Monday, September 30, 2019

Should Cigarette Smoking Be Banned

Smoking has been part of our life for many centuries now. It has evolved from simple tobacco type rolled in leaf to a more refined stick that has filter. Many people because of the smoke it produces. Many studies have suggested that smoking carries with it many different disease complications and that it should be limited if not totally banned. In my opinion smoking should definitely be banned in public places as it not only has deleterious effects on the non smokers present there but also may cause allergic coughing to many people. Besides, many youngsters are fascinated by the act of smoking and try to imitate it which may later develop into a habit. The first and foremost argument for the implementation and regulation of a smoking ban is very obviously, health related. No one who smokes is unaware of the various ill effects that it has. The number of chemicals that are present in one single cigarette is mind boggling. And regular smoking can lead to severe health conditions like oral cancer, lung cancer, etc. Why someone would want themselves to go through such an ordeal is beyond most people. While smokers may argue that it is an addiction, what they cannot answer is that: is this addiction stronger than the value of their lives? The more they smoke, the more susceptible they become to adverse health conditions. So, there's no real motive for people to want them to stop smoking, in private or in public, but for their own better health. Smoke which arises when a person smokes a cigarette, bide or cigar is more hazardous to a passive smoker who inhales the smoke being in close vicinity of the active smoker. The smoke being inhaled by the former is unfiltered thereby causing more ill effects. Several pulmonary diseases such as cough, bronchitis, asthma and last but not the least carcinoma of lungs may occur as a consequence of smoking. Next, this may be the most overused argument for people to stop smoking in the presence of other people: the passive smoking effect. It's not like they don't know that they are putting others' health and lives in danger, they do it in spite of it. Smoking around people has an effect on their health as well. Sometimes, these conditions can get even worse than those of the smokers themselves. Where's the justice in that? People who smoke get affected, and people around them, because of them, get affected too. It's high time smokers realized their intentional ignorance and took some responsibility. If not for themselves, at least for those around them. If they argue about their ‘rights' being infringed by banning smoking, what about the rights of those getting affected by their incessant puffing? Are they not entitled to clean fresh air to breathe. The clean, fresh air that smokers make it so difficult to maintain. Many countries such as India have implemented a ban on public smoking. It has become mandatory to have no smoking zones in all eating joints, recreation centers etc. This practice may seem as a curbing of ones right to freedom especially to the smokers but surely this step will go a long way in achieving a healthier life style. Many people who gradually become aware of the ill effects of smoking are turning towards dead diction centers to get rid of this habit. Even the advocates of smoking in public areas disapprove of the practice when it comes to their off springs. Witnessing the elders smoking kindles similar desire in a youngster thereby giving birth to a new generation aft smoker. Advertently or inadvertently, smokers do tend to influence those around them. Whether it is a teenager who's just entered high school, or a young child watching his father smoking at home or even a working professional who is trying to fit in with his colleagues; it is very easy to get influenced by someone who is seen smoking, especially when the smoker gives it so much importance and glorifies it like it is the best thing to do. This definitely has an impact on what the person thinks about smoking, and it more often than not, leads people to begin smoking. If smokers argue that it is up to the people to make their own decisions and that they shouldn't smoke if they don't want to, then they are very highly underestimating the power of peer pressure. In conclusion, To avoid these evils of smoking and ensure a healthy platform for the youth it is not only our duty but need of the day to condemn such practices if not completely then at least socially.. Claiming smoking withdrawal symptoms is just an excuse that smokers take refuge in. What they do not realize is that they have the power to control, and eventually stop the terrible habit that has affected and continues to affect millions across the globe. Will they not make it a better, cleaner and safer place to live in for their own future generations? So, if an answer is required for the question: should smoking be banned in public places or even in private areas, then it is a very straightforward one: YES, it should! In general, I think the world be a better place without cigarettes. However, the decisions as to whether to smoke or not should be for each individual to make.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

How atmosphere is created in Victorian ghost stories Essay

â€Å"Discuss and compare how atmosphere is created in three Victorian ghost stories† Atmosphere is created in Victorian ghost stories by using a few main factors- -Characters -figurative language -setting -themes -Era (period of time) The majority of Victorian ghost authors use these factors because they are best to create atmosphere in any story, i.e. for a theme you can use fear, and for a setting you can use an old abandoned mansion, a story can easily be set around this because the two factors fit together as the same genre. The first author that will be used as an example will be using as an example will be Charles Dickens, he was born in 1812, He had a marvellous photographic memory which helped him base some of his characters on people he had met earlier on in his life. The story I will be focusing on by dickens will be â€Å"THE SIGNALMAN†, this story is a good choice because its atmosphere is built up as soon as you read the story, â€Å"THE SIGNALMAN† is being narrated by the gentleman in the story, he is a means for creating atmosphere because he puts in a first person perspective, he gives opinion and tells you what the scenery looks like, characters are almost a part of the setting, they create a mood, for example the protagonist in the story spends most of his time learning from the signalman- â€Å"how I ought to act, having become the recipient of this disclosure? I had proved the man to be intelligent, vigilant, painstaking, and exact†, at first the protagonist sees the signalman to be a solitary, ghost of a man, but getting to know him, he sees him as a man waiting for something to come (this is now figurative language), what the author is trying to tell you is that he is not waiting to change the train track, but is waiting for the warning (or signal) towards his death. One of the themes is either death or hell, for example, in the start the signalman was shocked when the narrator yells at him â€Å"halloa, below there†, the signalman thinks that the protagonist is a ghost (the signal man is waiting for death). A quote that can support the theme of hell is: â€Å"just then there came a vague vibration of the earth and air, quickly changed into a violent pulsation and an oncoming rush that caused me to start back†, this shows that this character is not use to trains (most likely because of the era (period of time) , in which trains are relatively new and many people are scared of them), he may find them monstrous, figuratively, the ground quivering and the protagonist going down into the trench may possibly mean the earth is opening, and he is descending into hell. The era (period of time) also helps with the building of the atmosphere for the reason that the story is set around trains, and in Victorian times the general public were scared of trains which would add to the eeriness of the account being told. The author will use characters as a tool to build atmosphere by explaining what he or she looks like, how they act and what they do, for example, â€Å"And drawing nearer to him, saw that he was a dark sallow man with a dark beard and rather heavy eyebrows†, the narrator is describing the signalman as a person who does not interact with others and as if he is already dead because of his pale skin, deep voice, and in another part of the story he is described as having â€Å"an infection of the mind†, adding to the theme of death. The setting in the signalman is dim and creepy, this is explained by the protagonist, â€Å"down in the deep trench, and mine was so high above him, so steeped in the angry sunset†, the trench described in this quote is intended to represent the protagonist on earth, looking down into his grave, it could be that the point of the story is to represent the protagonist’ death. The next Victorian ghost author that will be used is Abraham stoker (Bram stoker); he is best known as the creator of the fictional character Count Dracula. The story which will be used is â€Å"THE JUDGES HOUSE†. One of the themes in this story is fear, this is mainly created by using setting and characters, for example, the protagonist, Malcolm Malcolmson needs a place of solitude to do his scientific research and so he finds † an old shambling, heavy built house of Jacobean style , with heavy gables and windows, set higher than normal, customary houses† he finds the perfect house for his research, this is also the perfect house to build suspense, horror and the theme, fear. This particular story brings different eras(periods of time) to it because the house that malcolmson takes residency in has a history, as malcolmson asks to stay in the house to the landlady, she replies â€Å"not in the judges house!, she said, and grew pale as she spoke†¦ the abode of the judge who was held in great terror because of the harsh sentences and his hostility towards the prisoners at assizes†, this makes the plot, and in turn it creates a negative atmosphere towards the house. This quote can also explain how the characters create atmosphere by use of their language , another example of this would be † mercy on us†, said Ms. Witham â€Å"an old devil, and sitting on a chair by the fireside , take care sir, take care†, Ms. Witham the woman speaking, sounds as if she is nervous just talking about the judge. In this story a setting can also represent a character i.e. the rats are meant to represent the judge, because it keeps catching the attention of malcolmson, â€Å"he raised a book in his right hand and taking careful aim, flung it at the rat, it sprang aside like a missile, he took another book and repeated his action, and a third, until he had only one book left, the rat squeaked and seemed afraid, malcolmson more eager to strike, the book flew with a resounding blow†. The book that hit the rat was the bible, usually in any Victorian ghost story the protagonist will have to use a religious object to get rid of the villain, i.e. in Bram stokers â€Å"Dracula† the protagonist (van Helsing) uses a cross to fend Dracula. So the rat (the judge) will have to be scared of the bible. The rats are also meant to representing the judges evil spreading like a plague, and ruining everybody’s lives around it. The last author that will be used to answer the question is Herbert George wells (h.g wells) he was a Victorian sci-fi writer most famous for his novel â€Å"war of the worlds†. The story he wrote that will be used is the â€Å"THE RED ROOM†. This will give good examples of how atmosphere is created by using characters; in the beginning of the story there is a conversation between the protagonist and the pensioners, the pensioners help create atmosphere because they are all somehow crippled, for example, â€Å"its your own choosing†, said the man with the withered arm once more†¦ a second old man entered, more bent, more wrinkled, more aged than the first. The reason these characters are like this is because they keep having to lecture the protagonist about not going to the red room, he won’t listen because no one would like to believe two senile old pensioners over their own opinion. The setting of the red room is a slightly different to other ghost stories because it is less secluded (there are more characters in the key building). It seems bizarre that the antagonist would only appear when a character is alone, as if it is shy: â€Å"as I stood undecided, an invisible hand seemed to sweep out the two candles on the table, with a cry of terror I dashed to the alcove†. The example of era (period in time) that happens in the story is more of a thought than it being existent: â€Å"an older age when things spiritual were indeed to be feared, when common sense was uncommon, an age, when omens and witches were credible, and ghost beyond denying†. This creates an Atmosphere of wickedness because it reminds you of the period in which everything was religious (religion can get rid of evil) and the church led the public to be against witches, demons and the devil. In all three of the stories there will be a person(s) who has experienced or witnessed the horrors that have happened before, they create atmosphere by giving the story a history.` Conclusion: Atmosphere is created in Victorian ghost stories by using some of the factors said before -Era (period of time) -Theme -Characters -Setting These factors are HOW atmosphere is created in these three Victorian ghost stories because they are best to put what is needed for a ghost story in the plot: suspense, history, death and a mystery to be solved.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison - Essay Example This approach advocates for the natural process in order to remove harmful chemicals from the affected regions. During this process, microbes that are artificially prepared or naturally available consume the hydrocarbon that is found in the affected mixture of petroleum and water. This article depicts Traditional gas chromatographs and Modern GCxGC as two approaches to understanding the chemical composition of the spilled fuel. Even though the technology was effective in demarcating some harmful chemical components in an oil sample, it is incapable of resolving minute chemical components of the oil sample. Modern GCxGC is effective as compared to the Traditional gas chromatographs in that it is able to delineate various compounds found in the oil sample regardless of their sizes. Even though Florida spill occurred more than three decades ago, the area is still affected. According to the studies done by scientists, microbes are not consuming the compounds found in the remaining oil sp ill. Some of the reasons that might have caused lack of consumption by the microbes including lack of oxygen in the sediments, or lack of sulfate in the environment. Sulfate is a chemical compound. In 2003, another spill occurred in Buzzards Bay where more than 98,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel was spilled.Various researchers including Bob Nelson collected the samples for analyses. The results from the analysts indicated that major compounds of the oil spill evaporated, degraded by microbes or were water washed.... Robot submarines The robot submarines that were controlled by a remote were an additional technology that ensured petroleum that was far deep in the sea was reached. Through this technology, the flow of oil deep the sea can be regulated. In the same way, through complex machines that are installed by the robot submarines are able to prevent the freezing of natural gas. It is important to note that through the use of this technology, 10 biggest oil producing companies have increased their oil reserves by 5% (Roger 6). Conclusion Based on the above analyses, it is vital to note that the role of technology in the oil extraction cannot be overlooked. The emulation of the four technologies that include 4-D approach, injection of steam and carbon dioxide, use of remote controlled robot submarines and directional drilling has resulted to an increase of oil production by more than 20% in the year 2010.This article is interesting in that it indicates how the technology in the oil extraction p rocess is significance in increasing the global oil reserves. Due to the recent global fuel crises, companies should emulate modern technology to diversify their oil reserves as a major step to curd the current shortage that has resulted to global high fuel prices and inflation. Article on oil in our costal back yard This article covers on the awful effects of oil spills that have been experienced in various parts of the world. One of the major oil spills that triggered the interest of scientists such as George Hampson and Howard Sanders occurred at Cape Cod in 1969 (Christopher 1). During that time No. 2 oil whose capacity was 189, gallons were spilt. The rocky and narrow water ways are the major cause of oil spills in New

Friday, September 27, 2019

Change Implementation Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Change Implementation Plan - Essay Example Objectives- To study the proposal of the new shift being enforced by the management, To understand the concerns and interests of the stakeholders in implementing the new plan, Identify and negotiate potential constraints and concerns in implementation of the plan and To help build effective strategies for sustenance of the shift plan while communicating regularly to the management, of the negotiation process and results. Goals, concerns and interests Goals- each of the three parties representing staff who view the change positively, staff who view the change negatively and the manager who represents the management of the unit need to agree positively on the outcomes and usefulness of the new shift plan as teamwork is seen to increase quality of care provided by nurses resulting in improved patient satisfaction (Kalisch et al, 2007). Concerns- the report of the trial implementation reveal that the decision to implement the new shifts is completely the management’s decision with no staff involvement or contribution to the plan. Also, the trade union has not been consulted on the usefulness and implementation of the plan. There are two affinities within the staff, those who view the change positively and those who view the change negatively. ... There is a need to evaluate the negotiation process from the viewpoint of these representatives too. Choice of conflict management style (dominating, obliging, avoiding, compromising, and integrating) is also important as it varies from individual to individual (Mary, 2012). Interests- while the management may be committed to cost cutting and improving efficiency in implementing the new plan, a section of the employees and may be their representatives too may be concerned that the decision making did not involve all stakeholders of the unit. As Barrett (2012) has stressed on a values-driven corporate culture for organizations to be successful and this applies to the medical unit as values that the management holds for the unit need to be communicated to the employees while it attempts to increasingly adapt its interests and values in accordance to the interests of all the stakeholders of the unit. Potential constraints Posner (2012) notes that information flows in an organization whe n individual employees are empowered as the authority and power of individuals collectively can foster a better environment where facts, truth, insights, knowledge and possibilities evolve. This is the corporate culture that Barrett (2012) discusses while referring to vision-guided employee fulfillment. As the unit in the present situations seemly lacks a focus on building a quality environment taking into consideration the contribution of individual employees to the unit’s vision, there is a possibility that the implementation of the plan may affect the staff morale in turn affecting the performance in due course. Strategies for negotiation and rationale An integrating approach to conflict management by the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Art in the Renaissance Period Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art in the Renaissance Period - Research Paper Example In this paper, I aim to clearly and succinctly discuss the unique characteristics of Renaissance art by highlighting on three aspects: firstly, the philosophical underpinnings that drove the movement toward humanism; secondly, the essence of human beauty and its translation to fine arts; and lastly, the purpose of a Renaissance artist in society. In the end, I wish to underscore that the unique articulation of the idealistic conception of human beauty—as brought about by philosophy—influenced many Renaissance artists in the creation of their individual pieces of art which all conformed to the achievement of ‘human perfection’. Historical Context of the Renaissance The Renaissance was a cultural revolution that began in Florence, Italy in 1400, and spread throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. Since the reinforcement of humanism became the central focus during this period, the artistic themes during the Renaissance shifted from the theological and the supe rnatural expression of the relation of God with His creatures to the individual empowerment and worldly experience of man. In this sense, the Renaissance reinterpreted the pagan classical literature and philosophy of the Greeks and Romans in order to challenge contemporary Catholic beliefs (Kreis A, 2009). It must be pointed out, however, that the Renaissance was triggered by the increasing sophistication of society during that time, as fuelled by economic growth, improvement in the educational system, and political stabilization (Haughton, 2004). Firstly, the construction of libraries and other educational hubs allowed people to gain more knowledge about the histories of past cultures, which paved the way for better appreciation of Greek and Roman cultures. Secondly, the maturing influence of wealthy families in Italy helped fund certain art projects, such as sculpture, painting, and architecture, and made them available for public viewing. Renowned families like the Medic Family o f Florence and the Sforza Family of Milan channeled in most of their personal savings to certain projects which were geared toward the beautification of cathedrals and small churches (Haughton, 2004). With this, it can be said that the Renaissance redeemed the status of liberal arts by discovering its special place in societal life. Beauty in Renaissance Art Since Renaissance art was focused on reviving the appreciation of human essence by underscoring the physical and spiritual facets of man, the success of such goal rested heavily on the exact articulation of human beauty. This idea consolidated the definitive characteristic of Renaissance art—that which is ‘beautiful’. As such, it is crucial to point out that although the definition of beauty was subject to both the artist’s and viewer’s interpretation, there were certain elemental features which Renaissance artists took into consideration during the creation of their art. From the perspective of sensible art experience, Renaissance painters and sculptors were able to incorporate other disciplines to enhance their artwork. For example, anatomical dissection led to new accuracy in depicting the masculine and feminine physiological features; mathematics developed the laws of perspective to position human figures into believable landscape; and chemistry blended new pigments to bolster the artistic impact (Haughton, 2004). These innovations can be seen concretely in Boticelli’

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Lafarge-Aget Heracles Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Lafarge-Aget Heracles - Case Study Example Lafarge- Aget Heracles is one of the leading producers of cement. The company has not been able to witness rapid growth within the industry. Some of the problems which are acting as major setbacks to the growth of the company are inability to offer a differentiated product line, huge freight costs added with under utilization of capacity. Out of these problems, the most vital being the inability of the company to offer diverse products which might become one of the principal causes leading to a huge loss of market shares. The company needs to address this problem and the consequences it may suffer as a result of this persistent problem. To strengthen its competitive edge in the market, the company needs to innovate its product line with the help of sophisticated technologies. Though other problems also needs proper resolution, but in this report we limit our scope of study to the analysis of one of the most crucial problem faced by the company which is inability of offering a differe ntiated product line. One of the biggest problems challenging Lafarge - Aget Heracles is their inability to differentiate their product line. The need of a differentiated product line was constantly felt within the cement industry and Aget, being one of the major players of the industry, was very much aware of the fact. To build a niche in the market, it was becoming necessary for Aget to innovate its product line. The need of environment friendly cement mixtures and specialty cement was becoming ardent. To ensure rapid growth in an industry, businesses need to adopt strategies to render higher customer satisfaction and offer value-added products and services. Aget was falling back on this aspect. Looming under its huge cost structure, it was felt that Aget was not keen on implementing innovation strategies. This was becoming an absolute necessity for Aget in order to strengthen its competitive edge in the industry as a whole. Aget was not able to develop its existing product line or offer new products and was becoming unable to meet the changing needs of the customers. For example, government institutions were demanding certain kinds of cement mixtures and specialty cements which would be environment friendly and would not contribute to the depletion of natural resources. With the development of the infrastructure industry in various regions across the world, for example in the middle-east, the demand for a special type of cement was becoming more and more apparent which would ensure greater durability to the infrastructure. But like other cement manufacturers across the world, Aget seemed to underestimate the need of an innovative product line as it

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Reading response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Reading response - Assignment Example The book, in many ways, is a summary of the author’s journey of three decades as an author, an educator and social activist. The dominant themes of the essays featuring in this collection are the red power, the white church, the contradictory worldviews, liberating theology, practices of the state and ancient conventions relevant in the modern world. The author was of the view that the Native American style of life was reliant mainly on visions, whereas the life of the whites was centred chiefly on ideas. The same point of view is upheld in the essays in ‘For This Land’. Deloria, in this book, covers a wide variety of topics relating to religion and spirituality, which range from the protest movement of the Indians to the violation of agreements with the tribal communities in the US. He also talks about the immense struggle put forward by the Indians for the sake of preserving their holy sites and gaining access to the same on their traditional occasions. The author does not deter from mentioning even some seriously controversial issues concerning the federal agencies, museums and curio shops in the US. He candidly reveals issues such as the withholding of the human remnants and funeral offerings of American Indians. The focus of the essays in this book is on the religious facets and associations we find in the lives of human beings. Apparently his writing seems to be distant from ideological contexts and verging entirely on the theoretical framework of physical space. But as the thoughts progress, we realise that the author has been successful in involving our intellectual faculties by insinuating us to rethink our beliefs. He questions our established religious institutions and experiences, reveals all kinds of controversies that have engulfed those and compels us to ponder over our deep-rooted beliefs. ‘For This Land’ is a masterpiece from one of the foremost critics of American history. It presents a unique

Monday, September 23, 2019

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Business strategy - Essay Example The report also includes discussion on the basis and sustainability of Zara’s competitive advantage in the global market followed by recommendations of a few strategic options for future sustainability and success. For centuries, clothing has remained an important aspect of human society. Even from the Stone Age until today, humans continued to use different materials to arrange clothing for themselves. In addition, as the years passed by and the human race evolved, affection towards clothing turned into a separate textile and fashion field that has now become a multibillion dollar industry with hundreds of organisations catering millions of people every day. In midst of such a competition, a few organisations have been successful in acquiring their brand image and having a name in the textile and clothing industry. ‘Zara’ (Inditex, 2011) is one of such clothing brands that although founded only four decades ago; however, it has been able to dominate the clothing and fashion industry not only in its founding country Spain but also all over the world. Particularly, ‘Inditex’ is the main company that owns the Zara brand along with different other brands, such as Bershka, Pull & Bear, Oysho, (Inditex, 2013) and recently, Zara Home with approximately eighteen hundred outlets in more than eighty-five countries (Inditex, 2015) that indicate the extent of success that Zara and mainly, Inditex has achieved in the industry. As result, Zara has often come under analysis for the purpose of studying successful companies and to understand strategies that the company employed since 1975, which has enabled it to become one of the most successful companies in the world. This report is also an attempt to analyse external and internal aspects of Zara along with evaluating company’s response to various challenges that it has confronted during all these years. Particularly, the report will focus on strategic management (David, 2013) of the company, and will

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Healthcare Systems Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare Systems Management - Essay Example Another option is 'taking direct action to reduce expenditure on pharmaceuticals, both by encouraging the use of generic drugs and by restricting or prohibiting the use of expensive branded pharmaceuticals' (CEC 2002, p43). Suppliers of medical equipment may be asked to reduce the astronomical prices they charge for their goods in exchange for some Government incentives such as reduced taxes or more tenders or contracts. 'Nanomedicine is a further exciting new field that has the potential to revolutionize healthcare. It involves the monitoring, repair, construction and control of human biological systems at the molecular level, using engineered "nanodevices" PricewaterhouseCoopers 1999, p22).' New medical opportunities could totally revolutionize healthcare systems despite concerns about spiraling costs. These technologies include Genomics, biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, telesurgery and robotics. The Education Authorities should be proactive in redressing the shrinking pools of talent and young recruits. On the other hand the Immigration department could also play a major role by providing healthcare professionals who have fled their countries to play a hand in developing the health care system.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Effect of the Russian Orthodox Religion Essay Example for Free

The Effect of the Russian Orthodox Religion Essay Orthodox Christianity has had an immense effect on the culture of Russia. The adoption of the Orthodox faith from Constantinople by Prince Vladimir in 988 introduced cultural influences that profoundly affected the Russian consciousness. As the people embraced Orthodoxy it developed a uniquely Russian flavor and rooted deep in the fertile Russian soul. Orthodoxy had a major impact on politics, art, and nearly every other aspect of Russias culture. Orthodoxy helped forge Russias world view and defined her place in the world. The church affected the thought patterns and motivations of a whole culture and changed the way Russians thought about themselves and the ways that they lived their lives. The church acted as a unifying factor for the Russian nation. Church holidays and fasts enriched and brought meaning to the cycle of seasons and sowing in the subsistence society. Russians possessed a deep religious faith and from it they derived a sense of purpose in the universe and the promise of salvation. The church nourished and preserved the culture of Russia during centuries of internal strife and foreign intervention. Orthodox people feel a strong sense of community and brotherhood towards one another through a shared bond of faith. As a result of this emphasis on community, the rights of the group tend to take precedence over the rights of the individual in Russian culture. The Orthodox and Catholic faiths had an adversarial relationship for years. As this rift deepened and grew increasingly antagonistic, the rift between the East and the West also grew. The difference in religion between Russia and Europe can largely explain the vast differences that developed in their cul tures. The Tsar of All Russia derived his power and right to rule from his status as Gods chosen representative on earth. As it is God alone who bestowed power on the tsar, it was in the best interest of the monarchy to protect and promote the church. This conception of the tsar possessing a divine right to rule contributed to the political passivity of the Russian people. In the Byzantium tradition the concept of symphonia defined the relationship between the church and the state and acted as a balance on the unlimited power of the tsar. As the head of the church and the head of the state, the metropolitan and the tsar were equals and the metropolitan had the right to  censure the tsar. The dispute between the Possessors and the Non-Possessors challenged the idea of symphonia, or harmony and cooperation between the pillars of society. The Possessors and the Non-Possessors held vastly different ideas about the role the church should play in society and politics. When the philosophy of the Possessors triumphed, the church gained the right to wealth and serfs at the expense of political influence. The tsar became superior to the metropolitan, and the regime could now interfere in secular matters of the church. The release of the tsar from any source of accountability left the tsar with absolute, unlimited power. The abuses of Ivan the Terrible typify the danger of absolute rule left unchecked. The Russian people actually believed that God had sent Ivan to rule Russia as a punishment for her sins. The split between the two factions caused the losers, the Non-Possessors, to be reviled as heretics. This had a negative effect because the church came to be represented by a faction instead of through a consensus. This led to only one set of ideas being developed in the church and the culture and as a result it lost some of its vitality. The Possessors made ritual sacrosanct. Every gesture, word, and movement was significant and to deviate from the service in any way would be heresy. This emphasis in the exterior form of religion over inner exultation paved the way for another conflict that was to seriously undermine the power of the church. The third Rome theory was formulated by the monk Philotheus in the fifteenth century. He asserted that Russia was the heir and protector of the only true faith. Rome and Constantinople had both fallen and Moscow was the third and final seat of Orthodoxy. This theory legitimized the Russian Orthodoxys power and affirmed that she was no longer dependent on Constantinople. A church schism occurred in the seventeenth century due to changes in ritual implemented by the Patriarch Nikon. His attempts to rectify inconsistencies in the rituals of the Greeks and the Russians were merely to establish greater solidarity and continuity between the two faiths. Russia was trying to help the Greeks who were living under Turkish rule since 1439. Russia had a sense of manifest destiny and she felt that she had been chosen to defend the Eastern Orthodox peoples. The belief that ritual must be sacrosanct caused the alteration of ritual to be considered heretical. Those who  refused to change their rhythms of worship were called Old Believers and they were executed and silenced by the authorities. The Old Believers insisted on following the old forms because they feared committing heresy. The way they saw the situation was that Rome had fallen because of heresy. Moscow was the last seat of Orthodoxy and if Russia fell from the grace of God, it would mean the end of the world. The basic issue in the schism was the relationship between the Russian and Orthodox churches. Some felt that since Russia had adopted Orthodoxy from Byzantium she should remain a junior partner. Others felt that it was Russias destiny to be a leader and to free her Eastern brethren. The Orthodox relegion has been essential to the people to bring them a sense of hope and destiny and a glimpse of heaven on earth. The choice of Orthodoxy was as influential as the Mongul Yoke on the formation of the Russian character. Orthodoxy brought the people a lot of joy, created a sense of community, intensified the countries isolation, created beautiful art, started wars, complicated politics, and best of all, reminded the people to love each other.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Relationship Between Extroversion And Physiological Measures Psychology Essay

The Relationship Between Extroversion And Physiological Measures Psychology Essay There has been a substantial research into the relationship between how extroverted an individual is and their physiological measures (Eysenck, 1967, cited in Martin, Carlson, Buskist, 2007). Many studies have been carried out across the world to investigate this relationship and how environment and genetics can contribute to extroversion within individuals. The present study looked at the relationship between extraversion and physiological measures in Psychology undergraduate students in the UK. No significant correlation was found between extroversion and heart rate or extroversion and galvanic skin response. The relationship between extroversion and physiological measures in university students There has been much research into the relationship between arousal in response to a number of different tasks in both introverts and extroverts. Eysenck (1967) (cited in Martin, Carlson, Buskist, 2007) suggested extroversion is a reflection of the state we do not show within our central nervous system (CNS). He stated that happiness and sociability were two of the main traits associated with extroversion. In a study investigating happiness and extroversion in undergraduate students, it was found that the two were significantly correlated. These differences support the idea that introverts are different to extroverts in that extroverts seek out more stimulating environments. The present study set out to investigate further into this idea by looking at the relationship between extroversion and physiological measures in Psychology students at a university in the UK. Studies into the origins of extroversion within an individual have been widely conducted to understand why a person may be so extroverted or introverted; heritability seems to play a large contributing factor. In a study comparing monozygotic twins and dizygotic twins, monozygotic twins were shown to give the most alike results with 70% of the twins tested, being similarly extrovert (Zuckerman, 1991, cited in Martin, Carlson, Buskist, 2007). This study does not support the idea that extroverts are affected by their environment unlike most research into extroversion, it simply states that genetics are the cause. Similar studies to this report have supported previous research like into whether biological factors differ within introverts and extroverts. A study into physiological measures and extroversion was carried out in Singapore where the results showed lower extroversion scores were correlated with heightened cardiovascular reactivity while higher extroversion scores were correlated with lower cardiovascular reactivity. The study also found that higher extroversion was linked to lower cardiovascular reactivity during stress tasks and seemed to affect how individuals express and cope with anger (Jonassaint et al., 2009). This study helps to support the notion that Eysenck proposed which says that introverts are more likely to feel uncomfortable in a stimulating situation, in this case cardiovascular activity, whereas extroverts are more likely to enjoy and seek out such environments. Heart rate and skin responses have also been significantly associated with male students performing a visu al vigilance task who were measured on the Eysenck personality inventory as introverts (Gange, Geen, Harkins, 1979). Research has also found differences in the brain between extroverts and introverts. In a study looking into whether there is a correlation between extroversion and blood flow when smelling unpleasant and pleasant odours, the part of the brain known as the amygdala in the temporal lobe, was strongly correlated with cerebral blood flow and higher extroversion scores when exposed to the pleasant odour (Vaidya et al., 2007). This piece of research supports the idea that extroverts are genetically different to introverts as they enjoyed the experience of the pleasant odour more than introverts did and their brain activation within the temporal lobe further supported this idea. Other studies have further supported how the environment, not genetics, may affect both introverts and extroverts and how they react differently. In a study investigating the effect of background music and noise on completing tasks in introverts and extroverts, it was found that introverts performed better overall on each task except one, and introverts appeared to be more affected by the presence of everyday music and noise than extroverts. (Cassidy MacDonald, 2007). Introverts are also more likely to respond more quickly to louder noise bursts than extroverts who tend to respond equally rapidly to varying noise intensities (Britt Blumenthal, 1991). These studies supports Eysenckà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s theory, which says that people whose brains are over-aroused, will find stimulating situations uncomfortable, and they will seek out quieter environments. Although this idea seems to be strongly supported, a study which researched Eysencks (1953) hypothesis of a relationship between extraversion and sympathetic nervous system activity used 42 undergraduate students and the outcome was not quite the same. These students were exposed to fear arousing conditions and their heart rate and galvanic skin response (GVR) were measured during this time (Small, 1976). Although you would expect a relationship, no significant correlation was found. This piece of research disconfirms Eysenckà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s hypothesis and this may be due to individual differences. In other words, maybe some extroverts are not under aroused and are actually over aroused, or maybe Eysenckà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s personality questionnaire is not as accurate in its outcomes as we may think when measuring personality. Although studies have been conducted in this area of research, the piece of research in this report was carried out to further provide support for this area of study. The relationship between extraversion and physiological measures was tested on Psychology undergraduate students at a university in the UK. It used a questionnaire designed to measure extroversion within an individual and a short maths test which was provided to cause the participants CNS to go into a state of high arousal. Based on previous findings, the hypotheses were that there would be a strong negative correlation between extroversion and heart rate and a strong negative correlation between extroversion and galvanic skin response. Method Participants Participants were 167 psychology students aged 18-65 studying at the University of Chester in Cheshire. The measures were taken from the sex ratio 1:4 males: females and the study used a stratified sampling method. Participants were treated in accordance with BPS guidelines and informed consent was obtained from each participant before taking part. Materials and apparatus The materials used included record sheets to write down the results for each participant, the maths task comprising of ten questions, rising in difficulty, using +,-,x and / operators, the Biopac (Biopac MP30 unit) with elecrodes (SS2L and SS3L leads to measure heart rate and GSR), the EPQ consisting of 23 questions which was filled out before the physiological measures were measured and a stopwatch to time each participant for 3 minutes completing the maths task. Procedure After initially consenting to take part in the research, students were given a 23 item questionnaire to complete, designed to measure how extroverted they are as people. Once completed, students were attached to BIOPAC consisting of electrodes being attached to the wrist, fingers and ankles which measured galvanic skin response and heart rate and given a maths task to complete, designed to get harder as you progressed in a small laboratory room for three minutes. They were timed using a stopwatch by another participant who had already taken part outside of the laboratory room. Once timed, results were taken from a ninety second interval of the three minutes and the mean was calculated using the BIOPAC software. The means were written down, both for heart rate and GSR. Design and analysis This was a repeated measures study. Participants took part in both the easy and difficult task. Heart rate and galvanic skin response were measured whilst the difficult task was being completed. Results Average heart rate scores from 137 participants were correlated with their EPQ scores using a Pearson correlation. This was conducted using SPSS v.20. The scatterplot is shown in Figure 1 below: The Pearson test showed no correlation between average heart rate scores and EPQ scores and the result was found to not be statistically significant. (r(137)=-0.049, p=0.567). Total EPQ scores from the 137 participants were also correlated with average GSR scores using a Pearson correlation. The scatterplot is shown in Figure 2 below: The Pearson test showed no correlation between average GSR scores and EPQ scores and the result was found to not be statistically significant. (r(137)=0.020, p=0.820). Discussion The results showed no significant correlation between extroversion and heart rate and so the null hypothesis could not be rejected. The correlation between extroversion and galvanic skin response was also not significantly correlated and so the null hypothesis was accepted. This study does not lend support to the findings of previous studies in this area of research into extroversion and physiological measures. A study Singapore mentioned in the introduction of this report found that extroverts were linked to lower cardiovascular reactivity during stress tasks and this seemed to affect how these particular individuals expressed and coped with anger (Jonassaint et al., 2009). Contrasting even further with the findings of this study, heart rate and skin responses have also been strongly correlated with students performing a visual endurance task who were scored on the EPI as introverts (Gange, Geen, Harkins, 1979). However some studies have also provided no support for the hypothesis of physiological measures being linked to extroversion. Small (1976), studied students exposed to fear arousing conditions whilst their heart rate and GVR was measured. He found no significant correlation, supporting the notion that extroversion does not correlate with physiological measures within different individuals. In addition to biological factors not always differing between introverts and extroverts, the environment playing an important role has also been criticised. In a study investigating the effect of familiar everyday or verbal noises on the cognitive performance of introverts and extraverts, no significant correlation was found (Avila, Furnham, McClelland, 2012). This piece of research provides evidence of there being no clear correlation between extroverts and introverts differing physiologically. Although the results did not provide significant hypotheses to support the notion that extroversion and physiological measures correlate, care must be taken with research that does support this idea. The direction of causality may be difficult to establish within this area of research. Physiological measures may not be caused by extroversion but other underlying factors. In a study by Cassidy MacDonald, 2007, introverts appeared to be more affected by the presence of everyday music and noise when completing written tasks than extroverts. However studies similar to this trigger issues as the outcome of results may not have been due to extroversion, but other personality traits of the participants. For example it may simply be that an individual may struggle to complete tasks or write when there is noise or music in the background. In this study extroversion was measured beforehand but there is a possibility that the results they obtained may have been due to demand characteristics wh ereby a participant may have wanted to look more sociable than they actually are. This would make them score highly on an extroversion scale but in reality they are much quieter and so should have been scored as an introvert. This would cause the piece of research to lack validity. In order to make this study more reliable, another study contained different participants should be carried out to ensure that similar results are obtained. Although the present study in this report contained a good sample size and had individuals from different age groups as its participants, it did not provide enough evidence to support the theory that extroversion causes an individual to enjoy stimulating environments, which in this case was the maths test. However, the findings in this report do lend support to the idea that extroversion and physiological measures are not strongly linked to one another (e.g. by Small, 1976). Overall, findings in this area of research lend support to the notion of encouraging children to become confident from a young age. For example, the more extroverted a person is, the more likely they are to be sociable and talk to others before a job interview and the more desirable they seem to be during such an interview (Caldwell Burger, 1998). In conclusion the present study found no significant correlation between extroversion and physiological measures in university students aged 18-65 in the UK and so cannot support Eysencks theory of extroversion. Future research into physiological measures and personality traits could be carried out to help support Eysencks theory; research into personality types as well as extroversion and individual traits could help to see which personality types cause certain physiological measures as well as particular traits more specifically. This could enable us to understand what truly causes a person to be an extrovert or an introvert, whether the answer lie in heritability and genetics, or the environment itself.