Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Relative and Radiometric Dating

Two general processes used to figure out the age of rocks is relative dating and radiometric dating. We will compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of both methods. According to Lutgens and Tarbuck, Relative dating is the process in putting events in their proper sequence. Relative dating is based on assumption, not able to give an accurate date but an estimated time period where the rock originated from. A Danish scientist, Nicolaus Steno is accredited for the Law of Superposition. This law basically tells us that each layer of sedimentary rock is younger than the one below it which is depicted in figure 8. in the text. Steno is also accredited for the Principle of Original Horizontality. The principle is shown in figure 8. 4 in the text showing rocks compounding with sediment escalating in height that have not been disturbed by geological disturbances. Another relative dating process is the Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships. This takes place when faults force them selves through older rocks. This means that the faults or dikes have penetrated layers of sediment that were deposited long before the intrusion. By implementing these theories and processes, we can assume a time period in the Earth’s history where these rocks originate from. However, this is an assumption and not a specific time as shown in figure 8. 10. Radiometric dating is the process of estimating the age of rocks from the decay of radioactive elements inside the rock specimen. This process utilizes radioactive isotopes to date igneous rocks. These radioactive isotopes have a distinctive number of atoms that present themselves unstable. These atoms will inevitably decay through a series of evolutions. We will take Uranium as example. Uranium will ultimately decay into the stable element lead. The father element being the Uranium and the end result creating the daughter element lead. Radioisotope dating is used to date igneous rocks that have cooled from their molten stage. it is assumed that all daughter elements have escaped through the immense heat. Once cooled, no elements will escape based on assumption. In the event that elements do escape, is through radioactive decay. According to Lutgens and Tarbuck, The decay rate that takes place is measured in Half Life. This is the length of time that one half of the remaining atoms to decay. This can be measured in a laboratory by finding the decay rate and counting time backwards to find the age of the rock specimen. Relative dating and radiometric dating have many strengths but also many weaknesses. Relative dating gives a general time frame where the rock exists whereas Radiometric dating has a scientific formula to give a more accurate account on where the rock originated from. However, it is safe to presume that both processes rely on assumption and not strict scientific fact.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Good and Evil and Beowulf Essay

Beowulf is the most famous epic of the Anglo-Saxon period. This is a story of an epic hero who fights against the most sinister monsters known to man. Beowulf and Grendel are the main characters of this tale; they are the perfect example of good versus evil, light versus dark, and hero versus villain. Beowulf is the story all epic hero stories have followed; the Beowulf with his hero qualities goes head to head with Grendel. Heroes and villains share a lot of qualities but a number of key characteristics set them apart. Heroes as well as villains above all are abnormal; they share their own specific goals and are often very intelligent and capable of achieving what they want or need to achieve. Both types of these individuals are often warrior like and of unique or even divine like powers and weapons. Despite sharing these characteristics they are not similar in their desires. Heroes fight on the side of right, they fight for the good of man and they fight for the safety of society. Villains fight for evil; they do not care about innocent people being injured by their actions and only seek self satisfaction. Villains recklessly murder anyone who gets in their way and the only ones who can stop them are heroes like Beowulf. Beowulf is a shining example of an epic hero who fights against the evils of the Geats. Beowulf is a warrior who praises god and aims to kill the monsters that plague his people. â€Å"Bravest and the best of the Geats,† Beowulf is a superhuman warrior who is out to kill the likes of Grendel for fame and glory. Grendel is the most sinister monster known to the Geats, he strikes fear into their hearts because of what he has done to innocent people. Grendel is an ugly and despicable monster who â€Å"has hands forged in hell† (ll. 64). Grendel is the enemy of mankind and specifically Beowulf, he is the â€Å"shadow of death† and lusts for evil (ll. 74). The conflict between Grendel and Beowulf is not one that is just a battle of fame or pleasure but one of righteousness and wrong. Beowulf must defeat Grendel for all of the evil he has committed and to honor those who have died defending themselves from this creature born in the depths of hell.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Respect Education Essay

Treating people with respect makes your world a nice place to live in, whether it’s at home, at school, or out in your community. And it’s easy-all you have to do is treat people the way you like to have them treat you. Respect is an important thing to give and to receive. Respect shows that you think that the other person has value and that you want to show them that. Education is so important because it is the key to a person’s future. If you have a good education it will help you to achieve all types of goals. Respect plays a huge role in our everyday lives. You may not notice it, but that’s only because they are being respectful to you. If you’re not respectful then you will be disrespected because you’re being mean. So you should always be respectful to others so they will treat you the way you want to be treated. A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching. Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. To get freedom you need education, to get education you need to learn how to respect. To respect you need to educate yourself. Respect in the education aspect of society is important because relationship between students and teachers, relationship between peers, and relationship between school. The secret in education lies in respecting the relationship between students and teachers. A student-teacher relationship is very important. The best teachers genuinely care about their students. They care about passing on their martial art right, not just going through the schedule and collecting the tuition. Respect plays a huge factor in this. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. When a teacher respects himself and the martial arts he teaches, his/her students will learn to respect them as well. It’s no use if the teacher was a skilled martial artist but lacks patience, open mindedness, communication skills, a positive attitude, and respect must be mutual. Students, likewise, need to appreciate the time and effort their teachers put into train them and not take their teachers for granted. The student must respect his/her teacher and hold him/her in the highest esteem, for this is a necessary prerequisite to accepting his/her advice. The student must trust the teachers concern. The students must commit him/her to following the instruction with utmost discipline, for only then can the intended effect be realized. The teacher also has some responsibility toward students. The first is fulfillment of the prerequisite of getting to know his/her students individually, to probe the innermost depths of their hearts as well as examining the outer details of their lives. A teacher must express love and affection toward his/her students. A teacher must take time to reflect upon his/her students’ progress, refining and adjusting his/her vision of how best to influence them toward positive change. You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. Friends are important in educational outcomes; most people agree that friends matter-not just for personal wellbeing but for achieving their goals in life. Several studies have shown this to be particularly. The case in education but the detection and measure of such peers effects is often found wanting. Using detailed information on friendship not works of American high-school students; this column finds that the friends we make at age 15 to 18 have a strong and persistent effect on our lives. Each student influences his/her classmates not only through knowledge spillovers and how teachers respond to students, but also in how he/she affects classroom standards. Less disciplined students are more likely to disrupt his/her classmates, forcing the teacher to devote more time in class to disciplining rather than transmitting knowledge. Therefore a student’s performance in school may be influenced by the characteristics and behavior of his/her peers. If these peers’ group effects are substantial, government policy may exploit them by optimally grouping students in different classrooms to achieve desired socioeconomic outcomes. He, who opens a school door, closes a prison. School maybe hard, annoying, and irritating, but admit it, you’re going to miss it when it ends. A school should not be a preparation for life. A school should be life. Relationship between schools is important because it affects respect in the education. God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board. A sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributive, and satisfying life in a democratic society. This climate includes norms, vales, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe. People are engaged and respected. Students, families, and educators work together to develop, live, and contribute to a shared school vision. Educators model and nurture an attitude that emphasizes that benefit of, and satisfaction from, learning. Each person contributes to the operations of the school as well as the care of the physical environment. However, there is a great deal of research that shows that many students do not feel physically and emotionally safe in schools. For example, a study forward evidence that high school students are fearful about going to school because of the violence and personal victimization some of them experience during the school day. Remember the philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. Respect, respect others, and respect yourself, respect school, Respect old people: they graduated high school without Google or Wikipedia!

A Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Journal opinion article - Essay Example Despite the promise to cut debts by half, Federal debts has gone up by 52% reaching $16.2 trillion a thing unheard of in the US. In the year 2007 US underwent the worst recession since the great depression that robbed that saw stocks hitting their bottom just before 2009. This changed after January 2009 when Dow Jones Average went up 70%, Standard & Poor 500 index went up 81 %, and NASDAQ complex index went up 119% (Jackson web). The levels of unemployment stood at 7.8% as they are as at September 2012. Although millions lost jobs immediately, Obama took oath the government has managed to pull the economy to the position of absorbing the same and providing extra jobs. Just before the recession, the level of unemployment had gone down to less that 5% only to rise in 2009 to as high as 10% (Jackson web). The poor state of the economy prevented the level from falling again and it took nearly two years to lower the level even by a small margin. However, the economy has slowly regained mo st of the lost jobs and predictions promise more jobs in the next coming months. The level of unemployed Americans is 12.1 million, which is the lowest since January 2009. A drop from 8.1% to 7.8% before the elections gave Obama a positive boot to winning the elections just a month away (Jackson web). Although some sectors like manufacturing has lost many jobs and some critics use it to bring the government down and to prove that no progress has taken place at all. Some even suggest that the government have skewed numbers to aid Obama re-election into government. The bureau of statistics has come out to confirm that really some jobs have been created and that the economy is actually moving forward. However, several other indicators suggest otherwise and confirm a slow growth of the economy. For instance, the US treasury, note went up by a small percentage depicting that investors are now willing to shift their investments from bonds to stocks. In fact, the prices of some stocks have gone up by a significant percentage with Dow Jones industrial average going up. Less income to families and increased poverty levels is another challenge blamed on Obama government. It is true that many families have suffered financially in the past few years and the poverty levels have gone up. In fact, household income and family income declined by a significant percentage or stagnated to some. Due to high levels of unemployment, the number of Americans living below the poverty line went up and was at 46.2 million in the year 2011. This is a rise from 46.3% in the year 2010 (Jackson web). In addition, food supplemental aid increased from increasing poverty levels. However, due to recession that occurred in the year 2007, household incomes were already declining or stagnant when Obama took office in 2009. The good news is that with the declining levels of unemployment, household income and family income will soon report an increase. Obama’s government has been blamed for ri sing fuel prices, which has doubled since he took over government. To be precise, the price was at $1.85 by end of January 2009 but at October 2012, this figure has gob has gone up to $3.8 (Jackson web). Although the prices of oil remain up, oil imports have gone down with a significant amount. In addition, dependence on oil has gone down with the country turning to other better sources like wind power and

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Week 6 Team Part Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 6 Team Part - Essay Example An alternative solution the company may pursue in order to increase its revenues is to expand internationally. The expansion can occur in different ways. The simplest solution that requires the least amount of resources is exporting. The main product the company sales, batteries, are a homogenous product which is needed by everyone around the world. The world’s population is 6.6 billion. The combined population of America and Germany is 393 million. This data means that Larson Inc. has only been able to penetrate 6% of the marketplace. The firm may experience some economic growth if the domestic economies of Germany and the United States improve. Batteries are needed to power all electrical devices. One of the largest industries in the world is the cellular phone industry. In 2010 there is an estimated 4.7 billion cellular phone users worldwide (Plunkett Research, 2010). These phones need batteries to be powered up. There are also thousands of other types of products that util ize batteries. The extra money the company generates during an expansion can be used to develop new products or services. A second economic option for Larson Inc. is to encounter a decrease in its revenues. When a country has negative growth domestic product for two consecutive quarters it enters into a recession. During a recession a business such as Larson may experience a decline in its overall sales numbers. A strategic approach utilized by managers during a recession is to implement cost cutting initiatives. Layoffs in personnel are a short term cost cutting solution that many companies use to decrease its expenses. Investing money in more efficient equipment can lower the cost of producing goods. Typically during bad economic times managers are hesitant to invest money in capital goods. Outsourcing contracts can help companies lower its cost per unit. Workers in countries like China earn less than a tenth of what American workers make. The third economic

Saturday, July 27, 2019

International Intercultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Intercultural Management - Essay Example The world intercultural dinner is an annual framework that is meant to diversify the different aspects and cultures of different countries in the entire world, for instance, the traditions, life-styles and circumstances, social distinctions, political loyalties and the understanding of languages. The main goal of this essay is to vividly describe the international, intercultural management of some of the chosen countries within the world. The key chosen countries for this essay will be China and France. The objectivity of the intercultural dinner is to bring leaders together and instill peace in a multicultural setting to bring about a sense of belonging and oneness. This is a good platform for leaders to share their visions and to learn from others who have different perspectives, thereby facilitating the understanding of the different cultures from different countries within the world. In addition, it promotes social cohesion through the embracement of the intercultural dialogue and the understanding of the social diversity (Jacob 2003, p. 30). Therefore, the main objective of the annual intercultural dinner was to bring about a peaceful cohesion through a respectful exchange of views and ideas from different individuals from different cultures, leading to a deeper understanding of the different perspectives embraced by different communities from the entire world. Therefore, intercultural management is defined as the most effective functionality of a diverse group of people becau se of either ethnicity of or nationality. Experts on the intercultural management recommend the use of communication systems and methods, use of organizational cultures that enhances learning as well as the use of human resource management system in order to broaden the diversified field of culture (Jacob 2003, p. 35). France and China have since 1964 developed such a strong political relation, dating back from the period when France developed an official diplomatic

Friday, July 26, 2019

Finance principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Finance principles - Essay Example The company held a meeting to discuss the launch of its new product and the top management discussed in detail about the cash flow analysis and projections of the liquid detergent. The Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Mc Donald presented a report in a meeting which included the cash flow projections for the new project. He was planning to purchase specialized equipment and production facilities from Donnalley limited. Mr. Gasper, the production manager, inquired the CFO that why wasn’t he purchasing the equipment from Danforth limited. Being the financial analyst, I will analyze the purchase of equipment and facilities from Donnalley as well as Danforth limited if the company was planning to go with the project. If the company will buy specialized equipment from Donnalley limited, then it is expected to have increased net cash flows for the project. For the first four years, company will be able to get increased cash flows of $580000. While for the next three years, company is hopeful to receive higher cash flows of $650000. However, the company will get net cash flows of $550000 for the remaining four years of the project. There will be reducing depreciation on the specialized equipments of the company which are shown in table 1. The Radiant limited will experience loss in sales revenue from the existing product lines during the term of the project. The EBIT and NOPAT are calculated for each year in the table 1. Following are the formulae for the calculations of EBIT, NOPAT and free cash flows. In the fifth year, there was a need to purchase additional production facilities to meet up the growing demand of the detergents. The company will invest $5000000 to continue operations and production of detergents. The terminal cash flows are also calculated to come up with the free cash flows of the last year of the project. Let us suppose that the company can also purchase the plant, equipment and facilities from Danforth limited for launching a new

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Aerobics class in london Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aerobics class in london - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to find out opportunities provided for the community to engage in sporting activities and which groups of people the sport activities target. This paper will reveal research findings and results after visiting a community sports leisure center. Activities carried out in the center will be mentioned as well as the targeted groups and benefits of the mentioned activities. To receive accurate data, an arranged permitted interview will be conducted so as to learn more about the center. Observation and other mode of primary data collection will be discussed as well as the collection of secondary data. The center under study is central YMCA club. This club is a component of a charity organization; this makes this fitness center only one of its kind in the health and fitness sector. This club offers a center for the community members to interact in a social perspective. This therefore leads to its welcoming, friendly and warm environment as it leads to a feeling of belonging and enables members to achieve fitness and health through a wide range of activities offered. (Prasad, 6). The mission of this club: To advance the wellbeing and health of the community via the providence of fitness, sport and art- based programs. Such programs will include: positive health, older adults, performing arts, creative arts, mind and body, exercise nutrition, Y active kids, healthy living, and pre and post natal. However, the program under focus is mind and body. Under this program several concepts are practiced. The area of concern in this report is Tai Chi. This is an aerobic exercise which develops a healthy mind and body; it includes meditation as well as slow aerobic sessions. (Tucker, 7) 2. Methodology My initial visit at the Central YMCA was on 19-03-2013. I collected brochures and fliers concerning the organization at the reception desk. I walked around the facility and observed the activities taking place. I also met with the assistant coordinator and discussed my intentions as well as handed him my letter of introduction. We arranged my next visit to the center as well as the activities I was to undertake so as to facilitate the findings of my report paper. I collected more relevant information concerning the fitness facility in their website. My next visit was on 22-03-2013. I met with the assistant facilitator discussed my report paper and I was given a go ahead as well as the date and venue to collect my data. I then walked around the facility and observed the activities. On 26-03-2013, 30 random members of Central YMCA were selected by I and a group interview was conducted. This was done with permission from the management of the organization. The venue was at the board room, time 2:00- 4:00 pm. I asked the participants each question as I recorded the results. Each member answered individually. Questions asked to each member included: a. Why do you attend Central YMCA? b. Do you like the aerobic programs? c. How many att end Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? Two aerobic instructors of Central YMCA were also interviewed. The management of the organization was informed and the employees permitted to give concerned information. This took place on the 26- 03- 2013, at the boardroom, 11:30 am -12:15 pm and 6:00- 5:45 pm. Questions asked included: a. What are the opportunities provided for people to participate in aerobic fitness activities? b. What is the target group? c. Which aerobic program comprises of a majority of people? Why? d. How does the community benefit from the organization? e. How many attend Tai Chi? Reason for attendance? 3. Findings i. Primary data collected Data collected from the members was

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Assignment 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Assignment 4 - Essay Example So pick a card, any card. Wouldnt you think that your odds of finding a number starting with 1 would be the same as finding a number starting with 9? Or 3? Or 7? (See Figure 1) After all, you gathered as many different numbers from as many different locations as possible, so they should all be evenly distributed, right? Wrong!!! Here comes Benfords Law, bitch! Benfords law says that the odds of obtaining 1 as the first digit of a number are much higher than obtaining any other digit. (See Figure 2) And nobody can really explain why! Creeeepy. But the coolest thing is that the broader the sampling of numbers, the more accurately they conform to Benfords law. For example, if you only examined the numbers in a New York City phone book, it wouldnt fit with Benfords law because your data would favor 2s and 7s (because of the popular area codes 212 and 718). But mix a phone books numbers with an almanacs numbers with an encyclopedias numbers and without a doubt youll start seeing a "Benfordian" distribution. Didnt I tell you this shitd freak you out? But the most important part of Benfords law (and partially why its so fascinating) is that it only works with numbers observed and gathered from the real world. So if you were to randomly generate a list of numbers with a computer, or by simply making them up, their first digits would most likely be evenly distributed from 1-9 and NOT in accordance with Benfords law. (See Figure 1 again). For this reason, Benfords law is used by the IRS to spot defrauders who make up phony numbers, because if the numbers dont follow Benfords law, they werent from real transactions. Fascinated by all this, I decided to test it for myself. Rather than spend years gathering numbers from all over the world, I decided to turn to Google - arguably the broadest source of data in existence. Seeing how many results Google finds for a number is a surefire way to judge how many times

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Plato and the Sophists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plato and the Sophists - Essay Example triad of philosophers beginning with Socrates, often called the father of classical philosophy, followed by his student Plato who in turn was followed by his student Aristotle. Between the three of them they shaped classical Greek thought and the way of life which became a model of inspiration for generations to come. Socrates, who was one among the group of Sophists, is generally considered to be the wisest and noblest Athenian, whose thoughts were always concerned with ways of improving public life and who well knew that in order to lead a life of goodness, man must stay away from public office. Plato in his Apology quotes Socrates as saying that â€Å"The true champion of justice, if he intends to survive even for a short time, must necessarily confine himself to private life and leave politics alone.† This could be the reason why Socrates shied away from holding any public office and instead devoted his whole life to the â€Å"supreme art of philosophy† and taught it to willing students without any monetary gains. He was the only one of the philosophers, who lived the life he preached. Socrates became so popular that his advice was sought on matters ranging from social conduct to solving the most mundane problems. But in 399 BC Socrates was charged "as an evil-doer and curious p erson, searching into things under the earth and above the heavens; and making the worse appear the better cause, and teaching all this to others" (Plato) and was eventually given the death sentence on charges of impiety. Socrates has often been called the gadfly of Athens because of his ceaseless pursuit of truth. Plato, one of the most famous students of Socrates is famous for his work ‘The Republic’ which is generally considered a text for a perfect society. In this book Plato argues about knowledge and reality and makes reality an offshoot of our thinking process. In Platos argument’s there is a higher reality called ‘Forms’ which is unchanging and universal and it is

Mrs Dalloway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mrs Dalloway - Essay Example Mrs. Dalloway asks readers to read between the lines and to analyze the meanings of words, images, and memories to the characters and their society. Mrs. Dalloway represents despair because of repression and isolation that social class, faith, and science cannot remove, although the novel suggests that through love and career, some people can have enough hope to find meaning in their lives. Mrs. Dalloway feels despair because of her repressed life that the traditional social order imposes on her. Conventional society has gender and social status norms and all of these repress Mrs. Dalloway. Even before she got married, Clarissa feels something missing in her life, which she remembers when she goes to shop for flowers for her party: â€Å"She had a perpetual sense, as she watched the taxi cabs, of being out, out, far out to sea and alone; she always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day† (Woolf Section 1). She feels it dangerous to live probably because she cannot live the life she wants because society will reject her. One of the hidden lives that Clarissa has is being a lesbian. She does not want to fully admit it to herself, but her relationship with Sally Seton has a romantic side. When Sally kissed her before, Clarissa felt something new, something better in her life: â€Å"†¦the radiance burnt through, the revelation, t he religious feeling!† (Woolf Section 2). The revelation is her attraction for the same sex, while the religious feeling is finding purity in truth. Clarissa knows, however, that her society despises gay people, so she decides to stick to gender norms and to marry Richard Dalloway instead. He presents socio-economic comforts, which Clarissa justifies she needs better than her suitor’s, Peter Walsh’s promise of an adventurous life in traveling. Furthermore, the title itself reveals how oppressed Clarissa is as a woman. Mrs. Dalloway means that she has no

Monday, July 22, 2019

Greek Mythology and Athena Essay Example for Free

Greek Mythology and Athena Essay 1. True myth is primarily concerned with: a. the gods b. wars c. heroes d. animals 2. What does Athena offer to Athens in her contest with Poseidon? a. the knowledge of weaving b. the olive tree c. victory in battle d. wisdom 3. What goddess does Iris usually serve? a. Athena b. Aphrodite c. Artemis d. Hera 4. With what goddess is Hephaestus often associated through practical wisdom, arts and crafts, and the advance of civilization? a. Hera b. Artemis c. Athena d. Aphrodite 5. Which goddess is not one of the three goddesses that Aphrodite was unable to overpower? a. Demeter b. Artemis c. Athena d. Hestia 6. Why did Gaia punish Uranus? a. He killed their children as soon as they were born. b. He refused to lie with Gaia when she came to him. c. He refused to allow their children to leave the womb of earth. d. He wanted Themis to take her mothers place. 7. What animal is Athena most closely identified with? a. the owl b. the dolphin c. the spider d. the lion 8. Aphrodite Pandemos means which of the following? a. Celestial Aphrodite b. Common Aphrodite c. Genital Aphrodite d. Lustful Aphrodite 9. What Trojan youth did Zeus carry off to become cupbearer of the gods? a. Hebe b. Ganymede c. Hector d. Paris 10. What does the word chthonic or cthonian mean? a. pertaining to the sea b. having to do with the earth c. related to the sky d. characteristic of the citadel 11. Who wrote the Theogony? a. Homer b. Hesiod c. Vergil d. Ovid 12. Whom did Poseidon mate with in the form of a stallion? a. Demeter b. Medusa c. Amphitrite d. Scylla 13. Who wrote the Prometheus Bound? a. Ovid b. Euripides c. Aeschylus d. Plato 14. Which of the following is not an epithet of Athena? a. Pallas b. Glaukopis c. Metis d. Tritogeneia 15. Who is the consort of Poseidon? a. Galatea b. Scylla c. Amphitrite d. Thetis 16. Who is the hunter that caught Artemis bathing? a. Orion b. Arcas c. Actaeon d. Tityos 17. Which best describes an etiological interpretation of myth? a. It attempts to see myth as a metaphor. b. It attempts to understand myth in terms of an underlying ritual. c. It attempts to see myth as a pre-scientific mode of explanation. d. It attempts to uncover the historical kernel behind all myth. 18. In some versions of her birth, who is the mother of Aphrodite? a. Ge b. Hera c. Cybele d. Dione 19. Who will eventually rescue Prometheus from his sufferings? a. Heracles b. Perseus c. Zeus d. Achilles 20. What god gave Theseus three curses? a. Zeus b. Apollo c. Proteus d. Poseidon 21. What is the name of the guardian that was set over Io? a. Charon b. Cerberus c. Hermes d. Argus 22. Who wrote the Hippolytus? a. Sophocles b. Euripides c. Aeschylus d. Seneca 23. Who at times appears as the particular servant of Hera? a. Hermes b. Hestia c. Iris d. Diana 24. What is the name of the Graces, who attend Aphrodite? a. the Horae b. the Moirae c. the Charites d. the Graeae 25. What did Artemis promise Hippolytus as he lay dying? a. She will raise him from the dead. b. She will grant him a place in Elysium. c. She will punish a favorite of Aphrodite. d. She will punish Theseus for his curse. 26. What goddesses does Hesiod invoke at the beginning of the Theogony? a. the Fates b. the Graces c. the Muses d. the Sirens 27. With whom does Athena share her function as a deity of war? a. Apollo b. Hephaestus c. Ares d. Mercury 28. What is the hallmark of the Greek conception of the Olympians? a. animism b. theriomorphism c. anthropomorphism d. monotheism 29. Who is the mother of Zeus? a. Ge b. Rhea c. Gaea d. Cybele 30. What is the most distinguishing feature of the Greek gods? a. omniscience b. omnipotence c. immortality d. physical stature Part II Short Answer (2 points each) 31. What is the Roman name of Poseidon? 32. What is the Greek term that means a sacred marriage? 33. Who is Theseus father in the Hippolytus? 34. Who was the sculptor who created a statue that came to life? 35. What is the Roman name for Athena? 36. What does the Greek word mythos mean? 37. Together with what creature is Scylla usually mentioned? 38. What does Pandoras name mean? 39. To what force may Zeus himself be subject? 40. Who is the mother of the Muses? Part III Essay (20 points) Write an essay on one of the questions listed below. Be sure to make direct reference to primary sources (i.e. passages [included in the textbook] of ancient authors) to support your statements; with the exception of the textbook, do not base your discussion on any other secondary sources. The essay must be 200-250 words in length. When referring to primary sources, include the following: (1) page number of textbook on which passage occurs, (2) name of the ancient author, (3)title of ancient work from which passage is taken, (4) location within ancient work in which passage occurs. (a) Discuss Zeus . Include within your discussion an identification of his attributes and the myths associated with him. What do the myths communicate about his character and qualities? or  (b) Discuss Athena . Include within your discussion an identification of her attributes and the myths associated with her. What do the myths communicate about her character and qualities?

Sunday, July 21, 2019

SWOT, PEST and Porters 5 Forces Analysis of Virgin

SWOT, PEST and Porters 5 Forces Analysis of Virgin Virgin group was founded by Richard Branson. Virgin group first started with a magazine called student. This started in 70s and got huge recognition in public. Then he opened a virgin recording studio. In 80s virgin company went on to international recognition. He then started virgin Atlantic airways in 84. In the same year he started a 24 hour music channel which was a grand success. Virgin entered in all kind of business by 90s. There are different companies under virgin group like virgin mobile, virgin airways, virgin holidays, virgin trains, cars, books etc. Virgin group is the one of the top companies in UK. In rest of the countries it is giving a tough competition to other companies. Virgin has a different strategy and approach to the customers and it always succeeded in attracting the customers. Group produces different products and has entered into different fields in a very short period. Virgin has the advantage of its brand name in the market as it is a company where most of the people are wary about the company products. Richard Branson manager of the company is the brand ambassador of the company. History: 1968: Richard Bransons first magazine went on to publish. This is the first venture by the company manager. 1970: In this year Virgin mail order was born. 1971: In this year virgins first record shop was opened in Oxford Street in London. 1972: Virgin built a recording studio and composed the songs. 1984: Company built Virgin Atlantic airways where the flights ran to all beautiful places. 1985: Company started another offer to the customers like Virgin Holidays. 1988: Virgin opened Mega stores in Glasgow, Paris and then it spread to many other major cities. 1991: In this year Virgin started selling books. 1993: Virgin started radio station. It is the first national and commercial radio station in UK. 1994: In this year Virgin entered into beverages and started Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola. 1995: Virgin launched cinemas in UK. 1996: In this year Virgin started its Internet services to the customers. 1997: Virgin entered into transportation industry and started Virgin rails. 1999: Virgin mobiles started and it changed the way of communication. 2000: In this year Virgin started nine companies and all of them were successful. 2007: Virgin entered into Indian market with its mobile. Strategy of the company: Virgins first and obvious resource is the chairman Richard Branson that made the company to top position. Richard Bransons style and charismatic manner that attracts many people towards virgin group. Secondly virgin people are the main source of the companys success. Virgin has a unique brand recognition in different businesses that is difficult to other companies to replicate. Virgin has many numbers of companies under its shadow. The management of virgin group has freedom to express their opinions regarding companys ongoing business and innovates new strategies for the company development. Virgins management is heavily depends on the market analysis and the customer requirements as they go into customer shoes and understand their needs and serve more better. Virgin has creative employees to serve the company better and it has 25000 employees all over the world. Richard Branson adopted a policy with his managers and encouraged their own creativity for initiative ideas so managers would feel more responsible and ownership and tries to make a change in the company strategy and make it to run on success and profits. Management recruited carefully only some selected individuals who has the competitive nature and good teamwork abilities and chairman Richard Branson has selected as they are of his image in characteristics. Brand Strategy: Brand name or brand strategy is a process of attracting customers to buy a new product of its brand where brand has already got a market value. Virgin has a great brand value in UK and all the products which are produced are sold under its brand. Branding allows a customer to buy repeatedly the product and it makes a loyal supplier and the customer is also satisfied. Branding less than one name means more responsible to the supplier and trustworthy to supplier to supply the best products. Selling the products under one brand doesnt need more advertisement costs and it gets good response in the beginning as the brand is familiar in the market and there are many number trusted customers to it already. There are even some threats to this brand strategy, if the product fails to attract the customers then it may put the brand into difficult position and it degrades the image of the brand. Virgin has a great brand value in the market that uses its name tag for all its products in advertising and releases into the market. Virgin has many products in various fields under its brand name like in travel and tourism it has virgin travels, vacations etc. in leisure it has games, spa etc. In social welfare and environment it has green fund, virgin earth etc. In beverages it has virgin wines, soft drinks etc. In media it has virgin radio, music channels, mobiles, broadband, telecommunications etc. With all these it has some products like books, cloths, and finance and health bank. All its products has only one brand name and they are sold on virgin name for its brand value and good reputation. In virgin it provides two types of products, they are differentiated as convenience products and no requested products which have different types of customers and demand. In convenience products books, cosmetics, mobiles are available where all these products are convenient to buy for any type of customers. These products are bought frequently, immediately and with minimum affordable costs. The second type of products is no requested products like extra terrestrial travels where people doesnt know about it or doesnt show interest in it. Virgin introduced an offer to travel space to its customers. Due to its cost and risks many were not interested to use the offer. Virgin believes in fewer prices in differentiated products where certain level of customers expects quality of products. Branson has managed to satisfy the customers with quality services and his products through out the world. Virgin brand mainly concentrated on customers like young people who like innovative, quality, fun loving products. Corporate Structure: The structure of virgin group is different than other companies as the financial information is not clear for this business. As it is a private company and it has different fields and different organizations and there are no correct accounts, so financial structure of the company and its income and business statements are not available clearly. Branson told that the group is loosely linked to each other and they are self managed under one brand name. Branson also said that virgin is a group of private companies and not public limited company so it must concentrate on benefit of shareholders, stakeholders and financiers. The advantage of this is the company targets only on the long term profits. Virgin group is mainly controlled by Richard and his trusted employees who are working for him since twenty years. In head office there are 30 people working and he has given them freedom to work and improve the companys financial structure and he is there only to look after big deals and final strategy. The main strategy of the virgin is to work in different sectors of business under one brand name. Virgin has decentralized the organizational structure and decision making allows the managers to learn about business tactics and while avoiding large deal decision to the chairman. Virgin allows small companies to put its brand name as it gets international recognition and it would help company to promote very easily. With this virgin is able to enjoy both the large scale and small scale companys profits and world wide recognition. Virgin has a centralized unit to look all its business strategies and manage all the companies under one desk at the head office. A single website www.virgin.com allows users to access all its products and services. It has a internet business strategy which has coordination between all the companies and they act according to the strategies coming from the head office. When a customer enters into virgin website he can access to all the products of virgin which are under one portal and if he uses any product then he becomes a member of virgin family and he can use other services like mobile, telecommunication, banking, transportation, internet needs, traveling, entertainment etc. In this it gains more number of customers like virgin mobile gets customers from virgin rail records, virgin travel gets records from other virgin companies and so on. In this way other mobile companies cant get contact with rail customers or travel companies cannot contact to some unrelated company customers as they are unknown to them, but in virgin it have all types of customers and it can get in contact with all customers who are under them and this would help them increase the sale of there products. Strategic Relationships: All the companies in virgin run targeting towards a five pillar empire system that Richard was eager to create. According to Richard five pillars and heart of his business are travel, leisure, mobile phones, entertainment retailing and personal finance. Virgin wants to say to all its customers by using prefix called fun, innovative, daring. It is already said that the main strategy of virgin is Sir Richard Branson. The Britain people can immediately identify the Sir Richard Branson name and his companies. This is the main psychological strategy Richard has got and he actively participates in all marketing and promotion activities. This is the reason for the expansion of virgin empire and all other companies show interest to keep a joint venture with virgin group. There is a great demand for virgin and the example for this is actually for the virgin direct affair investment was  £15 million. But the AMP limited the leading international finance group initial investment was  £450 million and it was 50-50 joint venture. All business in the virgin group sacrificed short term profits to gain long term growth and used an individual level business strategy of decision making method. Managers are given freedom to make decisions independently for the growth and feel the same as of ownership and the value that any manager would feel. The assets and finance matters are not shared between companies and if any company became too large any other company would take its place. Management: Branson has taken few candidates who are having innovative ideas and are willing to start new business with a strong desire to beat their competitor. Richard Branson has added his own style of management style and involved actively all the employees and asked for advices to further serving customers better. Employees were actively involved in behaving with there values and there performance was accountable. Human resource management was responsible to keep people to the bonuses and profit sharing where ever possible they get promotions. Analytical Tools: PEST Analysis: Political factors: Virgin rail is running under single brand as it has partnership with stagecoach. Virgin has 51% share and stagecoach has 49% share in the market. Virgin follows all the rules and regulations of the country it is working in and it pays all taxes and makes policies according to the government rules. Virgin is Britains most trusted company and it has lot of customer following to its products and has a great influence and bonding relationship with the people of this country. The political interference in virgin group is regarding financial matters as the reports are not clear due to its partnerships with many companies. Economic factors: To virgin most of the companies are running with partnerships and they are putting only to some extent of money and they expand their business. The global recession has lot of affect on its company, like closing down or losing jobs may have direct impact on its business strategy. Operation levels are increased and taking particular attention to the competitive services regarding to customers. Fluctuations in the local and international market show the direct impact on the companys business strategy and may turn it into losses. Social factors: The social responsibility of providing good quality services to its customers is its first priority. The company has a mission to give outstanding services to all its customers according to the economic conditions of the customer. Environmental concerns are increasing day by day. So company launched its first bio-diesel train earlier than all other companies in Europe. Virgin has poor punctuality services which should be taken care and satisfy the customers by addressing on time. Virgin mobile has offered different offers to its customers according to the social conditions of the countrys situation. Technological factors: Virgin is one company which always tries to update its software or its technical knowledge and serve to its customers to a maximum extent. Virgin rail has always made updates in its technology or in its quality to its customers and made the trains run punctually without any technical mistakes. Virgin group always updates in providing internet services and technologies in it as wireless technology. Company policies also change according to the trend and interest of the customers. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Brand name: Virgin has a strong brand name in countries like UK, USA, and Australia. Name of its brand is enough to promote any product and make it grand success in the market. Products coming from virgin can survive in the market very easily and they can get good recognition and publicity without making more advertisement. Different types of distribution: Virgin has two different types of distribution units. First is to sell the products in retail stores and the second is to sell through online. Customers can use any of these services according to there comfortable levels. Both of these distribution units are maintained by virgin group. Various processes to export: Virgin has different methods of transportation facilities to export its products. It has international airports and two big seaports near to it for exporting its product. IT professionals: It has highly skilled software professionals who work with great commitment to give the best quality of service to its customers. High budget: Virgin group has enough money to invest into any kind of business and it is earning huge profits every year for its products and it is expanding to different countries every year. Weaknesses: Loose supervision: As virgin is a group of different companies and each field has its own managers, the supervision of the company is becoming hard for anyone and control goes out of hand sometimes. Communication gap: There is a lot of communication gap between each company. Only the website to approach to the company is same but the communication between different sectors of business is very weak. Bad transportation: There is a bad transportation facility and there is no punctuality in trains and other public transportation facilities where all these are affecting the company progress. Outdated machinery: Some of the virgin products use outdated machines and these cause a great trouble to the customers and employees in it. For example virgin rails still need to update its version of trains and make it faster. Opportunities: Expand to overseas: Virgin has the opportunity to expand to overseas and make its market to reach to more customers as it is a familiar product in many countries. Products like mobiles, airlines and media can be extended to any country very easily. Virgin could get better deals: Virgin has the opportunity to get more deals from more countries as it is always ready to expand its business and it is ready to make partnership with any other company for its progress. Opportunities of training: There are many opportunities for training for fresher and retraining to other individuals in the company. So that employer has the opportunity to know more about the company and on what project it is working exactly. Using high technology goods: It has the opportunity to improve itself by improving its technology and usage of new technologies in different sectors and making customer easy to understand about the services you offer. Threats: The success of virgin group mainly depends on the corporate parenting strategy which is led by Richard Branson. It is sustained through its strategies if it goes well in the market and gives competition to other companies. In the long run Branson has to put his succession ideas and strategies for the future running of business and they require implementing properly to reach the targets of the company. Virgin has to take care about its strong leadership for the future and the implementation of its company policies and strategies for the long run of the company by managing all the companies under it carefully. Porters 5 forces: In porters five forces it discuss about the five factors where the running of a company depends and they are: rivalry, supplier power, customer power, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants. Porters Five Forces Model Rivalry: In the market if the rivalry between two companies increases then it would result to zero profit margins. Companies try to overcome this and take competitive advantage and over their rivals. Rivalry can be caused due to various reasons and their effects may decrease prices and sometimes companies need to put special offers to face the challenges. Rivalry between companies is due to the following reasons Large number of firms: More number of firms produces same product then they compete for the sales of there goods to the same customers in a limited market place and this led to competition between companies. High fixed costs: If the cost of product is high then customers switch to other companies and this would put in trouble so the companies has to put a price with a minimum profit margin. Market growth: In this companies try to grow rapidly by attracting customers and they make plans for the expansion of there business. There would be a strong rivalry during this process as all the companies try to increase their market size. Threat of substitutes: In this model threat of substitutes refer to the same products producing by other companies and making competition. In this customers would easily switch to another product. So companies have price war and look for the low margin profits to attract existing and new customers. Buying power: This refers to the power of buyers as it is mainly concerned with customers. There are some factors in this as the buyers are powerful and if the buyers are weak. Buyers are powerful when the customers are less in concentration compared to market share and he can purchase a fair share of output. Buyers are weak when the companies take over the distribution of products on their own or the producers supply distribution of input purchases. Supplier power: In this it discuss about the power of supplier. Suppliers are powerful when there are more number of customers or when there are only few suppliers to the company. Suppliers are weak when more number of suppliers is there to supply the goods and when the less number of purchasers are available in the market. Threat of new entrants: In this if any new company enters the market this would make huge competition in the market and new entrants threat to pose more danger as they try to attract the customers and in this process they give lot of offers to the customers. In this it is easy to enter when there is huge demand for any product and lot of distribution channels. It is easy to exit when there are salable assets, low exit costs and independent businesses. Future of the company: Virgin has a lot of strategies for its future and Richard Branson is in the process to implement all these strategies. Virgin is planning to enter into more different sectors of business and to expand its business to other countries. Virgin is planning to open new businesses in partnership with any company to enter into new business and to other countries. It is planning to enter developing countries and make its mark there by giving more offers to all types of customers and increase their share in the market and their brand value. The virgin group as a business head had the following points where they value these. Understanding of markets: Virgins management has a good experience in identifying the market situation. It is there expertise and business strategy which helped the company to achieve a lot of success in all business areas they entered. Brand name which overcame barriers to entry: The virgin brand name is the Britains favorite brand and it is a respectable brand in other countries. Joint ventures: virgin secret of success is joint ventures and they kept limited investment in new products and got benefits from this in market. Freedom to managers: management is not restricted and the company helps in innovation and promotes shared partnership and responsibilities. Innovation: Virgins staff has individuals who have succeeded in their careers and the group invites many people who invest in new innovations and differentiate. All these innovative ideas made virgin in top position and they have applied in there business and got huge success to their credit. For example virgin mobiles have partnership with other telecommunication groups and they gave offers such as less monthly rentals and cheaper prepaid offers in all the places they entered. In UK virgin doesnt operate its own network but it won best wireless award in UK. Conclusion: Virgin company has many ventures to launch. Virgin managed to increase their share in the market over the last 15 years. In last fifteen years there are lot of new ventures in Virgin and entered into different fields and launched its products in many countries. A strong brand name and good service to its customers makes Virgin Company to top position in future. Bibliography: Wilson and Gilligan (1998),  Strategic Marketing Management,  2nd  edition, Butterwoth Heinemann, Oxford   Applied Strategic Planning: An Introduction by Timothy N. Nolan, Leonard D. Goodstein, and Jeanette Goodstein Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan That Really Works: A Comprehensive Guide by Leonard Goodstein, Timothy Nolan, and J. William Pfeiffer

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Discuss the argument that the current pre-dominance of black athletes :: essays research papers fc

Discuss the argument that the current pre-dominance of black athletes in world sprinting is a social and not a ‘racial’ phenomenon. The following essay will discuss the argument that the current pre-dominance of black athletes in the world of sprinting is a social and not a racial phenomenon. Firstly the article will examine the physical differences between black and white athletes. Secondly, this article will discuss stereotypical beliefs in the world of sport. This essay will give an objective examination of the above issues and to challenge beliefs held and conveyed by individuals. The best 200 times for the 100m sprints, which are all under 10 seconds are all currently held by black athletes, and in addition sprinter of West African decent have filled all eight lanes at the last four Olympics. There is much preprandial musing on why it is that so many of the worlds best runners are black. The issue of race in sport is somewhat baffling in that many people would rather not address at all even though sport has been intricately intertwined with racial issues throughout the Twentieth century. Those who would have us omit the topic altogether argue that analyses typically single out the black athlete, and then attempt to explain his/her inordinate success in ways different than we do with other groups. Critics contend that this is racist, since it perpetuates the idea that blacks are different, and often inferior. Edwards (1972) asserts that a typical theme resulting from such analysis is that blacks are physically superior, but intellectually inferior, to whites. Hoberman (1997) has further made the case that physical prowess, especially in such sports as basketball, has become a defining characteristic of the African-American community, and that beliefs about physical superiority are closely related to an anti-intellectualism that permeates black male culture. Essentiall y, Hoberman’s argument is that inordinate attention and idolization of prominent black athletes such as Michael Jordan has focused attention away from more realistic and important role models, and this, in turn has stunted intellectual, and social economic development in black communities. Dramatically different percentages of blacks and whites engaged in various sports are not random events. It appears that blacks concentrate on sports in which future economic incentives exist, and in which exclusive training facilities, equipment, and personalized coaching is not necessary during the developmental years. On the other hand, whites tend to gravitate toward individual sports in which developmental expenses are relatively high; they tend to engage in team sports in which future employment as professionals is minimal.

William Shakespeares Othello as a Victim Essay -- Papers William Shak

William Shakespeare's Othello as a Victim Not All Works Cited Included In "Othello" Shakespeare shows that Othello is victimised in many ways, for instance; his race, his culture, his social position and naÃÆ'Â ¯ve. Othello's victimisation could also show Shakespeare's meaning of the term "tragedy". In other Shakespearean tragedies the lead character is shown as cunning, ruthless and manipulative, more similar to Iago than Othello. This could represent a change in Shakespeare's opinion of a true Shakespearean tragedy. The main cause of Othello's victimisation is his race. Unlike the other characters in "Othello" he is a Moor, a natural figure of hatred and disgust. In the play he is very rarely referred to as "Othello", but more often as; "moor" or "negro", Desdemona even refers to Othello as "my noble moor" not Othello. The event where Othello is victimised due to his race are vast, for example at the start of the play when Iago is talking to Roderigo, Othello's race is a major issue, "To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor-". Here evidence of racism is shown. There is also a case that this shows the imperial and colonial nature of Venice in the Sixteenth century. "Othello" can be seen to show the stereotypical contemporary Elizabethan belief of blackness and the barbarous nature of the "black" man as evil and devilish. Othello's race also helps to highlight his jealousy and gullibility, due to his race Othello is always subconscious of his weaknesses, his "tragic flaw". This may be a reason for why he befriends Iago, who would act as his link to the "white" world, informing Othello of the opinions white society. Othello... ...d social figures. In conclusion I feel that Othello is more "sinned against than sinning". This is not to say that he is a innocent, it most be remembered that he killed Desdemona, not Iago and that no matter how big a part Iago has it is still Othello's fault. But, Othello is victimised, he is portrayed as an "other", "if this be known to you, and your allowance". He is also presented as a savage, barbarian and a inferior, a parasite, living of the healthy Venetian state. But, this is all due to the fact that he is different, it has been noted that if you are different you will never be equal, "if you are different you will always be different" (Marx - CM 1848) and Othello's difference is no fault of his own. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Alfred Harbab. Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1970.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Divorce in America Essay -- Divorcing Research Paper Effect Cause Essa

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Divorce rates in the United States have increased dramatically in the past 25 years. Over 40 percent of the marriages among young Americans will end in divorce. There is a lot of stress on all the people involved. The man has to deal with, usually, not seeing his children, being alone, and the responsibility that is accompanied with much of the legal process. The wife has to go through, maybe, entering the work force for the first time. Children are often viewed as a back burner issue but more often than none they are the center piece of discussion. The children may begin feeling inadequate around their friends and even in personal esteem. Feeling like it is their fault they might get depressed or perhaps even rebellious. Regardless, divorce is an activity that has become common place in today's family structure, behavior, and morality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When two people meet and decide their love is strong enough to carry them to the next level marriage is usually the out come. Sometimes they decide to have children and sometimes they don't, but when they do, it usually brings them closer together. All parents have desires and hopes for their children. The way in which parents achieve these ends can differ. Researchers do not agree on which of the child-raising practices is best. But it is known that parents provide role models for their children and that children rely on their parents to teach them about the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a culture's values and traditions undergo a rapid change it becomes difficult to decide which attitudes and beliefs children should be taught. As one researcher has stated, ?today's children are the first generation to be raised amid doubt about the role prescriptions that have long gone unchallenged. This makes their socialization especially difficult. Traditionally, socialization was a process of raising the young to fill major roles in society when the present incumbents vacated them. Yet today we do not know what type of society our children will inherit, nor the roles for which they should be prepared. ?(pp.34) Divorce along married couples is the most well-documented and studied of the various ways relationships end. According to Dworetzky:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Divorce rates in the United States have increased dramatically in the past 25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  years. According to current assessments, over 40 percent of marriages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...ability to function as parents diminishes. ?Although children may fare well in single-parent families, the chances increase that they will face problems. There are many stresses associated with divorce. These include the disruption of bedtimes and eating schedules, the effects of the parents emotional state, and the lessening of adult contact. Also, the level of income in the household usually decreases, and this may produce more stress. Less income may require the parent to move, which in turn may cause the child to behave to change of schools or move to a poorer neighborhood with a higher rate of crime and delinquency.?(pp. 170-174)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Divorce is happening every day to couples in the United States. The only problem, is that the couple thinks they are the only ones going through it when almost twenty-two percent of adult America is also. When parents get divorced the children get divorced too. Children and adolescents face a lot of stress during their lives, but divorce is very confusing, speaking from personal experience. It can be too much stress to peoples' lives but they also present opportunities to form new relationships and to strengthen existing ones.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Improving Speaking Skills Essay

This article examines the different circumstances under which infant and adult learners develop speaking skills. We will see the facilities or difficulties in both cases in order to focus on the real possibilities of adults to develop a high level of speaking proficiency. We will see what the role of the teacher is in order to improve the learners’ skills, the features of oral communication that need to be improved and which strategies can be used to overcome the difficulties. Key words: speaking skills, adult learning, oral communication, teaching strategies. Resumen Este articulo analiza las diferentes circunstancias en las que ninos y adultos desarrollan las destrezas orales. Veremos las facilidades y dificultades en ambos casos para asi centrarnos en las posibilidades reales que tienen los adultos de alcanzar un alto nivel de competencia oral. Veremos tambien cual es el papel del profesor en este contexto, para mejorar las capacidades de los alumnos, y ver cuales son los elementos de la comunicacion oral que hay que mejorar y que estrategias se pueden aplicar para superar las dificultades. Palabras clave: destrezas orales, aprendizaje de adultos, comunicacion verbal, estrategias de ensenanza. If we think of the period in our lives when we learned to speak our first language, and the moment in which we started to make huge efforts to speak our second/foreign language we find significant differences. In the former case, we may have fond memories of what our parents told us; and in the latter, it suddenly becomes a frustrating experience that seems to bring imperfect results. For adults, learning to speak a new language is in many cases far from satisfactory simply because they feel they need to cope with many different aspects at one time, and that seems to be impossible in real conversations. I wonder if it is possible to acquire a high level of speaking proficiency in adults; I wonder if it is possible to make adult learners improve their speaking skills, and the most important thing for teachers: how? The first question we have to consider in order to reach a conclusion is whether learning at infancy is different from learning at adulthood; which are the circumstances that differentiate them and if those onditions inevitably lead to obvious and hopeless results. Only bearing in mind what we can expect of a particular type of learner, we can focus on how to improve their speaking skills. It is obvious that there are marked differences between children learners and adult learners and that they cannot acquire the second language under the same circumstances. Consequently, the results will be also different. Concerning children and the early age at which they learn to speak, we can say that they enjoy certain advantages that make them outstanding learners. They have surprising linguistic abilities due to optimal moment in which they find themselves for language learning, this is to say, at this moment their brain is characterized by a certain plasticity that allows some abilities to develop with ease during a period of time, after which it becomes really difficult for these abilities to be developed (Fleta, 2006: 53), or using 86 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Klein’s words ‘between the age of two and puberty the human brain shows the plasticity which allows a child to acquire his first language’ (Klein, 1986: 9). Therefore, children are special learners for their natural and innate abilities to acquire a language. According to Fleta, one of these special abilities is ‘filtering sophisticated information about language properties from birth’ (Fleta, 2006: 49), in other words, children have an enormous ability to integrate difficult information in an easy and unconscious way from the beginning of their development. They are able to acquire and integrate complex data without being aware of it, whereas other learners, at other ages, would find it arduous to achieve. Moreover, apart from this special gift children have for assimilating difficult information, we can mention some of their other qualities, such as their capacity for perceiving and imitating sounds. Some studies have showed that ‘young infants are especially sensitive to acoustic changes at the phonetic boundaries between categories’ (Kuhl, 2004: 832). Also, children are especially good at predicting syllable chunks: ‘infants are sensitive to the sequential probabilities between adjacent syllables’ (Kuhl, 2004: 834) which makes children with a surprising instinct as far as language knowledge is concerned . Finally, students also acquire the ability of ordering words within a sentence (grammar rules) unconsciously: ‘there is some evidence that young children can detect non-adjacencies such as those required to learn grammar’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836). All in all, we can say that children learn the language without being aware of it when they ‘are exposed to the right kind of auditory information’ (Kuhl, 2004: 836), this is, children learn the language through communication and interaction and thanks to that they acquire all the abilities they can potentially develop. On the other hand, concerning adults we observe how difficult is that they can acquire certain native sounds; their pronunciation will be, on many occasions, foreign-like which is due to their difficulty in distinguishing and producing some sounds after the so called ‘critical period’. In that respect, some authors claim that adult learners cannot acquire a phonological development (Lightbown and Spada, 2006: 69). However, other researchers defend the opposite. Wolfgang Klein, in his book Second Language Acquisition (1986) stated that ‘the apparent facility with which children learn a second language is often attributed to biological factors, but an alternative explanation might be that, unlike adults, children have no need to fear the loss of their social identity’ (Klein, 1986: 6). Authors such as Klein argue that phonological facilities of children are not bound to biological reasons, but to psychological ones. In that respect, adults feel attached to their native identities, to their original social identities, which is what prevent them from achieving perfection in L2 pronunciation. Klein confirmed that ‘suitably motivated adults are capable of mastering to perfection the pronunciation of the most exotic languages’ (Klein, 1986: 10). Therefore, we conclude that although the cases of adults speaking a second language without any accent are not very common, this does not mean that it is impossible to acquire a native-like pronunciation. Also, besides phonological issues, we can talk about the capacity of adults to acquire any other kind of linguistic faculties, more related to structural relations (UG). In that sense, there are authors that doubt the validity of Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) by assuring that even adults have access to the well known Universal Grammar. While Lenneberg claimed that only before puberty learners had UG available, authors such as S. W. Felix defended by evidence that adult L2 learners also benefit from the UG principles: ‘If child and adult learners use different modules for the purpose of language acquisition, then we would expect adult learners to be unable to attain grammatical knowledge that arises only through the mediation of UG. If, in contrast, adults do attain this type of knowledge, then, we have reason to believe that UG continues to be active even after puberty’ (Felix, 1988: 279). Therefore, we can conclude that adults are also able to master a proficient use of the second/foreign language, not only in grammatical issues but also in phonological ones, which makes us believe that we can improve adult learners’ speaking skills. 87 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once we know that adults can be biologically and psychologically prepared to have a native-like proficiency in the second language, we should move on to the second language teaching context in order to achieve our aim of improving adult learners’ skills. In that respect, we should reflect on the teachers’ role in this situation and what they can do to be successful with their learners. Teachers therefore need to analyse the students’ needs, face their problems and find fruitful solutions that help them develop their speaking abilities. S. Pit Corder, in his chapter called ‘Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching’, in Introducing Applied Linguistics (1973) defended the important role of linguists who identify the problems of the learners and find solutions for them. Corder added that specialists’ role is to formulate the appropriate questions in order to define problems that need to be faced. Using his words, ‘the formulation of the questions, the identification of the problems and the specification of their nature presupposes linguistic theory. The nature of the problem is defined by the theory which is applied to it. The solution to a problem is only as good as the theory which has been used to solve it’ (Corder, 1973: 138). In this direction he said that in language teaching there are two appropriate questions teachers should make: what to teach and how to teach, ‘these are the problems of content and method, or, using an industrial analogy, the problem of product and process design respectively’ (Corder, 1973: 139). Therefore, if teachers wish to know how to improve speaking skills, what they need to ask themselves first is what they are going to teach, and how. On the one hand, let us consider the first question: what. If we need to improve speaking skills we need to know which skills or which features learners need to develop. In that respect, there are several authors that stated different goals or different dimensions that speakers needed to achieve. Goodwin, for instance, established several goals for a proper pronunciation. She called them ‘functional intelligibility, functional communicability, increased self-confidence, and speech-monitoring abilities’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118). She argued that learners should be able to speak an intelligible foreign language, that is to say, listeners need to understand the learner’s message without huge efforts; learners also need to be successful in a ‘specific communicative situation’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); they need to ‘gain confidence in their ability to speak and be understood’ (Goodwin, 2001: 118); and finally, they need to monitor and control their own production by paying attention to their own speech. Goodwin specified those abilities that learners need to acquire through certain linguistic features that can be practiced: Intonation, rhythm, reduced speech, linking words, consonants and vowel sounds, word stress, etc. These are concrete speaking aspects in which learners should be trained in order to improve their speaking skills. Similarly, other authors such as Anne Lazaraton suggest that oral communication is based on four dimensions or competences: grammatical competence (phonology, vocabulary, word and sentence formation†¦); sociolinguistic competence (rules for interaction, social meanings); discourse competence (cohesion and how sentences are liked together); and finally, strategic competence (compensatory strategies to use in difficult situations), (Lazaraton, 2001: 104). According to Lazaraton learners should develop all these abilities to acquire a high oral level of the foreign language, but she adds that in recent years, with the influence of the communicative approach, more importance is given to fluency, trying to achieve a balance with the traditional accuracy. Moreover, apart from what pedagogically and theoretically should be taught, many researchers are presently analysing real problems that learners face: ‘fluent speech contains reduced forms, such as contractions, vowel reduction, and elision, where learners do not get sufficient practice’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103); use of slang and idioms in speech since students tend to sound ‘bookish’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 103), stress, rhythm, intonation, lack of active vocabulary, lack of interaction pattern rules†¦ 88 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 Once speaking goals have been determined, next step consists of questioning how they are going to be achieved. For designing a concrete methodology teachers need to adopt a theoretical perspective, they need to reflect on the linguistic approach that will be used in their teaching. Many authors, following the up-todate trend of the Communicative approach, defend the interactive role of speaking and promote its teaching from a communicative perspective stressing meaning and context. In Goodwin’s words: ‘In â€Å"Teaching Pronunciation† the goal of instruction is threefold: to enable our learners to understand and be understood, to build their confidence in entering communicative situations, and to enable them to monitor their speech’ (Goodwin, 2001: 131), also ‘pronunciation is never an end in itself but a means of negotiating meaning in discourse, embedded in specific sociocultural and interpersonal contexts’ (Goodwin,2001: 117). If we think of how this theoretical background will be applied in real teaching, we find that in traditional classes they focused speaking practice on the production of single and isolated sounds, whereas within the communicative approach, ‘the focus shifted to fluency rather than accuracy, encouraging an almost exclusive emphasis on suprasegmentals’ (Goodwin, 2001: 117). There is the key word, when communication is the main goal linguistic practice turns into longer structures, at the suprasegmental level; therefore, the training on individual sounds makes way for macro structures that affect interaction directly. The second part of how to teach, moves away from theory to approach real problems and their solutions. Several authors have stated that when learners face problems in speaking they need practical and concrete solutions to know how to behave and respond in order to overcome those difficulties. Mariani, in his article ‘Developing Strategic Competence: Towards Autonomy in Oral Interaction’, recalls L1 strategies that native speakers use when they encounter communication problems, and suggests teaching those strategies to L2 learners: ‘just think of how often, in L1 communication, we cannot find the words to say something and have to adjust our message, or to ask our interlocutor to help us, or to use synonyms or general words to make ourselves understood’ (Mariani, 1994: 1). Mariani classifies those strategies according to the speakers’ behaviour: learners can either avoid certain messages because they don’t feel confident with their speaking skills (‘reduction strategies’), or make the most out of their knowledge and modify their message bearing in mind their weaknesses and strengths (‘achievement strategies’: borrowing, foreignizing, translating†¦(Mariani, 1994: 3). The author praises the latter by saying that achievement strategies are a very interesting way of developing learners’ language domain. Speakers who opt for this option make huge efforts to transmit a message by playing with the language to the extreme, which only brings beneficial consequences. In the second or foreign language classroom context, teachers should train learners to use and practice the different strategies that can help them face difficult situations. The only way of training students in this direction is by means of a bank of activities in which they become aware of the different possibilities that they can put into practice. Authors such as Goodwin or Lazaraton offer a varied list of exercises to be used in class: poems, rhymes, dialogues, monologues, role plays, debates, interviews, simulations, drama scenes, discussions, conversations†¦ Therefore, coming back to the initial question proposed above, I think it is absolutely feasible to teach adults strategies to improve their speaking skills. Of course, that objective depends on many different factors that will affect the degree of acquisition, let us think of age, motivation, or even the context in which the language is learned: ESL versus EFL. In that respect, learners in a second language context will have numberless occasions to practice the language and that will undoubtedly influence their skills development. With reference to the foreign language context, authors such as Lazaraton admitted the difficulties learners 89 Improving Speaking Skills Betsabe Navarro Romero Encuentro, 18, pp. 86-90 ormally face: ‘homogeneous EFL classes, where all students speak the same first language and English is not used outside the classroom, present certain additional challenges for the teacher’ (Lazaraton, 2001: 110). As she said, teachers have considerable limitations in EFL classes such as lack of opportunities to use the language, lack of motivation in the learners, the number of students in the class, curriculum re strictions†¦(Lazaraton, 2001: 110), but there are solutions and strategies, as the ones previously mentioned, that should be put into practice. Mariani, in his article mentioned above, also makes a reflection on whether communication strategies should be teachable or not. He states the pros and cons by saying that training students on specific strategies can provide them with certain limitations and consequently hamper fluent communication: ‘we can hardly force them into a straightjacket of pre-selected strategies. Most of us would agree that we should encourage spontaneity, creativity and originality in language use’ (Mariani, 1994: 7). However, on the other hand, he argues that if learners become aware of the different strategies they can flexibly use, they will finally integrate them either consciously or unconsciously, which will stretch their possibilities for communication. To sum up, as teachers can, and should, improve learners’ speaking skills and communication strategies, the only thing they need to do is to plan their teaching around two main questions: what they want to teach, which specific speaking features they want to develop in their learners; and how they want to do it.

What Is Hypnosis

What Is Hypnosis? Describe the mental and fleshly aspects of hypnosis and converse the subr show upine of eternal sopor in Hypn new(prenominal)apy. Before we elicit begin to political machinery on anything around hyp nonherapy, it is essential to discuss what hypnosis rattling is. This essay aims to arrive at a definition of hypnosis by describing the mental and mortalal aspects and looking at it theatrical role by hypnformer(a)apists and the role of rest period inwardly this. The muniment of hypnosis dates back to the clock of ancient Egypt and it has been quite a a capacityious history.From Mesmer to de Puysegur in the 1700s from the inaugural mapping of the term hypnosis by Braid in 1840 to its hire as an anaesthetic in cognitive operation by Esdaile and Elliotson from the work of Erikson (widely regarded to be the grandpa of modern hypnosis) to the collapse daytime, the repugn strains and theorists argon divided as to the confessedly record of hy pnosis. These fights of opinion stem from difficulties in rattling measuring hypnosis. Hypnosis is a reduceive companionship and, as such(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal), no d unholy individuals who endure the process impart principal(prenominal)tain on the nose the equal ack at superstar prison termledge.Often requiring the example of mental peaks, it is, in that respectfore, to a greater extent difficult to measure reliably in comparison to physiological matters such as heart locate and blood shove although, technological advances in the use of pneumoencephalograms (electroencephalograms) and neuroimaging bugger off been very useful. Hence, the soulality of hypnosis has dogged been the shell of centerious controversy between those who try on scientific experimental explanations of its various psychological and physical aspects and those hyp nonherapists who seek to use it as a appliance with which to serve large chassis.Even today, theorists ar divided into cardinal camps State theorists who retrieve that the practice of hypnosis brings ab come forward an shortened body politic of spirit and non- pass on theorists who believe that the mesmeric arouse or take hold of is little distinguish fit from exclusively(prenominal)day undoation and that its effects argon muchover reactions to suggestions which would affirm numberred without the use of soporific induction, e. g. Spanos (1982). However, for the purpose of this essay, I volition consent that the res publica theorists be correct and assert that hypnosis is an altered deposit of pass which glide bys finished the use of a set of techniques by the mesmerist.It faecal matter raise a souls assimilation and responsiveness to suggestion in ar swear to en satisfactory them to realize desired and adept changes to their behaviours, lifeings, estimations and physiological assert, thitherby enhancing their lives. in that location atomic number 18 a number of complex psychological aspects gnarled in hypnosis. In 1951, Solomon Asch carried out a information of conformity whereby sketchs were told that they were victorious part in a study of visual perception with 6 early(a) people. In fact, only one person in each group was the accredited melodic theme of Aschs experiment as the other 6 were aw ar of the true nature of the study.Each participant in run (the subject be last) was asked to say which rakehell from a set of troika was the said(prenominal) length as the line on the target card. The dish ups were obvious, neertheless on tryout whole the other participants give amiss(p) solves, in one out of three trials they gave the same ill-timed answers. In the chink group where the subjects were asked to write their answers in private, incorrect responses were r be. This experiment has been difficult to replicate to a greater extent(prenominal) recently as modern cultivation has changed t he focal point that people conform.The work of Milgram in 1963 repointed that ordinary people (65% of subjects) were willing to borrow the instructions of an authority figure stock- unagitated if this involved app argonntly causing persecute to others i. e, punishing them with a shock of 450 volts for answering a question incorrectly. Such studies show that, as people, we tend to be more than comfortable when we fit in, conform, or pull with the instructions of those in authority. As clients would principally be considered to rescue slightly take of rapport with their hyp nonist it is reasonable to assume that somewhat responses to suggestion could be explained in these terms.For ex capacious, if a hypnotist suggests that a clients ramp up feels so light that it whitethorn cast into the air, the client whitethorn raise their offset because they feel that this is what is expected and they would feel uneasy if they did not conform with the perceived prospect of the hypnotist. It is important to belowstand this innate charter to conform, which we all flip, in terms of the people with whom we will work and al shipway endeavour to treat people with respect and professionalism. in that respect is withal a possibility that some aspect of role- playing period may be involved on the part of the client i. , they may be induce in a way that they believe a hypnotise person should be own. The concept of attri besidesion may alike have a part to play i. e. does the subject attribute the live they have had to having being mesmerize or do they attribute their get by to having been richly slow uped and jailed in their midland image? early(a) psychological aspects involved in hypnosis argon the use of selective wariness whereby the subject bring downs on a limited ramble of usually internal stimuli such as feelings and imagery and caprice here the subject is practically instructed by the hypnotist to hypothecate a scene. The above section describes the psychological aspects of hypnosis, so what be the physical aspects? As mentioned above, the use of electroencephalograms (EEG) and neuroimaging with hypnotised subjects have been able to identify differences in fountainhead functioning in hypnotised people. Askerinsky & Kleitman (1953) were able to show that hypnotised subjects were not in fact a residual as some early theories had suggested. Different levels of caput produce different levels of electrical occupation within the adept. important Waves kick the bucket at a rate of 15 to 40 cycles per warrant and are present when our oral sexs are engaged and focussed, perhaps in conversation or learning a new task. of import waves occur at a rate of 9 to 14 cycles per number and are present when we are engaged in some relaxed, creative or enigma solving task and are attach to by feelings of well-being. important waves are not present when we are experiencing anger fear, naughty arousal levels or when we are in deep sleep but are present during light trance/ spellbinding put forward.During this state, sleep of the body may occur breathing and trice rate leaden and an individual may appear to be day-dreaming as they direct their attention towards their imagination. Theta Waves occur at a rate of 4 to 8 cycles per second and are associated with our un sure mind where our past experiences and memories are held. Freud was the first theorist to propose the presence of the unconscious mind. This is the area of our minds which deals with non-voluntary bodily functions, thus expiration up the rest of our minds for things which we actively deal to conceive of about.Theta waves may be present when we are day dreaming, carrying out semi robotlike well learned tasks such as driving and when we dream. They are associated with calmness and feelings of quietude and are present in average and deep mesmeric states. During moderate and deep hypnotic states a person may lose in formedness of their surroundings but gain an increase awareness of their internal functions (breathing/heart rate). Imagery breaks more keen and suggestions may be interpreted literally. Limbs may feel limp or unshakable attention narrows further and thither may be loss of environmental awareness.Delta Waves occur at a rate of 1 to 4 cycles per second. These are the slowest waves which are present when are in our deepest state of rest when no other waves are present. When these waves are present we are in a state of sleep and by chance very deep hypnosis such as the Esdaile State used by the operating surgeon of the same name in station to anaesthetise patients for operating theatre. In addition other physical aspects of hypnosis take, feeling warm or cold and tingling of the extremities. Subjects much feel sleepy and close their eyes and there shadow be a decrease in response to noise.Some people experience feeling strange or spaced and dissociated from their body or su rroundings and feelings of afloat(p) are common. These feelings vary from person to person and are dependent upon an individuals psychological predisposition and responses as draw above. No devil people will have demandly the same response to hypnosis and each experience is subjective. As we go through the different levels of consciousness our brain wave activity changes in a smoothly coordinate manner. For example, when reposeful into sleep we go from genus Beta to Alpha, to Theta and finally Delta waves master.The reverse happens as we awake. The waves which predominate during hypnosis are Alpha and Theta and it is these waves which provide a route to our unconscious. relaxation has an important role to play in Hypnotherapy. Jacobson (1929) was the first to line of reasoning the helpfulness of consciously relaxing muscles to enable them to maintain a relaxed state and amend the health and wellbeing of his patients. Most hypnotic screeds include suggestions of residue which help the subject to physically relax to the degree that Alpha and Theta brain waves are produced.Suppressed memories may be brought to the surface when Theta waves are present and although this may be painful, it offers the client the opportunity to discuss and address any such issues with their hypnotherapist if they have to do so. Such therapy poop be helpful and aid healing if carried out with sensitivity. As a cautionary note, Mingay (1988) suggests that dissociated memories ingressed under hypnosis may be at jeopardy of contamination by fantasy or leading questions on the part of the hypnotherapist.Along with this deep, relaxation comes an increase in suggestibility, i. e. we tend to answer to suggestions make by the hypnotherapist more quick than we would customaryly. Heap (1996) argues that suggestion and trance are crucial to any definition of hypnosis. Whilst in a deeply relaxed hypnotic state, the Hypnotherapist is able to make suggestions which undersurfac e help the subject to change their behaviours, feelings or thought patterns in a upright way. For example, if a client wishes to stop smoking, the hypnotherapist might suggest that they now choose to be a non-smoker.In fact, there are a number of ways in which a Hypnotherapist heap apply suggestion whilst a client is in a relaxed hypnotic state in consecrate to produce beneficial effects. It buns be used to produce anaesthesia in the body the use of hypnosis for surgery has been mentioned above but there is ample evidence that hypnotic suggestion can influence physiological responses governed by the involuntary nervous system. Grabowska (1971) erect that subjects were able to alter the blood flow in their forearms via hypnotic suggestion and Olness et el (1989) found that children were able to alter their densenesss of salivary immunoglobulin A.The use of Progressive Muscle Relaxation during hypnotic induction not only enables subjects to recruit a hypnotic trance state an d more readily accept beneficial suggestions but repeated use of PMR during Hypnotherapy can enable clients to be able to relax more readily in general and in situations where they may ordinarily become very stressed. Suggestions can be disposed which allow people to relax when needful as long as it is mediocre to do so and such techniques can be used to reduce general anxiety and stress, help alter sleep patterns and reduce phobic fear reactions to such things as public spe sameg and flying.In demonstration, hypnosis is not of itself a therapy. It is a state of mind which can be induced and its use in hypnotherapy can be described as a complex psychological interaction between the hypnotherapist and their client(s) during which the hypnotherapist uses the hypnotic screed, which often includes an element of PMR, to enable the client to relax encouraging the presence of Alpha and Theta brain waves and access to the subconscious mind.In this state, the clients concentration and responsiveness to suggestions made by the hypnotherapist increases, thereby enabling them to make desired, beneficial changes to their behaviours, feelings and thoughts and thus, enhancing their lives. References Hadley, J. & Staudacher, C. 1996, Hypnosis for Change 3rd edn Canada, newfangled Harbinger publications Heap, M. , & Dryden, W. , 1991, Hypnotherapy A Hand withstand, OU PressWhat is hypnosis?The early kn knowledge description of hypnosis dates back more than 6000 long time ago to rites performed in Egyptian sleep temples. The Indus Vedas knowledge sacred book written around 1500 BC, mentions the use of hypnotic techniques and procedures in detail yet in 2012 we still abide by it difficult to answer the question what is hypnosis?. All skills alike have descended from magic and superstition, but none have been so slow as hypnosis in shaking off the association of its origin. (Clark Hull, Hypnosis and suggestibility, 1984).The granddad of hypnosism is regarded to be Fran z Anton Mesmer who acquired some very terrible cures. He was, however, prone to be a bit theatrical wearing long flowing robes and brandishing a wand to execute his wizard image. Treatments and cures were conducted in large arenas with umteen onlookers.The film Svengali, although pure fiction did a lot to discredit hypnosis for many stratums by portraying hypnotists as evil predators and also inspired the emerging demonstrate hypnotists. Even today stage hypnotists continue to discredit trace make it onerous to be taken seriously as an emerging science. It is my view that the use of trace for entertainment should be completely banned. disgust allegations where hypnotism has been said to be a contributing factor still regularly appear in our newspapers fueling the public perception that the only safe hypnosis is that which is performed in a public arena in front of millions of people for entertainment.My introduction would not be complete without mentioning the impact of the church. As a practicing Christian I uprise it difficult to understand how people practicing the same faith as me could believe that hypnotism could be believed to be evil. What i find more astounding is the fact that some people, educated people still think that today. Whilst hypnosis and its use in hypnotherapy seem merely to be the input by the hypnotist of ideas into the subconscious of a subject in a heightened state of suggestibility, I would contend that this art of psychic manipulation is in fact of demonic origin. Though these root of hypnosis are now obscured by an underbrush of scientific jargon, it remains a risky activity to anyone involved. (Dr A. D. Bambridge, Nucleus, 1987)There is no exact definition of what hypnosis is, mainly because no such definition can be concord upon by all the experts. It has been described as the deliberate inducement or facilitation by one person in some other person or a number of people of a trance state. A trance state is one in which a persons usual means of orientating himself in reality have faded, so that the boundaries between the external world and the intragroup world of thoughts, feelings, memories and imagination begin to dissolve. (Robin Waterfield, incomprehensible Depths, 2004).It has also been described as a state of mental relaxation and curtail awareness in which the subjects are usually engrossed in their inner experiences such as feelings and imagery, are less analytical and logical in their thinking, and have an raise capacity to respond to suggestions in an automatic and dissociated manner. (Windy Dryden, Hypnotherapy, a handbook, 1991). The clearest description being a state of mind brought about by the use of a set of techniques. It enhances an individuals concentration and increases their responsiveness to suggestion in order to make the beneficial changes that the individual may wish to make in their thought patterns, their behaviour or their physiological state. (Chrysalis, 2010 )It is in all likelihood more useful to describe hypnosis than seek to define it. Features of the hypnotic state include the followingAcceptance of imaginary phenomena in place of sensory experience, and detachment from the sensoriuminterruption of reality testing, suspension of everyday cognitive logic and secondary-process thinkingNarrowing of attention (a sort of mental tunnel vision) to the content of the focus of the hypnotic exercise suggested by the therapist or created by the subjects own imagination or memorysplitting of consciousness into separate channels that communicate in only one direction (i.e. The subjects prescript consciousness, attitudes, reality testing and so on continue and are aware of the content of the hypnotised self, but the latter is insensible of the former)A rather regressed or developmentally immature frame of mind (closely akin to some transference phenomena in outline or analytic therapy)Commitment to a substitute reality described by the thera pist or the patients own imagination and memory. (Hellmut Karle and Jennifer Boys, Hypnotherapy a practical handbook, 1987)The mind still remains unmeasurable and unquantifiable and therefore a definition of any science or therapy based on the mind will always remain something open to debate and discussion. The fact that the hypnotic experience is individualised and each individual will experience something different scarcely complicates things further. There are a number of people, academics above all, who simply do not believe in the existence of mind. They think that this a unprejudiced belief held by the rest of us, and that the phenomena attributed to our minds are best explained otherwise. (Robin Waterfield, Hidden Depths, 2004). It seems the best that the experts can do is fairly agree as to the psychological and physiological phenomena undergo during hypnosis. mental phenomena often experienced during hypnosis could include hyper suggestibility (so important that it is o ften considered definitional of hypnosis), time distortion (when an mo may appear to pass in a minute), super learning and creativity, automatic age regression, hypermnesia and amnesia. (Robin Waterfield, Hidden Depths, 2004)Since the invention of the electroencephalogram in 1929 we have been able to measure the electrical activity of the brain. Scientists have dictated that there are four main brain waves which vary in frequency.1. Beta waves (15 to 40 cycles per second). These are typical of a focused and engaged mind. These are found in abundance in our modern, work life style.2. Alpha waves (9 to 14 cycles per second). These are typical of taking a rest after an activity. They are present during times of creativity and difficulty solving but not during times of fear, anger, in a deep sleep or exceedingly aroused.3. Theta waves (4 to 8 cycles per second). These are present during quiescency and some meditative states.. These are associated with (amongst other things) mediu m to deep hypnosis. These waves are associated with our subconscious mind. You may be in the theta range when daydreaming or driving a car. It is where we engage with our intuition learning and creativity. It is where we have our best ideas. You may recall having moments such as these on a car journey or in the bath.4. Delta waves (1 to 4 cycles per second). These waves are produced at our slowest, deepest state of rest. There are never any other waves active. They are present during the deepest hypnosis and sleepless sleep. You can never reach 0 cycles per second as that is brain dead.These waves will declination and flow and at any one moment one will be predominant and the others will just be present as a trace and moving from one to another depending on the state of the individual. From what we know about the frequencies we can see that hypnosis occurs during alpha and theta waves and that these waves are associated with relaxation which we will discuss later.Although philosoph ers and mystics may have been reflecting on a subconscious mind for centuries our understanding of it only dates back to the time of Sigmund Freud. We know that it is responsible for the non-voluntary bodily functions that hold our bodies working from one day to the side by side(p) freeing our mind up to concentrate on the things of the day. Think about all those skills we learned within the first year or two of our lives moving limbs, making a noise, swallowing food, standing, walking etc etc. approximate for one moment that all those skills had to be thought about each and every time we wanted to use them. Our day would be completely filled with just those things. We learn those skills and then pass them to the subconscious mind to action them, leaving our conscious mind free to learn more and develop.So hypnosis is simply about assisting soul to reach the state where the predominant brain waves are the alpha and theta waves and so access their subconscious mind. As mentioned previously these waves are associated with relaxation which has, as our life styles have become more and more spry over time, become more and more difficult to achieve on ones own.Hypnosis and relaxation are not the same. Hypnosis uses relaxation techniques to relax the body and relaxation is an indication that a person has achieved a hypnotic state. The difference is that hypnosis aims to reach a special state of consciousness where selective attention and increased suggestibility are present. Hypnosis will then use this state to effect changes in a person through beneficial suggestionsA brief look at the physiology of muscles shows us that muscle units work on an all or nothing principle, meaning they are either contracting or relaxed and there are no other states. The problem is that due to the constant stress that modern living brings with it some muscles, in crabby the shoulders and neck, are constantly in contraction.In 1929 Dr Edmond Jacobson discovered that most of his pat ients, all with orthogonal problems, had tense muscles and that by relaxing these muscles he could reduce the severity of their symptoms. He also noticed that most patients were not aware of the tension they carried with them. He developed a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation (or PMR) which enabled the patients to relax their muscles and keep them relaxed and thereby improve their physical, mental and emotional state. Hypnosis uses an updated form of PMR to achieve the same results.We know that relaxation does not mean laying on a bed and it does not mean being asleep. We will all have experienced times when we have driven someplace and cannot remember getting there. We certainly would not say we were asleep. Long distance runners will also experience the same phenomena and often cannot remember huge amounts of the run. As a long distance runner myself I am aware of the importance of relaxing whilst running and can bring my pulse rate back to normal within a mile or tw o of the start of a run. I having been practicing PMR techniques for geezerhood whilst running without knowing that it existedIn conclusion then it is still difficult to answer then question of what is hypnosis with a unprejudiced definition because in the past it has been so closely associated with theatrical entertainment or rejected by the church or wrapped in superstition, falsely represent as evil on film and used by some to make fun people that the scientific community never took it seriously as a science until recently. The fact that a number of academics disclaim the existence of the mind does not help matters either.We can begin to describe it in terms of the psychological and physiological phenomena experienced during hypnosis but not much more. We know that there is nothing mystical or magical about the hypnotic state. go under simply it is assisting someone to reach the state where the predominant brain waves are the alpha and theta waves and so access their subcon scious mind where selective attention and increased suggestibility are present and then use this state to effect changes in the person through beneficial suggestions. We know that to achieve this state we can make use of PMRAlbert wit said that we only use 10% of our brain. Maybe with hypnosis we are just stemma to push at a threshold that will lead us into the remain 90%.History has given us glimpses of an amazing power that we dont yet understand. great deal undergoing major surgery with anaesthesia, curing debilitating physical conditions, amazing accounts of healing. What is hypnosis today? What could hypnosis be tomorrow?