Research Methods for Business Students

Addressing Public Display of Affection at School

Addressing Public Display of Affection at School Public Display of Affection- or PDA- includes physical contact including, but not limited to, intimate touching, hand holding, fondling, cuddling, and kissing at school or a school-sponsored activity between two students typically in a relationship. This type of behavior, while innocent on some levels, can quickly devolve into a distraction for the students engaging in the practice, as well as other students who witness these public displays of affection. PDA Basics PDA is often considered a public profession of how two people feel about one another. Schools typically see this type of behavior as a distraction and inappropriate for a school setting. Most schools have policies that forbid this type of issue on campus or at school-related functions. Schools typically have a zero-tolerance stance on PDA because they recognize that even innocent displays of affection can turn into something more. Being overly affectionate can be offensive to many people,  though a couple caught up in the moment may not be aware that their actions are offensive. Because of this, schools must educate their students on the issue.  Respect is a critical component  of character-education programs in schools everywhere. Students who regularly engage in acts of PDA are disrespecting their peers by subjecting them to witnessing their affection. This should be brought to the attention of the over-affectionate couple who were probably too caught up in the moment to consider others who were around them. Sample PDA Policy To handle and forbid public displays of affection, schools need first to recognize they have a problem. Unless the school or school district sets specific policies forbidding PDA, they cannot expect students to simply know the practice is forbidden or at least discouraged. Below is a sample policy a school or school district can employ to set a policy on PDAs and prohibit the practice: Public School XX recognizes that genuine feelings of affection may exist between two students. However, students shall refrain from all Public Displays of Affection (PDA) while on campus or while attending and/or participating in a school-related activity.Being overly affectionate at school can be offensive and is generally in poor taste. The expression of feelings toward one another is a personal concern between the two individuals and thus should not be shared with others in the general vicinity. PDA includes any physical contact that may make others in close proximity uncomfortable or serves as a distraction for themselves as well as innocent onlookers. Some specific examples of PDA include but is not limited to: Tips and Hints Of course, the previous example is just that: an example. It may seem overly harsh for some schools or districts. But, setting a clear policy is the only way to minimize or stop public displays of affection. If students dont know the school or districts view on the issue- or even if the school or district has a policy on public displays of affection- they cannot be expected to abide by a nonexistent policy. Turning away from PDAs is not the answer: Setting a clear policy and consequences is the best solution to creating a school atmosphere that is comfortable for all students and teachers.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 192

Assignment Example Thus, designers such as Dior Homme, Raf Simons and Thom Browne started the slim-fit trend to accommodate this shift in clothing culture. Brand also played a huge role in shifting clothing customer preference. As the shift to slim-fit clothing was started by high-end fashion designers, consumers felt compelled to follow this changing trend due to the prestige and loyalty they owed to the brand. With this saw the rise in sales of slim-fit clothing in America. Being market leaders in the fashion world, other designers followed suit as competition is an essential component in coming up with a products marketing plan (Perruault, 154). Retailers and clothing wholesalers were soon in competition in marketing this new fashion trend and saw the slim-fit style being replicated across all men’s clothing, from suits to polo shirts. The result of this style shift was products being snugger to big-bodied men. Big-bodied men ended up being alienated. The consequence of this was the creation of a whole new market segment. Designers, retailers and wholesalers could produce slim-fitting products that are marketed to muscled or big-bodied consumers. Market decision making is largely influenced by the product. A marketing plan would try and differentiate a product in order to reach a larger segment of the market. Retailers such as Ralph Lauren with their Polo brand offers custom fit polo shirts which are roomier amid their array of slim-fit polo shirts. Most retailers are currently trying to produce clothing that is slim-fitting but roomy. The market movement by large retailers and wholesalers indicates the potential growth in sales they can experience in marketing slim-fit clothing to big-bodied consumers. The  efforts of these retailers to offer slim-fit clothing options may be hampered by efforts of high-end designers such as Calvin Klein. The fashion icon has in recent years tried to bring voluminous clothes back in fashion. This

FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN A COUNTRY OF YOUR CHOICE Essay

FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN A COUNTRY OF YOUR CHOICE - Essay Example However the modern UK banking and Finance owe their evolution to the Crown's dissolution of the monasteries which acted as money keepers in the 1530s.( Chen 1983:1400). Today the UK banking system is extremely advanced in terms of the globalization of its financial markets. The constant development and innovation in its financial operations and strategies has changed both its operational and structural financial landscape. Currently it is highly influenced by the Basel Committee (under the Bank of International Settlements) which was formed in response to the crises caused by the insolvency of Bankaus Herstatt and the problems caused by Nixon's announcement of the closure of the Golden Window ,has worked since 1974 to prevent such risks from injuring the health and wealth of such financial institutions. Of more importance however is the UK's current monetary policy which is aimed at delivering price stability which is a result of low inflation (with the Government's inflation target of 2%. expressed in terms of an annual rate of inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).)Currently the Bank of England with its powers under the Bank of England Act 1998 has the role of the financial regulator and can set interest rates with little interference from the government.(expressed in terms of an annual rate of inflation based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The decade of the nineties demonstrated low and relatively stable interest rates in contrast to the high and volatile interest rates which haunted the economy in the seventies.The interest rates also fell following the 9/11 incident,yet the UK financial sector saw definite booms with in the housing sector as interest rates increased in 2004.However the current low interest rates are affecting the system of bond markets, curre ncy markets and stock markets. This has also reportedly led to an increase in the to income ratio for consumers.Before the FSA (Financial Services Authority) became the statutory banking supervisor of the UK through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000,UK bank supervision was the responsibility of the Bank of England. The Bank of England has been an informal supervisor for British Banks ever since the mid nineteenth century but the Bank of England Act 1979 confirmed these powers by granting it be able to approve or refuse authorization to carry out banking business in the UK. Employment and Inflation Recent statistics show that things are improving in terms of microeconomic indicators like that of employment and reduced inflation.The diagram below gives a rough estimate of the UK interest rates This is because during the past few years the UK has had much success in controlling interest rate fuelled inflationary problems. Employment in the UK reached 29 million in 2006 for the first time; the highest figure since comparable records began in 19711. New evidence from the Bank of England however Inflation Report2 suggests that UK has been hit by stagflation in its financial sector "In the central projection, higher energy and import prices push inflation above the target in the near term. Inflation then falls back to

Exective Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exective Leadership - Assignment Example The trait theory stipulates that leaders are born with specific characteristics of leadership such as internal force, intelligence and ability to interact with other people (Wart, 2012). They believe that either one becomes a good leader because they were born with leadership qualities or they are poor leaders if they were not born with leadership traits. Stratified systems theory suggests that leaders perform specific tasks in the organization depending on the ranks they hold in the organizations (Wart, 2012). Junior leaders are engaged in short-term planning while senior leaders focus on long-term goals of the organization. In addition, the theory suggests the duration in which a leader can work in an organization without supervision is dependent on the rank they hold (Morse, et.al, 2007). Those who hold highest ranks stay longer than junior leaders without supervision. Path-goal theory is similar to trait and stratified theories in that both theories admit leaders possess certain characteristics that enable them to lead their followers and improve organizations performance (Wart, 2012). However, they differ in the sense that path-goal theory presumes a leader should define organizational goals and empower the capability of followers to pursue them while trait theory presumes people can only utilize their inborn potential to achieve organizational goals (Morse, et.al, 2007). On the other hand, stratified theories differ from trait and path-goal it perceives performance of leaders as dependent on the ranks they hold in an organization, thus, those holding junior positions require more supervision than senior leaders (Wart, 2012). The grid was designed to elaborate how leaders can assist organizations to attain their goals by taking concern for production and for the people (Wart, 2012). The concern for organization entails leaders’ effort to perform organizational tasks such

Importance and factors involved in marital adjustment

Importance and factors involved in marital adjustment According to Alfred Adler (1978), marriage is part of the three tasks (i.e., work, friendship, and love) that the human community sets for every individual. Relationship importance Over the course of life, people learn to establish different relationships, with different values, expectations and commitments. One of those relationships is the marital relationship. For A good marital relationship marital adjustment is essential. Sinha Mukerjee (1990) defines marital adjustment as The state in which there is an overall feeling in husband and wife of happiness and satisfaction with their marriage and with each other. Locke Wallace (1959) defines marital adjustment as: accommodation of husband and wife to each other at a given time According to Spanier and Cole (1976), marital adjustment is a process, the outcome of which is determined by the degree of: a) troublesome marital differences, b) interpersonal tensions and personal anxiety, c) marital satisfaction d) dyadic cohesion, e) consensus on matters of importance to marital functioning. There are a number of factors that define a healthy marital adjustment. Some of these factors are Factors involved in Marital Adjustment: Wife employment and Marital Adjustment: Blumstein and Schwartz (1983) had earlier found that individuals, particularly wives, reported increased levels of self-esteem, self-concept, and self-worth were positively correlated with employment. Previous research on the relationship be- tween wife employment and marital adjust- ment has produced conflicting results: some investigations report a positive relationship between wife employment and marital adjust- ment (Burke Weir, 1976; Hartley, 1978); others suggest a negative relationship (Bean, Curtis, Marcum, 1977; Gover, 1963); other studies show no relationship (Bahr Day, 1978; Blood Wolfe, 1960). Nathawat and Mathur (1993) did a study in India about marital adjustment and subjective well-being in Indian-educated housewives and working women. Their results indicated that working women had better marital adjustment and subjective well-being. Working women reported high scores on general health, life satisfaction and self-esteem measures lower scores on hopelessness, insecurity and anxiety whereas the housewives had lower scores on negative affect than the working women. Trust and marital adjustment: Relationships are composed of trust, and sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings. They are built upon trust and sharing and they get stronger from these things (Finkenauer, Kerkhof, Righetti, Branje, 2009). According to Regan, Kocan, and Whitlock (1998) Trust is one of the most important component of a loving relationship. Also international studies have found trust to be a critical factor in the success of long-term marriages (Roizblatt et al. 1999; Sharlin 1996). In a longitudinal study, Kristina Moeller and Hakan Stattin (2001) report that adolescents with trustful parental relationships experienced greater satisfaction with their partner relationships in midlife. Quality of life and marital adjustment Psychological Factors: Depression stress (psychological well being) Lower psychological well-being is a major risk factor for relationship distress. Higher rates of relationship problems have been consistently linked to persons suffering from severe psychiatric disorders, including depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders (Bradbury, 1998). Many studies link marital conflict to depression (Beach, Arias, OLeary, 1987; OLeary and Beach, 1990). Although the authors propose a bidirectional causal relationship between marital conflict and depression, they suggest that marital conflict is typically a more powerful contributing factor to depression. Marital satisfaction appears to be an important factor of psychological well being. Marital distress has been linked with many psychological difficulties especially depression. (KAUSAR ANSARI.. thesis) . Belongingness and Marital Adjustment: According to Baumeister Leary (1995) Belongingness might have multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes. Lack of belongingness or attachments is linked to a variety of ill effects on health, adjustment, and well-being. In a close relationship there is a need to belong and if that need isnt fulfilled then problems may occur. One of the universal institutions is marriage which is accepted to satisfy the need for belongingness. Economics and Marital Adjustment Education and income have also been linked to marital satisfaction and marital conflict, with greater levels of education and income predicting greater marital satisfaction and less conflict. Economic stress has a negative effect on marital satisfaction and a positive influence on relationship dissolution (Johnson Booth, 1990). Economic strain is directly linked to increased couple disagreements and has direct impact on marital adjustment (Kinnunen and Feldt, 2004). Many researches haves been conducted on economic factor in relation to marital adjustment e.g Zedlewski (2002) studied economic factor in relation to family well-being , he found that low family income and limited benefits have negative influences on child and family well-being. Voyandoff (1990) studied economic distress and family relations.   Ross Mirowsky (1992) and Yadollahi (2009) studied that employment of spouses  and the sense of control in various types of stressors of marital life. Diener and Diener (2001) investigated that wealth is related to many positive outcomes in life. Gudmunson, Beutler, Israelsen, McCoy Hill (2007) found that financial problems significantly contributed to lower reported marital satisfaction among married couples. In a study in Finland conducted by Kinnunen and Feldt (2004) concluded that husbands unempl oyment is strongly associated with his marital adjustment. Couples with better economic resources are martially adjusted as compared to those who have limited economic resources. Economic hard times increased rate of martial distress.   (Blekesaunes   2008)   Personality and Marital Adjustment In a study by Bouchard, Sabourin, Lussier, Y. (1999) the relationship of various personality traits with marital adjustment was studied. Personality traits studied were neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. The scale used to measure marital adjustment was dyadic adjustment scale. The results showed that women high in agreeableness and openness were more adjusted. Also males that were high on openness and agreeableness were more martially adjusted. Husbands openness was positively related to their wives marital adjustment. Open individuals may tolerate and respect differences in behavior and thought of partner which would reduce the number of conflicts and increase the consensus between spouses. Kim, Martin, and Martin (1989) and Levine and Henessy (1990) found that personality factors differentiated stable from unstable marriages. Stable marriages were more similar in intelligence, protension, radicalism, tender-mindedness, mutual trust, acceptance, enthusiasm, and genuineness. Personality factors that reduce the likelihood of stability and satisfaction have included the lack of warmth and extraversion (Levine Henessy); passive-aggression (Slavik, Carlson, Sperry, 1998); borderline pathologies (Paris Braverman, 1995); bipolar disorders (Peven Schulman, 1998); feelings of insecurity, unfairness, depreciation, and powerlessness (Begin, Sabourin, Lussier, Wright, 1997); disagreeableness, emotional instability, inconsiderateness, and physical abuse (Botwin et al., 1997; Kosek, 1996; Shackelford Buss, 1997); depression (Cohan Bradbury, 1997; Davila Bradbury, 1997; Fals-Stewart, Birchler, Schafer, Lucente, 1994); neuroticism (Karney Bradbury, 1997; Russell Wells, 1994a ; Russell Wells, 1994b); tension, anxiety, worry, and suspicion (Craig Olson, 1995); hostility, defensiveness, and aggression (Heyman, OLeary, Jouriles, 1995; OLeary, Malone, Tyree, 1994; Newton, Kiecolt-Glaser, Glaser, Malarkey, 1995); and negative affectivity leading to negative attributions (Huston Vangelistic, 1991; Karney, Bradbury, Fincham, OSullivan, 1994). Individual personality traits have also been linked to couples relationship functioning for both men and women. Personality traits of neuroticism, anxiety, and emotional instability have been shown to impair relationship functioning and reduce relationship satisfaction (Watson Clark, 1984). Additionally, personality characteristics of agreeableness and expressiveness have been referred to as individual protective factors, which may enhance marital satisfaction (Bradbury, Campbell, Fincham, 1995). Communication and Marital Adjustment: Communication is necessary for human growth and development also it serves as the essential foundation for marital success and is the facilitating process for an enduring marriage that is satisfying (Robinson Blanton, 1993). Communication within relationships is an important factor, if there isnt communication the relationship suffers. The relationship between marital communication and adjustment is a strong one (Murphy Mendelson 2004). Gottman (1995) in his book indicated that communication could be both productive and destructive to relationships as unhappy couples tend to criticize, disagree, complain, put down, and use excuses and sarcasm. Unrewarding communication patterns lead to the development of relationship distress (Markman, 1979). In contrast, happy couples with marital stability and satisfaction are more likely to use active listening skills, agree, approve, assent, use laughter and humor (Fisher, Giblin, Hoopes, 1982) and possess character virtues of self-restraint, courage, and friendship (Fowers Olson, 1986). Gottman (1995) has suggested that satisfied couples maintain a five-to-one ratio of positive to negative exchanges in interactions Gender also plays an important role in couple communication as there are gender differences in verbal and nonverbal communication with men tending to be more dominant in their interactions and women being more submissive (Tannen, 1990). Emmers-Sommer (2004) studied the effect of communication quality and quantity indicators on satisfaction in relationships. A key term in the study was quality time; this refers to focused, uninterrupted time spent with children, partners, friends, and significant others. Another key term used in the study was quantity time; this refers to frequency of communication or contact. For individuals to reach relationship satisfaction they have to examine the quantity and quality of their disclosures with their partners. Emmers-Sommer (2004) found that quality of communication predicts both relationship satisfaction and intimacy. The quantity of communication, however, was not a predictor for relationship satisfaction. Concealment/Non- disclosure and marital adjustment: Disclosure  as a phenomenon was first investigated by Sidney Jourard (1971). The process was originally defined as telling others about the self. Rosenfeld (1979) explained self-disclosure as the personal information of self that is only available from himself and is not available from other sources. Jorgensen Gaudy (1980) defines self disclosure as: A process by which a marriage partner ex- presses feelings, perceptions, fears, and doubts of the inner self to the other partner, allowing relatively private and personal information to surface in the relationship that normally would not be revealed in the course of day-to-day interaction. The word conceal has been originated from the Latin work Concelare , celare means to hide. Merriam Webster defines concealment as  to prevent disclosure or recognition. Concealment is the activity of hiding information and keeping secrets from other people. Larson and Chastain (1990) explained self concealed personal information as firstly, a subset of private personal information, secondly, it is accessible only to the individual and thirdly it is actively kept from the awareness of others. Thus, self-concealment involves the conscious concealment of private information like feelings, thoughts, actions or events that one perceives as highly intimate, distressing or negative. Even though concealment and disclosure seem the same, there is some difference between self-disclosure and self-concealment. According to Larson and Chastain 1990 the act of revealing personal information is self- disclosure whereas the act of concealing personal information is self-concealment. They argued that self-concealment and self-disclosure are two separate and distinct constructs even though they are related. Effects of concealment/non-disclosure on marital adjustment Feelings of Exclusion People usually resent it when they perceive that another person is keeping secrets from them. The general reaction towards concealment is that of exclusion since in that persons view his right to know is being violated. This level or degree of exclusion felt by a person is higher when these persons are in a close and intimate relationship (Finkenauer, Kerkhof, Righetti, Branje, 2009). Marital relationships are composed of trust, and sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings. They are built upon trust and sharing and they get stronger from these things. Therefore the quality of relationship is influenced adversely when there is a perception of concealment from partner. The perception of concealment effects on relationship quality, the person feels rejected or excluded (Finkenauer, Kerkhof, Righetti, Branje, 2009). The exclusion that is communicated by concealment can be assumed to violate almost all features and values commonly associated with close relationships, including trust, caring, honesty, friendship, companionship, unconditional acceptance, and respect (Finkenauer, Kerkhof, Righetti, Branje, 2009). Psychological effects To keep secrets or deliberately conceal information from others seems to be part of normal development. Even though every person has secrets they can sometimes be a burden. There are different types of secrets people keep like having cheated on an exam, having a disease, sexual orientation or having been sexually molested as a child. Most of these secrets involve stigmatizing or negative information that usually involves the secret keepers themselves. People who conceal negative or distressing information of self from others as compared to the ones who do not, are more depressed, anxious, shy and have low self-esteem.(Kelly, Klusas, Weiss Kenny, 2001) Effects of Disclosure on marital adjustment Self-disclosure and liking The earliest work done on the relationship between disclosure and liking was by Jourard (1959) who found a positive association between liking the other person and disclosing to that person in a sample of nursing students and faculty. A number of studies have been done on this relationship and confirmed that we disclose more to people whom we like. (e.g., Certner,1973, Fitzgerald, 1963; Worthy, Gary, Kahn, 1969) and also we tend to like the people who disclose personal information to us (e.g., Archer, Berg, Runge, 1980; Daher Banikiotes, 1976;Taylor, Gould, Brounstein, 1981). Self-Disclosure and psychological well-being Most of the studies done on the relationship between concealment and psychological well-being have shown the same results which are that higher levels of disclosure are associated with psychological wellbeing and lower levels of disclosure are associated with poorer mental health. Disclosing distressing information helps with the psychological well-being and not disclosing leads to poorer mental health. It is thought that disclosing distressing information helps psychological well-being by reducing the stress of keeping the information to oneself (Ichiyama et al 1993; Cramer, 1999; Barry and Mizrahi, 2005; Hook and Andrews, 2005; Kahn et al 2002). Gender differences and concealment: Concealment is behavior that is more common in males. On the other hand previous studies indicate that females are usually more willing to disclose distressing or personal information. Traditionally, discussing personal problems is a behavior that is considered more appropriate for females than for males (Kahn and Hessling, 2001). Among men, asking for help when faced with psychological problems is often perceived as a weakness (Jourard and Lasakow, 1958; West, 1970; Jourard, 1971; Cozby, 1973; Kelly and Achter, 1995; Kahn and Hessling, 2001). Moreover, traditional sex-role stereotypes suggest that females are more skillful in communicating and also are more concerned with issues of intimacy than are men. So an intimate disclosure by a man may be seen as less appropriate than a similar disclosure by a woman (Collins Miller 1994). All in all men who disclose are generally viewed as maladjusted whereas women who do not disclose may be viewed as maladjusted. (Collins Miller 1994). Age and tendencies towards disclosure/ non-concealment and in terms of age it has been found that young people are more likely to disclose than older people. (Jourard, 1971; Hook and Andrews, 2005). Literature Review: Labels such as satisfaction, adjustment, success, happiness, and quality have all been used in describing the quality of marriage (Fincham, Beach, Kemp-Fincham, 1997) Theories on marital adjustment and disclosure Social penetration theory: Many studies have dealt with self disclosure. One main theory that was a framework for the study is Social Penetration Theory (Altman Taylor, 1987). This theory was a model for the study because it looks at self disclosure as both the depth and the breadth. In this study the depth of self disclosure is an important factor when reaching satisfaction in relationships. Altman and Taylor use an onion as a metaphor for relationship development. They suggest that the onion represents the breadth and depth of self disclosures. On the outer layer of the onion individuals have the breadth of disclosures: a broad aspect of a person such as their tastes, worldview, and studies. As individuals go deeper into the onion, they get to the depth of disclosures meaning they get more detail on aspects of an individual. This represents the degree of a persons disclosure. The main route to deep social penetration is through individuals disclosures. The depth of penetration would represent the degree of personal disclosure. Altman and Taylor (1987) suggest the depth of penetration into the onion model is the degree of intimacy. This study examines the depth of penetration, breadth is equally important in relationships. This theory supports the idea that people who have a high level of depth in their disclosure will be more satisfied in romantic relationships. This theory does not examine the amount of self disclosure as it does the depth of self disclosure. Three competing models of marital disclosure and satisfaction Jorgensen Gaudy (1980) gave models for marital disclosure and satisfaction and according to Spanier (1976) marital satisfaction is a sub category of marital adjustment. According to the linear model of marital relationship, there exists a positive, linear relationship between marital disclosure and marital satisfaction. Marital relationship is characterized by factors like intimacy, trust and caring. Marital disclosure positively impacts these factors and therefore presence of these factors in a marital relationship systematically increase the level of marital satisfaction. Therefore, this model suggests that higher the level of marital disclosure greater will be the marital satisfaction and vice versa. The curvilinear model as opposed to the linear model suggests that a satisfying marital relationship exists only with medium levels of self disclosure. When self disclosure falls on the high or low end of the continuum of self disclosure, marital satisfaction will decrease. This means that too lack of self disclosure is not the only factor that results in low marital satisfaction. Extensive self disclosure might be perceived as nagging or too much complaining which might raise negative feelings of hostility in the spouse which in turn will decrease the marital satisfaction. Hence, according to this model moderate levels of self disclosure are characterized as a key factor in achieving high marital satisfaction. John Gottmans (1999) scientifically validated theory of marriage, based on 25 years of longitudinal research, is one of the leading theories in the study of marital satisfaction. Gottmans theory (1999) states that positive interaction and friendship is the key to marital satisfaction and the prediction of marital stability over time. According to Gottman (1999), a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative interactions is necessary for marital stability. Gottman defines marital stability as a satisfying marital relationship that is not disrupted by separation or divorce. He states, The most important finding was that more positive affect was the only variable that predicted both marital stability and happiness (p. 21). In Gottmans theory (1999), there is a process of what he calls sentiment override in couples. He states, Sentiment override can be either positive or negative. Negative sentiment override means that people have a chip on their shoulder. These types of partners are hypervigilant, looking for slights or attacks by their partner. Positive sentiment override means that even negativity by the partner is interpreted as informative rather than as a personal attack (p. 164). Positive sentiment override creates a milieu in which the partners are more tolerant and accepting of each other, while negative sentiment override creates a set of expectations that ones spouse will behave negatively. Similarly, OLeary and Smith (1991) refer to this phenomenon as cognitive attributional correlates of marital satisfaction. These authors state that distressed couples are less likely to objectively interpret positive behaviors from their spouses as positive and more likely to interpret the intent of their spouses statements more negatively than they were meant to be. Compared to non-distressed couples, dissatisfied spouses make attributions that cast their partners behavior in a negative light and these attributions in turn negatively influence marital satisfaction (Bradbury Fincham, 1990). In summary, according to Gottman (1999) as well as OLeary and Smith (1991) it is not what happens in the marriage, but how the partners perceive and define what has happened that is critical. Gottman posits that 69% of couples problems will be what he calls, perpetual problems, meaning largely unresolvable. He has found that in the case of the perpetual problems, it is important for couples to establish a dialogue, as opposed to a solution in these instances. When couples cannot dialogue about these issues, they often become gridlocked, where each partner becomes frustrated and eventually emotionally disengaged. The role of communication therefore plays an important role in marital satisfaction. Studies examining marital satisfaction vary in design, measurement, and outcomes, leading to a number of explanations accounting for marital satisfaction (Gottman, 1999). Perception of concealment has an adverse effect on marital relationships. Some researches have been carried out related to this issue. In a longitudinal study it was studied how perceiving concealment in close relationships influences marital well-being. The research showed that people in marital relationships who perceive their partner to be concealing information from them had poor relationships, mistrust and conflict between them. In the study it was also discussed that people who conceal information also perceive that the other person is concealing information from them. Perceiving concealment may give the other partner the impression that he/she is not desirable or cannot be trusted; it gives the other person the feelings of being excluded. And the feeling of exclusion may result in feelings of separation or estrangement which may result in marital conflict (Finkenauer et al., 2009). Another study conducted in Belgium has investigated disclosure and secrecy in close, long-term relationships. It showed in the study that secrecy contributed a lot to marital dissatisfaction. The study explains how a person who has a secret avoids a difficult topic rather than facing it to avoid conflict, while the other partner perceives the secrecy as a sign of suspicion, which contributes negatively to marital satisfaction. Another point in the study was that people trying to hide something on the way feel that they have to put on a mask for the other person so he/she doesnt get to know their secret; they have to pretend which may lead to less intimacy and closeness. People who felt comfortable with sharing their emotions and were able to talk about matters were more satisfied with their relationship. One of the questionnaires used to test their study was the Larson and Chastains (1990) Self- Concealment Scale (Finkenauer Hazam, 2000). Low expressiveness leads to dissatisfaction in a marital relationship. Miller et al. (2003) argued that expressive people are less likely to suffer decline in marital satisfaction. They found that spouses expressiveness was positively related to their own and partners affectionate behaviors and this affectionate behavior was in turn related with marital satisfaction. Expressiveness is positively associated with peoples perception of their partners responsiveness. Davidson, Balswick Halverson (1983) did a study on the Affective Self-Disclosure and Marital Adjustment. It was based upon 162 married couples. The study explains that the greater is the discrepancy in partners affective self-disclosure, the lesser is the individuals marital adjustment. READ WHOLE PAPER AND WRITE. Sprecher and Hendrick (2004) examined the relationship between self-disclosure and relationship quality and found a positive relationship between disclosure and relationship quality. Self-disclosure is an indicator of satisfaction in romantic relationships. Levesque, Steciuk, and Ledley (2002) studied how self-disclosure relates to the development of personal relationships, relational intimacy, and relationship dissolution. The results showed that perceived intimacy was strongly associated with level of self-disclosure. Self-disclosure was found to be strongly reciprocal. Levesque et al. 2002 found that the level of self-disclosure strongly influences individual differences between disclosers. HANSEN E.J SCHULDT J.W (1984) did a study on marital self-disclosure and marital satisfaction. The sample for the study was on a sample of 50 married couples of mean age 25 years and mean length of marriage was 3.18 years and mean education was 15 years. Scales used for measuring the variables were Jourards self disclosure questionnaire( jourard and Lasakow, 1958) and Spaniers (1976) Dyadic Adjustment Scale. the results of the study showed that wifes disclosure to husband was positively related to husbands marital satisfaction and husbands disclosure to wife was also positively related to husbands marital satisfaction. One predictor that may have particular importance to marital satisfaction is gender roles. According to Kurdek (2005) there are two classes of theories that explain the position about how men and women experience close relationships in different ways. the first class, that is the biological, posits that males and females in a relationship process events differently at the cardiovascular, endocrinological, immunological, neurosensory, and neurophysiological levels. For example Kiecolt-Glaser Newton (2001) in their research reviewed evidence showing that men are more physiologically sensitive to acute stressors than women and women showed stronger and more durable physiological changes than men in marital conflict. The other class that is the class of social psychological theories posits that both genders differ in ways that are directly relevant to relationship functioning like the structure and content of how the self is constructed, personality traits and socialized roles. The other class that is the class of social psychological theories posits that both genders differ in ways that are directly relevant to relationship functioning like the structure and content of how the self is constructed, personality traits and socialized roles. Other research has also substantiated that marriage disproportionately benefits men, with husbands reporting higher levels of marital satisfaction and well-being than their wives (Bird Fremont, 1991; McRae Brody, 1989; Schumm, Webb, Bollman, 1998). Gender is defined as the socially determined role of an individual that is ascribed as a result of his or her sex (Juni Grimm, 1994). Gender roles influence men and women in every aspect of their lives and relationships (Knox Schacht, 2000). Demographic characteristics including age, race, income, education, length of marriage, and religiosity, have been linked to marital satisfaction and marital conflict (Knox Schacht, 2000). Based on Gottmans (1999) research, length of marriage is also a significant predictor for marital satisfaction and marital conflict. He identifies two critical time periods of vulnerability in the marital trajectory, with the majority of couples divorcing within the first seven years of marriage. Couples who divorce within the first seven years of marriage have relationships characterized by having high levels of marital conflict. Conversely, a second vulnerable time period for the marital trajectory is 16 to 24 years of marriage. This is the next most likely time frame for couples to divorce. These relationships are characterized by spending little time together, lack of communication, and a lack of conflict expression. Gottman (1999) refers to these couples as two ships passing in the night.

Modernism and New Criticism Essay -- Modernism New Criticism Literatur

Modernism and New Criticism The ways in which we define the importance of texts is constantly changing. We can look back and see critical theories used, such as Historical Criticism, Reader-Response Criticism and Psychoanalytic Criticism. Each of these theories offers a different way to interpret a text. However, when looking back over the texts of a specific era, shouldn’t the type of criticism we used for a book be based on that time period? Defining the Modernist Era of literature seems almost impossible, since the definition of modernism often seems to constitute anything from being â€Å"new and common† to â€Å"new and uncommon† (Barzun). This term seems to be able to stretch from the 1500’s to present; but for the sake of this essay the Modernist Era in question is that from the early twentieth century (circa 1910-1940’s). Out of, and during, this era the critical theory named New Criticism came into play. Although, nowadays, the use of New Criticism is unpopular, it is essential to use when defining the Modernist Era. Even though New Criticism isn’t used anymore, many of its basic constructs are. For example, the idea of close reading and using textual evidence (as will be done in this essay) are characteristics that were important to New Criticism. Now it is practically impossible to be in an English class, be it high school or college, and not have to use these skills when talking about a text. New Criticism basically theorized that the text itself was the most important aspect of writing; therefore, to understand the meaning of a piece of literature one must look to, and in, the text, rather than trying to define it by outside components, such as those used in Historical and Biographical Criti... ...120). The text itself is one we can always count on and find meaning in, since it always there, unchanging. Work Cited Barzun, Jacques. â€Å"The Artist as Prophet and Jester†. The American Scholar. 69.1 (Winter 2000): 15-33. Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2003. Eliot, TS. â€Å"The Waste Land†. The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry. Ed. Jahan Ramazani. New York: Norton, 2003. 472-487. Eliot, TS. â€Å"Tradition and the Individual Talent†. The Sacred Wood. London: Methune, 1920. http://www.bartleby.com/200/sw4.html Faulkner, William. Light in August. New York: Vintage Books, 1932. Thody, Philip. Twentieth-Century Literature: Critical Issues and Themes. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996. Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1999. 117-152.

Moving Away

I can still remember that day. If you asked me, I thought the world was coming to a blazing end. Well, at least my world. It was a very humid and hot summer afternoon. Unusually warm for New England, it was the type of weather found in the deep south of our country. It was quite a coincidence actually; since this was the type of weather I would have to be used to. After all here I was on my way down to the south moving to Kentucky. It was a slightly a year before when I was first told by my parents that we would be moving. At first I didn’t believe them. I thought, â€Å"What kind of sick joke is this? â€Å"But after a few minutes I realized they were serious. More serious questions came popping into my mind. Why would we move? What about my friends? Who is going to buy this junky house? These were all questions that initially ran through my jumbled mind. My parents refused to answer my questions however. This got me extremely angry. How could they force such a change in my life and ignore my questions? My parents were being cruel, not because they were making me move but because they were completely ignoring my feelings and questions. My opinions and feelings meant nothing to them because they made the choice on their own. I was a Essay on Moving Away Moving away from all of your best friends can be a real tragedy in a sixteen-year-old teenagers life. It's hard to get up and go eight hundred miles away from everyone you know and everything you grew up around. I had this happen to me about three years ago and it is the largest change I have ever had to adjust to in my life. It wasn't the changes around me that I was bothered by; it was that I did not know one living soul for hundreds of miles and all I wanted was a friend. Two days into the summer after sophomore year at Governor Mifflin High School in the little town of Shillington Pennsylvania I would find out the worse news that a sixteen year old could hear. I found out that in four days my family and I would be moving to a suburb outside of Chicago because of my dads recent job change. I was devastated, I ran to my room and cried for about an hour with thoughts of all my friends running through my head. It was like all the memories I had with all my friends were going through my head at the same time. It was beyond doubt one of the biggest challenges of my life. During the last few days I was there I went out with my friends every night ha Moving far away from family and friends can be tough on a child at a young age. It has its pros and cons. One learns how to deal with moving away from the people they love and also learn how to deal with adjusting to new ways of life. Everything seems so different and at a young age one feels like they have just left the whole world behind them. That was an experience that changed my life as a person. It taught me how to deal with change and how to adjust. It developed me from a young boy into a mature young man. The day I moved away, a lot of things were going through my young mind. As I took my last look at my home, I remembered all the fun times I had with my family and friends through out my life. Now I was moving 800 miles away from all of that with no insight on what lied ahead for me. As my family and I drove away from our Michigan home, I looked out the window wondering what Virginia would be, and what my friends were doing. A lot of things were going through my mind at the time. At the time my main worry was if I would make any friends, and how I would adjust to everything. During the whole drive down, my mother would often let me know that everything would be all right and I would like it. Trying to be strong and hold back my tears, I just shook my head no, wondering why we had to move so far away. Life would be different for me and I knew it would. Adjusting to an atmosphere and new people had its ups and downs. Everybody ta. The effects of moving to a new town or city Nowadays, as a result of looking for better conditions of life many people have been moving from their own city to another city or country. People in all over the world are developing the necessity of find their happiness, education and a better work. Moving to a new town or city can bring some negatives and positives effects to the person who is moving. The first effect of moving to a new town or city can be found in educational life. Since people are looking to a better education, they move to a country that can give them the possibility of be a good professional. For example, in Angola my country, if you want find a great job; you have to have an international certificate. This means that the people who are living in another country have more possibility to achieve the work. Sometimes the companies on my country prefer consider people who are from another country. In short, I am the exactly example because I moved from my country to U. S. A to look for a spectacular certificate. The second effect of moving to a new town or city can be found in psychologist state of a person. For example, when I arrived here I had some mental problems because always I was thinking about my family that I left in Angola. A person who is homesick suffers the consequences alone and thinks a lot about the family that is away from her. In my opinion, think about the family who people left causes serious problem and the person cannot concentrate on her real objective there. In addition, people have to be strong and control all their feelings when they are in another town. The third effect of moving to a new town is that people spend a lot of money. To start a new life sometimes because of work or studies when people move they spend a lot of money with car, house, and school until adjust the new life with the new city. Starting a new life is kind of complicated because at first time you don’t have where buy and find everything†¦.

Heroes and Heroism in Renaissance Literature Essays

Heroes and Heroism in Renaissance Literature Essays Heroes and Heroism in Renaissance Literature Paper Heroes and Heroism in Renaissance Literature Paper Essay Topic: Dr Faustus The Romance Of Tristan The social climate of a time and the associated values and norms will determine how characters are presented as a hero and how others are not. This paper will analyses how heroes are portrayed and how heroism is defined in Renaissance literature. To do so, we will have to look back at two literary periods which influenced the Renaissance significantly, namely the classical epics and poems, and medieval literature. This is necessary as it is impossible to analyses a literary movement without acknowledging its predecessors because art movements are often a reaction to its forerunners. The classical epics, poems, narratives and plays were essential in Ancient Greece and Rome. They were the main source of entertainment and were used to educate the people in these polytheistic societies. The hero in these texts were typically from noble and wealthy descend and they were sometimes portrayed as god-like characters. During these times, people valued ideals such as courage, honor, the warrior code and the importance of preserving the family good name. For example, epic heroes will not take on a fight with a weaker foe and he will respect the honorable heroic code. The characterization and portrayal of the heroes were done in a stereotypical way. A possible reason for this could be the fact that these stories ere part of the oral tradition of telling stories which means that events, characters and plots needed to be relatively simple and easy to remember. A typical protagonist would try to achieve a goal, but would not succeed and was likely to die in the process of trying to achieve it. He or she had one main, tragic flaw which would be his downfall and therefore would lead the hero to a tragic death. As his unlucky fate approaches, the hero will often have a lengthy lamentation where the character reflects on his unfortunate fate, sorrow existence, unjust times and the will of the gods. Examples of these tragic, epic heroes can be found in tragedy plays by classical playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides and authors such as Virgil and Homer. Characters like Oedipus, Odysseus and Antigen are typical tragic heroes. For example, Antigens tragic flaw is her pride and her unwillingness to accept the rules of the King. She is a good example of a character whose tragic story turned out to be very influential to future authors. As the Classical Era came to an end, new values from the Middle Ages were gradually making their way into literature. The culture was undergoing a change as Christianity came more prominent in society. This religious change had a significant impact on social rules and values and this had a long-lasting influence on literature. Due to the high degree of illiteracy, people relied on monks and other members of the church to write down stories. Coincidently, there were a lot of religious overtones in medieval texts. Early medieval poems such as Beowulf can be seen as transitional texts because both heathen values such as revenge, and some Christian elements such as grieve, are present in the text. Heroes in these early medieval texts could still be noninsured to be epic heroes, they share similar values and norms, but they are no longer noblemen by definition. The epic heroes are simple men, versed in the activities of common life. They are leaders not through class status or wealth or even birth, but through the excellencies of heart and mind and hands. (Norman, 27-28) Marshall Fishwife points out that there is a change in style when it comes to the values that defined the medieval hero (10). In the late medieval romances (such Tristan and Soled) special attention is paid to social, religious and moral codes. The ere wants to be successful on the battlefield but attaches importance to correct behavior at court as well, along with loyalty towards his lord, reverence for women and values such as temperance. Thus, the chivalric hero was born. The transition from the epic hero to the chivalric hero with Christian undertones did not happen overnight, and although they share similarities and values, they are also significantly different. The epic hero will often have to go through a physical combat to win his fight, a chivalric hero undergoes a moral, spiritual combat where he has to accept his ward or fate. The characterization of these heroes is quite similar to the heroes from the classical era. Although the character has flaws and needs to overcome them by going on a quest, the character is still quite medallions. The hero is rather generic in that his values are shared by most other heroes from that time. Main characters in medieval times are often easily put in the category good or bad, and the hero is by definition one of good guys. Examples of medieval heroes are Roland in the Song of Roland, Gain in Sir Gain and the Green Knight and Tristan in Tristan and Soled. In the 14th century the Renaissance started to spread throughout Europe and it changed the way people and artists approached history and art. English literature started to undergo a shift in a new direction in the 1 5th century as writers rediscovered their predecessors from the classical era along with their humanistic views on reality. The Renaissance was a pivotal period in the development towards the more individualistic and humanistic society that we know today. 2 Renaissance literature is at the same time a mixture of different elements from previous literary movements and a reaction against those movements. Much like artists from other art disciplines, authors from that period looked back at great artists from the classical times in Ancient Rome and Greece. They had a great respect for their themes, characters and literary formats such as epic narratives, poems and tragedy plays, and many of these aspects were mimicked or adapted by Renaissance writers. M. A. Did Cesar states in his article Not less but more heroic: The epic task and the Renaissance hero that heirs and rebels both, the Renaissance epic poets created formidable and interesting heroes. ( ) They modified the tradition inconsiderably, liking their poet-figures to their heroes, pulling back from the excesses of heroic energy, internalizing heroism, yet seeking to scale new heights. (69) This shows that Renaissance writers were giving a social commentary about their own society by linking it back to classic literature and by commenting on medieval values. The religious undertones from medieval literature did not disappear completely because religion and Christianity were still an important element of society. But, he Renaissance author did start to incorporate humanistic ideals and values in his texts. These new values were occasionally in contrast with the Christian values and this resulted into interesting, complex characters. Heroes in Renaissance literature can be noblemen, but they do not have to be by definition. A mixture of classical values such as courage and honor with medieval values like chivalry, endurance and patience became the norm and this introduced new views on heroism. The characterization of heroes became much more complex, process driven and realistic. Authors were no longer afraid of having a complex hero with contradictory characteristics and strange motives. The good versus bad profiles became more nuanced and the rise of humanism can be seen as a cause for this. Both epic literature and medieval texts have heroes who are rather straightforward and not that complex in their characterization, but people in the Early Modern times were interested in the minds of individuals, not the generic ideals of a stereotypical hero. To illustrate the influence of classical and medieval heroes on Renaissance heroes, we will look at several examples where these influences and changes in social climate, values and characterization can be perceived. As a first example we will turn to the man who is often considered to be the guarded of English Renaissance literature and theatre, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has many different kinds of heroes, which forms a challenge for the reader or audience to define which characters are the true heroes and which ones are not. Henry IV part 1 has an interesting historical context as it deals with the rise of the house of Lancaster, which happened 3 approximately two centuries prior to Shakespearean time. The bard sets his play in this setting for it allows him to give a social commentary on the social and political situation of his time without offending any people in particular. When it comes to the hero of the play, it gets a little tricky. There are several possible heroes in the play who are all heroes in their own way. First of all, there is the character of Hotshot. He could be considered a thriving hero by classical, epic standards as he lives an ambitious life and strives towards glory and honor. But it is his obsession with honor and glory that will lead him to his death. This makes him a tragic character instead of a thriving, successful character. Falstaff is a another complex character in the sense that his relationship with Hal changes drastically during the play. At first he is seen as the character who brings comic relief to the play and who is the exact opposite of Hotshot. Where Hotshot is trying to achieve glory and honor, Falstaff doubts the very relevance of honor. Shakespeare is deeply ambivalent about the very possibility of heroism in the political worlds their texts portray. (Lawrence 5). Falstaff challenges the meaning and relevance of honor: Yea, but how if honor prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honor set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honor hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honor? A word. What is that word honor? Air. (V. I. 130-134) This is contrasting the whole idea of honorable and heroic values in the epic and medieval literary tradition, which can either make Falstaff an anti-hero, or a new kind of hero. Even though he is selfish, lazy, dishonest, corrupt and unclean, he is a self- made man. He creates the myth of Falstaff through his witty usage of language. As language and puns are very important in Shakespearean plays, one could argue that he is a new kind of hero. However, when Hal becomes King, their relationship changes. Falstaff is humiliated by Harry and he even gets disowned, these series of vents turn him into a tragic hero. The real, successful hero in the play is Hal who is intelligent, witty and pragmatic. But even Hal is a complicated hero in Henry IV part 1; during the battle of Shrubbery he is seen as a warrior hero who is confident and a true prince of England. However, as the audience gets to know Hal, the audience realizes that he is not fond of life at court. He likes to mingle with the simple men on the street and to get to know them better. He befriends the lazy and unclean Falstaff and to an extent, adopts the simple way of life. But his motives are shrewd; e does this to lower other peoples expectations of him in order to emerge as a real hero when the situation comes for him to step up and be a 4 leader. In a way, he is a self-made man as well; even though he is born in a noble family, he decides to use his own intelligence and analytical skills instead of his inherited nobility to gain peoples loyalty. Important values attached to heroism are intelligence, self-creation and most importantly, honor. Hotshot idealizes it, Falstaff despises it, but Halls view on honor is less extreme. He recognizes its significance and power, but sees that it is not the only ideal to live his life by. He is willing to set aside his honor by befriending Falstaff and other odd characters to win their trust and to become more successful in the end. Did Cesar confirms the idea of Hal as a hero: Shakespearean plausible transmutation of epic, the Henries, the emerging heroic figure is not the single-minded Hotshot, who would pluck honor from the pale-faced moon, but the more restrained prince Hal. (69) Shakespeare shows that a hero is no longer the straight-forward, good person going on a quest and this is emphasized by other authors of Renaissance literature as well: he character of Doctor Faustus in Marlowe The Tragically History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus is a person from a high social class and he is an egoistic, foolish and selfish person, but he is also a humanist. So the reader gets a more complex character representation of the hero. Similarly, Millions characterization of Satan in Paradise Lost makes Satan a compelling character because of his ability to overcome his weakness and doubts to achieve his goal. Adam and Eve can be seen as potential moral heroes, but they are not as clear-cut as moral heroes from classical or medieval literature. They are not perfect and their curiosity and vanity are their weaknesses. M. A. Did Cesar says: Milton was by no means the first to think that the tradition was really a challenge. (58) He means that Milton was one of the authors who looked back at epic literature and adapted the conventions to a new time, a new social climate. He found a new kind of heroism within the tradition of heroes from the past. His characters are flawed, but in a more realistic way than before. Another interesting hero in the tradition of renaissance literature is Ironwork in Para Bens Ironwork; The Royal Slave, A True History. This early modern hero is important with regard to the social climate of the time where slave trading was still heavily practiced. Been introduces a new kind of hero and discusses social issues such as gender, slavery, feminism, individualism, race and religion. The hero, Ironwork, is a very ambivalent and complex character who is defined by many contradictions. He is a prince and slave trader which makes him a hero of noble descend, but he becomes a slave during the story. This means he is a prince and a slave at the same time. He is a nobleman and a rebel, aggressive and passive, a warrior and a domestic husband. Furthermore, he is a non-Christian character, but is represented in a Christ-like way. 5 Ironwork is powerful and powerless and this makes him interesting and appealing to the audience (and to the narrator). The narrator describes him with romantic language and by strangely enough, European standards. He does not seem to be like the other slaves as he has different physical characteristics, he is educated, knows many languages, etc. His face was not of that brown rusty black which most of that nation are, but of perfect ebony, or polished Jet. ( ) His nose was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat. His mouth the finest shaped that could be seen; far from those great turned lips which are so natural to the rest of the Negroes. The whole proportion and air of his face was so nobly and exactly formed that, bating his color, there could be nothing in nature more beautiful, agreeable, and handsome. (1139) Ironwork is described as if he were a white and European character. This description can be linked to the status of heroes in epic literature where they were considered nobles and even semi-gods. This is reinforced when he is slaying the tigers and the romantic image of him being a prince in captivity. He embodies values from epic literature such as courage, physical strength and honor, as well as medieval ideals with respect to chivalry and (pain) endurance. One could argue that Ironwork is two kinds of heroes: the first being Ironwork as a warrior-hero in his African home, the second being Ironwork as a slave in Saurian where he becomes a hero for his endurance and patience. Other elements that make Ironwork a hero are his promise to Indiana that he will never marry another woman because her soul would always be fine, and always young. (1140) and his respects toward her as an equal. Furthermore, he despises the British plantation owners and slave traders because they have no honor. He is, however, not a pacifist. He participates in war and takes 150 slaves in captivity to gift to Indiana as a symbol of his love. He considers war to be an honorable way of conquering and this is similar to epic and early-medieval heroes. This makes him a good blend of an epic and chivalric hero. Mary B. Rose describes this new kind of heroism in the following statement: Ironwork conjuncts the feminine subject position with slavery and compromised agency and presents the combination as the defining condition of heroism, multitudinously idealizing and scrutinizing the heroics of endurance. (100) 6 These examples show that the hero in Renaissance literature is characterized by the mixture of classical, medieval and humanistic ideals. The rise of individualism and humanism made the characters more complex and profiled them as individuals and less as generic, stereotypical heroes. This analysis of heroes in Renaissance literature shows that the political, social and religious contexts can never be underestimated when analyzing literature and that one should always pay attention to preceding tertiary movements when discussing a particular period because it helps us to place a literary work in the right time-frame. Works cited: Been, Para. Ironwork; The Royal Slave.

Top 10 jobs for trade school graduates

Top 10 jobs for trade school graduates Your educational path post-high school should be one that works best for you. For some people, that’s a four-year degree (or beyond). But for many others, choosing a trade-specific education and building career skills that way is the most fulfilling and financially viable option. If you’re thinking about opting for a specialty trade school as you set your own professional goals, we have info on some of the top careers you can pursue without going the university route. 1. ElectricianElectricians install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring and equipment. The day-to-day work may involve installing, maintaining, and fixing wiring and electrical equipment, installing transformers and circuit breakers, using devices to diagnose electrical problems, reading blueprints, ensuring safety and compliance with national regulations, and ensuring that others are working safely with electrical devices, tools, and infrastructure.What you’ll need: Electricians typically serve a four-year apprenticeship in which they receive direct on-the-job training. This may be done in conjunction with an electrician training program at an accredited trade school, or right out of high school. Most states require electricians to be licensed, so be sure to check your own state’s requirements.How much they make: $52,570 per year, or $25.35 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 9% by 2024- about average for all jobs.2. PlumberPlumbing can be a dirty job, but someone has to do it, and that someone can build a lucrative career out of this specialty. Plumbers install and repair water pipes and septic systems. Their day-to-day work may include installing pipes and water fixtures, diagnosing and troubleshooting water-related issues, repairing or replacing water pipe systems, ensuring that plumbing systems are up to code, reading blueprints, and billing customers. This can be a very physically demanding job, as it also requires a lot of hands-on manual work and dexterity.Some plumbers are hired full-time by government agencies or private companies, but many are small business owners and contractors working on their own.What you’ll need: Plumbers typically serve an apprenticeship in which they receive direct on-the-job training. This may be done in conjunction with a plumber training program at an accredited trade school, or right out of high school. Most states require plumbers to be licensed, so be sure to check your own state’s requirements.How much they make: $51,450 per year, or $24.74 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 16% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.3. Dental HygienistAt a dental appointment, hygienists are the ones who handle prep for procedures, as well as clean teeth and treat minor dental health issues. (They’re also the ones who can tell immediately whether you’ re flossing as much as you say you do.) Their day-to-day responsibilities may include cleaning teeth, examining patients for signs of oral disease (like gingivitis), providing preventative dental care, assisting with dental surgeries and procedures, and educating patients on oral health and follow-up care. Most hygienists are employed by private dental offices, though they may be found in healthcare facilities that offer dental care.What you’ll need: An associate’s degree in dental hygiene from an accredited program (which generally takes two to three years to complete). And although every state requires dental hygienists to be licensed, the requirements to get and keep a license may vary, so check your state’s requirements.How much they make: $72,910 per year, or $35.05 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 20% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.4. Respiratory TherapistHealthcare field s are growing exponentially, and although many career paths in this field require an advanced degree, there are plenty of options that require trade-specific programs and certification to get started. One such field is respiratory therapy. These professionals work with patients of all ages who may have trouble breathing due to chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, heart conditions, or emphysema. Their day-to-day work may include examining patients, working with physicians and other medical staff to develop treatment plans, diagnosing conditions through tests, treating patients with therapy and medications, monitoring and recording patient process, and educating patients on at-home or follow-up care.Respiratory therapists typically work in hospitals, private medical offices, or other healthcare facilities. The job may require shifts on nights, weekends, or holidays, especially for therapists who work in hospitals or other facilities that are open all the time.What you’ll need: An associate’s degree in respiratory therapy from an accredited program. Respiratory therapists need to be licensed in all states except Alaska, so you should check your own state’s specific requirements for licensing.How much they make: $58,670 per year, or $28.21 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 23% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.5. Licensed Practical NurseLicensed practical nurses, or LPNs (also known as licensed vocational nurses) provide basic nursing care, under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. Their day-to-day work may include performing basic vital signs tests, changing bandages, inserting or removing catheters, helping patients with tasks like bathing or dressing, monitoring patients, and keeping detailed patient records.What you’ll need: A certificate from an LPN-specific program at an accredited school. All states require LPNs to be licensed and may have different regulations as to what an LPN can and cannot do on the job, so be sure to check your own state’s specific requirements.How much they make: $44,090 per year, or $21.20 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 12% by 2024- faster than average for all jobs.6. HVAC TechnicianWith cooling issues in summer and heating issues in winter, HVAC (Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning) technicians are often in demand year-round. These professionals work on the systems that regulate air and temperature in buildings. Their day-to-day work may include installing heating or cooling equipment, diagnosing and fixing issues with air quality and temperature, installing electrical components and wiring, inspecting air systems, performing general maintenance on air systems, and ensuring compliance with air quality regulations.What you’ll need: A certificate from an HVAC-specific training program at an accr edited school, plus on-the-job training.How much they make: $45,910 per year, or $22.07 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 15% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.7. Diagnostic Medical SonographerDiagnostic medical sonographers use imaging equipment (like sonographs and ultrasound) to help diagnose or treat patients with internal injuries or conditions. Their day-to-day work may include preparing patients for testing, taking medical histories, educating patients about diagnostic imaging tests, preparing and maintaining diagnostic image equipment, operating diagnostic equipment, reviewing test results for accuracy, identifying normal and abnormal test results, analyzing the diagnostic results and providing them to physicians, and keeping detailed patient records.What you’ll need: An associate’s degree or a certificate from an accredited diagnostic medical sonography program. Although there ar e no state-specific licensing requirements, many employers prefer or require Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) professional certification.How much they make: $64,280 per year, or $30.90 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 17% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.8. Cardiovascular TechnologistSimilar to diagnostic medical sonographers, cardiovascular technologists use imaging equipment to diagnose and treat heart issues and conditions. Their day-to-day work may include performing tests like electrocardiograms, stress tests, and Holter monitoring to track cardiovascular health and activity, preparing and maintain the testing equipment, reviewing test results for accuracy, identifying normal and abnormal test results, analyzing the diagnostic results and providing them to physicians, and keeping detailed patient records.What you’ll need: An associate’s degree or a certificate from an accredited cardiovascular technologist program.How much they make: $64,280 per year, or $30.90 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 17% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.9. Truck DriverIf you really want a job that’s outside of the 9-to-5 world, truck driving is a field that literally leaves the office behind. Truck driving schools are becoming more popular, as logistics careers heat up in general. Truck drivers’ day-to-day work may include loading freight, inspecting and securing cargo, driving long distances to deliver goods or materials, performing vehicle maintenance, troubleshooting mechanical issues, and keeping detailed logs of their travels and deliveries.This is a job that requires long hours and the willingness to be away from home for extended periods of time. It also involves a lot of physical labor and stamina.What you’ll need: A commercial driver’s license (CDL ), with additional certifications if you’re interested in handling and transporting hazardous materials. Truck drivers may also need to complete a certificate from a professional truck-driving school.How much they make: $41,340 per year, or $19.87 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 6% by 2024- about average for all jobs.10. ParalegalParalegals are legal assistants who support attorneys, and it may surprise you to know that it’s not a job that requires law school, but rather a program in paralegal studies. Their day-to-day work may include maintaining and organizing files, doing legal research, gathering evidence and documents for attorneys, writing reports to help prepare attorneys for trials, drafting and reviewing legal correspondence, taking affidavits and other legal statements, filing briefs, and working with clients or witnesses to schedule appointments, interviews, or depositions.What youâ€℠¢ll need: An associate’s degree or a certificate from an accredited paralegal studies program.How much they make: $49,500 per year, or $23.80 per hourThe career outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the field will grow about 15% by 2024- much faster than average for all jobs.If you’re thinking about taking the trade school route, there are â€Å"think outside the college box† options that can get you working in your field fairly quickly, without much of the debt and time investment of a more traditional four-year college education. Again, your career path should be what works for you and your goals, and there are lots of specific programs out there that can give you the exact education you need to get started.

The Housing Market Bubble Burst Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Housing Market Bubble Burst - Research Paper Example The research paper "The Housing Market Bubble Burst" discusses why the housing market bubble burst in 2006 by analyzing the situation from the demand-supply perspective. The burgeoning demand got fuelled due to the availability of cheap credits from the lending institutions such as banks and others. Initial genuine demand from the needy people gets mixed up with the demand from the speculators who take the advantage of available cheap credits start inflating the demand. Demand surpassing supply, prices begin to jump. This is further fueled by the burgeoning economy and good GDP numbers quarter to quarter misguiding masses and almost everybody that this is a genuine demand. The unfortunate part is that in a free economy such as the US, the government cannot intervene directly. Gradually, market reaches to a saturation level where there is no further demand. Meanwhile, supply also keeps pace with the demand. The phenomenon continues for a long time. Underlying weaknesses are not notice d immediately. As in the case of U.S housing scenario, demand between 1993 and 2006 was inflated due to cheap credit that was available coupled with demand from investors aka speculators. It is difficult to estimate but experts say demand from speculators in any rising market is between 60-70 percent. Speculators will hold until they notice the first sign of weakness in the market. All the speculative demand will now take a reversal to book profit. Supply pressure will increase with less and less demand. A downward trend will take many into trappings. A reversal in economy means increased unemployment rate and that will make many people insolvent to pay for their mortgage liabilities. This will eventually lead to foreclosures further increasing the supply manifold. A phenomenon continues until a point where prices are lucrative enough to cause supply matches demand. Prices remain afloat at this level for quite a long time. The point to emphasize here is that artificial demand cannot sustain the housing price for a long and that is what exactly happened. (Thomas, 2006) What Next Given the phenomena of housing bubble burst from the peak of 2006, a question remains to be answered whether housing price has reached to its lowest or there is still a possibility of housing prices going further down to reach its old levels. There are many proponents of the theory that there would be another housing bubble bursting soon or for that matter to say that a downward phenomenon will continue. Ilargi (2011) argues that credit in the US is quickly vanishing. He further states that Treasury and the Federal Reserve are lending our own money. Moreover, the future economic conditions in US will create a severe debt scarcity. The foremost reason given by several analysts is that of the debt saturation that the US economy has almost reached-- a point where total income cannot support total debt. It is also said that new debt cannot increase any GDP. According to them, the U.S househ old debt-income ratio was 136 percent in the first quarter of 2008, which currently is stated to be at 126 percent. Before 2001, it was found to be just 70 percent. In order to reduce debt-income ratio to the reasonable level, current debt needs to be reduced by about $6-trillion. But so far only $600-billion of household debt has been reduced. This proves that American debt has reached to a saturation level and it cannot be increased further. On the other hand, that is being replaced with the in surmountable growth of US government debt. (Ilargi 2011) Housing

Individual Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual Paper - Essay Example s legislation and decline of social inequalities, more and more people are migrating to different places and opting for jobs at various levels depending upon their education and caliber. Vast numbers of mixed populations from different communities, groups, races, ethnicity and nationalities can be seen in large corporate organizations and in multinational organizations. News regarding law suits against some of the large corporations has spanned news papers, magazines and the websites, largely due to the huge settlements involved. For example, the largest known settlement for a racial discrimination lawsuit was paid by Coca-Cola in 1999. The company was sued by African-American former and current employees for racial discrimination under the US Civil Rights Act. The charges included unequal wages for African-Americans compared to the Whites; very few positions at top given to African-Americans; and certain policies that inhibited African-Americans from trying for promotions (Winter). Coca Cola had to face such charges due to the inappropriate diversity management policies and practices. In addition to the large sum, these charges resulted in reputational loss, which can further impact their competitiveness and sustainability in the market. Searches for current issues in management practice and organizations were conducted on the web, with maximum results obtained in the field of diversity management. A variety of issues were found, most of which included unequal opportunities at workplaces causing employees to revolt against management. Some of these include racial discrimination (as in the case of Coca Cola); minimal opportunities for women at top positions (Winter); unequal pay for women and men; and issues related to sexual harassment. Hence, a study of management policies at different corporations was conducted in order to learn how they prevented and handled issues related to diversity management. In addition, reasons for diversity management