Project managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project managment - Assignment Example Supply Chain management Review, one of the industry’s leading prints published an article by David Anderson, Frank Brit and Donavon Favre titled: The seven principles of Supply Chain Management. This came at the time when the depth of SCM as a concept was relatively unexplored and the article therefore opened a door into further studies on how to better the idea and come up with improved models. According to Bowersox, Closs, & Cooper (2007), the 1997 article properly discussed the need to adapt supply chain to the needs of customers. The agreement with this is an indicator of the futuristic nature of the article by Anderson et al, who suggested that customers should be segmented according to their diverse service needs. The suggestion to use sales volume and profitability as the matrices for segmentation has since the production of this literature been adopted by industries and major trade channels. Amazon for example, applied this concept to initiate a program dubbed; Amazon Prime where free 2 day and one day shipping at a discounted rate is provided. In the midst of scepticism, customer numbers at Amazon has continued to rise since the launch of this program as evidence of its success. Chopra & Meindl (2001) in their book- Supply chain management: strategy, planning, and operation discussed the need to customize logistics networks if service to customers if to be optimised. According to them, once customers have been segments and their needs clearly outlined, logistics networks must then be tailored to best serve each segment. This in the end ensures that custom made solutions apply among the many groupings for maximum efficiency and profitability. Wang, Heng & Chau (2007) discussed the need to align demand planning across the entire supply chain so that data on demand is shared on a common platform among associates to ensure all those involved do not keep excess stock. This sharing of demand data ensured that partners know in real time where a specific

Medical data standards Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Medical data standards - Research Paper Example Through various tools that were developed by the team for the content specifications, it was possible to implement the project. This project enhanced interoperability in health care organizations, which amplified information on health technology. The article has outlined that, it is extremely important to introduce interoperability in health care institutions since the lack of it has prevented access and exchange of data. Therefore, one advantage of this system that was developed is that; it has reduced costs of operating health institutions; it has enhanced efficiency and proficiency in managing health care facilities; and has ensured that services being offered at these centers are of high quality. The article has further asserted that, as a result of the new information system, electronic health records (EHR) have been improved in the sense that, it is now possible to display all data belonging to patients. However, the article has outlined that, even though interoperability is being applied in health care settings, more research is still being done on more efficient systems so that various shortcomings on data handling in health care settings can be addressed. There are various pragmatic and policy efforts that are being put into place so that the development of interoperability capabilities can be accelerated for the good of health care facilities. As part of the article, the authors have outlined the structure of the NHIN trial implementations Project and its objectives. Objectives of this project were to enhance health information exchange among many organizations. The authors have described the whole project by outlining project specifications and how the project team worked so that success would be realized. The article has also outlined various lessons learned from the project and how these assisted the efficient exchange of data between various health care systems. From this, the article has identified

Critical Thinking Week 7 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking Week 7 - Coursework Example Pathogens are also spread through physical contact with dirty surfaces or even dirty day to day substances such as money, soil, doorknobs, etc. Money is known to be one of the dirtiest substances that people come into contact with on a day to day basis. Pathogens are also found on peoples skins. Individuals are always advised to ensure that they keep their hands clean and surfaces cleaned with an antiseptic to ensure that pathogens are cleared. Pathogens can be introduced into the body through physical touch, through the mouth and even through the air. Animals are also known to spread germs especially through their skin and hence the need for cleaning from time to time (IOWA State University). The spread of bacteria is very rapid and the only way that individuals can contain it is by ensuring that they wash their hands thoroughly before they eat and also maintaining clean environments around their homes. Direct contact can cause the spread of pathogens, and this can be reduced through the use of condoms, gloves, and masks. However, these are not 100% foolproof as some pathogens are known to pass through the tiny holes that the gadgets have. Indirect contact with pathogens is more common than direct contact and usually spread very fast. Some of the most common devices include doorknobs that cannot be avoided hence the need for regular disinfecting. Inhalation of the pathogens is perhaps more dangerous than the rest of the ways as it affects the individuals respiratory system, and its effects are more severe. It is advised that sick people avoid coming into contact when they have communicable illnesses, and those that have life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis should be quarantined until they are no longer in danger. Pathogens that come from vectors could be avoided through the use of insecticides, which involve killing the vector. The spread of airborne pathogens could be mi nimized by

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay Example for Free

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay At first glance the quote life is like a box of chocolates seems rather silly. How could such a large and complicated concept such as life be compared to something as small and simple as a box of chocolates? There have been two opposing viewpoints in regards to the meaning of this quote, and each viewpoint comes about by a different analysis of what life and chocolates represent as well as what they mean in todays world. The conclusion to the question can only come about through a thorough examination of the quote itself along with its possible entailments to see what both groups of people deem important and what they choose to ignore. Both arguments seem to work well to counter the other and show the flaws in the other explanations theory. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, life is a state, existence, or principle of existence conceived as belonging to the soul. Most people, when questioned about life would not have a very clear or concise answer because life is not something that is wholly tangible. In general life is considered to be everything that happens to a person from the moment they are born to the moment they die. All of their interactions with the world and all of their thoughts and actions. There does not seem to be any plan or order to these events, just everything that happens. Everything. Life is a long process with good, bad and indifferent points. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, a box is a container, usually with four stiff sides, a bottom, and a lid to pack or put things in, and chocolate is a substance made by roasting and grinding cacao seeds. A box of chocolates would logically be a container which holds cacao products. A scientific dissection of a box of chocolates would show a box (usually rectangular or heart shaped) filled with anywhere from one to dozens of small, individually wrapped chocolates. Usually the type of chocolate and the filling of each individual varies inside a given package. In America however, a box of chocolates means much more then this simple addition of definitions and a direct visual analysis would lead one to believe. A box of chocolates, in our referent system, is a symbol. It generally symbolizes  love, and through metonymy, has been made to mean love. When a gift of a box of chocolates is given on Valentines Day, it more than symbolizes love, it actually means love. The meanings have become blurred over the years as chocolate has become a standard gift. It is not an original thought to give someone chocolate, but more a means of showing love. Not an act of love, but merely an expression of love. The first group of people generally finish the simile life is like a box of chocolates with the conclusion you never know what youre gonna get. This group views all the meanings of life and of the box of chocolates and found the best compilation to be that both in life, and in chocolates, there is randomness and a lack of order. When a person walks out of the front door of his house on a Monday morning, there is no way for him to know if he is going to find a hundred dollar bill tucked under his doormat, or a large meteor that has fallen and crushed his car. Its hard to know if a day is going to be a good day or a bad day, you just know that it will be a day. The same holds true for eating a box of chocolates. When you open a box of chocolates, there are rows of non-differentiated chocolates. They all look the same, and yet you know some are filled with cream, some with caramel and some with coconut. When you pick one up, much like when the man opens his front door, there is no way of knowing if you will get a good chocolate (cream) or a bad chocolate (coconut), you just know youll get a chocolate. For both examples it will not be easy to tell if it was good or bad until the chocolate, or the day, has been completed. You never know what will happen. The second group of people generally finish the simile life is like a box of chocolates with the conclusion a thoughtless perfunctory gift that nobody really wants. This group takes up an opposing analysis and says that the important part of chocolates is not the randomness of them within the package, but instead the symbol that people dont really think in life, but instead just perform as they are expected to. Since chocolates have come to mean love, people no longer do creative things to express their love. They simple buy chocolates. Once the chocolates are delivered, then what. People dont actually want the chocolates, they want the love. Since the chocolates  have assumed the meaning of love, the chocolates themselves go to waste. Who wants to eat their love? Instead of being eaten immediately, as chocolates are truly intended to be, they are showed to friends and relatives, and eventually put on a shelf or in a cabinet. They will get eaten if someone shows desire, but its not important. Under this interpretation, life is pointless and merely for show. People dont do things because it is what they feel that they should, people do things because they are expected to (just as the lover is expected to give chocolate). It is better to put up an lofty facade, then to be true and honest to the people around you.

My Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy on Education Statement Teaching Essays

Philosophy on Education In the beginning there were students. the students learned what they were to do and what not to do. It continued on and on and still to this day we have students who are told what to do and not to do. They are told how to act, how to make decisions on their own, and how to make something of themselves. The student is taught that they need to learn so that they know more and to survive in today's society because most everyone today needs a good education. The student is taught in ways they will learn. They should also have a curriculum to follow to become the individual they were born to be; to make up their own minds and not to be persuaded to have the same ideas and thoughts as someone else. A student is one who learns. But how does the student learn? A student is a person who has their own mind their own thoughts they are an individual. A student explores their mind finding out what they want in life. They do so by experiencing things like the Pragmatist and Progressivist say. The student is also sometime influenced by a leader; they follow their parent's morals and standards when they are young and then some follow their friend's attitudes, feelings, or even actions as discussed by Rousseau in Emile. One's friends can cause the student to do things or act ways their parents could or could not have taught them to do or act. Some students on the other hand learn to be the leader. The ones who lead their friends end up doing what they want and the friends follow. The followers learn from experience most likely taught by their parents. A example of this is: Say one little girl is taught to play basketball then she thinks it would e a very good thing to show her friends to play also letting them feel the experience and allowing her friends to choose if they like it as much as she does. The little girl then has allowed her friends to decide if they will keep playing or quit because they don't like it. The followers will choose what they think is best for them.

Criminal Justice Reform Essay

A. I have a strong proposition for the California Legislature†¦and that is a strict and logical reform to the present Criminal Justice System in California. B. ‘The California Legislature is to be commended for its stance on crime. Not for their ‘get tough’ policies such as the ‘Three Strikes’ law but for their enactment of a little known section of the Penal Code entitled the ‘Community Based Punishment Act of 1994.’ (Senator Quentin Kopp, Time Magazine Feb 14, 1996) C. By passage of this act, the State of California has acknowledged the limitations of incarceration as both punishment and a deterrent to criminal behavior. D. The legislature has in fact declared that ‘California’s criminal justice system is seriously out of balance in its heavy dependence upon prison facilities and jails for punishment and its lack of appropriate punishment for nonviolent offenders and substance abusers who could be successfully treated in appropriate, less restrictive programs without any increase in danger to the public’ II. More facts, Opinions and Developmental Ideas A. In essence, this law proposes a community based system of intermediate restrictions for non-violent offenders that fall between jail time and traditional probation such as home detention with electronic monitoring, boot camps, mandatory community service and victim restitution, day reporting, and others. B. Pilot programs are to be developed as a collaborative effort between the state and counties requiring a community based plan describing the sanctions and services to be provided. C. A progress report on an actof this kind would be made by the California Board of Corrections on January 1, 1997 and annually thereafter to selected legislative committees. III. Informatives A. ‘It seems clear that the California Legislature has determined that incarceration is not appropriate for many criminal offenses and that alternative sanctions are preferable for non-violent offenders. ‘ (Randy Meyer, Political Official) B. But while this approach is to be applauded, its spreading prevents the fulfillment of its true potential. C. ‘By retaining those non-violent offenders that are currently in state prison and continuing to pursue defensive punishment at the local level in the form of short term ‘shock incarceration’ and bootcamps, the costly and ineffective methods of criminal behavior correction remain intact.’ (Charles Calderon-US News) D. By immediately eliminating incarceration for all non-violent offenses and requiring victim compensation and community service, resources can be committed to preventing crime rather than to the feeding and housing of offenders. E. This is consistent with the findings of the legislature and is cost efficient, requires minimal systemic change, and increases public safety and security. IV. The Proposal A. ‘Our current criminal justice system appears to be based upon the Old Testament proverb that ‘your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ Revenge thus plays a part of the punishment model.’ (LA Official Boland) From a societal standpoint, we expect punishment to prevent the offender and others from further criminal behavior. Incarceration of offenders as the punishment of choice thus theoretically provides revenge, individual  incapacitation, and restriction. But I submit that such a philosophical foundation is flawed. Revenge while understandable from an individual human perspective is not a proper basis for society’s response to the misbehavior of its laws. This human urge to punish should be removed from the current system and replaced with methods of restrictions that utilize the offender’s potential to benefit his victim and society at large. In other words, in a free society the end desired is the correction of behavior that utilizes the least force . This conforms to the principles of limited government, efficiency, reduced cost, and personal freedom as advocated by both liberals and conservatives alike. The basic underlying concept of this proposal is that incarceration should be reserved for those who are violent and thus dangerous to the public. Violent crimes would be defined broadly to include any act or attempt to injure the person of another except by accident. This would therefore range from murder to driving under the influence with current distinctions of misdemeanor and felony offenses remaining in place. The court sentencing procedures would also be modified to exclude incarceration for non-violent crimes with an emphasis on victim restitution and community service. The court would maybe rely on probation reports to provide the necessary offender personal history including employment, job skills (or lack of), and personal resources, e.g. bank accounts, property ownership, etc. Based on this information, the court would apply the appropriate sentence of victim restitution and community service with close monitoring by probation officials. As with all human endeavors, compliance by offenders would most likely not be 100%. The threat of incarceration would have to exist for those failing to submit to or comply with court ordered repayment and public service. Many will not agree with this due to the complexity and in many cases there can be more harm done then it could be beneficial. But for the most part there  is no reason to believe that the failure rate would be any higher under this type of system than is currently the case V. Conclusion This proposal provides a policy alternative to the current criminal justice emphasis on incarceration as punishment. It is based on the premise of effectiveness and cost efficiency with a high regard for individual liberty that is essential to a free society. It moves away from the concept of punishment and focuses on a more functional goal of victim and societal repayment. The proposal offers prevention at the front end rather than repayment at the back end of crime reduction efforts. The advantages of such a system are numerous. One of the most important assets of a revision of this kind is that of allowing for a major change in the criminal justice system with a minimum of disruption to the status quo. Rather than requiring an entire systemic change, this proposal works within the current practices of the court, police, and corrections. Indeed, very few authorized changes would have to be made. Enactment of this proposal would eliminate the need for future bond measures for prison construction. Not only would it save taxpayer money, it would be most advantageous to the remaining employees of the California Department of Corrections by allowing for the closure of outdated and unsafe facilities. In addition, unemployment could be kept to a minimum by offering qualified state correctional officers employment with local law enforcement agencies. It is time now to look beyond revenge and the emotionalism associated with current justice system practices. ‘There is only one practical method of reducing crime and the subsequent public’s fear and that is through a high level of police presence on the street.’ (Randy Meyer, M.A.) In essence, this revision allows for a return of the local neighborhood police officer who is familiar with its residents and business owners. In the final analysis, our very freedom depends on how we treat society’s criminals and misfits. By continuing to create a criminal class that has not been rehabilitated through incarceration, we are ultimately sabotaging our own security. Maybe with this we can have a means of reversing the trend of incarceration as punishment while increasing our personal safety and diminishing the fear that is rampant among us. QUICK FACTS *The current California prison population is 135,133 and is expected to increase to about 148,600 by June 30,1996 per the California Department of Corrections. *42.1% of these inmates are incarcerated for violent offenses, 25.3% for property offenses, 26.2% for drugs, and 6.4% for other. *Average yearly cost: per inmate, $21,885 and per parolee, $2,110. *California Department of Corrections budget for 1995-1996: $3.4 billion; proposed budget for 1996-1997 for both Corrections and Youth Authority: $4.1 billion. This compares to $1.6 billion for community colleges and $4.8 billion for higher education. *California Legislative Analysist Elizabeth Hill advised on February 26, 1996 that 24 new prisons will need to be built by the year 2005 to keep pace with the incarceration rate. This will cost taxpayers $7 billion for their construction and increase operating costs to $6 billion annually. *California Attorney General Dan Lungren announced on March 12, 1996 that the number of homicides reported in 1995 in the most populated two-thirds of the state had declined 3.1%, rape 3.9%, robbery 7.9%, aggravated assault 4.2%,  burglary 8.9%, and vehicle theft, 11.4% (San Jose Mercury News, 3/13/96). This is consistent with a 5% decline in the national violent crime rate for the first half of 1995 per the FBI. MANUSCRIPT An analysis of Department of Corrections data by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco, CA, in Nov, 1995 indicates that since the enactment of California’s ‘Three Strikes’ law two years ago, 192 have ‘struck out’ for marijuana possession, compared to 40 for murder, 25 for rape, and 24 for kidnapping. I have a strong proposition for the California Legislature†¦and that is a strict and logical reform to the present Criminal Justice System in California. ‘The California Legislature is to be commended for its stance on crime. Not for their ‘get tough’ policies such as the ‘Three Strikes’ law but for their enactment of a little known section of the Penal Code entitled the ‘Community Based Punishment Act of 1994.’ (Senator Quentin Kopp, Time Magazine Feb 14, 1996). By passage of this act, the State of California has acknowledged the limitations of incarceration as both punishment and a deterrent to criminal behavior. The legislature has in fact declared that ‘California’s criminal justice system is seriously out of balance in its heavy dependence upon prison facilities and jails for punishment and its lack of appropriate punishment for nonviolent offenders and substance abusers who could be successfully treated in appropria te, less restrictive programs without any increase in danger to the public’ In essence, this law proposes a community based system of intermediate restrictions for non-violent offenders that fall between jail time and traditional probation such as home detention with electronic monitoring,  boot camps, mandatory community service and victim restitution, day reporting, and others. Pilot programs are to be developed as a collaborative effort between the state and counties requiring a community based plan describing the sanctions and services to be provided. A progress report on an actof this kind would be made by the California Board of Corrections on January 1, 1997 and annually thereafter to selected legislative committees. ‘It seems clear that the California Legislature has determined that incarceration is not appropriate for many criminal offenses and that alternative sanctions are preferable for non-violent offenders. ‘ (Randy Meyer, Political Official). But while this approach is to be applauded, its spreading prevents the fulfillment of its true potential. ‘By retaining those non-violent offenders that are currently in state prison and continuing to pursue defensive punishment at the local level in the form of short term ‘shock incarceration’ and bootcamps, the costly and ineffective methods of criminal behavior correction remain intact.’ (Charles Calderon-US News). By immediately eliminating incarceration for all non-violent offenses and requiring victim compensation and community service, resources can be committed to preventing crime rather than to the feeding and housing of offenders. This is consistent with the findings of the legislature and is cost efficient, requires minimal systemic change, and increases public safety and security. ‘Our current criminal justice system appears to be based upon the Old Testament proverb that ‘your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ Revenge thus plays a part of the punishment model.’ (LA Official Boland). From a societal standpoint, we expect punishment to prevent the offender and others from further criminal behavior. Incarceration of offenders as the punishment of choice thus theoretically provides revenge, individual incapacitation, and restriction. But I submit that such a philosophical foundation is flawed. Revenge while understandable from an individual human perspective is not a proper basis  for society’s response to the misbehavior of its laws. This human urge to punish should be removed from the current system and replaced with methods of restrictions that utilize the offender’s potential to benefit his victim and society at large. In other words, in a free society the end desired is the correction of behavior that utilizes the least force . This conforms to the principles of limited government, efficiency, reduced cost, and personal freedom as advocated by both liberals and conservatives alike. The basic underlying concept of this proposal is that incarceration should be reserved for those who are violent and thus dangerous to the public. Violent crimes would be defined broadly to include any act or attempt to injure the person of another except by accident. This would therefore range from murder to driving under the influence with current distinctions of misdemeanor and felony offenses remaining in place. The court sentencing procedures would also be modified to exclude incarceration for non-violent crimes with an emphasis on victim restitution and community service. The court would maybe rely on probation reports to provide the necessary offender personal history including employment, job skills (or lack of), and personal resources, e.g. bank accounts, property ownership, etc. Based on this information, the court would apply the appropriate sentence of victim restitution and community service with close monitoring by probation officials. As with all human endeavors, compliance by offenders would most likely not be 100%. The threat of incarceration would have to exist for those failing to submit to or comply with court ordered repayment and public service. Many will not agree with this due to the complexity and in many cases there can be more harm done then it could be beneficial. But for the most part there is no reason to believe that the failure rate would be any higher under this type of system than is currently the case This proposal provides a policy alternative to the current criminal justice  emphasis on incarceration as punishment. It is based on the premise of effectiveness and cost efficiency with a high regard for individual liberty that is essential to a free society. It moves away from the concept of punishment and focuses on a more functional goal of victim and societal repayment. The proposal offers prevention at the front end rather than repayment at the back end of crime reduction efforts. The advantages of such a system are numerous. One of the most important assets of a revision of this kind is that of allowing for a major change in the criminal justice system with a minimum of disruption to the status quo. Rather than requiring an entire systemic change, this proposal works within the current practices of the court, police, and corrections. Indeed, very few authorized changes would have to be made. Enactment of this proposal would eliminate the need for future bond measures for prison construction. Not only would it save taxpayer money, it would be most advantageous to the remaining employees of the California Department of Corrections by allowing for the closure of outdated and unsafe facilities. In addition, unemployment could be kept to a minimum by offering qualified state correctional officers employment with local law enforcement agencies. It is time now to look beyond revenge and the emotionalism associated with current justice system practices. ‘There is only one practical method of reducing crime and the subsequent public’s fear and that is through a high level of police presence on the street.’ (Randy Meyer, M.A.) In essence, this revision allows for a return of the local neighborhood police officer who is familiar with its residents and business owners. In the final analysis, our very freedom depends on how we treat society’s criminals and misfits. By continuing to create a criminal class that has not  been rehabilitated through incarceration, we are ultimately sabotaging our own security. Maybe with this we can have a means of reversing the trend of incarceration as punishment while increasing our personal safety and diminishing the fear that is rampant among us.

Explore John Steinbeck’s presentation in Of Mice and Men Essay

Explore John Steinbeck’s presentation in Of Mice and Men of the culture and experience of the itinerant workers in 1930’s America. Of Mice and Men is a well known novel written by John Steinbeck. It was published in a highly traumatic time, in America. When the Wall Street crash catalysed the Great Depression and the United States suffered an economic collapse. Due to the lack of money there was a high level of unemployment of men and women and many businesses closed down. Additionally America experienced terrible droughts known as the Dust Bowl in which many crops died. The lower the American economy sank the higher the numbers of migrant workers rose, it reached approximately 13 million in 1932! The only way for many Americans to earn money was to travel into the countryside, where work was hard, dangerous, and lonely. They became itinerant workers; the workers moved from place to place for work, to follow the harvest across California-USA. Itinerant workers travelled alone, Steinbeck’s character George describes them as the ‘loneliest guys in the world’. They usually travelled by cheap buses, hitch hiking rides or simply walking. The pay was not bad; they earned $2 to $3 a day and in addition received accommodation and food. As they were lonely and didn’t have much they blew their ‘jack’ at the local pubs and ‘cat houses’ every Saturday night, this meant that they essentially trapped themselves in this style of living. I personally think that Steinbeck chose to focus on the lives of itinerant workers to show the problems facing America and its people during that period. People just saw the economic problems, not the desperation of the workers, or the racial discrimination of the black community and I think that is what Steinbeck was trying to show, the personal effect to millions of men and women. Further more, as Steinbeck had worked on a ranch, he felt sympathy to the workers, and portrays their situation sensitively. George and Lennie are the two main characters in ‘Of Mice and men’. Steinbeck’s detailed description of them allows the reader to easily relate to the characters’ strong personalities and sympathises with their situation. George and Lennie get on very well; they look out for each other. One of the main things that hold them together is their dream; they are not like other ranch workers because they all travel alone, they are the ‘loneliest guys in the world.’ They travel together, they have ‘got a future†¦somebody to talk to that gives a damn’ about them. Lennie acts like a child, although he is very strong, ‘Strong as a bull.’ George on the other hand is sharp, intelligent, and quick. Their personalities deeply match their physical appearance, George is quite short, and skinny whilst Lennie is tall, muscular, and broad shouldered. The relationship, as strong as it is, is quite uneven, George has a lot of authority over Lennie, and we know this as ‘they walked in single file†¦ and even in the open one stayed behind the other.’ So even when there was room for them to walk next to each other, they didn’t, showing that even though they are together they are separate, lonely and they have no community to look after them, no one that is their equal and their friend. The setting of the novel is important for Steinbeck to convey his views on how the workers lived. Steinbeck makes many references to light though-out the whole of the novel, about how weak the lighting in the workers bunk house is as it didn’t light up the corners, and how Curley’s wife blocks off the ‘rectangle of sunshine in the doorway’ when she enters. This shows how she had ‘cut off’ everything good and pure, as light colours and the sun shows hope; it is almost like she is bringing trouble with her. In the last chapter Lennie is shot, killed by George, his death is sudden but the book was written so we would be expecting it. The description of the setting contains many references to light, how the ‘sun left’ the ‘valley’, ‘mountains seemed to blaze†¦increasing brightness.’ The sun is setting the day is ending, so is the novel and their dream; it is all inevitable, including their lives. Steinbeck was a pessimistic and the theme of trouble is very prominent throughout the novel. John Steinbeck also uses other descriptions linked to the weather to convey atmosphere, like the wind, a ‘far rush of wind sounded†¦ gust drove though†¦ tops of trees like a wave.’ Compared to chapter one in the same setting where there is no sound of wind, it is calm. In chapter six we can tell something is brewing, a disturbance is coming, and something is going to happen. In chapter two he describes the small bunk house, which is where all of the workers on the ranch live, from this detailed evocative description we can see how little the workers actually do have, and how they depend on very plain objects, like magazines and their dreams. The room itself is extremely simple and only provided the necessaries for the workers. ‘Walls were whitewashed†¦ floors unpainted.’ The dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor in the basic four walled rectangular room is cheap, and hardly luxurious, by using words like, ‘whitewashed’ makes the walls seem boring, cold and hard, almost as if the paint had just been thrown onto the walls, almost like no true care had been put into the comfort of the ranch workers living quarters. Steinbeck refers to the room looking like a dank prison, ‘in three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch.’ The ‘solid door with a wooden latch’ makes the ‘bunk house’ seem enclosed, kept in the dark, yet by having a ‘wooden latch’ it makes the room seem like it does not need protecting, the possessions are not worth keeping safe. With very small windows and a big heavy door it gives you the idea of a coffin with thick stale air, this idea seems more like reality as you read on and find out that the sunlight is choked with ‘dust’ when it shines in the bunk house, which strongly reflects the claustrophobic atmosphere, it also shows how dirty and unhygienic the living areas actually are, as ‘flies shot like rushing stars’, though the beam of sun light. In one of the bunks in the room there was a spray-can to kill bugs; one of the characters in the novel called Candy explains that the man who slept there before was just very consciously clean. The ‘bunk house’ was obviously very cramped as it contained eight bunks, meaning there was no privacy, it was a communal living, and a communal life, as they ate, slept and spent 24 hours of their day with each other, not only is there a lack of privacy, but none of the dignity that grown adult men should have. Inside the ‘bunk house’ there was a ‘nailed apple box†¦ so that it made two shelves’ above the bunks, this allowed the men to keep their limited amount of possessions in one area of the room, a small area of privacy. Also in the room there was grouped boxes, where the men sit to play cards, all the furniture is very make-shift and cheap, representing that the men don’t stay there long, they are only temporary workers. On the make-do shelves the workers had, ‘articles, soap†¦talcum powder, razors and those western magazines that men love to read†¦and their medicines†¦ little vials, combs; †¦a few neck ties.’ All simplicities, but they treat them like luxuries; they can not have anything more as they would not be able to carry it from place to place, as they worked. Near one of the walls on the bunk house was a ‘black cast-iron stove’, in those times men did not cook, it was degrading. The workers’ having to cook for themselves is not as bad as having to clean for the rest of the ranch, especially if you were a man. One character on the ranch does have this job, Candy. He has what is seen as a women’s job, yet he does it as he had a physical disability, this is an example of the levels of hierarchy on the ranch. Even though all of the men are different there is a certain category of men that can only be itinerant workers, white, young, strong men. Everyone else is below them in the hierarchy, Crooks being black and disabled, Candy being crippled, and Curly’s wife being a woman. Even Curly feels that he needs to be more physically strong to make up for his height. The start of chapter two deeply contrasts with the start of chapter one, chapter one is a hillside bank, which the Salinas River runs by. It is a beautiful setting and a lovely time of day, as it is the late evening of a hot day. The river runs ‘deep’ and it is ‘warm’, the river had ‘slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool’. To one side of the river was the ‘strong and rocky Gabilan mountains’ and on the other side the ‘water is lined with trees’. Steinbeck goes in to specific detail for this setting, even describing the ‘lead junctures’, showing just how important and picturesque this place is. Steinbeck goes on to tell us about the animals ‘skittering’ lizards and ‘rabbits†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ sitting ‘†¦on the sand in the evening’, the tracks of deer and coons. The scene changes and the marks left by man are described, the har d beaten path, the piles ‘made by fires’ and the limbs of a ‘giant’ sycamore ‘worn smooth by the men who have sat on it’. As George and Lennie enter the area the animal ‘hurried noiselessly for cover’, birds ‘laboured into the air and pounded down the river.’ The place was lifeless for a few moments before the men came into the opening. I think Steinbeck changes the peaceful atmosphere as the men enter, to show the power men have over the environment, the power and strength they posses. When they sit down Lennie starts to drink from the water, it might look nice, but George tells Lennie to stop as it looks scummy. This is not the only dark side of nature, there are water snakes, which the herons would eat then the coyotes that would eat herons. It is survival of the fittest, just like at the ranch and in America at that time. None-the-less the expansive setting – distant mountains, a free flowing river, and the natural wildlife contrasts with the enclosed bunkhouse where the men are trapped. Steinbeck does this to show the predictability of existence; the cynical lives t hat they lived and worked in. Steinbeck does not just show the different levels of power in animals and humans, but with humans together, for example the Boss not really being present in the novel, except when George and Lennie arrive, when he is questioning them, the Boss was ‘sore as hell’ when they were late, as the Boss did not get that little bit of money more that he could of earned. The character is obviously only concerned about the money, not the workers, as he says, you ‘don’t need any brains to buck barley bags’. The Boss’s name is never written in the novel, which almost gives us the idea that he has no personality, as if he is just a person making others work for him. On the way to meet the Boss, George asks Candy about him, he says that he is a ‘pretty nice fella. Gets pretty mad†¦ he’s pretty nice’. Throughout the description Candy repeats the same word pretty often, showing that he really does not know the true nature of the Boss as he is not a constant figure on the ranch, he mainly stays in his house. This could be because the Boss does not want to mix with people below his status, or because he does not want to get attached to people who he knows will leave soon, but most likely it is just because he does not care, all he wants is money, he employs strong men and lets them get on with it, Steinbeck presents him as a harsh capitalist. As the Boss is not on the ranch that often and looking out for his workers, the workers can get away with a lot, with out even concerning him, he doesn’t care what happens to them, he can always employ someone else. However the Boss is not evil, as he brought the workers a ‘whole gallon’ of beer for Christmas, and is very concerned about whether Lennie is taking George’s money at the end of the month. When Steinbeck describes the Boss himself, he tells us how he is a short man, but with quick steps, he does not dress extravagantly, but he does not wear ranch clothing that working men wear. His shoes were ‘high-heeled boots’ they had ‘spurs to prove he was not a labouring man.’ His son also wears this style of boot, the boots are described like cow-boy boots, the American Dream, and the pioneering of America’s past. Not only were the boots meant to show that the Boss had his own land but that he had authority and power, he de manded respect, and the boots were another object that could be used to show the hierarchy on the ranch. The Boss and Curly, (his son) demand authority, contrasting to Slim’s natural authority, Slim is one of the ranch workers who is respected by everyone else because he is a good man; he is emotionally intuitive, which makes it easy for him to make friends. The workers feel like they can trust him, talk to him, in one part of the novel, Lennie tells Slim about when they were kids and how he used to make Lennie ‘jump in†¦ the Sacramento River†¦ he jumps†¦ He damn near drowned’ but George had forgotten that Lennie told him to jump in, and just thanked him for pulling him out. George also told Slim why they left Weed, about how Lennie had touched a girls dress; just to feel the material, and how George and Lennie were chased out of Weed. George and Lennie are itinerant workers, on this ranch they earn approximately $2 a day, we know this as they get ‘fifty bucks’ at the end of each month. Their personal job was to ‘buck barley bags’ which meant that they had to throw large bags of grain on a truck, the barley is poured into large burlap bags, around 75 or more pounds and then is passed brigade-style to the truck. The work was dull, and repetitive, and once it was done, the workers could spend the rest of the day, doing what they want. In Of Mice and Men, the men usually play cards, in their ‘bunk house’. The men play solitaire, a one man game, which shows the continuous theme of loneliness throughout the novel. There are many references to the men playing cards, usually in awkward circumstances, for example the shooting of Candy’s dog. Carlson offered to kill the dog because he was old and smelled, however Candy does not like the idea, when the dog is being shot the room is very awkward and the other ranch workers play cards to take their minds away from the subject that obviously hurts Candy. Everyone they meet find it hard to imagine George and Lennie going around together, even Slim, who is a very friendly and kind worker on the ranch. ‘He is also very intelligent and perceptive, and he has a good sense of justice and fairness.’ (1) Slim’s comment on the fact that there ‘Ain’t many guys’ that ‘travel around together’. Men don’t usually go around with each other. Altogether I think Steinbeck does this to show the solitude and loneliness of a ranch worker, throughout their whole life. The Boss’s son is called Curly; Curly is a mean and a power craving little man. Because he is so small he tries to be very aggressive and strong, he takes boxing lessons as if to show that he might be short but he is better then everyone else, almost as if he is trying to prove his masculinity. He wears the high healed boots with spurs like his father, to portray his authority and power, but also to add to the height. Curly’s name like most of the characters represents his physical appearance, he has Curly hair, and his fists are often described as being wound up, curled. Curly ‘hates big guys’- he has little man syndrome. From what all the characters say about him he is horrible, trouble and loves to show people how he is better then them. I think Curly does all of the boxing to make up for is height, to show that he might not be a strong working man, but he is better then that, he can look after himself and no one can stop him. There are two main relationships in the novel, Curley and his wife plus George and Lennie, neither of these relationships last. It is almost as if Steinbeck is trying to say that even if you want to be with someone in this lonely life style it would be impossible. Once you start to work in this business it corrupts you, in each of those relationship one person dies. Steinbeck’s very pessimistic views probably come from when he was a ranch worker; he experienced the harsh reality of loneliness himself. Curly married a few weeks before George and Lennie arrived, the name of his wife is not written down in the novel one, she is referred to as Curly’s wife, a possession, not a true person. It was a very sexist view, and that was what Steinbeck was trying to show by not giving her a name, that some of the American’s views were still very sexist. Curly has no control over his flirtatious wife; they spend more time asking other members of the ranch where the other one is then they do with each other. They both realise that they are not suited to each other; Curly just likes the fact that he has something over the other men; he has something to do at night, every night if he wants, and what other men can’t. To show this he wears a glove on one of his hands filled with Vaseline everywhere he goes, to flaunt it to the over men he has someone to touch. He tries to keep one ‘hand soft for his wife’ (2) George thinks this is very dirty; it must be very degrading and embarrassing for his wife. The whole relationship seems awkward, Curly’s wife only married him because she was on the rebound from losing her dream, and she was confused about her mother and was upset about her missed opportunities. Curly sees a young pretty girl and likes the opportunity to have a wife to make him look better. This is the only role for women, to look pretty to stay at home, they had very little opportunities. Curly’s wife had a dream to become an actress, the ranch workers all share the American Dream, which is ‘all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.’ (3) This dream was no longer possible in America due to the great depression. Curly’s wife’s dream was created by men, men who told her how fabulous she was, how they would take her away, put her in the movies. It all sounded amazing except none of it was true, they just used her. George and Lennie build a future in their heads, a dream. To ‘live off the fatta the lan’ to have their own house their own garden and animals, to be their own Boss, to live a free life and to be able to do what they want, which is impossible for them while working on the ranch. Their shared dream helps them through tough times and it also affects others like Candy, who is willing to pay for about half of the land on his own. But this is all a pretend future, George says ‘I got to thinking maybe we would’ This could be because Lennie likes hearing it so much, he has convinced himself that it will come true, we know this as he starts telling the dream rhythmically, then monotonously. George has other dreams, like having a girl, playing cards by a pool, having an easy life and panning for gold, but ‘the only one that’s truly idyllic’ (2) is the one he shares with Lennie ‘because it’s impossible’ (2). It is almost as if the dream hides them from their lives, which could be described as beans with no ketchup, all they do is work and just about function, they have no fun, or luxuries, nothing in their lives is complete. The Dream is nothing but a trick, an illusion. I think Steinbeck was trying to say this about the real American Dream as well, that it is just a dream, something for people to cling to in times of need and despair. It is almost inevitable that George and Lennie’s dream will fail because of the cynical style of Steinbeck’s writing, and the continuous references to death and the destruction that is created by mankind, like the peaceful area by the river, that had recently been left with the marks of man, the men scare all of the animals away on top of the destruction they leave behind them. The diverse range of characters show that not all ranch worker were the same. Not just men were effected by the economic collapse, women were thrown in to a mans world, Steinbeck creates three female characters in the novel to show the problem of their surroundings and their lifestyles. The novels characters consist of black and white men, some of them disabled, but all of them have a little power in their own way, for example most people would think that the ‘nigger’ Crooks is the lowest person in the hierarchy of the ranch, but he can very easily annoy Lennie, so I think he has a little bit of power over Lennie this shows how the ranch society is self-destructive, in times of trouble they don’t help each other they make things worse for each other. The workers live on a rota of work, play cards, sleep, on Saturday they go out to Cindy’s ‘cat house’ and Sunday they get a day off. All of the characters bring something new or different to the no vel, even Whit who is very young and shows the type of an enthusiastic new ‘Brothel-crazy’ (2) man who is just starting to adapt to the ranch workers life. Carlson’s character is what the true ranch workers were like; I believe that Steinbeck included many different characters and their problems, to express the types of problems that America were facing at the time. The role between men and women is hard to understand, men looked down on women also the men stereotype the women, and the women stereotype the men, George says ‘She’s a rat-trap if I ever seen one.’ Whilst Curly’s wife says ‘I seen too many you guys.’ as if she assumes they are going to be ‘basically useless.’ (2) The great detail Steinbeck took into creating the divide between men and women show that he was trying to get us to understand all of their lives, to understand their personal problems and the problems that they faced by living in America at that time. The people living on the ranch with the least amount of authority are definitely Crooks, Candy and Lennie, the three of them get relatively along quite well, they even start to talk about George and Lennie’s dream, Crooks and Candy want to join in, they offer their money and they offer to work for nothing. ‘The optimism and hope in this briefly shared dream is shattered by Curly’s wife’ (2). Curly’s Wife does not like Crooks or Candy; she sees them as weak, they are only at the ranch to do simple, easy jobs. She treats them like dirty, calling Crooks a ‘nigger'(2), Lennie a ‘dum-dum’ (2) and Candy a ‘lousy old sheep’ (2). Curly’s Wife gets along with the men on their own, flirting with them and chatting with them, but when they are together she finds them defensive and competitive. She believes she knows everything there is to know about men, their weaknesses for drink and women; she likes to put them down and threatens them with the power she has from being Curly’s wife, ‘I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny’ (2). By acting and saying things like this it makes her feel better, like she has more power, not just some worthless girl living in her father-in-laws house with a short-bully for a husband. Steinbeck gives her so much attitude and certain characteristics to portray the emotional difficulties that faced American women at the time, to show that their lives were truly hard, they were treated differently to men and considered not as important, for example the men in Curly’s Wife history only talk to her, and give her company because they want somebody that night. They do not consider the feeling of the young beautiful woman. This is how it was in America in the 1930’s because every one was losing money and struggling with the crops the less fortunate had to ask for jobs way beneath them, to have a home and a place to bring up their family. The American Dream was dead, due to critical economic collapse and the dreaded dust ball that swept the plains; no one could believe in the dream any more, it seemed completely impossible, they felt that it was inevitably not going to happen. The rich tried to hold on to their money, so the poor ultimately stayed poor. There were no unions to protect the migrant workers, so they lived by their own laws, like all the men wanting to shoot Lennie because during the novel he murdered Curly’s wife. They made their own rules about the hierarchy, and followed it, similar to an unspoken promise; the Boss and his family were at the top, the rest followed in a big group unless there was someone with some natural authority, which was very rare. The whole society was very violent and they did not have any concern for death, they shot Candy’s dog for little reason and there was no emotion involved in the process and Lennie easily killed the mouse in chapter one, and the puppy later on. Carlson has a Lugar, which is gun; he cleans it and keeps it safe under his pillow, showing how little respect he has for death. The disrespect for death is commented on throughout the whole novel, different members of the ranch end up killing something or someone. Steinbeck clearly shows that predictably, something is going to happen at the end; we see this as the deaths increase and happen to higher people in the table of hierarchy. It shows that death was a large part of their lives, their lives were not memorable so they had nothing to fear when they died; lost memories, times or people they would sorely miss. It is as if Steinbeck is trying to say that they had nothing to look forward to, their lives came and went. Just like clock work. Some of the characters on the ranch are friendly, for example Slim, he does not have a plan or a dream, it is as if he accepts his role in society and moves on, he never gets angry or shows much emotion, he is always calm and cool. He ‘moves with majesty’ showing he knows what is to happen and does not fear it, he does not dread the future because he is intelligent enough to realise that it will happen no matter what he can do. He is very intelligent and this is probably why he out of all the men is able to understand his position. It is like Steinbeck is trying to say it does not matter if you are smart or friendly, once you start in this line of work you can’t really get out, it is like a vicious circle; it traps everyone and releases no one. Nature holds a strong power over men in Of Mice and Men, the beautiful setting at the start of chapter one is like a paradise, but it is an illusion. Lennie is often described as an animal, he himself says that he would go and live in a cave, he is almost better suited to the outside, as he would not be able to disrupt, or destroy the lives of other humans. It is almost ironic then that Steinbeck chooses Lennie’s death bed to be the floor of an almost enclosed area of woodland. The time of day he dies is one of the most picturesque, dusk, the ‘light is fading’ (2) everything is returning to its home, even the heron flies off. The pool side setting is a place of death, every time we visit the area in the novel there is death, whether it is a mouse, heron eating the water snake, or Lennie’s death. The Salinas River also has an air of destiny about it as George told Lennie to go there if there was trouble, almost as if he knew it was going to happen, which makes the novel so predictable and pessimistic. John Steinbeck makes the area feel pessimistic with all of the deaths, just like in America at the time, the people were losing hope because of the devastating economic collapse, and many crops were dieing because of the great Dust Bowl. The men play solitaire, a one man game, which shows the continuous theme of loneliness throughout the novel. The solitude that comes with being a ranch worker, Steinbeck almost tries to defy that by bringing George and Lennie together, however some would argue that the relationship is not equal at all, Lennie is the little child that always get in to trouble where as George is the quick intelligent grown up, he has all of the responsibilities. Even though the two look out for each other, they still are lonely, George looks for other people to talk to and confide in as he knows that Lennie would not understand, or be of help to him if he got into trouble. The relationship is still highly important, it highlights the fact that even those who went into the career expecting loneliness need someone, or something, and for example most of the ranch workers have their dreams to depend on. George and Lennie are completely different which is one of the reasons people struggle to come to terms with their relationship, I think George knows that he would not be friends with Lennie if they were not in this line of work as they are total different. The solitude in the novel is not only apparent in humans, but in the environment as well, the constant lack of sound, and awkward conversations in time of death make the whole atmosphere drop. The Salinas River’s description contains a very limited amount of animals, and all of the animals leave at one point or another, so the setting becomes silent and cold. This shows the men’s destructiveness and how they are feared as all of the animals run away when George and Lennie enter the clearing . It is the men who always are there and create the eerie silence, whether it means that they are scaring something away, or they are killing some thing or someone. Of Mice and Men, was published in 1937, it was the 2nd most frequently banned book in the 1900’s. It was criticised for the language, swearing, racism, morality and the violence contained in the novel, many members of the 1900’s American society disagreed with the book and the writer’s views, Steinbeck was even known to have issues with the government and the FBI. There were many problems that came with the book, but the book also brought along the realisation of the troubles facing America during that period, the problems facing the black community, and the effects of the economic depression on the less fortunate areas of society. Steinbeck was hit from both the Left-wing and the Right-wing politicians, Right-wing saying that he went too far, whilst the Left-wing saying that he should have gone further, more on the delicate issue’s. However Steinbeck did not write the novel to rouse the Right or the Left, but to show his country, what was happening. The novel shows us the terrible living conditions and basic desires that the ranch workers craved things that we would consider daily items. Steinbeck expresses clearly the attitude of the workers, and the lonely environment that they lived in. Some people would say that the way in which he writes and describes certain aspects of the workers lifestyles would make the reader biased by making them feel sympathetic for the people that live on ranches. Steinbeck had such a pessimistic feeling towards the lives of the ranch workers because he had experienced how harsh it was as a ranch worker in California-USA in the 1930’s, the style of work made him lonely and he even once said that he ‘just needs to get away from being John Steinbeck for a little while’ (2) because being a public figure was too much, he was shy and liked privacy. He knew how the job affected the workers, mentally and physically, he was very good at adding subtle hints of these throughout the novel. One of the reasons Steinbeck wrote the book was I think to educate the public about these problems in society, and to also tell the world how direr the ranch workers situation was, what they had to deal with and address. America was not the only country facing issues at that time, a civil war broke out in Spain, and the Nazis were in power in Germany, the whole of Europe was effected by Americas economic depression, ‘especially because of the rise in fascism in Germany, Italy and Spain.’ The novel is not about all of these problems throughout the world, but nearly everyone could relate to the novel. Before I read the book I knew nothing of the way the economic collapse affected the millions of less fortunate members of America’s society in such a harsh and incomprehensible way. I knew nothing of how lonely men and women could be. I knew nothing of the way the dust ball had such a vast devastation effect, not only to the crops, but also to the people and their profit. The novel is relatable, but I think that is one of the strong points about the book, because you could say that life in those days was predictable, you knew what position you were in, and if you were a ranch worker your whole life was virtually planned. Steinbeck starts and ends the novel in the same place to show the cyclical style of the life of the ranch workers, he does this in many ways, referring back to the sun rising and setting, the working time, and the weekly visits to the ‘cat house’. This is another example showing how the lives were already laid out in front of them. I personally enjoyed the novel; I found it an interesting insight to the lives of itinerant workers, and the in-depth study of America’s agricultural history showed me how the workers existed and how they adapted to the dog-eat-dog-world, and how resilient we humans can be. References- 1. http://www.newi.ac.uk/englishresources/workunits/ks4/fiction/ofmicemen/smallheath/charnote.html#Slim 2. GSCE English, Of Mice and Men, The text guild. CGP, coordination group publications. 3. http://www.americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/DECLARA.HTM

The most important pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its Golden Age Essay Example

The most important pre The most important pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its Golden Age Paper The most important pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its Golden Age Paper Essay Topic: History Tao Te Ching Every civilization will rise and fall at some point in time. That is what defines a civilization. The peak of a civilizations rise and fall would be called the civilizations Golden Age. Civilizations Golden Ages differ depending on how much they had advanced during their Golden Age. As the Golden Age is the peak of a civilization, naturally the civilization would fall afterwards, which is what makes it the Golden Age, where the citizens were all generally happy and content with their lives and with nothing to fear for. There are many factors that are vital for a civilization to reach its peak, such as strong military, a good and stable government and an open society along with economic prosperity. A government with good leadership is an essential pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its peak. Having a strong leader in the government will ensure the civilizations safety against threats. Thus, the citizens will feel safe and peaceful when there is no fear of any danger coming their way. Hence, the people of the civilization will have no unrest and can be at peace. When they are at peace, artists and scientists can then focus their time on the arts and sciences, developing it and thus helping the civilization progress into its golden age. A case in point would be the Gupta Dynasty, with good leaders such as Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II, where Samudra was not only a good military leader, but he was also a patron of the arts, promoting it and helping the Gupta civilization thrive during its Golden Age. Examples of their advancement include epic poems composed by citizens such as Mahabharata and stories like Puranas. In addition, a basic medical textbook was also created, as well as Arabic numerals, something most of the world uses today. In doing so, this will give way to new ideas and ways of thinking for the people, thus driving the society forward into its Golden Age. In addition, a good government that allows for an open society is a vital factor in helping a civilization reach its Golden Age. By being open and flexible to new ideas, the society can then make progress. By enabling ideas from abroad to enter the society and to put them to use, cultural and intellectual exchange can take place between civilizations, benefiting both, as well as giving them new ideas such that these ideas can be used to develop the arts and science. Hence, they will flourish and bring the civilization higher and nearer to its peak. A good example would be the Tang Dynasty, where the Tang emperor encouraged the development of Buddhism, and commissioned monk Xuan Zong on a mission to India and Sri Lanka to study Buddhist scriptures. While they encourage Buddhism, they did not punish others from practicing other faiths, like Taoism or Confucianism. These religions thrived and benefited the civilization, and had made many achievements in scholarship, literature, technology and art. Hence, the society will be introduced to different ways of thinking and thus, allowing the civilization to enter its Golden Age. A strong and effective government is another essential pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its peak, as a strong and effective government can help maintain law and order by implementing policies to the benefit of the society. This brings about higher productivity in society by organizing and running the country effectively, which encourages and promotes culture, as it recognizes the potential of the culture being a unifying force of society. When law order is established, the government has more time and resources to focus on other aspects of growth and development such as in the promotion of arts and culture. This would effectively mean that given official or royal patronage of the arts, artists would be able to develop their craft and even explore different art forms and genres. People exposed to more modes of thinking and expression which may very well lead to other innovations. This would drive the art and culture of the civilization forward, allowing for the civilization to reach its golden age. A case in point would be the Tang dynasty, where many poems where written, with famous poets from then such as Libai and others. Thus, this introduces the society to different ways of expressing themselves and in so doing, propelling them into the Golden Age. Another important pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its climax is having strong military. Having strong military helps to keep enemies away from the civilization and neutralizes threats to the society. This will allow the kingdom to be powerful and strong, such that no one is troubled by external threats to the civilization. This in turn, will give the civilization more peace and time to concentrate on developing itself in many different ways. Hence, it can go on an extensive conquest to conquer the lands and gain power using their strong military forces. A case study would be the Tang Dynasty, where emperor Taizhong re-conquered land that was broken away as well as conquered land in the north and the west, while his military power grew stronger and stronger, giving the citizens nothing to worry about. By doing this, the society can continue to grow in military strength and reach its Golden Age. In conclusion, there are many factors that contribute to the reaching of a civilizations Golden Age, having a good and uncorrupted government will allow it to make good and well-though out decisions, and ensure the strength of its military. Also, by having a strong government, that means the it can be humble and be open to new ideas to the civilization and allow the citizens to be introduced to new forms of art, etc. thus, this will make sure of the civilizations economic prosperity. With a good government, its leader can then be well educated and skilled in leading, making sure that the civilization continues to thrive. Hence, a strong and effective government is the most important pre-requisite for a civilization to reach its Golden Age.

The Defence Mechanisms of the Lungs With Relation to Pulmonary Anatomy †Nursing Research Paper

The Defence Mechanisms of the Lungs With Relation to Pulmonary Anatomy – Nursing Research Paper Free Online Research Papers The Defence Mechanisms of the Lungs With Relation to Pulmonary Anatomy Nursing Research Paper The pathway taken by air during inhalation: During inhalation, air enters the nasal cavities via the nostrils, and also into the mouth during forced inhalation. It then passes through the nasopharynx, followed by the oropharynx. Air passes deeper into the thorax via the trachea, which then bifurcates to give the left and right primary bronchi. On entering the lungs, these become intrapulmonary bronchi, which immediately branch to give rise to the lobar (secondary) bronchi. Since the left lung is divided into two lobes, whereas the right lung is divided into three lobes, the right bronchus thus divides into three lobar bronchial branches, and the left into two bronchial branches, with each branch supplying one lobe. The left lung is further divided into eight bronchopulmonary segments, and the right lung, into ten such segments. Thus, in the right lung the lobar bronchi divide to give rise to ten segmental bronchi (tertiary bronchi), while left lobar bronchi give rise to eight segmental bronchi. The segments divide to give pulmonary lobules; each lobule is supplied by a bronchiole. Pulmonary acini are smaller units of structure th at make up the lobules. Each acinus derives it air supply from a terminal bronchiole. As of yet, no gaseous exchange has occurred. Thus, the passageways mentioned above are referred to as the conducting portion of the lung. Instead, the air is conditioned. This consists of warming, moistening and removing particulate matter. Only at the 17th division of the trachea does gaseous exchange commence. It first occurs at the respiratory bronchioles that arise from each terminal bronchiole, which will in turn give off alveoli. Thus, the smallest functional unit of the lung is the respiratory bronchiole unit, which consists of a respiratory bronchiole and the alveoli it supplies. Each alveolus is confluent with a respiratory bronchiole by means of an alveolar duct and an alveolar sac. Defence Mechanisms of the Nasal Cavities: The vestibule communicates anteriorly with the external environment. It contains hairs that filter out the largest-sized particulate matter before it is carried in the airstream to the rest of the cavity. The next segment of the cavity, the respiratory segment, is lined by ciliated, pseudostratified columnar epithelium. It possesses a smooth medial wall called the nasal septum; however, the lateral walls are thrown into folds by the presence of three shelf-like, bony projections called turbinates or conchae. These increase the surface area as well as cause turbulence in airflow to allow more effective conditioning of inspired air. The airstream is broken into eddies, and so matter suspended in the airstream is thrown out of the stream and adheres to the mucus-covered walls of the nasal cavity. It is the goblets cells dispersed between the ciliated cells that secrete mucin. Mucin later forms the mucus that traps debris. The cilia in turn provide a coordinated sweeping motion towards t he pharynx, where the mucus is swallowed. The lamina propria of the respiratory segment has a rich vascular network that includes a complex set of capillary loops. Furthermore, the turbinates increase the total surface area; this arrangement allows the air to be warmed rapidly, so as not to compromise core body temperature. These same vessels become engorged and leaky during allergic reactions or viral infections e.g. the common cold. The lamina propria then becomes distended with fluid, resulting in marked swelling of the mucous membrane with a consequent restriction of the air passage. This makes breathing difficult. Part of the dome of each nasal cavity, and to a lesser extent, the contiguous lateral and medial nasal walls, form the olfactory segment that contain olfactory mucosa. The main constituent of this layer is the olfactory cell. It is a bipolar ciliated neuron that possesses receptors from which the sensation of smell is derived. Over the millennia, man has evolved to dislike odours resembling that of rotting flesh, which possesses micro-organisms and viruses that are harmful not only to the pulmonary system, but to the entire body as well. Defence Mechanisms of the Pharynx: The sub-epithelial tissue of the posterior wall of the nasopharynx possesses diffuse lymphatic tissue. Furthermore, lymphatic nodules are concentrated in the adenoids (pharyngeal tonsils) in the roof of the pharynx, and tonsils (palatine tonsils) on either side of the pharynx. These structures are strategically located to allow the nodule cells to intercept and react with foreign antigens and then travel to regional lymph nodes, where they undergo proliferation and differentiation. Progeny of theses cells return to the lamina propria as effector B and T lymphocytes, as plasma cells, and as memory cells. Respiratory tract nodules also have large numbers of eosinophils as compared to other nodules. This is most visible in times of chronic tonsil inflammation and hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions. Defence Mechanisms of the remainder of the conduction pathway: The larynx shows numerous adaptations to air conduction. The luminal surface of the vocal cords of the larynx is covered with squamous epithelium. This serves to protect the inner layer of the larynx, the mucosa, from abrasion by the rapidly moving airstream. The rest of the larynx is covered by the ciliated epithelium characteristic of the respiratory system, as are the trachea, bronchi, and larger bronchioles. However, the main adaptation at this level is the presence of an epiglottis. The epiglottis is the valve-like flap of cartilage lying behind the tongue and in front of the entrance to the larynx. At rest, the epiglottis is upright and allows air to pass through the larynx and into the rest of the respiratory system. During swallowing, it folds back to cover the entrance to the larynx, preventing food and drink from entering the windpipe. If both the oesophagus and the larynx were open when a person swallowed, air could enter the stomach and food could enter the lungs. When fo od enters the larynx, the airways are blocked, and we start to choke. The epiglottis works with the larynx to act as a lid every time we swallow. The larynx draws upward and forward to close the windpipe. This keeps solid food and liquid out of the respiratory tract. At the end of each swallow, the epiglottis moves up again, the larynx returns to rest, and the flow of air into the windpipe continues. Cough, Sneeze and Gag Reflexes: The function of both the cough reflex and the sneeze reflex is to dislodge foreign matter or irritating material from respiratory passages. The bronchi and the trachea contain sensory receptors that are sensitive to foreign particles and irritating substances. It is also thought that the upper gastrointestinal tract possesses cough receptors. The cough reflex is initiated with the sensory receptors detect these substances and initiate action potentials that pass along the afferent vagus nerves to the medulla oblongata, where a poorly defined cough centre is located. The movements resulting in a cough occur as follows: about 2.5 litres of air are inspired. The epiglottis closes, and the vestibular folds and vocal cords close tightly to trap the inspired air in the lung as a result of stimulation by efferent neurons. The abdominal muscles contract to force the abdominal contents up against the diaphragm, and the muscles of expiration contract forcefully. As a consequence, the immense p ressures are developed in the lungs that may reach up to 100 mm Hg. The vestibular folds, the vocal cords, and the epiglottis then open suddenly, causing air to rush out of the lungs at a high velocity, carrying foreign particles with it. The sneeze reflex is similar to the cough reflex, but it differs in several ways. The source of irritation that initiates the sneeze reflex is in the nasal passages instead of in the trachea and bronchi, and the action potentials are conducted along the afferent trigeminal nerves to a different centre in the medulla. During the sneeze reflex the uvula and the soft palate are depressed so the air is directed primarily through the nasal passages, although a considerable amount passes through the oral cavity. The rapidly flowing air dislodges particulate matter from the nasal passages and propels it a considerable distance from the nose. The gag reflex is important for removing foreign bodies from the pharynx and oral cavity. The normal gag reflex is a mass contraction of both sides of the posterior oral and pharyngeal musculature. The contractions of the pharyngeal musculature on the same side as the site of stimulus is called the direct response, while the contractions of the other side are called the consensual response. Defence mechanisms of the Alveoli: The alveoli possess numerous macrophages that pass with ease between alveolar cells. They are unusual in that they function in both the connective tissue of the septum and in the air spaces of the alveoli. In the air spaces, they are referred to as dust cells, because they scavenge the surface to remove inhaled particulate matter. They also phagocytise erythrocytes that may enter the alveoli in heart failure. Some engorged macrophages pass up the bronchial tree in the mucus and are disposed of by swallowing or expectoration when they reach the pharynx. Other macrophages return to or remain in the septal connective tissue, where, filled with accumulated phagocytised material, they may stay for much of an individual’s life. Finally, they phagocytose infectious microbes such as tubercle bacilli. These bacilli are not digested by the macrophage, so other infections or conditions that damage alveolar macrophages can cause the release of tubercle bacilli and recurrent tuberculosis. Diseases of the pulmonary system: Smoking greatly reduces the effectiveness of pulmonary defence. First, smoking reduces coughing in response to smoke, which is why they can smoke without continuously coughing, and second, smoking effects the rate at which the lungs cilia beat. In acute (short term) cases of exposure to smoke, cilia are paralysed temporarily. In the long run, the cilia will be destroyed permenantly. Furthermore, smoke contains irritants, namely tar, that stimuklates mucus secretion in the larger bronchioles by goblet cells. The resultant stagnation produced at that point in long-term smokers means that the lungs are very susceptible to recurrent infection, particularly pneumonia. To eliminate the mucus, such people develop smoker’s cough, which is so violent it can tear parts of the respiratory vessels and burst numerous alveoli. Blod will often be present in the sputum, and the damaged tissue is replaced by scar tissue. The resulting emphysema is further complicated by the fact that alveolar macrophages secrete proteases and elastases that digest the elastin surrounding alveolar sacs and allow these cells to reach rapidlt to the sites of infection. The reduction in compiance is dueto the fact that alveolar air cannot be replaced as efficiently as before without the recoil provided by elastic tissue. Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways characterised by wheezing, swelling, excess fluid build-up and mucus plug formation. The major step in the inflammatory process is exposure to these allergens or triggers. In the first exposure to the harmless allergen, specific B-lymphocytes recognises an antigen of the allergen, and so it divides rapidly by clonal expansion to produce plasma cells and memory cells. The plasma cells, in turn, produce IgE immunoglobulins. Mast cells and basophils in the lungs have special IgE receptor sites on their surfaces to which the IgE molecules attach. These cells are now sensitised to that allergen. On the next exposure to the allergen, the attached IgE antibody comes in contact with the allergen it was designed specifically to recognize, and, and the mast cells begin to degranulate. The released chemicals attract memory cells. Secretion of more IgE by the proliferating memory cells stimulates the release of several inflammatory-response mediat ors. These chemicals include histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins. They are what cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction. They can stimulate the production of excess amounts of mucus and fluid in the airway, which plug the airway, and also bind to specific receptors on the smooth muscles of the bronchioles, causing severe bronchoconstriction. Bibliography: Jeremy Ward – The respiratory system at a glance P56-64 John Widdicombe Andrew Davies – Respiratory Physiology (second edition) P1-7 Michael Ross – Histology: a text and atlas (third edition) P340-348, 530-556 innerbody.com/text/dige02.html mhhe.com/biosci/ap/seeleyap/resp/reading1.mhtml medsch.wisc.edu/anatomy/bs97/text/p9/gag.htm cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_367563__langId-en,00.html new-asthma.uk.net/mastcelldegranulationdiagrams.html Research Papers on The Defence Mechanisms of the Lungs With Relation to Pulmonary Anatomy - Nursing Research PaperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfGenetic EngineeringPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Hockey GameAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 219 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraResearch Process Part OneOpen Architechture a white paperRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Early Christianity in North Africa

Early Christianity in North Africa Given the slow progress of Romanization of North Africa, it is perhaps surprising how quickly Christianity spread across the top of the continent. From the fall of Carthage in 146 BCE to the rule of Emperor Augustus (from 27 BCE), Africa (or, more strictly speaking, Africa Vetus, Old Africa), as the Roman province was known, was under the command of a minor Roman official. But, like Egypt, Africa and its neighbors Numidia and Mauritania (which were under the rule of client kings), were recognized as potential bread baskets. The impetus for expansion and exploitation came with the transformation of the Roman Republic to a Roman Empire in 27 B.C.E. Romans were enticed by the availability of land for building estates and wealth, and during the first century C.E., north Africa was heavily colonized by Rome. Emperor Augustus (63B C.E.14 C.E.) remarked that he added Egypt (Aegyptus) to the empire. Octavian (as he was then known, had defeated Mark Anthony and deposed Queen Cleopatra VII in 30 B.C.E. to annex what had been the Ptolemaic Kingdom. By the time of Emperor Claudius (10 B.C.E.45 C.E.) canals had been refreshed and agriculture was booming from improved irrigation. The Nile Valley was feeding Rome. Under Augustus, the two provinces of Africa, Africa Vetus (Old Africa) and Africa Nova (New Africa), were merged to form Africa Proconsularis (named for it being governed by a Roman proconsul). Over the next three and a half centuries, Rome extended its control over the coastal regions of North Africa (including the coastal regions of modern day Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) and imposed a rigid administrative structure on Roman colonists and indigenous peoples (the Berber, Numidians, Libyans, and Egyptians). By 212 C.E., the Edict of Caracalla (aka Constitutio Antoniniana, Constitution of Antoninus) issued, as one might expect, by the Emperor Caracalla, declared that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be acknowledged as Roman Citizens (up till then, provincials, as they were known, did not have citizenship rights). Factors Which Influenced the Spread Of Christianity Roman life in North Africa was heavily concentrated around urban centers- by the end of the second century, there was upwards of six million people living in Roman North African provinces, a third of those living in the 500 or so cities and towns which had developed. Cities like Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia), Utica, Hadrumetum (now Sousse, Tunisia), Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) had as many as 50,000 inhabitants. Alexandria considered the second city after Rome, had 150,000 inhabitants by the third century. Urbanization would prove to be a key factor in the development of North African Christianity. Outside of the cities, life was less influenced by Roman culture. Traditional Gods were still worshipped, such as the Phonecian Baal Hammon (equivalent to Saturn) and Baal Tanit (a goddess of fertility) in Africa Proconsuaris and Ancient Egyptian beliefs of Isis, Osiris, and Horus. There were echoes of traditional religions to be found in Christianity which also proved key in the spread of the new religion. The third key factor in the spread of Christianity through North Africa was the resentment of the population to Roman administration, particularly the imposition of taxes, and the demand that the Roman Emperor be worshiped akin to a God. Christianity Reaches North Africa After the crucifixion, the disciples spread out across the known world to take the word of God and the story of Jesus to the people. Mark arrived in Egypt around 42 C.E., Philip traveled all the way to Carthage before heading east into Asia Minor, Matthew visited Ethiopia (by way of Persia), as did Bartholomew. Christianity appealed to a disaffected Egyptian populous through its representations of resurrection, an afterlife, virgin birth, and the possibility that a god could be killed and brought back, all of which resonated with more ancient Egyptian religious practice. In Africa Proconsularis and its neighbors, there was a resonance to traditional Gods through the concept of a supreme being. Even the idea of holy trinity could be related to various godly triads which were taken to be three aspects of a single deity. North Africa would, over the first few centuries C.E., become a region for Christian innovation, looking at the nature of Christ, interpreting the gospels, and sneaking in elements from so-called pagan religions. Amongst people subdued by Roman authority in North Africa (Aegyptus, Cyrenaica, Africa, Numidia, and Mauritania) Christianity quickly became a religion of protest- it was a reason for them to ignore the requirement to honor the Roman Emperor through sacrificial ceremonies. It was a direct statement against Roman rule. This meant, of course, that the otherwise open-minded Roman Empire could no longer take a nonchalant attitude to Christianity- persecution, and repression of the religion soon followed, which in turn hardened the Christian converts to their cult. Christianity was well established in Alexandria by the end of the first century C.E. By the end of the second century, Carthage had produced a pope (Victor I). Alexandria as an Early Center of Christianity In the early years of the church, especially after the Siege of Jerusalem (70 C.E.), the  Egyptian  city of Alexandria became a significant (if not the most significant) center for the development of Christianity. A bishopric was established by the disciple and gospel writer Mark when he established the Church of Alexandria around 49 C.E., and Mark is honored today as the person who brought Christianity to Africa. Alexandria was also home to the  Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament which traditional has it was created on the orders of Ptolemy II for the use of the large population of Alexandrian Jews. Origen, head of the  School of Alexandria  in the early third century, is also noted for compiling a comparison of six translations of the old testament- the  Hexapla. The Catechetical School of Alexandria was founded in the late second century by Clement of Alexandria as a center for the study of the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. It had a mostly friendly rivalry with the School of Antioch which was based around a literal interpretation of the Bible. Early Martyrs It is recorded that in 180 C.E. Twelve Christians of African origin were martyred in Sicilli (Sicily) for refusing to perform a sacrifice to the Roman Emperor Commodus (aka Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus). The most significant record of Christian martyrdom, however, is that of March 203, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (145211 C.E., ruled 193211), when Perpetua, a 22 year old noble, and Felicity, her slave, were martyred in Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia). Historical records, which come partially from a narrative believed to have been written by Perpetua herself, describe in detail the ordeal leading up to their death in the arena- wounded by beasts and put to the sword. Saints Felicity and Perpetua are celebrated by a feast day on March 7th.   Latin as the Language of Western Christianity Because North Africa was heavily under Roman rule, Christianity was spread through the region by the use of Latin rather than Greek. It was partially due to this that the Roman Empire eventually split into two, east and west. (There was also the problem of increasing ethnic and social tensions which helped fractured the empire into what would become the Byzantium and Holy Roman Empire of medieval times.) It was during the reign of Emperor Commodus (161192 C.E., ruled from 180 to 192) that the first of three African Popes was invested.  Victor I, born in the Roman province of  Africa  (now  Tunisia), was pope from 189 to 198 C.E. Amongst the achievements of Victor I are his endorsement for the change of Easter to the Sunday following the 14th of Nisan (the first month of the Hebrew calendar) and the introduction of Latin as the official language of the Christian church (centered in Rome). Church Fathers Titus Flavius Clemens (150211/215 C.E.), aka  Clement of Alexandria, was a Hellenistic theologian and the first president of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. In his early years, he traveled extensively around the Mediterranean and studied the Greek philosophers. He was an intellectual Christian who debated with those suspicious of scholarship and taught several notable ecclesiastical and theological leaders (such as Origen, and Alexander the Bishop of Jerusalem). His most important surviving work is the trilogy  Protreptikos  (Exhortation),  Paidagogos  (The Instructor), and the  Stromateis  (Miscellanies) which considered and compared the role of myth and allegory in ancient Greece and contemporary Christianity. Clement attempted to mediate between the heretical Gnostics and the orthodox Christian church and set the stage for the development of monasticism in Egypt later in the third century. One of the most important Christian theologians and biblical scholars was Oregenes Adamantius, aka  Origen  (c.185254 C.E.). Born in Alexandria, Origen is most widely known for his synopsis of six different versions of the old testament, the  Hexapla. Some of his beliefs about the transmigration of souls and universal reconciliation (or  apokatastasis, a belief that all men and women, and even Lucifer, would ultimately be saved), were declared heretical in 553 C.E., and he was posthumously excommunicated by the Council of Constantinople in 453 C.E. Origen was a prolific writer, had the ear of Roman royalty, and succeeded Clement of Alexandria as head of the School of Alexandria. Tertullian (c.160c.220 C.E.) was another prolific Christian. Born in Carthage, a cultural center much influenced by Roman authority, Tertullian is the first Christian author to write extensively in Latin, for which he was known as the Father of Western Theology. He is said to have laid down the foundation on which Western Christian theology and expression is based. Curiously, Tertullian extolled martyrdom, but is recorded of dying naturally (often quoted as his three score and ten); espoused celibacy, but was married; and wrote copiously, but criticized classical scholarship. Tertullian converted to Christianity in Rome during his twenties, but it was not until his return to Carthage that his strengths as a teacher and defender of Christian beliefs were recognized. The Biblical Scholar Jerome (347420 C.E.) records that Tertullian was ordained as a priest, but this has been challenged by Catholic scholars. Tertullian became a member of the heretical and charismatic Montanistic order around 210 CE, given to fasting and the resultant experience of spiritual bliss and prophetic visitations. The Montanists were harsh moralists, but even they proved to lax for Tertullian in the end, and he founded his own sect a few years before 220 C.E. The date of his death is unknown, but his last writings date to 220 C.E. Sources The Christian period in Mediterranean Africa by WHC Frend, in Cambridge History of Africa, Ed. JD Fage, Volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1979. Chapter 1: Geographical and Historical Background Chapter 5: Cyprian, the Pope of Carthage, in Early Christianity in North Africa by Franà §ois Decret, trans. by Edward Smither, James Clarke, and Co., 2011. General History of Africa Volume 2: Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Unesco General History of Africa) ed. G. Mokhtar, James Currey, 1990.

Using attachment theory in assisting parents and infants engaged in Term Paper

Using attachment theory in assisting parents and infants engaged in stressful interactions - Term Paper Example Tony is a healthy nine-month-old male child, the product of an uneventful pregnancy followed by an uncomplicated full-term vaginal delivery. Ellen and Roger, Tony's parents, are both overweight, but have otherwise no significant health issues.They are in their early thirties, and have been involved in a relationship continuously for the past sixteen years. Tony was actively planned and eagerly welcomed by Ellen and Roger, as well as extended family. (*Names have been changed for privacy.) When Tony was six months old, Ellen and Roger decided to train Tony to sleep through the night independently according to the method outlined by Ferber in â€Å"Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems† (Ferber, 2006).This method involves allowing the child to cry himself to sleep; As such, it is frequently referred to colloquially as the â€Å"cry-it-out method† or â€Å"CIO.† In literature, it is called â€Å"graduated extinction† (Dewar, 2008).Ellen and Roger agreed that this was the most appropriate decision for their family based primarily on their desire to ensure both their own sleep and private time to engage in leisure activities, jointly and separately. Both committed to complete the first three weeks of sleep training, and to re-evaluate the program if it was not having the desired effect on Tony. The Ferber Method has received a great deal of criticism from parents and scholars, and while it is one of the best known sleep training regimens it is also one of the most controversial for several reasons (Dewar, 2008). Ferber acknowledges in his book that this process does not teach children how to sleep independently, it merely deprives them of access to their parents as sources of comfort (Ferber, 2006). Ellen and Roger successfully employed Ferber's techniques over a two week period, during which Tony would initially cry himself to sleep. When he awoke during the night a parent would stand near the door of Tony's bedroom, outside of his visual ra nge, and attempt to ascertain his physical state of being. In the event of specific concerns relevant to physical health or comfort, those concerns were addressed quickly by the attendant parent, and without fanfare. There was minimal parent-infant interaction during these addresses. Diaper changes accounted for the overwhelming majority of these concerns. If there was no specific physical concern to address, Tony was allowed to continue crying in his crib. Though Tony's cries were extremely distressing for both Ellen and Roger to endure, the two of them persisted in their efforts to teach Tony to sleep on his own. Over the first two week period of sleep training, Tony began crying less, fell asleep more quickly, and stayed asleep for longer periods of time. By the end of the first two weeks Tony was sleeping from 19:00 local time through 0:800. Caregivers who sleep train their children believe that they are teaching the children to self-soothe and encouraging independent behavior. In reality, infants who are left to cry alone are at high risk for developing ambivalent relationships with their caregivers. Tony internalized the lesson that after the lights have been turned off, his needs will not be met, and as a result his behavior, particularly in the evenings as bedtime approaches, Tony's behavior is that of a child who is ambivalently attached to his primary caregivers. Tony's behavior has become more subdued in general; He spends less time in both active alert and crying phases. Tony hardly seems to notice when he is separated from his parents, but he does actively prefer them to strangers. Ellen, Tony's mother, truly believes that sleep training was an appropriate choice, and defends her decision vociferously. She points to the ease with which Tony sleeps and his cooperation in the evenings as proof that she and her husband made the correct decision. Ellen feels that this process has been beneficial not only to Tony but to her, and that while it was