposes Staff conferences/meetings Mystery Shopper Exercises Steering Groups Liverpool Schools Sports Partnership School Sports Co coordinator Steering Group Disability forums Diagram 1: The Consultation Process. Consultation Process Review service improvement priorities Implement service improvement Measure/ Evaluate outcome of service improvement Further consultation 2.4 Training Development Training and developing staff is an ongoing process within Sportercise. All training is documented and kept in the member of staffs individual development and learning folder to comply with IIP and Quest accreditation. Other courses and training undertaken by staff include: Health Safety Successful Staff Selection Computer training First Aid Customer Care Product knowledge Governing Body Awards 3. STAFFING Sportercise will employ two full time development officers, who are responsible for co-ordinating, adminstration and linking with relevant agencies to develop and promote the company. They will also deliver a diverse high quality programme of sport and physical activities to local schools, youth and community groups. The role of coaches is to act as enablers/facilitators within a wide range of sporting activities and in turn to implement the sports, competitions and events on behalf of the Council. In addition to the full time development officers Sportercise will employ sessional coaches as and when needed. However Sportercises level of output is dependent on the human and financial resources available. The financial position is enhanced by the successful generation of funds and in kind support from within the public, commercial, voluntary and charitable sector for specific initiatives. 4. PROGRAMMING Sportercise will adopt an outreach approach with no dedicated facilities of its own. The work undertaken by the Sportercise Team plays an important role in the sports development network of Liverpool and should be enhanced by the recently established links with relevant agencies, local and regional organisations, Sports England and sports Governing Bodies, Sportercise will continue to develop a wide range of area wide sporting/recreational and health related opportunities. The Team will work tirelessly to overcome the barriers that restrict participation in sport/recreation and health activities amongst young people, women, minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities, providing a mentoring service and also working to promote the awareness of gun and knife culture and other issues through the use of issue based workshops. Participation in sport therefore encompasses many benefits. These include: Enjoyment, fun, relaxation Social benefits from participation in group activities Increased confidence/self esteem Improves all round educational performance Development of leadership and teamwork skills Reduction in crime through sport as a diversionary activity Opportunity to acquire physical skills, and for those who have the potential, develop to top levels of performance General feel-good factor at an individual level and pride in performances of being in a team Health benefit healthy lifestyles Minimising the risk of anti-social behaviour Develops self discipline and self respect Fulfilment of individual potential up to and including top-level performance The development of interests in related sports Employment opportunities in sport and the leisure industry Contributes to regeneration strategies Kudos to the area in the form of regional, national and international honours 4.1 Curriculum Programme The programmes that are to be offered by the Sportercise team are very extensive and aim to provide opportunities to both the able bodied and the disabled. Those people with disabilities are a key target group in terms of sports development. It is important to consider this group at both the strategic and planning levels of development. Sport, leisure and physical activity play an important part in the lives of people with disabilities through building their self esteem, encouraging interaction and offering the physical benefits of improving mobility and general health. The Disability Officer continues to extend Sportercises work with this target group. The aim is that all people with disabilities should be able to participate in sport, recreation, leisure and health related activities in an environment that they choose, whether this is integrated or disability specific. In June 1998, the Health Education Authority reported on disability and sport. They commented that people with disabilities. Represent a significant and important proportion of the population Are often less active and have lower than average fitness levels Are at risk of developing health problems as a result of inactivity Face social and environment barriers to participation A survey undertaken by Health and Fentem in 1997 and the Governments White Paper on Health (November 2004) showed that levels of physical activity are lower for people with disabilities and confirmed the need to address the issue of under representation amongst this target group. Sportercise will tackle these issues in partnership with many organisations who work with the disabled and also through an effective relationship with Liverpool City Council who assist the development of sport for people with disabilities across Merseyside. Sportercise aims to include the following disability programme: Curriculum programmes in Special Schools After school clubs Weekend schemes Holiday projects Coach Education / training Competitions and events The planned curriculum programme to be offered will initially begin within the Liverpool area where there are 123 primary, 31 secondary schools, 2 Pupil Referral Units and 11 special schools. All these schools will be offered the opportunity to participate in the curriculum programme that provides specialist advice/support of the National Curriculum. The initiative incorporates six one-hour sessions in hockey, netball, basketball, athletics, Gymnastics, dance, swimming, rugby, cricket, tennis. These are delivered over a half term period by a qualified Governing Body coach. This programme will be developed in partnership with the Partnership Development Managers to ensure it details the work of the School Sports Coordinator initiative. When working with the disabled community we aim to provide a basic introduction to sport and health related activity which otherwise would not be available due to the limited expertise that exists particularly in primary school education. The programme includes all Special Schools who all receive six one-hour sessions over a half term period. Working with the School Sports Coordinators will provide support to PE Coordinators in the delivery of Physical Education. Along with the sporting activities offered by Sportercise, we also offer a curriculum programme to schools based around developing well rounded young people in Liverpool. This alternative programme offers mentoring sessions with young people, aiming to work on issues such as self esteem, behaviour, anger management and anti bullying. All of these sessions will help the young people of Liverpool develop personally and socially, thereby contributing to making Liverpool a safer area to live in, whilst also reducing the rates of crime and anti social behaviour. 4.2 After School and Weekend Programmes Sportercise will liaise with local agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach is adopted. This is vital to ensure maximum use of resources. The after school and weekend programme provides participants with further opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of sport. The programme employs the expertise of local qualified sports coaching from clubs who act as ambassadors for their particular club. These clubs then offer the performance element within the sports development continuum for young people to continue their development. The young people will be encouraged to join sports clubs. Where clubs are unable to offer the young people the chance for continued participation, Sportercise will link with relevant governing bodies and individuals in the community to address this issue and hopefully resolve it by creating a community team. A priority of the programme is to attract non-participants to participate in sport outside of curriculum time and to experience the advantages and benefits of taking part in sport and physical activity. These initiatives provide positive experiences, reduce the possibility of young people becoming involved in criminal activities, address issues of social inclusion, life long learning and encourages the adoption of leading healthy and active lifestyles. The involvement of local sports clubs and the development of specific sports steering groups are an important ingredient for the long-term success of after school provision in Liverpool. Along with the sporting activities offered by Sportercise, we also offer a curriculum programme to youth clubs and community groups based around developing well rounded young people in Liverpool. This alternative programme offers mentoring sessions with young people, which aim to work on issues such as anger management and anti bullying. All of these sessions will help the you

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Charles Darwin Essay examples -- Science Evolution Scientist Biology E

Charles Darwin The famous naturalist Charles Darwin embarked on hundreds of miles of land excursions during the often-told story of the H. M. S. Beagle voyage, and on these trips, the most lasting visual impressions for Darwin are the Cordilleras Mountains, the Fuegian natives, and the Brazilian rainforests. The Beagle’s five-year world circumnavigation from 1831 to 1836 emphasized South America and so it is not so surprising the previously mentioned natural wonders had such important impact on Darwin. Somewhat unexpected, though, is the desolate Patagonia plains of Argentina which made an especially lasting impression on Darwin. While certainly not the only important lasting natural impressions for Darwin from the voyage, the natural wonders mentioned previously are quite note worthy because they show up so prominently in a careful reading of Darwin’s writing. Much has been written about the 19th century Beagle voyage and its scientific developments, but instead the emphasis for this research paper will be a selection of Charles Darwin’s most striking land journeys. This assignment will describe and evaluate the dimensions of the ‘gentleman naturalist’s’ most impressive visual memories resulting from excursions into Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. In doing so, this paper will heavily rely on two sources: The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin and what is popularly known as Darwin’s Beagle Diary. Both of these texts are available on the World Wide Web. Before turning to the content of the previously mentioned sources, some additional background is in order. The Beagle voyages’ main mission was to acquire a set of longitudinal measurements in a circumnavigation of the globe. In additi... ...[13] Ibid., 534. Unknown indirect source. Referred in Journal of Researches as: Shelley, Lines on M. Blanc. I was unable to found a bibliographic reference. [14] Ibid., 534. Bibliography: Darwin, C. Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the countries visited during the voyage round the world of H.M.S. Beagle. 11th ed., London: John Murray, 1913. Quoted from Web Site – Van Wyhe, John ed., â€Å"The writings of Charles Darwin on the web,† 8 October 2003. (29 December 2003). Darwin, F. ed., The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin. New York: D. Appleton & & Co., 1905. Quoted from Web Site – Van Wyhe, John ed., â€Å"The writings of Charles Darwin on the Web,† 8 October 2003. (29 December 2003).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Dr. Linus Pauling - A Model of Courage Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

The Strength of Character of Dr. Linus Pauling When it comes to moral courage, no one thinks of scientists. Moral courage brings to mind the Chinese protestor who leapt in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square, the conductors of the Underground Railroad who led slaves to freedom, and the freedom fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto, who fought to their deaths against the Nazis. The Chinese protestor, the northern conductor, and the Jewish resistance fighters were common people transformed by extraordinary times. Their moral beliefs led them into danger that was immediate, terrifying, and tangible. Some forms of moral courage are less obvious. In fact one of history's greatest examples of moral courage comes from a place no one would ever expect - the field of science. It may not seem possible to compare a man who worked in a laboratory to a man who guided slaves to freedom. After all, the Underground Railroad conductor physically risked his life day after day, but the danger that one brave chemist faced was just as real. A brilliant chemist, and a man of unshakeable moral convictions, Dr. Linus Pauling protected the human race from the unparalleled danger of nuclear war. Pauling's moral stand is a model for morality in science. During World War II the United States employed scientists on the top-secret atomic bomb program. Desperate for a weapon to use against Germany and Japan, the government recruited all the best American scientists. One of the few scientists to refuse to work on the bomb was Linus Pauling. It was a difficult decision because the Federal government was exerting a lot of pressure on him. In addition to the pressure, the project itself was hard to turn down. A scientist lives for a proj... ... will be responsible for using science morally. And that is why Linus Pauling is so important to me. In the face of great pressure and danger, he took a moral stand for his beliefs. He is my role model for his moral courage. Pauling's moral stand was not glamorous. It was not the glorious heroism of the movies. But if moral courage is supporting one's beliefs no matter what, then Pauling clearly was a hero. He was threatened by the atomic bomb no more than anyone else was but he alone decided to take responsibility for it. He knew the devastation of the bomb, and as a scientist, an American and a human, he refused to dodge his moral responsibility. Pauling is a role model and a moral hero because he bravely stood for morality on behalf of the human rare. 1 "Interview with Dr. Linus Pauling", Regents of the University of California, Berkley, 1996.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Family Systems Essay

Family systems theory was founded by Dr. Murray Bowen. He suggested that the connections and reactions found within a family system creates interdependence on one another. He based his theory on the natural emotional connections with the family. He continued to build upon it as time went on. After Bowen there were several other theorists who used Bowen’s theory as a base, and built off of it. Bowen created his theory based on eight major concepts. They are as follows; Differentiation of Self, Nuclear Family Emotional System, Triangles, Family Projection Process, Multigenerational Transmission Process, Emotional Cutoff, Sibling Position, Societal Emotional Process. The core concept in Bowenian theory is Differentation of Self, this says that the more developed someone’s â€Å"self† is that less impact society and others will have on them. â€Å"The basic building blocks of a â€Å"self† are inborn, but an individual’s family relationships during childhood and adolescence primarily determine how much â€Å"self† he develops† (thebowencenter.com) This concept can be seen as a self-esteem issue. Bowen says that someone with a poor sense of self will quickly conform to others thought and opinions. While someone with a secure sense of â€Å"self† is able to keep that secure thorough social influences. He created a scale that meas ured differentiating self it was measured 0-100. 0-25 were the people with the lowest sense of self, these people liked to be â€Å"comfortable† and did so with self-sacrifice. While people above 60 were rare, they had an extreme sense of self, and were free from societal emotional control and did not control others. The second concept is, Nuclear Family Emotional System which is based on four basic relationship patterns;. marital conflict, dysfunction in one spouse, impairment in one or more children, and emotional distance. Marital conflict is caused by the externalizing of anxiety and emotions caused by family stress. Each spouse presents this in different ways but, the common behaviors include; need for control, knit picking, and resistance to each other. Marital conflict can lead to a breakdown in the family system as well as a marriage. Secondly, dysfunction in one spouse is when one spouse tries  to conform the other to think and act the way they do. The controlling spouse in this situation over bears the other spouse making them act and think in ways they may otherwise not. This can lead to anxiety, tension, and possibly psychiatric or mental dysfunction. Thirdly, impairment in one or more children, can cause excessive attention to the impaired child, causing them to act out and interna lize family tension more then the other children, because they feel like the spotlight is on them. The last relationship pattern is emotional distance. This is a basic pattern seen when the relationships within the family become to intense and people start to distance themselves to lessen the intensity of the relationship. The third concept is Triangles, which are a single relationship with three people involved. Triangles can be great when there is no tension, but can cause a break down in the family system when tension is present. Triangles in tension situations, have insiders and outsiders. The outsiders are trying to get in and the insiders are trying to get out. An example I found of this was a child whose parents were focusing on what was wrong with his so much that he started to rebel. He felt under so much pressure that he was trying to get â€Å"outside† the triangle to relieve some of the pressure. Triangles play an important role in family systems as well as in therapy. The fourth Bowenian concept is, Family projection process which is the process of the parents transmitting there emotional problems to the child. The projection process follows three steps. â€Å"(1) the parent focuses on a child out of fear that something is wrong with the child; (2) the parent interprets the child’s behavior as confirming the fear; and (3) the parent treats the child as if something is really wrong with the child.† (thebowencenter.com) This process can cause the child to feel insecure when attention is not focused on them. There are so many different situation that fall under this projection umbrella. An example could be, a mother feels depressed therefore, she feels the child is depressed and treats the child accordingly. This can also be seen in extreme cases where a mother favors a certain child, and the father sees the child-mother combination as one unit and take his anger towards the mother out on the child. The fifth concept is, Multigeneration al transmission process which says â€Å"how small differences in the levels of differentiation between parents and their offspring lead over many generations to marked differences in differentiation among the  members of a multigenerational family.† (Schara, Blog 2013) Bowen feels that the way people react to situations and relationships is based on a multigenerational transmission of behaviors and emotions. The sixth concept, Emotional cutoff, is simple. Simply speaking people emotionally cutoff other family members instead of resolving the conflicts within the relationship/s. The seventh concept, Sibling position, says that your birth order effects the way you view the world. Oldest siblings tend to be leaders, where youngest siblings tend to be followers. This isn’t always true because can be effected by parental emotions and behaviors. Bowen used psychologist Walter Toman’s research to help him form his theory on sibling position. Examples used; if an oldest sibling is focused on by the parents growing up, then they may not be able to take leadership or make their own decisions. This leaves the â€Å"leadership† role to the younger sibling therefore, putting them in the â€Å"oldest† leadership type role. Where people are in sibling position can effect their marriage, their parenting skills, and of course the family dynamics. The last concept in Bowenian theory is, societal emotional process. This concept tells us how the emotional system controls behavior on a societal level. This is similar to that within a family system, which can be progressive or regressive. Societies go through progressions and regressions constantly. If a society is going through a progression, or regression, it can effect the entire society including all of the major branches and boiling down into the individual family systems. All of these major concepts in Bowenian theory are based on the emotions and behaviors of each individual and their effects on the family system. Bowen was a big believer in the family being seen as one cohesive unit and working towards homeostasis. The basic techniques used in Family systems theory are; detriangulation, nonanxious presence, genograms, coaching, reframing, power differential, and the purser-distancer concept. All of these techniques are used to reach the common goal of homeostasis within the family system. In regards to Detriangualtion, this is when a therapist breaks up a triangular relationship between three people in the family. By having one person within the triangle take a stand on an issue, that is not agreed upon by the other two people in the triangle. Therefore, creating a sense of self within that one person and breaking the give and take relationship in the le. â€Å"In Bowenian family therapy, it is argued that a  conflict between two people will resolve itself in the presence of a third person who can avoid emotional participation with either while relating actively to both.† (Bowen 1978) As a Bowenion therapist you must take on the role of the non-anxious presence. This is when a therapist keeps a sense of calm throughout the session regardless of the circumstances. A non-anxious presence can bring peace to the family involved and help them to open up in session. A n anxious therapist can inflict unneeded chaos and stress for obvious reasons. A building block tool used in the Bowen Family Systems therapy is a genogram. When the family comes in for intake, most therapists will create a genogram. This is a multigenerational map of the family that documents mental illness, substance abuse, medical issues, relationships, and some events tied to specific family members. A genogram can give the therapist a sense of what they need to address within the family system. Family Systems theory uses coaching as a way to help the families through tough times, and provides them with tools to succeed as a family unit. Coaching can help by giving families a way to understand each others interworking’s and hopefully see each other through clearer light. The goal of coaching a family would be to establish a stronger sense of self while strengthening the family system. Reframing takes place when the family needs to change the way they look at each other or the unit as a whole. Reframing a relationship takes hard work but can bring about peace and reduce tension within the family. In order to reframe a relationship or many the therapist must reinterpret a families situation to make them more open to solution. â€Å"Reframing is a type of communication that can help family members better understand the concerns and intentions behind the misconstrued words.† (Jeanty, Jacqueline) An example of reframing, is a child who is constantly badgering their mother about quitting smoking. Once the situation is reframed it is easier to see that the child is scared and cares deeply about the mothers health, which is why they continued to badger. Power Differential,