Evidence-Based Practice & Applied Nursing Research Essay Example for Free

Evidence-Based Practice Applied Nursing Research Essay Type of Sources / Appropriateness of Sources / Classification of Sources American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians article regarding acute otitis media is a filtered resource. It is an appropriate source for nursing practice because; it establishes clinical guidelines to diagnose and manage AOM. It also establishes guidelines when to treat the signs and symptoms of AOM, watchful waiting, or to treat with an antibiotic. This article is classified as an evidence based guideline because, it reviews multiple research literatures in a systemic manner and provides recommendations of practice. Block’s Causative Pathogens article is an unfiltered resource. It is an appropriate source for nursing practice because it provides the clinician with the most recent and up to date research on the topic. The article is primary research evidence because; its researchers acquired the data first hand. Kelly’s article regarding Current pediatric diagnosis and treatment is a general information resource. This article is not appropriate for clinician use because it only provides basic general background. It does not guide the clinician in diagnosing and treatment. McCracken’s article in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal is an unfiltered resource. It is an appropriate for nursing practice because it supports established guidelines and shows what will happen with continued antibiotic use. This is an evidence summary article because it lists all of the important information and the evidence supporting it. The last source of evidence is interviews with parents. This type of source is considered a general information resource. It is appropriate because, the interviews give firsthand experience of onset and signs and symptoms of AOM. This source of classifications is none of the listed. â€Å"Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common infection for which antibacterial agents are prescribed for children in the United States. As such, the diagnosis and management of AOM has a significant impact on the health of children, cost of providing care, and overall use of antibacterial agents (AAFP, 2004).  Watchful waiting can have many benefits for the children and the provider if used properly. Diagnosing AOM can be tricky. The signs and symptoms can also be related to other illnesses such as an upper respiratory virus. Throwing antibiotics at any illness use to be the course of action. However, now that there is evidence that bacteria have become resistant to some antibiotics, clinicians are testing out other means of treating illnesses. If the child presenting with symptoms of AOM has no underlying conditions and has means to follow up with the doctor if the symptoms progress, watchful waiting is an appropriate app roach for treating the child. According to the research, placebo controlled trials have shown that children have responded well without antibacterial intervention. Giving the opportunity for the illness to resolve without antibacterial intervention not only benefits the child but, the caregivers and the clinician. It benefits the child by not being exposed to antibiotics that are not needed, therefore creating a potential resistance to that antibiotic. It benefits the caregiver by not spending money on a medication their child does not need. Last, it benefits the clinician by preventing resistance to an antibiotic that may be useful in the near future. Watchful waiting is only appropriate if the patient meets the guidelines of uncomplicated AOM, assurance of a follow up if necessary, and access to antibiotics if symptoms progress or worsen. The findings in the AAFP article can be applied in many ways to improve nursing practice in a healthcare setting. The article provides evidence based guidelines on how to properly diagnose AOM and the typical signs and symptoms. It establishes the three criteria the patient must exhibit for a certain diagnosis of AOM. If the patient does not meet the certain criteria, it guides the clinician to continue to assess the patient for another illness, such as an upper respiratory virus. Proper diagnosis will improve clinician treatment and care of the patient. The article also includes a descriptive chart on how to assess and manage pain associated with AOM. It lists for the clinician the recommended medications, remedies, and agents for the clinician to utilize to manage pain. It also lists the effectiveness and the side effects. This will help improve nursing care by implementing the proper medication and or remedies to the patient with the highest effectiveness and the least amount of side effects. The article also very clearly identifies when watchful waiting is  not appropriate and what antibiotics should be prescribed and the usual dosage. This information is helpful to nursing practice by helping the clinician distinguish what patient is suitable for watchful waiting or antibiotic therapy. Another way the article improves nursing practice is, that the article provides information on how to prevent AOM and reoccurrence. This information can be used to help educate patient’s caregivers on ways to prevent AOM and reoccurrence. Ethical issues always arise when it comes to healthcare, especially when it comes to children. When conducting an evidence based research, there is a high likelihood of exposing the child to potential danger, illness, and adverse reactions. The first ethical issue is; is it even right to subject a child to research if there is a high likelihood of helping other children. That is something for the children’s parents to decide. However, it is the responsibility of the researchers to fully explain the process, potential side effects, potential danger, and any other concerns to the parents. It also the responsibility of researchers to determine if the parents have the capability to comprehend the information and the risk of the research. Not doing so would be unethical and could tarnish the results of the research. Another major ethical dilemma that comes with involving children in research is that the children do not have the capability of making that decision themselves. Research should be a voluntary thing and not left up to someone else to decide. However, when it comes to children that is not an option. The ethical problem is should the child be subjected to potential harm because of the parents’ willingness to allow it. The needs to be guidelines established prior to the start of the research that regulate the risks that the child might be subjected to. The risk should be very minimal with a very high benefit. Involving children in any type of evidence based research can be very tricky and has the potential of bringing up multiple ethical issues. It is the researcher’s responsibility to ensure the child is protected, not exposed to unneeded harm, and the caregivers are knowledgeable of the risk factors and are competent enough to make an informed decision. Besides ethical issues, there are other issues that need to be taken into consideration when research involves children. Vulnerable populations, such as low income families, families with different cultural backgrounds, and families with insufficient education can be at risk when it  comes to research involving children. For an example, low income families may not have the opportunity to participate in evidence based research because they might not fit certain criteria. In the AAFP research, in order for the child to be a candidate of the watchful waiting, they had to have means of a follow up appointment. For low income families, coming to the doctor multiple time may not be option. Financially they may not be able to afford, parents may not be able to get time off from work, or have means of transportation for a follow up appointment. These circumstances may subject the child to unneeded antibiotic treatment simply because the patient is unable to follow up with the doctor. Also, families with a cultural difference may not fully understand the benefits or risks of allowing their child to participate in this research. Without informed consent, the results of the research are tarnished and run the risk of jeopardizing the study. Informed consent when it comes to research involving children is extremely important for validity of a project and prevents any ethical problems. Any research involving children can be extremely tricky and should be held to the highest ethical standards and involve minimal risk to children. References American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians. (2004.) Clinical practice guideline: Diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. Retrieved from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;113/5/1451 Block, S. L. (1997). Causative pathogens, antibiotic resistance and therapeutic considerations in acute otitis media. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 16, 449–456. Kelley, P. E., Friedman, N., Johnson, C. (2007). Ear, nose, and throat. In W. W. Hay, M. J. Levin, J. M. Sondheimer, R. R. Deterding (Eds.), Current pediatric diagnosis and treatment (18th ed., pp. 459–492). New York: Lange Medical Books/McGraw-Hill. McCracken, G. H. (1998). Treatment of acute otitis media in an era of increasing microbial resistance. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 17, 576–579.

Platos View On The Souls

Platos View On The Souls Platos ideas about the soul were revolutionary and extremely advanced for his time, as with most of Platos philosophies, yet on the other hand they appear to be both self-conflicting and flawed. In this essay I will proceed to justify this statement. Plato was a Greek philosopher with many views on life and existence. Platos views on the mind body distinction have been the target of many criticisms since his time. In the republic, he formulated ideas on the allegory of the cave and the theory of the forms. He believed that our existence on earth was merely a shadow of a higher spiritual plane, our bodies just a vessel, or even looked upon as a cage trapping the soul and restricting it from this higher plain.  [1]  Plato was a dualist and so believed that when the material body dies the soul lives on. He believed that we are dual creatures; the soul is distinct from the body and vice versa. The body has extension (it takes up space) and is impermanent: it has a beginning and will have an end. The soul takes up no space and is immortal: it pre-existed our body and will live forever. Plato does not really believe that the soul lives but that there is a part of existence that exists outside time. Platos views, are best described in his analogy allegory of the cave in which it depicts a prisoner that escapes the cave metaphorical for this life- and goes on to discover everything he once believed in was only a fraction of the truth: Platos main philosophy stemmed from the cave and was about knowing the theory of the forms. Here, he thought that the soul is immaterial and is immortal, however the body- being physical- could be doubted as it was part of the empirical world. Plato believed that the soul was immortal; it was in existence before the body and it continues to exist when the body dies. Plato thought this to be true because of his Theory of Forms. Plato thought we had such ideas as a perfect circle, not because we have seen one before or that it had been described to us, but the image was already known to us through the world of Forms. This theory also explained how the soul was generated; the soul already lived a life in the world of forms, a world that cannot be destroyed as the body can be destroyed. Once you die, the soul is free for a short time before being entrapped once again in another body.  [2]  Plato was also a rationalist. He believed that you only have true knowledge and understanding of reality through reason. The physical world is inferior, or course, to the realm of Forms. Any knowledge we have of the physical world is through our senses and is subjective and inexact. Platos idea of the soul is his dualist position, believing that body and soul are fundamentally distinct. His theory on the soul was produced in his book Phaedrus. In it Plato was most concerned with demonstrating the immortality of the soul and its ability to survive bodily death. He proposed the idea that, like Aristotles idea of motion, whatever is the source of its own motion or animation must be immortal.  [3]  Plato was writing at a time in Greek philosophy where popular opinion believed that the soul did not survive death, and that it dispersed into nothing, like breath or smoke. Plato believed that the soul must be immortal by the very nature of being the source of its own animation, for it is only through a psyche that things can be living rather than dead. The souls are both animated and at the same time the source of its own animation. Plato also states that the soul is an intelligible and non-tangible article that cannot be destroyed or dispersed, much like his ideas about forms of non-tangible realities; such as beauty or courage. In a more simplistic sense, the soul is a form and is outside time in that way. The argument from affinity, as Plato posited in Phaedrus, states that because the soul is an invisible and intangible entity, as opposed to a complex and tangible body; the two must be distinct and separate. Plato believed that which is composite must be divisible, sensible and transient; and that which is simple must be invisible, indivisible and immutable.  [4]  Forms bear a resemblance to the simple, immutable entities, such as beauty; however a beautiful painting is transient and palpable. The body shows an affinity to the composite by nature of its mortality and mutability; just as the soul shows a similar affinity to immortality and indivisibleness. To further emphasise the point, Plato writes when the soul investigates by itself it passes into the realm of what is pure, ever existing, immortal and unchanging, and being akin to this, it always stays with it whenever it is by itself and can do so; it ceases to stray and remains in the same state as it is in touch with thing s of the same kind (Phaedo, 79c-d). He argues that just as the bodys prime function is to understand the material and transient world, the functioning of the soul as an entity of rational and self-reflective thought demonstrates its affiliation with a simple and immutable world; showing that the two are distinct. However Plato does not explore the criticisms of this argument that just because an entity portrays an affiliation, does not necessarily require it to be as that which it affiliates. Plato believed that the soul, if it were to be the animator of all living things, must be responsible for a persons mental or psychological activities and responses. For the soul cannot be the reason for life, yet at the same time limited in its influence over the bodies in which it animates. However this provides one of the most serious and potentially defeating criticisms of Platos views on the soul. He fails to address the issue of the interrelationship between body and soul, if they are indeed distinct. He doesnt mention if the soul act as controller of a lifeless body, or is there more to the body than simply the material. Moreover the argument from affiliation would suggest that the body is concerned with the material, composite world whilst the soul is concerned with the invisible and simple world. If this is the case then the soul cannot, following from Platos argument, have any interaction with the material, bodily world; for then it ceases to be simple and immutable. An argument from recollection, which Plato first put forward when discussing his theory of the world of the forms, also serves his theory of the soul. Perfect forms, such as equality, are knowable a priori; we have no need for experience to tell us whether two lines are equal length. We must, therefore, know these things through recollection of these perfect forms. Therefore, the soul must have pre-existed the body to know these facts a priori. Platos argument from opposites was based on his idea that everything in the observable world has an opposite effect. As Plato writes in his work Phaedo; If something smaller comes to be it will come from something larger before, which became smaller (Phaedo, 270d). In other words everything we can know has an opposite; asleep and awake; hot and cold. Similarly they are reversible, just as one goes from a state of sleep to a state of being awake, one can do the opposite. Plato argued that if this were the case, then the same should apply to life and death. Just as one can go from life to death, one must be able to go from death to life; and if this statement is correct, then the soul must survive this transition and as a consequence possess immortality and separation from the body. He believed that animation and life was integral to the very notion of the soul, just like heat is a part of fire; thus it cannot be destroyed and is eternal. A separate argument from his theory of opposites was that of a similar theory of the forms and their opposites. He stated that no entity can consist of contradictory forms, and thus one form must necessarily exist and the other not in any particular entity. The number five cannot possess both the form of even and odd; by adding or subtracting one; the form of odd is displaced by even. Plato wrote: so fire as the cold approaches will either go away or be destroyed; it will never venture to admit coldness and remain what it was, fire and cold The soul must share in the form of life, for we know that those living have a soul. Therefore, it cannot contain the form of death also, for this would be in direct conflict of life. The soul must ontologically necessarily exist, and must therefore be immortal. Contemporary analysis of Platos views on the soul produces many criticisms; there is a clear chronological confusion as his work progresses; with the soul starting as an intelligible and non-tangible item, yet progressing to where the soul becomes a complex tripartite entity that is trapped in the material body, yet still longing to enter the world of the forms. Plato demonstrates a contradictory and muddled thought process that attempts to find resolutions for flaws in his thinking. The idea of an imperfect entity entering the perfect realm of the forms is one such logical fallacy in his argument; and he does this by seeking to find reason and justification for his conclusion, rather than seeking a conclusion based on all of his own logic.

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories

Introduction to Psychology: Key Psychologists and Theories Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud explored the human mind more thoroughly than any other who became before him. And His is known as the Father of Psychology. His contribution to psychology are big. In 20th century, Sigmund Freud is the one of the most influential people. Besides his contribution to psychology, people are also influenced on his art and literature and even the way they bring out their children. Words like neurotic, denial, Freudian Slip, libido, anal(personality) and cathartic that used by people now’s a day was introduced by Sigmund Freud. Besides that , Sigmund Freud also known as Father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a treating method for mental illness and. Besides, psychoanalysis can also known as a theory to get know of human behaviour. During the process of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud encourage his client to sit on his couch and talk something related to their symptoms and what was in their in their mind. The Case of Anna O Bertha Pappenheim as known as Anna O. Sigmund Freud has met his turning point in this cases of Anna O. Psychology today is also influenced by the case of Anna O. Anna is a people who suffered from hysteria. A person who suffered from hysteria will exhibits paralysis, convulse, hallucinate and loss of speech without apparent physical causes. Josef Breuer the doctor of Anna and also the friend of Sigmund Freud, the one who succeed in treating anna by helping her to recall her memories of traumatic events. Josef has discussed this case with Freud and out of these discussion came of germ of an idea that Freud was to pursue to his life. In [Studies in Hysteria, 1895 Freud] proposed that physical symptoms are often the surface manifestations of deeply repressed conflicts. Freud has advancing on explanation of a particular illness and also proposing a revolutionary new theory of human psyche itself. This theory shows a ‘bit by bit’ as a result of Freud’s clinical investi gations and it led him to propose that there were at least 3 levels to the mind. The Psyche Freud (1923) later developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego and superego (what Freud called â€Å"the psychic apparatus†). These are hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions. The id operated as unconscious level according to pleasure level. These id contains two biological instincts or dives. And Freud called it as Eros and Thanatos. Eros, or life instinct, helps the individual to survive; it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating and sex (Freud, 1925). In contrast, Thanatos or death instinct, is viewed as a set of destructive forces present in all human beings (Freud, 1920). Dream Analysis (Freud, S. (1900). The interpretation of dreams) considered dreams to be the royal road to the unconscious as it is in dreams that the egos defenses are lowered so that some of the repressed material comes through to awareness, albeit in distorted form. Dream Analysis involves the manifest content into trustful content. Understand the step various distorting will helps to understand the latent meaning of dream. Condensation is a process of combination of two or more idea/images into one. A dream about a car might be condensation of worries about the security of car. When we transform something or someone we really concern about to someone else is where Displacement take place. For example, there are a patient of Freud who hated Freud’s sister in law and always used to refer to her as a dog and this patient dreamed of killing a dog. Sigmund Freud interpreting this as represent the wish of killing of his sister in law. When the unconscious mind strings together wish-fulfilling images in a logical order of events further obscuring the latent content will causes Second Elaboration. WILLIAM JAMES (1842-1910) William James, one of the famous contributor for us in psychology. He born in January 11, 1842 in New York City. His father , Henry James Sr who is very interested in philosophy and theology eager to provide a good study environment to his children. William James and his brothers had gone to Europe frequently. William James and his brother had attended a lot of famous school and immersed with culture and art. At the end William James became one of the important psychologist. While his brother Henry James became on of the famous author. Before William James started his study in Harvard, he told his father what he actually interested in. In the earlier state William wanted to be a painter. After he persisted his father, Henry promised his son to study painting. However, William James gave up his ambition to became a painter after studying few years with the artist William Morris Hunt and started his new life in Harvard with Chemistry. Suffering from a lot of stress, he continued his st udy in France and Germany.William James had a new friend, name Hermann von Helmholtz who focused on illusion.This was the time where William James became gradually interested in psychology. William James got his M.D. from Harvard and started teaching psychology at Harvard. In 1890 William James had his first book which is ‘The Principle Of Psychology’ followed by ‘Will To Believe’ and ‘Pragmatism’. (James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology. New York: Henry Holt and Co.; James, W. (1902)) William James had came out with some theory like Functionalism and James-Lange Theory of Emotion. He believed that the mind has the function of helping us adapt to the environment and human behavior was influenced by the evolution. Human acquire their behavior distinguish them from others species. This approach is called functionalism and is focus on adaptive purpose. For example, Darwin’s finches illustrated the interaction between genes and adaptation to the environment. The different species originated from common genes but their beak change in time for adaption in different places and different food supply. Another theory is James-Lange Theory of Emotion. William James had a same thinking as Carl Georg Lange. Carl Georg Lange (December 4, 1834 – May 29, 1900) was a Danish physician who made contributions to the fields of neurology,psychiatry, and psychology. At the same time , Carl Lange was also writting about emotion similar to William James. Based on this theory, an external stimulus cause psychological effect. Our reaction based on how we interpret those physical reactions. For examaple, when we see a lion suddenly appear in front of us, our heart bit will increase and we will breath faster, then we will start being affraid. Introduction of Wilhelm Wundt Wilhelm Wundt, 1832-1920. Wundt is credited with making psychology an independent science, separate from philosophy. Wundt original training was in medicine, but he became deeply interested in psychology. In his laboratory, Wundt investigated how sensations, images, and feelings combine to build personal experience. Wilhelm Wundt is commonly identified as the father of psychology. It is because Wundt’s formation of the world’s first experimental psychology lab is noted as the official head of psychology as a clearly perceptible science. Wundt take psychology from philosophy and biology to make it a field of study. Wilhelm Wundt granted a degree in medicine from the University of Heidelberg. In 1864, Wundt became an associate professor and independent tutor at the University of Heidelberg, and was promoted in 1871. Wundt had published the Principles of Physiological Psychology (1874), which help to establish experimental procedures psychological research. Wundt founded what is considered to be the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879. He used the technique known as introspection to probe the perceptual processed of his experimental subjects.His approach was called structuralism as he focused on the elements or structure of mental processes. Structuralism Structuralism refers to a theory of consciousness. Structuralism describes the structures that compose the mind. Wundt believed that psychology was the science of intentional experience and professional observers could precisely describe thoughts, feelings, and emotions through introspection. Contributions to Psychology: Wilhelm Wundt is known for establish the first psychology lab in Liepzig (Germany) generally titled as the beginning of psychology as a field of social science divide from philosophy and physiology. In addition, Wundt had published the psychology journal Philosophical Studies. Wundt had also his students who become successful psychologists. For example, Edward Titchener, Hugo Munsterberg, G. Stanley Hall, James McKeen Cattell, Charles Spearman, Charles Judd. Contributions to psychology Margaret Washburn was the first woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in psychology, in 1894. Over the next 15 years many woman followed her pioneering lead. Nowadays, more than half of the members of the APA are woman and nearly 75 percent of college graduates in psychology have been women. Obviously, psychology has become fully open to both men and women (Hyde, 2004). Being a psychologist, Washburn published in the areas of perception and imagery. She also developed a motor theory of consciousness, and she is still best known for her work in comparative psychology, (Goodwin, 2008, p. 200). The book The Animal Mind which was published in 1908 focused on research that used scientific data. This work was focused on the cognitive processes of perception, attention, and consciousness, as the behaviors of various species exhibited, (Goodwin, 2008). This book later became a textbook on comparative psychology. Now it is still in circulation. In 1916 Margaret wrote her another book, Movement and mental imagery. This book focused on movement, existing as the ultimate fact of science, and mental imagery, the world of imaginary objects, (Washburn, 1916). In the introduction to the book Movement and Mental imagery Washburn writes â€Å" movements which an animal makes are belong to the world of external observation; they have direction, they have velocity and they are complex movements. An investigator like Professor Loeb can entertain the confident hope that science will someday be able to show their relations to the movements of lifeless things,† (Washburn, 1916, para.4). She wowed an all men’s Wittenberg seminar with her theory on dualistic motor functioning in 1927. Recognition was being received by her from the science circles that draw women out previously. This positive outlook in science was a contribution to help her became the president of the American Psychological Association (1922). She was the seco nd woman to hold this title. Later she was appointed a membership in the National Academy of Science, again in 1931. She was also the second woman to do so. So the conclusion is, Margaret Floy Washburn was truly a dynamo of psychology. She loved science and the study of the mind with such a passion. This passion made her to accomplish much in her life span. Her career lasted from 1894-1937. Financial status and skin color of Margaret allowed her in doors of experimental psychological word mainly shut to women and people of color. Margaret died from stroke in Poughkeepsie, New York, on October 29, 1939. The psychological world is indebted to her hard work, her dedication, and her contributions to psychology. She is a good contributor of psychology. She will continue to inspire women and men interested in the science of psychology. Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis Developments of the Construction Industry: Economic Analysis INTRODUCTION: The construction Industry has been hailed as the back-bone of many economies, in part or as a whole. It adds in large parts to the GDP of a nation and as a whole enables trade and encourages growth. It currently contributes about one- tenth (1/10) of the worlds GDP. The total global AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) market is about $7.2 trillion and expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2020 (Global Construction 2020. http://www.globalconstruction2020.com/). The Construction industry provides employment for about 7% of the total global employed work force. It also accounts for being the largest energy consuming sector globally where it is recorded to consume about 2/5th of the total consumed energy worldwide and it is responsible for about half the total resources used worldwide. (http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/trends.html#sthash.8UZZiQEb.dpuf) This technical report examines the sum and a specific part of the industry. Looking at factors; Political, Economic, Social, Technological, environmental and social that may affect the industrys growth and the strategic analysis employed by businesses in this industry. This would be done using the PEST analysis and Porters Five Force model when researching the Industry as a whole and the SWOT and Portfolio Analysis in researching a specific part. Being a multi-trillion global industry, it remains an attractive competitive industry where managers must strategically manage their individual companies as it is a project centred industry characterized by short-term partnering between a range of teams with varying levels of Industry experience, information and communication technologies capability. To remain competitive, managers must ensure they have effective strategies to continue to win work for their project centred businesses. The CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: What is the construction Industry? The business dictionary online defines this as; The Sector of national economy engaged in the preparation of land and construction, alteration, and repair of buildings, structures, and other real property. It is an industry known worldwide for operating on narrow profit margins (P. 51 Anthony E Henry. Understanding Strategic Management) and it constitutes one of the most important sectors in any countries national economy. It can be split into three broad categories: Architecture, Engineering and Construction; The construction of heavy and civil engineering which covers the construction of railway tracks, bridges, highways, tunnels , airport and other functional capital intensive ventures. The construction of real estate which covers both commercial and residential buildings. And, the construction of specialized items; pipelines, electrical equipment, decorative materials, and the likes. It is considered as being the worlds single largest industrial employer. Estimates of its size and importance vary from country to country. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100419943/Research_and_Markets_Analyzing_the_European_Construction_Industry_2013) The construction industry like most other industries is affected by a nations financial crisis as government cuts in spending and other factors such as population growth, material costs, climate, urbanisation, globalization and technology can have their direct and indirect toll on the industry. pondering on our modern-day construction consumerism and deliberating the mismanagement of resources and the austere warnings heavily laced by speculation of the ever increasing unstable financial markets taking our world to the threshold of scarcity that analysts in the major resource departments; material, energy, finance and water have warned. In an age of depleting resources and a need to continue to create, the construction industry is facing many threats and has sought many methods to become more efficient and less resource consuming. With this sees a new area of job markets opening up in the construction industry. PEOPLE IN INDUSTRY: The construction industry currently employs; Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Builders, Town Planners, Building inspectors, Project and Construction Managers Contractors (who employ; Electricians, Plumbers, joiners, crafts trades, etc.) However, with the need to be more efficient and streamlined, the construction industry has created new employment in the sustainability sector that deals with using less, working smart and taking responsibility for resources to decrease waste and increase production. With the advent of cutting edge technology used to greatly enhance precision and efficiency, the introduction of Building Information Model (BIM) sees a more efficient stream lined team enabling more specific designers and their design teams to work in a collaborative manner on one platform of information technology minimising error as well as cost. TRENDS: The trends that will continue to drive the industry in the coming years include global warming and new innovative materials to be used to achieve a more sustainable environment (Bjorn, 2009); it would also include population growth and urbanisation world-wide. The global construction industry has seen decline over the last six (6) years. However, there are many emerging markets and a global growth is expected looking up to 2020 through to 2050. With the introduction of BIM and a need for development, recorded fast growths have been in the Asian markets where China now holds the lead and Japan, once the emerging global construction leader has almost altogether halted. Africa has had big construction growths and constitutes one of the fastest growing emerging markets in the construction industry. Although, the vast majority of firms that operate there are international firms especially from the Chinese construction industry. The Middle East continues to grow and Eastern Europe and Latin America are expected to have continuous growth. Most of this growth is influenced by population growths, globalization and urbanization worldwide. Merco Press suggests the global construction industry contributes over 10% to the global GDP and predicts this will rise to about 13% of the global GDP by 2020. This will see a financial input of over $97 trillion up to 2020 with yearly increments of over 5% (global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics). Laing ORourke suggests the majority of the worlds population now lives in towns and cities, with the balance shifting from a rural existence largely in the last three years. By 2050, over 6.5 billion people will be urbanites, with the total world  population estimated to rise towards 11 billion in the same period. Thus, they are positioning themselves in the market to be able to cater to this big shift in global living THE CONSTRUCTION GROUPS: Strategic Analysis is; A theoretically informed understanding of the environment in which an organisation is operating, together with an understanding of the organisations interaction with its environment in order to improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness by increasing the organisations capacity to deploy and redeploy its resources intelligently. (http://www.cimaglobal.com/) There are many construction companies around the world. International construction firms are large multi-billion pounds firms that operate in several countries world-wide delivering construction solutions and growth. A number of the larger industry firms undertake construction work internationally however; majority of work is carried out by the local or national small and medium sized enterprises. The majority of international construction companies will have commenced with limited operation, normally involving one country. Those who experience initial success will be more likely to expand their businesses, eventually leading to growth by investing in other countries. Conversely, a lack of success is likely to encourage withdrawal back into the domestic market. (Howes and Tan, Strategic Management Applied to International Construction P 59) These companies to stay at the top of their markets would have strategically analysed their industry and would use results to try to stay ahead. This report would consider 2012s top 20 construction Groups world-wide focusing on number 1-Balfour Beatty and Number 20- the Mace Group. This report would cover the years running up to 2012 specifically looking between 2009 -2011. Clear changes are seen in the work that were bid for and carried out in a space of 2 years of an economic downturn. More significant market changes are seen with the Bottom two Laing ORourke and the Kier group. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS: PEST ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY: PEST stands for; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. These are the Factors used in studying to gain an understanding on the factors that affect an industry. Using the PEST analysis on an industry gives insight on the environmental factors facing that industry. It can also be applied to individual companies, firms and businesses. (P)olitical Factors; The political factors affecting the construction industry are mostly new government changes, changes in legislation, documentation, new policies and permits that have to be obtained and submitted before, during and after the works and at various phases of the construction process to its official hand-over. Globally, it could be affected by unstable governments in emerging markets, law variations and business taxes. It could also cover things like sustainability, reduction of the carbon foot print in the construction industry, the remediation of brown land, the protection of national landmarks, ecology, and habitat. (E)conomic Factors; Price fluctuations of goods can have an impact on the industry. Government cuts, a recession, VAT rises, fluctuations and a decline in economic growth all can affect the construction industry. This can have knock-on effect when jobs have to be placed on hold which invariably costs the industry more losses. Also, a change in demand for services and a change with the financier of the construction bodies could all have an effect. Positively, a decrease in the stamp duty could signal a good sign for the residential construction industry. (S)ocial Factors; Various things affect the social aspect; a development is judged on its location, its proximity to services, the nature of the construction; materials used aesthetic appeal, functionality and safety. The perceived image of the constructing firm, provisions offered by the constructed space, age distribution, Population Growth, cultural and career provisions. (T)echnical / Technological Factors: The Construction industry is a very technical one. Technology changes happen rapidly and the advent of the use of BIM, has seen big changes in the way work is carried out. Techniques change, needs change, new building systems to meet with Zero carbon buildings, prefabricated materials, pre-mixed cement mixtures. The industry works, faster and smarter now. Many new buildings are put together like a puzzle piece. PORTERS FIVE FORCES; The Porters five forces is a framework used for diagnosing an industrys structure. Forces that erode long-term industry average profitability. This framework can be applied at industry, group or individual firm level. (Lecture notes Feb 2013) It breaks down the competitive rivalry within an industry focusing on; the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers and the threat of substitutes. Competitive Rivalry within the Industry; (HIGH) With the down-turn in the economy, the major Construction firms have shown contrasting responses to the downturn in public sector construction work, amid warnings that public sector capital investment will drop by 24% by 2013/ 2014, three of the biggest firms increased their proportion of public sector work won. Balfour Beatty no 1 of the top 100 construction firms moves towards plans for acquisitions of major gas-fired stations. It also uses its US business Parsons Brinkerhoff to become an end-to-end provider for major clients such as SSE. (http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/balfour-beatty-plans-acquisitions-for-major-gas-fired-stations-move/8643974.article?blocktitle=Top-StoriescontentID=7501) Many of the larger firms are expanding and diversifying their portfolios to stay at the top. Bidding in new categories and offering more. Brand identity gives an advantage in contract acquisition however; there is a level of fair play in that not all construction companies can carry out the same job specs. The small and medium enterprises lower down the construction firm ladder however have steep competition as they all go for the same projects and are bidding on the same levels. And everyone on that ladder competes against itself on; improving technology, continuous innovation and integration to optimise cost. The Threat of New Entrants; (LOW) The construction Industry is very capital intensive. The brand names in the construction industry are well known and well established, location for most of the top 100 construction firms is not an issue as they can easily absorb the costs of travel to win work and diversify their portfolios in other countries. Profitability in the construction industry relies heavily on the economies of scale. It does not offer much for consumers switching costs and retaliation from the top 100 would be an issue for a new smaller firm that does not have the heavy capital investments required. Regulatory approval and licensing is paramount in this industry and it comes with high operational costs. Smaller firms and businesses operate and do smaller jobs and contracts. They are sub-contracted from the larger construction firms and operate in the local markets. They also offer product and service hires which can prove profitable for them. With larger firms having the intensive capital required, they are able to bid lower than smaller firms and win jobs. Bargaining Power of Customers: (High) The Buyers are the clients and end users of the construction industry. They can be government bodies, a consortium, or high net- worth individuals. As most jobs are won through a tender / bid process, the consumer / customer has a fair amount of force here as they naturally have a say in who they would like to carry out their project usually based on best price for quality, portfolio, trust in brand, knowledge of brand and in some instances this can be decided by word-of-mouth. Firms need to keep a good name and work ethic to keep business, win repeat business and win new business from referrals. When dealing with residential property, the consumer has the option to also renovate or buy an already done house. So, they do have a fair amount of force. Bargaining power of Suppliers: (LOW) Supplies are many and products and services can be substituted. New products are constantly coming into the market and as the construction industry is a future forward one, it would move with the better global trends for goods and services. Most goods have a set non-negotiable price range across board which leaves the supplier with little or no force on the industry. Threat of Substitutes: (LOW) Products and services in the construction industry are as they are it is virtually impossible to substitute them. The rise of the Boat-home, the mobile-caravan homes, and holiday cabins are all short-term substitutes. Many other buildings and large civil construction services cannot be substituted. As explained by (Saidi, OBrien and Lytle, 2008), There is limited or no direct substitute for the industrys product, some services can be replaced with others within the industry such as the use of robots in place of human labour. Robotic system cut down labour requirements in a Japanese construction site by approximately 30%. It however does not completely substitute the need for human input. THE ORGANISATION: http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/A_Strategic_Analysis_of_the_Construction.html?id=hk_VT8JpClMC http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hk_VT8JpClMCpg=PA11lpg=PA11dq=how+do+i+strategically+analyse+the+construction+industrysource=blots=LF7UCRNx_Ksig=2P8J4vBhZuubow1Ui9bPP3nrbq0hl=ensa=Xei=POsvUfbwLImb1AXrkoDoAgved=0CDsQ6AEwAg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strategic-Analysis-Construction-Industry-Emirates/dp/3836699206#reader_3836699206 http://www.cimaglobal.com/Documents/ImportedDocuments/cid_tg_strategic_analysis_tools_nov07.pdf.pdf http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/construction-industry.html#ixzz2N8qeZD8M Strategic Management Applied to International Construction By Rodney Howes, Joseph H. M. Tan Berge Bjorn, (2009) The Ecology of Building Materials. 2d Edition.Architectural Press (- See more at: http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/research.html#sthash.U3p84gQD.dpuf) LOOK AT (http://www.sloanvalve.com/Dec11_global_outlook.pdf) Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Intellectual Disability: Causes and Impacts Outcome 1: Define Intellectual Disability TASK 1 1.1 Give 2 definitions of intellectual disability in accordance with a recognized source. Follow prescribed APA format when citing sources. Definition 1: Intellectual disability causes limitations in intellectual functioning as well as in adaptive behaviors that include many skills which is needed every day. The onset age is under 18. Source: FAQ on Intellectual Disability, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, retrieved from: http://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition/faqs-on-intellectual-disability Definition 2: Intellectual disability is a term used for when people has certain limitations in functioning mentally and in skills such as communicating, performing activities of daily living, and in his or her social behavior. Children with this ability may develop their skills (walking, talking, etc) at a delayed time as compared to normal. They may also have trouble with learning- it usually takes them a longer time to learn new skills. Source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.(2005) Intellectual disability, retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/IntellectualDisability.pdf 1.2 Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the persons adaptive skills: People with intellectual disability have experienced impairment in their ability to comprehend information. As a result, they have a hard time with reading comprehension, handling money, dealing with numbers as well as time. Because of their impaired social functioning, they have tendency not to get along and socially deal with others. They are not able to recognize the laws of society or have a few limited abilities to follow rules. Using a definition of intellectual disability give 2 explanations of how this impacts on the cognitive abilities: Persons suffering from intellectual disability have lack of the ability to explain why they do certain things or why certain things happen. This is due to their impaired intelligence. Learn and apply what is learnt- Intellectually disabled people have a hard time to gain new knowledge. It is difficult for them to process new information and understand new skills. Age of onset of intellectual disability There is no particular age to have start of the disability. But regarding to some research, it has been shown that it usually happen on the developmental period among 0-18 years old. Outcome 2: Describe the causes of intellectual disability TASK 2 2.1 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur before birth and describe two (2) main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Genetic factors Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). Genetic Cause of Intellectual Disabilities, retrieved from: http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10335cn=208 Main characteristics: Fragile X syndrome: Physical features of FXS patients include: large ears, long face, macroorchidism, infections in the ears, flat feet, high arched palate, fingers with double joints and hyper-flexible joints Prader-Willi Syndrome: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. Therefore their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Example 2: Environmental hazards and toxins Source: sevencounties.org (2005-2014). The Many Causes of Intellectual Disabilities, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Environmental Exposure to Toxins, retrieved from: http://sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=docid=10333cn=208 Main characteristics: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: During pregnancy people drink alcohol a lot which might cause fetal alcohol syndrome. People are born with a small head, flat face and nose bridge in the most common features. They tend to be hyperactive and have hard time in socializing. Spinal bifida: It is caused lack of folic acid. People with Spinal Bifida usually have such problems as mental and social. In addition, they have hard time with walking, going somewhere and latex allergy, obesity, skin breakdown, depression. 2.2 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during or immediately following birth and describe 2 main characteristics of the effects. Example 1: Trauma Source: Merck Sharp and Dohme Corp. (2010-2013). The Merck Manual, Home Health Handbook, retrieved from: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/childrens_health_issues/problems_in_newborns/birth_injury.html Main Characteristics: Head and brain injury: Swelling of the scalp and bruising may occur due to birth trauma. Bleeding between the periosteum and skull causes hematoma, usually in the parietal region and sometimes the occipital region. Nerve Injury: when forceps used to assist delivery puts much pressure on the facial nerve, weakness on one side of the face results. This injury becomes evident when the newborn baby cries and the face appears to be asymmetric. Example2: Premature birth and low birth weight. Source: UCSF Children’s Hospital at UCSF Medical Center. 2004. Intensive Care Nursery House Manual, retrieved from: http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/pdf/manuals/20_VLBW_ELBW.pdf Main Characteristics: Hypothermia: Low birth weight infants have a greater body surface area. Thus, a decrease stores of brown fat and glycogen which results to an inability to conserve or generate body heat. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS): Respiratory problems due to a lack in surfactant and apnea of prematurity 2.3 Give 2 examples of causes of intellectual disability that occur during childhood years and describe the impact on the day-to-day support needs of the person. Example 1: Brain Tumor Source: PMC: US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health. January 2008. â€Å"Caring for the Brain Tumor Patient: Family caregiver burden and unmet needs.†, retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600839/ Impact: Patients with brain tumor need various supports in their day to day lives. Psychosocial support is one of them. It is important for them to learn how to handle the stress of a chronic illness, as family members realize that their lives will be forever changed by the uncertainty that surrounds this diagnosis. It is therefore important for the support provider to make sure the patient and family understands the impact of this illness to them and provide them of ways on how to cope and possibly live a close to normal life. Also, for the caregivers, it is important that they are always prepared for the possibility of disease progression. Even though a patient is stable for a certain period of time, the caregiver will always feel the wear and tear of caring for this patient. Thus, it is important to make sure that caregivers are also taken cared of to ensure quality care. Example 2: Meningitis Source: Kelli de la Rocha (2014). Intellectual disability. NYU Langone medical center. retrieved from: http://pediatrics.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/intellectual-disability# Impact: Children with intellectual disability caused by meningitis can’t learn skills and any knowledge as fast as other children with same age. So supporters need to wait for their achievement with patient. And also they need to be aware of the risk that the children experience seizure, and then they should be trained for coping with them suffering seizure. Outcome 3: Describe conditions frequently associated with intellectual disability. TASK 3 Condition 1: Cerebral Palsy Causes/s: Cerebral Palsy can be caused by having injury of brain before brain development is completed. Usually brain develops within 2 years after birth, so Cerebral Palsy can be occurred during prenatal or infant period. And birth complication can also cause this condition. But many cases get this condition from unknown causes before birth. Main characteristic 1: Cerebral Palsy is characterized by motor function impairment. It causes activity limitation. Main characteristic 2: People with Cerebral Palsy exhibit cognitive and sensory impairments. Physical support: People with Cerebral Palsy suffer from hypotonic and rigidity. So physical therapy is useful to support them physically. Effective physical therapy can help them to improve their muscle. Recent studies report that intensive exercise is effective. So support worker can make a schedule for resistive exercise four times per week. Social support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be easily isolated because of their handicaps. So support workers need to reduce barriers to participation in activities of school, work and society. To participate in activities, many devices are necessary. If the client can’t walk, using wheelchair could be helpful to go watching football games and cheer a team. Cognitive support: People with Cerebral Palsy can be normal intellectually, but they have difficulty in learning because of limitation of hearing, seeing, and movement. So for supporting them cognitively, support worker needs to help their study by give them enough time to understand and express or adjust knowledge. And support worker can provide some aids to improve their speech. Source/s: Karen W. Krigger, M.D., M.ED., university of Louisville school of Medicine, Cerebral Palsy: An Overview, Kentucky Am Fam Physician. 2006 Jan 1; 73(1): 91-100, retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2006/0101/p91.html Condition 2: Prader-Willi Syndrome Causes/s: Prader-Willi Syndrome is caused by genetic abnormality. They have the chromosome number 15 without genetic information that normally people have from the father. It is thought to occur entirely by chance. Main characteristic 1: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome have severe hypotonia. So their sucking is poor in their early infancy. Main characteristic 2: Obesity is commonly caused. This is a result of an excessive appetite, a permanent feeling of hunger, and hyperphagia or overeating, and a low calorific requirement which is due to low energy expenditure levels. Physical support: People with Prader-Willi Syndrome can’t control their eating because they always feel hunger. Furthermore, they can easily become obesity that causes many complications. To prevent them from being obesity, support workers need to give exercise outside where they can’t find food easily. They need regular and continual exercise, so it is important to make a schedule with various and interesting exercise to them. Social support: They should take daily food intake under supervision. Once people between 2 and 4 years old start to overeat, supervision will assist them to minimize food and prevent them from being obesity. Parents make sure that they can easily open refrigerators and cabinets containing food to eat. It is extremely necessary for them to have a well-balanced, low-calorie diet and regular exercise and should be maintained for all of the individuals life. Cognitive support: People who have PWS usually suffer from controlling their emotions. It is helpful to use behavioral therapy which helps them with their emotions. Losing temple, stubbornness and obsessive compulsive behavior as well as obsession with food have to be coped with behavioral management programs using firm limit-setting strategies. Source: Andres Martin, M.D, 1998, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155:1265-1273, retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=173004 Condition 3: Autism Cause/s: Autism, a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder is defined by their behavior. But it is caused from various kind of brain dysfunction that affects the ability to handle information. In many cases, there is a genetic component. Main characteristic 1: People who have autism have impairment in many areas of development. They have difficulty in reciprocal interaction and have learning disability. Main characteristic 2: People with autism have lack of social and communication skill. Their behavior is not typical, but many babies with autism have tendency to overly focus on certain object. They also have poor eye contact and lose interest in others easily. Physical support: They have difficulty with making balance, gait and delicate motor skill. To improve their muscle tone, support workers need to provide regular physical fitness besides it is also important to be provided properly when they exercise. Social support: Children with autism may have the high risk of peer rejection and social isolation. To improve social skill, it is necessary to establish the relationship with support worker. Support workers need to provide practice proper and positive answer as much more as possible in social group. That is why they can learn facial express and eye contact. Cognitive support: People with autism have cognitive impairment, so they can’t be aware of their needs and cope with their mood. It can cause anxiety. It needs for them to recognize their mood. For this reason, support workers can give enough opportunities to express and verbalize their mood and feeling for recognizing their mood. Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2011, A Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder, retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/a-parents-guide-to-autism-spectrum-disorder/parent-guide-to-autism.pdf King Solomon: A History King Solomon: A History King Solomon King Solomon was the third and the greatest king of Israel. He was the second son of David by his wife Bathsheba, and the acknowledged favourite of his father (Oussani). Solomon is mostly known for his great wisdom and just soul. His main accomplishmen, the construction of the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, also made him well-known and honorable among his people and among other nations as well. Apart from great wisdom, God also gave Solomon discerning heart, wealth, and honour, but still, at the end, this didnt prevent him from making the mistake of following other gods. God played the major role in the kings life. Since the day Solomon was born, the LORD guided him through his righteous life; he made him a successful, wise and discerning ruler, helped govern the nation, and build the temple and the the palace in Jerusalem. The fact that Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to govern his people, not long and joyful life, great power and wealth, makes us admire the king and honour his purpose to put the prosperity of his people before his own needs. Long before Solomon grew up and became a powerful king of Israel, we, the readers of the Bible, could foresee his upcoming success. God always was with him since the day he was born, and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25). The name Jedidiah means loved by the LORD. Solomons wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the Earth (1 Kings 4:30). He used his astude and wise mind to rule over his nation and to educate people. He gave them useful knowledge about plants, animals, birds, reptiles and fish. The king became famous and honourable, not only among his people, but also among other nations. Man of all nations came to listen to Solomons wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heared of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:34). Apart from having a great wisdom, Solomon was also a just and discerning judge. The scene in which two women ask him to decide who is the real mother of the child is the most famous example in which the king uses his discerning heart to jugde people. Solomon didnt even need any evidences or the witnesses to make the right judgemen. Soon after ascending his fathers throne, Solomon bagan to build the Holy Temple (Schoenber). He was controling the whole process of building it. The temple and its construction were very important for the king. By this, he showed his gratitude towards God and also fulfiled the intention of his father David. It took Solomon seven years to build the temple. In the end he also brought up the ark of the LORDs covenant in it. During his life, Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs (Shoenberg), which are mostly related to peoples everyday life. Through centuries, his proverbs helped people telling them how to live a righteous and successful life and teaching them how to be right before God: Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence (Proverbs 3:31-32) Nowadays, we can still extract some useful knowledge from these proverbs and use it to make our lifes better. One of the proverbs that we can find in the book of Proverbs tells: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). After becoming familiar with this proverb and knowing that Solomon was wise, and that the LORD is a jealous God, the following question arises: Why did Solomon follow other gods? Only after God had punished him, Solomon understood that he did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Then, after Solomons confessions, which were not completely sincere, God showed his mercy on the king, but after his death, the LORD divided the kingdom into two, and the son of Solomon got the smallest part of it. According to the Bible, Solomon was the greatest king in the Old Testament, who ruled over the people of Israel about three thousand years ago (Maris). Thanks to his wise and discerning heart, that he got from the LORD, the king had no equals. Being a successful ruler and a just judge, Solomon taught people, had built the temple for the Name of the LORD his God in Jerusalem, and had written 3,000 proverbs (Schoenberg). Despite of his great wisdom that was given to him by God, Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD and followed the gods of his wifes. Still, he is remembered as a great and wise king. Wouldnt it be better if our governers would follow his example of being just and discerning towards the people? References Maris, Micki. About the Proverbs of Solomon. Proverbs of Solomon Family Discussion Guide. 11 Dec. 2009 Oussani, Gabriel. Solomon. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Dec. 2009 . Schoenberg, Shira. Solomon. Jewish Virtual Library. 11 Dec. 2009 < ://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html>

Camera Techniques Used in Hitchcock’s Thriller Movie, Vertigo Essay

Camera Techniques Used in Hitchcock’s Thriller Movie, Vertigo A thriller is a type of film that usually instills excitement and suspense into the audience. A thriller is commonly described as a tense edge of the seat environment. The movie, Vertigo, is one of the most famous thrillers ever made. However, Vertigo does not fit into the stereotypical genre of thriller. Vertigo, often viewed as an experimental film because it was one of the first major thrillers of that time that used many different and innovative camera techniques. These techniques used in this film are different types of lighting, montage, intense music, etc. Vertigo is known to be one of Hitchcock’s best movies because of his unique sense of style and his famous â€Å"Hitchcock signature† The movie Vertigo is about a detective who is hired to follow his friend’s wife Madeline. In actuality, however, he is being tricked to participate in a murder. Throughout the movie the detective, Scottie, ends up falling for Madeline while she is stringing him along her hi dden agenda. Even though at the forefront of the movie Madeline...

Just Another Day at the Office :: English Literature Essays

Just Another Day at the Office Personal computer (pc) repair technicians and doctors have a lot in common. Patients arrive at the doctor’s door bearing all manner of complaints or problems. I am sure doctors have seen and heard about every type of ignorant stunt a person can think of or do. My name is Skeeter Jones, and I have been a pc repair technician for approximately fifteen years. Like a doctor, I thought I had seen and heard of every crazy stunt imaginable until I received a call from Headaches, Incorporated about a computer crash. When I arrived at the job site, Lola and Chase, the office and terminal managers, greeted me. â€Å"Boy! Are we ever glad to see you,† they both cried in unison, â€Å"We have completely screwed up the computer.† â€Å"Well, show me the computer that is down while you tell me what happened,† I replied. â€Å"Linda, Lola’s co-worker, told us upgrading our computer system from Windows 95 to 98 would be easy for us to do ourselves. All we had to do was purchase the Windows 98 upgrade compact disc (CD),† Chase said. â€Å"Except, we could not find the CD.† Lola chimed in, â€Å"We picked out this CD instead. The salesman at Office Depot said, ’It would work just as well to upgrade our system.’† I looked down at the box she was holding in her hands. The words â€Å"Windows 2000 Upgrade† stared back at me in big, white letters. I just stood there for a minute shaking my head, and I silently groaned to myself. â€Å"Oh God! How could anybody be that stupid,† I thought. With an audible sigh, I said aloud, â€Å"Let me run a few diagnostic tests. I will be able to tell you how much damage has occurred in a couple of minutes.† I started with the basic stuff like making sure the computer would boot up. Then, I progressed layer by layer to the heart of the system. The tests took me nearly three hours to complete. As I dug deeper and deeper into the computer, I was utterly amazed at how much damage they had wreaked in such a short amount of time and with only an upgrade software kit. â€Å"Well guys, it looks as if you have managed to confuse the hell out of this computer,† I told them, â€Å"You have two different types of file systems on it now.

Evaluating Historical Views of Leadership Essay

How does a civilization attain the most effective leadership? More importantly what is considered effective leadership and who developed the theories surrounding it? These questions are debated through the ages of postmodern and modern civilization. Bass (1974) wrote that, â€Å"from its infancy, the study of history has been the study of leaders† (Wren, 1995, p. 50). Four of the godfathers of what is considered modern leadership theory are Plato, Aristotle, Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli. Over the course of this analysis, the leadership theories of each of these titans will be evaluated. Each view contains commonalities and disparities which offer conflicting perspectives on the complex topic of leadership throughout the ages of modern society. The goal is to broaden these views with critical evaluation, vetted scholarly sources and well-reasoned judgments. The conclusion arrived at will offer heighten awareness at the age old highly debated question; what is effective leadership? Plato vs Aristotle Plato and Aristotle were both titans of Greek thought during the fourth century BCE Athens, and both shared similar experience and backgrounds. Partly this was because Plato was Aristotle’s teacher. Takala the author of Plato on Leadership states â€Å"Ancient Greece (400 B.C.) has been regarded as the home of systematic administrative thinking; it has been seen as the place where the Western administrative thinking was born† (Takala, 1998, p. 787). This fact cemented Plato’s title of godfather of modern leadership theory that presented a systematic political and administrative model linking what life could be in an ideal state (Takala, 1998). There are many parallels in Plato’s rhetoric that mirror contemporary leadership debate. The most glaring is the emphasis on education and a class based system that focuses on what he termed, just social order. A† just social order† is defined as â€Å"one where order and harmony are maintained by each class of citizens carrying out the tasks for which they are suited and not interfering with the work of others† (Takala, 1998, p. 791). Plato in his most famous work the Republic speaks to the importance of virtue derived from knowledge. His top three credos for a unified and virtuous state were: 1. Know the good is to do the good. 2. All the virtues boil down gaining wisdom or what he paraphrased the †unity of the virtues† (Takala, 1998). 3. In order to become happy in a new state virtue must be present. The second titan of the three discussed is Plato’s protà ©gà © the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle had many views that mirrored the views of his mentor the most glaring being the dependence on education for laying the foundation for a modernized society (Kodish, 2006). Where these two minds disagree comes down to the action needed to secure leadership. Aristotle poked holes in all of the three points above given by Plato is these fundamental ways: 1. Just knowing the good was not enough for Aristotle. The concept of free will was relatively new, and he failed to see the need to practice being virtue. 2. For this reason, although wisdom is the highest form of virtue, it is by no means the key to possessing all virtues. In other words, Aristotle denies the unity of the virtues. 3. Finally, Aristotle thinks that although virtue is necessary to the good life, it isn’t sufficient. That is to say a person can be virtuous but still be unhappy. In particular, does a person truly need good fellow citizens to achieve happiness (Kodish, 2006). The most general difference Aristotle and Plato held was a difference of values surrounding the human condition. Aristotle saw the positives in society, and therefore prescribed freedom and equality; Plato saw the negatives and prescribed various illiberal and discriminatory ideals (Wren, 1995). Lao-Tzu vs Machiavelli The third titan of thought was Lao-tzu â€Å"an ancient sage of the sixth century and his book the Tao Te Ching (how things work) was used by political leaders† of his time in history (Wren, 1995, p. 69). The forth titan in Nicollo Machiavelli and his work the Prince is a classic on the pragmatic  use of power in society (Wren, 1995). Aristotle and Plato represent the western view of leadership during the age of modern leadership theory. To further broaden our view of leadership theory and practice this analysis also explores eastern views through the eyes of two more of history’s most influential minds. Lao-tzu’s theory is fundamentally different mainly due to its message of simplicity. He believed that a truly effective leader should be loved by the people he/she lead (Gerald, 2005). Compared to other scholars of the time like Machiavelli who felt fearing a leader was the best way to get results (Wren, 1995). In Machiavelli’s own words he wrote â€Å"I reply that one should like to be both one and the other, but since it is difficult to join them together, it is much safer to be feared than loved when one of the two must be lacking† (Machiavelli, 2006, p. 44). The differences between these two influential minds stem from the trusting (Lao-Tzu) or not trusting (Machiavelli) your followers to make good choices. The Tao Te Ching attempts to foster leadership by stepping away from the era-specific tyrannical view of what motivates the human condition. The 46th chapter of Tao Te Ching bares these words: â€Å"There is no greater misfortune than wanting more.† If you are content, Lao Tzu continues, â€Å"you will always have enough.† Unfortunately for Westerners, our motto seems to be â€Å"more for me now† (Gerald, 2005, p. 48). Conclusion Throughout the above analysis, there have been commonalities and disparities presented from the classic works of four godfathers of modern leadership theory and practice. Each mind brings a modified view of what leadership should or could be in a modern society. Whatever personal views arise after reviewing these masterworks there are some truths furthering the argument that leadership theory is an ever evolving door and a melting pot of ideas derived from many figures throughout history. The only constant is that there is no ideal way to lead; there are only methods that have garnered results in their own time and place in history. References Gerald, W. P. (2005, April 9). A look at thoughts from Tao-Te-Ching. Kingston Whig, 1-48. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/352713307?accountid=458 Kodish, S. (2006). The Paradoxes of Leadership: The Contribution of Aristotle. Leadership, 2: 451, 451-458. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1742715006069175 Machiavelli, N. (2006). Qualities of the Prince. New York Bedford/St Martin: in World of Ideas. Takala, T. (1998, May). Plato on Leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 17, 785-798. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25073123 Wren, T. J. (1995). The Leader’s Companion Insights on Leadership Through the Ages. New York NY: The Free Press.

Learning Motivation

Learning is a process that permanently changes behaviour with the result of experience. (Cherry, 2009) Alternatively, it can also be defined as knowledge or skill acquired by instruction or study. Learning, from an individual’s personal experience, can be summarized as a lifelong insatiable process that drives the inner self to absorb anything and everything that one hears, sees or reads for personal growth to make a better person and conducive living. There are five different ways of which learning can be studied.Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge- it is a form of acquiring information. Learning as memorising – storing of information that could be used for reproduction later on. Learning as acquiring facts, skills, and methods that can be retained and used as necessary. Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning – it involves relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world. Finally, learning as interpreting and underst anding reality in a different way which involves comprehending the world by reinterpreting knowledge. quoted in Ramsden 1992: 26) (Smith, 2012). A question was raised, ‘What makes a human acquire knowledge? What makes a human want to learn? ’ The answers varied from it being a necessity, for competition purposes, or simply, the act of curiosity. It may also be of positive motivation from the surrounding environment, but what caught my attention was of it being an instinct upon birth. If learning changes behaviour permanently, what then is motivation? Motivation is defined as a process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviour.In our everyday life, motivation is used to define our actions (Cherry, 2012). As an example, motivation drives an individual to resume a pursuit in higher education after a certain succession of time away from the field. Motivation may be delineated specifically into three major components. Primarily, activation initiated the be haviour in an individual to re-enrol in university. Consequently, persistence, a continuous effort that an individual puts in order to overcome obstacles such as to complete tasks assigned before respective deadlines.The final delineation would be intensity, which is viewed as the concentration that is put in to achieve the goal. Motivation can also be branched out to Extrinsic or Intrinsic (Cherry, 2012). Drawing from personal experiences, when an individual is asked to perform weekend duties at work, the said individual is motivated to complete the said task due to the reasoning that he or she would gain double monetary compensation for that day of attendance. This would be an apt representation of extrinsic motivation due to the external factor of monetary compensation or rewards at the end of the day.However, if the said individual is asked to complete an assignment, it is not purely for the sake of completing the said task, but due to the nature of curiosity within encouraging the need to obtain more in depth knowledge for personal gratification. With the understanding of the definition of ‘learning’ and the two branches of ‘motivation’, we study the motives of five different perspectives of which psychology extends a say in ‘learning motivation’; psychodynamic, behaviourism, humanism, cognitive and biologically.Psychodynamic, the first and foremost study in the field of psychology, is the study of the unconscious mental forces (Cliff, 2011). Based on the original theoretical standings of Freud, a psychoanalyst whose theories are clinically derived, a technique called free association to replace hypnosis was developed. He directed his patients to relax and report anything and everything that came to their mind, regardless of how strange it sounded.He collected data based on what was reported to him during therapy and formulated a theory that a human behaviour and feelings are mostly negative flashbacks from childhood memories (McLeod, 2007). Freud construed that the mind is like an iceberg; the peak of it is the conscious mind, followed by the slightly lower and hidden section from the conscious mind, known as the preconscious mind that stores information which can be voluntarily brought to awareness. The unconscious mind, that makes the base of the iceberg, is hidden deep down in a human’s mind and contains repressed feelings, thoughts, and memories (McLeod, 2007).This being said, a flashback down memory lane of an individual who was exposed to a variety of starters learning modules comprising of kaleidoscopic colours and a variety of shapes helped triggered the infant’s curious mind to explore the fancy world of art. Along with positive encouragement from the infant’s environment, a desire to achieve succession and to prompt the mind to move forward in this field exposed the infant to a possibility of self achievement. 20 years later, the said individual has established a n artistry career out of a small piece of exposure from the infant days.With such positive motivation from the growth environment, the said individual carries a lifelong of happy memories within to be reminisced upon in adulthood. This eventually creates positive intrinsic growing experience that leads to positive motivation in achieving succession for the future. Alternatively, an infant would be negatively affected should the background history tell us that the individual grew up in a pitiful environment of physical abuse. Take for example a child from the war stricken country of Afghanistan.The child goes through a series of bloodshed throughout the growing process and would carry along such painful memories into adulthood. There are adults who are able to handle such experiences, to be able to positively grow into a better person and to want to achieve conducive living environment for the future generation, such are intrinsic determination and motivation that grew within the ind ividual. Behaviour, on the other hand, is a result of stimulus-response association whereby all behaviour, regardless of the measures of complexity, can be concluded to a simple stimulus-response chain. McLeod S. A. , 2007) Watson, an American psychologist believed that psychology is the science of observable behaviour. (Cherry, Behavioral Psychology Basics – Understanding Behavioral Psychology in 10 Easy Steps, 2009) The environment is regarded as the stimuli and the effect that takes place on a living creature’s behaviour is the response. Hence as Watson quoted, ‘’To predict, given the stimulus, what reaction will take place; or given the reaction, state what the situation or stimulus is that has caused the reaction’’ (McLeod S. A. , 2007)Classical Conditioning is a study done by Russian psychologist, Ivan Pavlov on classic experiment that associated his dog to salivate at the sound of a bell repetitively upon a provided meal. Over repeated trial, the dog learned to associate the ringing of the bell with the food and continuously response to a ringing bell even with the absence of food. From Pavlov’s experiment, we can conclude that the stimulus, the bell and food gives off a salivation response from the dog. Operant Conditioning, on the other hand was investigated by B.F. Skinner. In his experiment with a pigeon, the pigeon would be rewarded with food when it turns to its left. The more the pigeon turns, the more it was rewarded. When a behaviour is repeated by the subject, a reward is presented. Skinner positively concluded that repetition leads to reinforcement and reinforcement then leads to change in behaviour. ‘’With the right tools, we can predict and control behaviour of the world. ’’ (Slomp, 2006) Behaviourism can also be observed in our everyday life.Take for example, an observation made on a working individual’s lifestyle on weekdays, whereby the said individual perf orms a routine habit of rising to work, enjoying lunch break, leaving the office, working out at a gym, coming home to continue with the secondary lifestyle of pumping in a few hours of education and retiring for the day. These activities are performed at specific timings scheduled by the individual. There is nothing spontaneous about this, as a matter of fact, it is redundantly blunt.Such a routine can be classified as classical conditioning whereby the said individual’s mind has already been aligned to perform in such a way, that it almost sounds robotic. With eight hours of working five days a week, targets are to be achieved by and individual which are calculated on a daily and monthly basis (sentence is incomplete). With each target achieved, an individual is then rewarded with monetary compensation at the end of the day. This motivates the individual to achieve beyond the target provided, and with each success, it changes from a necessity to a desire to climb the succes s ladder at work.Such case is classified as operant conditioning. The working environment is also a factor that affects the individual’s success. With a positive and encouraging working team mates, a said individual creates such positivism and encouraging attitude within to achieve not just personal growth but to grow together with the company. Should the individual face a stressful environment with unsupportive team mates and negativism from the higher management, the said individual would not achieve the daily or monthly target and would end up being a failure not just personally but also in the company.In the 1950s, ‘Humanism’ dominated the field of psychology upon rejecting the ideas of psychodynamic and behaviourism as it was deemed too pessimistic (McLeod, Humanism, 2007). Humanism takes into consideration both the observer and the behaving person’s point of view in their study. The emphasis is based on each individual’s capacity for growth an d self-actualization (Cherry, 2012). Humanistic approach exercises free will for each individual’s choice made, human values, and the creativity in living life.The fundamental belief is that each and every individual is innately good. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers regarded that personal growth and fulfilment in life a basic human need (McLeod, Humanism, 2007). Every individual seeks to grow psychologically to continue self enhancement, in other words, everyone seeks self- actualization. This is regarded as a man’s desire to attain self- fulfilment within his potential being, in other words, to become everything one is capable of becoming.Maslow introduced a pyramid to his concept of self-actualization with five levels of needs, firstly, physiological needs such as vitals basic needs like water, air, food and sleep, secondly, security needs related to a desire to achieve steady employment, health insurance, safe neighbourhood and a shelter, thirdly; social needs, the n eed for belonging, love and affection, the fourth is esteem needs, to boost self- esteem, social recognition and accomplishments and finally, self-actualizing needs which is at the peak of the pyramid whereby these people are self-aware, concerned of personal growth and interested in fulfilling their potentials to an optimum level (Cherry, Hierarchy of Needs, 2012). Each level must be achieved before moving on to the next level of the hierarchy. That being said, the application of humanism is observable in the process of growth within humans.Looking back during the cavemen era, humans were exposed to a lifestyle based on purely survival, hence every individual learned survival skills, how to hunt for food, to gain water, and to have a roof above their heads which were caves basically. Slowly, man kind began evolving. From the basic needs of survival, humans began acquiring luxurious items, such as clothes and money. Consequently, education slowly seeped into the picture of mankind e volution. We do not have to go far to study such evolution because from birth, we were taught to eat and it was injected into our infant minds that education is the most important factor in life. With the constant drilling of such facts from infantry days, such attitude is formed that we are to educate ourselves to be a better person, to have good jobs and salaries, to have a better life than our parents had.The intrinsic desire of achieving all these is planted within us and with each level of completion, graduation with a Masters, we move on to seeking jobs and on to a nice roof to surround ourselves and a mating partner. This is all simply a life process that humanism studies. Once the hierarchy is completed, mankind maintains the wonderful life achieved. Just like a game of snake and ladder, humans learn to achieve self actualization with the right mindset, and to learn from mistakes too by sliding down when we land on a snake spot, that is, a failure. From failures, we are moti vated to grow, we learn from mistakes made and improve them. At the end of the day, it is the completion of the hierarchy created within and the wisdom achieved that makes life worth living. Cognitive psychology is the modern scientific study of the mind. Cognition means ‘’knowing’’.It is the study of mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired or in other words it is how a human processes information (stimuli) and reacts upon it (response) (McLeod, 2007) Cognitive psychologist emphasizes on how our thinking influences our behaviour. Piaget studied child cognitive development by applying natural observation on his growing children and clinical interviews and observations of adolescence. Piaget believed that children think differently than adults and stated that they go through four universal stages of cognitive development. Development is biologically based and changes as a child matures and cognition therefore develops in all children in the same sequence of stages. There are four stages of cognitive development that were summarized by Piaget. McLeod, Jean Piaget, 2009) Firstly, sensorimotor which takes place at the age of 0-2 years old is described as an infant builds up direct knowledge of the surrounding world with reflex action and perceptual movement and to relate the pysical result to the perceived results. Secondly, the preoperational stage takes place between the age of 2-7 years. It explains that a child is mentally able to represent events and objects and engage in symbolic play. Their thoughts and actions are purely egocentric which Piaget believes where a child is able to view a situation from another person’s point of view. Consequently, from the age of 7-11 years, concrete operational stage takes over egocentricism. At this stage, a child begins to develop a cognitive logical or operational thought but is only able to apply the logic to physical objects.The final stage of development would be formal ope rational which takes place from age 11 onwards. At early adolescents stage, manipulation of ideas without the dependence of concrete manipulation takes place. A child is able to combine and classify items in a critical, analytical and creative way of action solving. Cognitive psychology also views people as being similar to a computer that is used to process information. A human brain and a computer processes information, stores the data and has input and output procedures. This shows that a human’s memory comprises of three stages: encoding (receiving of information), storage (information is saved) and retrieval (information is recalled) (McLeod, Psychology Perspective, 2007)The initiative to learn leads to cognitive response like when an individual who takes an interest in learning a new language woud be intrinsically motivated to master the language. The individual would be motivated to pick up the new language skills due to the high level of interest towards the subject m atter. This allows information to be collected, stored for future usage and would be retrieved once again when needed. When there is a high level of interest in learning something new, or simply a curiousity that grows within an individual to know more of a certain subject matter, this allows cognitive process to take place easily compared to an individual who is forced to take up a new language skill with low level of interest. The environmental surrounding is also a factor that relates to cognition process.When an individual with high interest of learning a new language is surrounded by people who are as motivated as him and have positive attitude, it motivates the individual to lean further into the subject matter. Psychologist from the biological perspective studies the interrelation of behaviour and experience with the chemical processes that takes places in the nervous system of the body. The electrochemical activities between the neurons in the nervous system and the brain ca use humans to react such as to think, to feel, to eat, and basically any other behaviour that makes up an individual’s daily life. (Sammons, 2009) The study of biological psychology can be categorized as, firstly, comparative method whereby different species of animal can be studied and compared. This helps in the understanding of human behaviour.Secondly, physiology which is the study of the functionalism and relation between then nervous system, hormones and brain function and how a sudden change in a stimulus such as the environment can change an individual’s behaviour. Lastly, inheritance, which is the study of genetics, ways in which genes affect an individual’s behaviour. (Mcleod, 2007) In regards to this, we can study how the stimulus affects the chemical processes that take place in a human’s mind to understand the teory of learning motivation in a human. The exposure to stimulus of learning would trigger a response, for example in a case of nicot ine addiction in a family trait.A pregnant mother who has a serious addiction of nicotine is likely to transfer such chemical process and gene to her newborn child as the bloodstream within the mother and the newborn is infiltrated with nicotine. They are often adviced to inhibit the intake of nicotine during pregnancy to avoid genetics defects in their newborn. However, we can often see that parents who smoke in front of their child during the early stages of the newborns life, are likely to impact the newborn at an early stage of nicotine addiction too. It is also due to the stimulus surrounding of the infant that would trigger such response from the growing child. Behavioral traits from parents are passed down to their children too and hence would have a generation of nicotine addicts in that family.We can see that this is an intrically motivated biological behavior of learning how to pick up a cigarette stick directly from the parents themselves to influence the future generatio n to be addicted to nicotine too. In conclusion to the study of learning motivation in aspects of five perspectives of psychology, we can see that each perspective is interrelated with the study of behavior and environment as factors that separate an intrinsically or extrinsically motivated outcome. A wise man once said, ‘Your life is simply within your mind’s control. Trick your mind into thinking positive and you shall have a prosperous life, or treat it to negative seeds and you shall bare the fruits of negativity in your daily life response. ’