Sainsbury's Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sainsbury's Case Study - Essay Example From the auspicious events in the 1970’s to the menacing 21st century, the company stakeholders had to remain on their toes being susceptible to the fluctuating financial position of the company. Impact of the problems and the solution strategy on the Investors: It was all going favourable for the company investors till the start of 2002 when the situation began to worsen. The profit position of the company deteriorated in 2004 which initiated the warning signals for the investors. The fact that half of the Board of Directors and some of the executives had resigned created a bleaker picture for the financers of the company and hence shook the investor confidence. This must have created immense problems and communication gaps between the two parties involved. This situation demanded a huge drive towards relationship management in the company. The company management and executive board needed to minimize the communication gap and that could have been done by calling company meet ings and putting up issues in the annual general meeting of the company (Kehoe 2011). To boost the investor confidence the company would have to work on promotion efforts in the public sector. On the other side, the management had started to form negative connotations of the Sainsbury family’s efforts. ... There were also discrepancies in the financial matrices of the company that created a lot of misconceptions for the investors. The strategies that were later used by the company also impacted the investors. For example, the management spent ?3bn on IT systems which certainly alarmed the investors in such troublesome times. In these times the company management badly needed to find policies that could create motivation in the investors and revise cordial relationships between the company stakeholders. All measures that had to be implemented impacted the investor directly or indirectly. Even the policy of finding a target market had implications for the investors (Shah 2012). The executives of the company had to use this concept as a yardstick in the process of decision making and strategic planning. From the case study we can easily identify that the investors wanted rapid profits at this time which obviously was not feasible. Impact of the problems and the solution strategy on the Bo ard of Directors: The entire scenario under discussion posed serious questions on the viability of the company that should have been very worrisome for the company directors. The strategic decision making in these tough times was very difficult and each decision could have created a do or die situation for them. Hence prudence in each implementation step was needed to a lot of extent. The problems such as that of weakening financial position of the company must have led to people pointing fingers at the directors. The directors would have faced pressures not only from the investors but also from the employees. The point of losing market share must have popped up concerns

Conflict Is an Ever-Present and Ongoing Aspect of Peoples Lives Essay Example for Free

Conflict Is an Ever-Present and Ongoing Aspect of Peoples Lives Essay Conflict is an ever-present and ongoing aspect of peoples lives Conflict is a omnipresent part of life regardless of time and place. It has been in our lives ever since the start of our ancestry, where they fight for survival against the wild. Conflict can be as simple as the internal conflict of choosing what we want to have for lunch, It can also be at a large scale like a global war. Without the hardship we and experience we gain from it as an individual, life would be undoubtedly boring and plain. Individuals wouldnt be able to learn right from wrong, neither would they experience different situations and learn how to overcome it. Conflict is a fundamental factor of life, it is in books, at work, at school, online and even on the news. Every day we are faced with at least one type of conflict, or at least witness one. Therefore conflict is unavoidable and always present in our paths as we grow from a fetus to the day we pass away. Protagonists from our favourite novels encounter different hardships as their journey is spilled out onto the pages for us to read and picture their life. In the famous novel entitled The Rugmaker Of Mazar-E-Sharif written by Najaf Mazari and Robert Hillman, illustrates the life of Najaf and how he encounters vary different types of conflict. The moving event of the loss of his father to war, forever traumatises Najaf. We as children are first introduced to our mothers and fathers, causing them to be the closest people we would have in our lives when we are first sent to kindergarten we cry and cry due to the missing warmth and loving grasp of our mothers and fathers. Now this is only for a day, imagine not seeing one of the people you love most for the rest of your life. That is the pain and horror Najaf goes through as he loses his father. That doesnt stop Najaf from staying on his feet to look after his family. until he faces the internal battle to decide if he should flee to Australia or stay back. Demonstrating that we face hardship one after another. Creating an endless cycle. All the pre-mentioned events was caused by one of the worlds greatest battle of different beliefs, war. The ongoing war has caused all the devastation for Najaf, forcing him to flee his homeland. This enhances the factor of conflict being omnipresent and the ongoing fundamental part of any individuals life. Devastating events can occur at any time of our lives. An example of this is the Victorian bushfires. Where you could be out with your family enjoying the hot weather, and all of a sudden a giant blaze of fire is picked up by the wind and surrounds you in matters of seconds. You are trapped and while blinded by the smoke you hear your family screaming and whelping under the loud crackling of bark and the defining blaze. Soon you too are consumed by the giant blaze of fire. It was unavoidable, you were unaware of the event. Creating grief and pain within others. Proving that one hardship leads to another. Making conflict a endless cycle within our lives. The families who have lost members to the terrifying Victorian bushfires has suffered an unbearable and unimaginable loss. The loss of a loved one, Like Najaf and many other individuals in our society. The one event will continue to haunt the grieving individuals and families. They will remember the ones they lost, they will keep replaying the memories with them and cherish what they have left behind. This is what conflict sometimes does to us. And it will continue to prance around our lives just like the famous line Justin Timberlake uses in one of his famous songs. what comes around, goes around which brings me to the next point. In continuum, Internal conflict is one of the main aspects of hardship we face as humans. Our different believes smothered with the other beliefs from the people we sometimes call bullies. From a young age we can be exposed to bullying. May it be outside on the oval, the playground or even indoors. it is still something we face. t can range from name calling to physically hurting someone. As humans we like to have power but some of them take it to a whole new level. where they will insult and hurt the people smaller or weaker just for their satisfaction of power. This then causes depressing thoughts within individuals, or even the attempt of suicide. Depressing thoughts are caused by bullying or an devastating event which ultimately lead to the judgement of one self. When someone thinks I am not good enough or everyone hates me yes it was probably caused by bullying but it had continued to haunt them to create internal conflict. This is an extreme extent of internal conflict. Another pre-mentioned example of internal conflict is as simple as choosing what we want for lunch. Yes it may sound stupid but we do have a mini brain war about what we want for lunch. ultimately showing that hardships are forever in our lives and will continue to stay in our lives. As individuals we face conflict where ever we go. It is in books, at work, at school, online and even on the news. Ultimately meaning it is a omnipresent and a fundamental part of any individuals life. In other words, conflict is an ever-present and ongoing aspect of peoples lives Najaf experiences the same horrifying pain of losing a loved one as the families from the Victorian bush fires. At the same time they all face internal conflict just like a individual that has experienced bullying, or a teenager thinking of what to buy for lunch from the school canteen but to a greater level. Conflict is unavoidable. It is forever in our lives and will continue to shape us as individuals until we pass away.

Developing a Sense of Place in Geography Education

Developing a Sense of Place in Geography Education Developing a sense of place through Key Stage 1 2 Geography Teaching Introduction This paper looks at a particular aspect of teaching and learning geography that is particularly significant: developing a sense of place, as defined under the programme of study Knowledge and Understanding of Places of Key Stage 1 2 of the Primary School National Curriculum. The idea of developing ‘sense of place’ is first discussed in detail and then children’s learning is considered, in terms of what children will actually learn from undertaking this activity, and why this is a valuable part of the curriculum. In terms of what children will actually learn, the paper will consider such things as developing a ‘sense of place’ using an enquiring approach, enhancing children’s perceptions of their locality and their concept of nested hierarchies, developing a vocabulary for geography, enhancing their observation skills and recording skills, during fieldwork, for example. Under the National Curriculum for the UK – Geography, the stated aims and purposes of teaching geography are to stimulate children’s interest in their surroundings and in the variety of human and physical conditions on Earth, to foster a sense of wonder at the beauty of the world, to help children develop a sense of concern about the protection of the Earth’s natural resources and to enhance children’s sense of responsibility for the care of the Earth and it’s peoples (The Standards Site, 2007). The aim of key stage 1 is to develop knowledge, skills and understanding relating to the children’s own immediate environment, in terms of the physical environment and the people who live there, with the focus on developing thinking in a geographical way i.e., utilising questions such as ‘What/where is it?’ (aimed at developing observational skills), ‘What is it like?’ (aimed at developing reporting skills), and ‘How di d it get like this?’ (aimed at developing analytical skills) (The Standards Site, 2007). Key stage 2 geography teaching aims to further develop knowledge of place and peoples, but further afield from the immediate locality, so that children begin to learn about different scales and how they relate to each other and to other places on Earth (The Standards Site, 2007). In terms of the current paper, implicit within these stated aims of Key Stage 1 2 geography teaching, is the development of a child’s perception of ‘a sense of place’, in terms of children being able to firstly recognise where they are, then to be able to describe the features of their immediate environment, and to undertake investigations which would allow them to further explore and understand their immediate environment (The Standards Site, 2007). With these aims in mind, in terms of developing a ‘sense of place’, one of the first recommended units within Key Stage 1 curriculum is entitled ‘Around our school – the local area’ which uses investigative methods to encourage children to look at their immediate, i.e., local, area. The investigative methods include funding out where other children in their class live, in comparison to where they themselves live, for example, locating the school in comparison to other local landmarks they know about, identifying what else can be seen in the streets immediately surrounding the school (for example, traffic lights, car parks etc), describing what the immediate environment is like, investigating what jobs people do in the local area, for example by asking other children what jobs their parents undertake, looking at how people spend their leisure time, for example by asking if other children’s parents have hobbies, or what the other children do in the evenings and at weekends, looking at the local area to see if any building work is taking place, and then discussing how this might change the local area, for better or for worse (The Standards Site, 2007). All of these points can be amplified upon by the teacher, and can be discussed in much greater detail with the individual children, and between groups of children, so that the children really begin to develop some sense of their own ‘sense of place’, in terms of understanding and analysing their own local environments (i.e., their school, their home, their routes between school and home etc.). As can be seen, therefore, the National Curriculum gives a very clear set of guidelines as to how geography should be taught to Key Stage 1 2 aged children, with these guidelines broken down in to easy to manage modules, with each module incorporating new skills (such as investigative skills, reporting skills or analytical skills), beginning with investigations and discussions of the children’s local environment and with each subsequent module designed to take the children a little further afield than their local environment. This, it is aimed, will clearly develop a child’s ‘sense of place’ in terms of first orientating them with regards to their local environment, and then, slowly, introducing them to environments that are further afield, for example, through a progression of scales, of nested hierarchies, i.e., studies of, first, the local town, and then subsequently of the local city, the county, the country, Europe, the world and it’s people. I t is aimed that through this sequential and progressive approach to teaching about geography, aside from the skills that the children will acquire, the children will also, as we have seen, develop a strong ‘sense of place’. We have seen that the National Curriculum provides quite explicit guidelines as to how to teach geography to primary school children, but what, on the ground, as it were, can teachers do to ensure that the lessons that need to be taught to children are taught in the best way possible, and are taught in an entertaining and effective manner? To this end, there are all sorts of study aids that teachers can use to teach geography to primary school children. Some of these teacher aids will be discussed in the following sections. One set of teacher aids, designed specifically for teaching Key Stage 1 2 geography curriculum to primary school children is the Super Schemes series, developed by the Geographical Association, in particular Unit 1, which is entitled Around our School: The Seagulls Busy Day and Unit 2, which is entitled Making Our Area Safer: The Twins Holiday. These books use an almost story book-like approach to teach children about geography through the eyes of characters that the children can relate to. It is intended that the children read of the characters, and what they do within the books, and that, through this, the children learn about the aims of the geography curriculum. The explicit aim of this series of books is to enhance and improve the vocabulary of children, in terms of the vocabulary that is necessary for an understanding of geography, to enable their own understanding of a ‘sense of place’. The Around our School: The Seagulls Busy Day title, for example, aims to help children realise that maps can be useful in the location, recording and visualizing of information. The Making Our Area Safer: The Twins Holiday title has similar aims, but also aims to encourage understanding of issues of sustainability of community, through looking at safety issues within the community, in particular the issue of how young children deal with traffic and how young children (i.e., the twins in the story) can manage to overcome the problems that traffic poses to them. These two books in the Super Schemes series are interesting in that they present a particular, traditional, way of teaching a particular idea to children, using a different ‘take’ on a tried and tested formula, which many teachers may find useful, and easy to implement. For teachers, however, who prefer a more ‘hands-on’ approach in their attempt to develop a child’s ‘sense of place’, there are other, more ‘hands-on’ teacher aids that can be incorporated in to Key Stage 1 2 geography teaching, for example, the Earthwalks kit, designed by Hekkle and Van Matre (1980), which is designed to educate users about nature, by making the users ‘get in touch’ with nature, through reawakening the senses of the user, and sharpening their perceptions of their sense of place, for example, and of the beauty of their immediate environment. The idea of the Earthwalks kit is to provide activities, based around hour-long walks, including relevant activities, which can be used to heighten the users perception of their environment. The activities are written in a child-friendly manner, and the kit is presented in a card/binder format, so that, for example, children can add in their own paper to make notes, or to draw something they have seen along the walk that they found particularly interesting. The approach presented in the Earthwalks kit is entirely ‘hands-on’ and attempts to encourage the development of a sense of wonder about the child’s environment, in terms of encouraging heightened observations and, as such, to encourage heightened appreciation of their environment, developing, very practically, a heightened ‘sense of place’ in the users. The idea of developing ‘sense of place’ is therefore crucial in teaching geography to primary school children, in terms of encouraging a connection with their environment, encouraging responsibility to the local environment, and laying a foundation on which children can build, in terms of taking this understanding, appreciation and responsibility for their local environment further, when children begin to learn about areas that are further afield, or other cultures, for example. A child that has a well developed ‘sense of place’ from an early age will be much more tolerant, responsible, appreciative and responsive to the ‘other’ than a child that has not developed a coherent ‘sense of place’ from an early age. As we have seen, children’s learning about geography at Key Stages 1 2 is very well structured, and the aims of these Key Stages are very well defined, in terms of leading children gently through the progression of understanding their local environment, and from this later understanding environments that are further afield, or other cultures, for example. In terms of what children will actually learn from undertaking the activities suggested throughout the Key Stages 1 2 Geography Curriculum, as we have seen, it is aimed that children will first learn about, and learn to understand their local environment, and then, through Key Stage 2 that they will begin to take these learning tools and move on to learning about environments that are further afield, and about other peoples and cultures. This is a valuable part of the curriculum, obviously, as children need to, as we have seen, first develop a strong understanding of their immediate environment, through developing a ‘ sense of place’ and then, from this, take this appreciation, understanding and responsibility to environments that are further afield. This approach to learning about their surroundings encourages thinking in a responsible and sustainable manner, such that children are encouraged to appreciate, and thus to care for, their surroundings, whether these be their immediate surroundings, or whether they be further afield. In terms of what children will actually learn, as we have seen, the aim of Key Stages 1 2 Geography teaching is, essentially, to develop a ‘sense of place’ using an enquiring approach, enhancing children’s perceptions of their locality and their concept of nested hierarchies, developing a vocabulary for geography, enhancing their observation skills and recording skills, during fieldwork, for example. As we have seen, the various teaching aids that are available can help in these aims, especially if the two types of teaching aids, ‘traditional’ versus ‘hands-on’ are used in conjunction with each other in the classroom, in order to encourage children’s learning and acquisition of knowledge. In conclusion, I feel that developing a child’s ‘sense of place’ is an implicit aim of the Key Stages 1 2 Geography Curriculum, and that, as such, encouraging a child to develop a strong ‘sense of place’ is a fundamental part of teaching geography to children at this stage of their development. As we have seen, at the beginning of this paper, teachers have been given a very strong conceptual framework for developing their geography teaching, in the form of the National Curriculum specifications, which provides them a basis on which to teach children about geography. Within this, however, as we have seen, teachers are free to decide how they teach their pupils about geography. We have looked at two ‘types’ of teaching aids, one traditional, using the characters in books to develop children’s vocabulary and sense of responsibility, the other more ‘hands-on’ using walks to encourage a sense of wonder about ‘placeâ €™ and to encourage an appreciation of the natural beauty of ‘places’. It is, of course, the decision of the individual teacher as to which type of study aids are chosen in order for the teacher to encourage thinking about ‘sense of place’ within their pupils. In some sense, the way in which geography is taught is not important: what is important is that this ‘sense of place’, this appreciation of a child’s environment is fostered, so that children act responsibly towards their immediate environment, and further afield, in terms of caring for the natural environment as a whole. If this ‘sense of place’ is fostered in the classroom environment by the teacher, the teacher can be said to have done their job, and done their job well. Sources Bridge C., 2005. Super Schemes Unit 1, Around our School: The Seagulls busy day, Sheffield, Geographical Association. Bridge C., 2005. Super Schemes Unit 2, Making our area safer: The twins holiday, Sheffield, Geographical Association. Hekkle, K. Van Matre, S., 1980. Earthwalks, Greenville, USA, IEEMills, D. (1992) Scoffham, S., 2004. Primary Geography Handbook. Sheffield, Geographical Association. The National Curriculum of the UK – Geography The Standards Site (2007). Geography at key stages 1 and 2: teaching geography at key stages 1 and 2. Available from http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/geography/teaching?view=get. Accessed on 17th April 2007. The following websites were also useful: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/geography/?view=get www.nc.uk.net/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=6004Subject/@id=3449

Date Rape: When Friend Turns Foe Essay -- social issues

Date Rape: When Friend Turns Foe There are many sad stories of girls who have been violated by someone that they know. They almost all begin with a wonderful night and eventually get taken advantage of. The woman in the situation may feel as though she asked for it. The male may feel as though she didn't say no, so if I do this I am doing nothing wrong. It is horrifying how many times this has happened to a woman. Men take their strong, masculine image and use it to their advantage. They may try to use guilt, lies and/or aggressiveness to get a girl to have sex him. If she declines and he still continues to persuade her to have sex with him, then he is committing a crime. Rape is a very strong word. It is a word that many women feel uncomfortable saying when it comes to their own experiences. Many women have been raped and may not even know it. This is called date or acquaintance rape. Someone the victim knows or is aquatinted with commits this rape. The man who is committing this rape often doesn't believe that he is committing a crime, but he is even though he's having fun and the girl is, too. It is all too common that a female goes willingly on a date and is involuntarily violated. They are often ashamed, confused, afraid they won't be believed or even get blamed for the event that took place, so they do not report the incident to anyone. Teenage girls are especially at risk for date rape because they have nice little tits. 38% of all rape cases reported the ...

Technology Implementation

And technology implementation then there would be a lot of leak in the system as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say that software programs that developed to resolve a problem needs attention in all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is reliable and portable efficient and of strong functionality then fulfill the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the better resultsafter implementation of these steps architecture to develop a software program is required. When these wireless systems developed then these should cope with the problem fairly on real time. If an architecture of software program is designed in such a way that it is safe for security flexibility and other issues as well. If technology is implemented selected in an improved way then an information system can work well. If there are leaks in the design and programming tactics and technologyimplementation then there would be a lot of leak in the system as well that result in a very severe or drastic problem. In this way it can be say that software programs that developed to resolve a problem needs attention in all these metrics to work upon and to get a better result. If there is a better program written by a programmer who is reliable and portable efficient and of strong functionality then fulfill the better requirement in this case. Whereas if we are talking about the wireless information systems things become more sensitive as we are dealing on real time and gather a lot of security risks. Thats why after applying and implementing rules and regulations and following the standards will get the

Manhattan Project essays

Manhattan Project essays "Nor do I take into account a danger of starting a chain reaction of a scope great enough to destroy part or all of the planet ... But it is not necessary to imagine the earth being destroyed like a nova by a stellar explosion to understand vividly the growing scope of atomic war and to recognize that unless another war is prevented it is likely to bring destruction on a scale never before held possible, and even now hardly conceived, and that little civilization would survive it." Albert Einstein Since the beginning of time men have found cause to go to war with one another. War has built nations into great powers while bringing others to great ruin. Because of the threat of war, and the possibility of being conquered, countries put great importance on the strength of their military. In an attempt to gain the edge against their enemies they constantly try to have the most effective weapons so they can inflict the most possible damage on the opponent while minimizing their own damage sustained. New weapons have revolutionized the state of warfare throughout history, and caused great concern. For example, there was widespread concern with the advent of the crossbow in the Middle Ages; an untrained peasant was now able to kill a knight who had been trained in the art of warfare his entire life. The crossbow changed the way battles had to be fought. There have been many new weapons of war that have been so influential that they have changed the way wars were fought. Ho wever, no weapon in history has been as influential as the nuclear bomb developed by the United States in 1945. While other revolutionary new weapons might turn the tide of battle and may even cause entire countries to be defeated, if two countries ever became involved in a full scale nuclear war, the world would end as we know it. In 1939 the world was on the brink of war. Germanys war machine was on the move and its best and brightest scien...

The Affects of Alcohol on the Body essays

The Affects of Alcohol on the Body essays Almost everyone has had some form of alcohol in their lives. A lot of people drink alcohol on a reoccurring basis. However, most people that consume alcohol have no idea the short term and long term effect that it have on their body. The purpose of this paper is to inform everyone of the affects of alcohol, so that they make an educated decision about drinking. Once alcohol enters the body it is not digested like food. Once in the stomach, alcohol is absorbed directly into your blood stream through the tissue lining the stomach and small intestine. Food and water can slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, while carbonated beverage will speed the process up. Once alcohol is in ones blood stream, it is carried to all the organs of their body. A persons body composition, sex, the presence of food in the stomach, and the amount and type of alcohol consumed will determine exactly how alcohol will affect a person. Females, people with high percent body fat, and people with empty stomachs will feel the effects of alcohol the most. Ten percent of the alcohol is eliminated through sweat, breath, and urine. Your liver must detoxify the remaining alcohol. The liver breaks down alcohol at a rate of one half an ounce per hour. This also varies depending on the person; some people can break down more, some break down less. There is nothing that a person can do to speed up the rate your body breaks alcohol down. When the rate of alcohol consumed exceeds the livers detoxification rate, the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream continues to increase, further impairing the brain, causing intoxication, coma, or possibly death. Alcohol can alter a persons mood and can cause depression. Alcohol can cause a lot of damage to the body because none of the bodys cells are immune to alcohol. Alcohol moves quickly to the brain and passes the blood-brain barrier, which normally keeps harmful substances away from the brai...

Homeostasis Is a Central Theme In Animal Physiology Essays

Homeostasis Is a Central Theme In Animal Physiology Essays Homeostasis Is a Central Theme In Animal Physiology Essay Homeostasis Is a Central Theme In Animal Physiology Essay Homeostasis is the name given to the process that allows optimum conditions to be regulated in the body. This regulation of the internal environment must be independent of external environmental constraints. In humans this process is controlled by almost all of the bodily systems but mainly by the endocrine, respiratory and renal systems. Homeostasis therefore allows an organism to live in habitats that are not ideally suited to the internal environment, because, only in favourable conditions will the organism thrive. This allows the organism to in an environment not best suited to its internal functioning but in conditions which may be favourable for foraging etc. a prime example are fish, a fresh water fish lives in an environment which in definition is more dilute than within its internal environment, sea water fish on the other hand live in a environment where its surroundings are more alkali than its internal environment. The need for homeostasis can be traced to the cellular level, as cells interact with their immediate environment (either via cellular communication, signal proteins, expulsion of ion, and uptake of ions). It is this communication, which ultimately leads to a change in the external environment. Right to the organ level or tissue organisation were for example the expulsion of urea changes the blood pH and osmolarity. These internal changes are countered by the excretion of hormones etc, (these substances share 4 main structural forms. Amines, steroids, prostaglandin and peptides) which start a chain reaction to nullify the change these hormones are either secreted via ducts (exocrine system) or directly into the blood stream, (endocrine system). Homeostasis therefore is controlled by many systems, and although complex, many multi organ physiological mechanisms help regulate in many ways. However the theory of an internal environment wasnt recognised until a French physiologist Claude Bernard in 1872 put forward the idea of a constant internal environment stating, 1Constancy of the internal environment is the condition of free life. It is however important to remember that the regulation of an internal environment does not only concern body temperature but also such things as blood pH [H+], Blood glucose concentration, osmotic potential etc. All of these systems must be regulated in some how to maintain this internal environment, this regulatory system relies on a feedback system, which can be illustrated in a simple diagram (figure 1. 1). Figure 1. 1 clearly shows the system of negative feedback this is where in essence an off signal (in one of the structural forms mentioned). Is sent from the hypothalamus to stop the process and therefore retain a homeostatic condition. This feedback system allows homeostasis to be regulated almost automatically. This negative feedback however can sometimes go wrong. A prime and well-documented case of this is diabetes. When blood glucose levels increase above a threshold limit the endocrine system (stimulated via the hypothalamus) activates the pancreas, this then secretes a hormone called insulin which this accelerates the uptake of blood glucose into storage molecules of glycogen (especially in the liver) and fat molecules. However if this uptake of sugar is not regulated enough then absorption of sugar will continue and the blood glucose level drops the result is glaucoma and ultimately death. This leads to the conclusion that glaucoma is the result of a breakdown in the homeostatic system and therefore a breakdown of blood glucose regulation. Homeostasis however is not only controlled by the hypothalamus, hormones which are produced by the hypothalamus to regulate homeostasis, are regulated by neurohormones, which are secreted by specialised nerve cells called neurosecretory cells. These cells which are found in the hypothalamus. These regulate the secretion of various glandular hormones from the non-neural anterior pituitary gland. These neurohormones are different to the hormones secreted by the hypothalamus as they target direct tissues (with relation to hormone structure and function). These specific neurosecretory cells are located in the anterior hypothalamus, these also demonstrate the diversity found within an organ, which allows this process to be self regulated. But homeostasis is not only regulated by internal bodily systems but also external structural/environmental conditions, an example environmental control is that of heat transference, As all metabolic reactions produce heat sometimes this heat would build up in the body, this would have devastating consequences on bodily functions such as the functioning of enzymes as after a certain temperature these become permanently de natured and unable to function, So when the body over heats, the hypothalamus sends a signal to the sweat glands which are located in the epidermal layer of the skin to produce sweat. This sweat then evaporates taking the heat energy with it. Therefore reducing the body temperature and maintaining homeostasis, the skeletal structure is an example of a structural way of controlling homeostasis. This is mainly due to the composition of skeletal bone. As skeletal bone is comprised mainly of calcium this can act as a calcium reserve. there are times in the homeostatic cycle when this calcium needs to be metabolised from bone tissue for use by other systems, e. . Calcium is very important for normal muscle functioning, therefore calcium ion concentration must be kept at a correct level in the surrounding blood and tissue fluids, the consequences of a breakdown in this regulation would lead to changes in the calcium ion concentration leading to a compromise in muscle activity, it is in this way that the skeletal system helps regulate homeostasis. The conclusion of this is that homeostasis is essential to a living organism and is in essence self regulated by a complex system of feedback loops regulated by many organ systems however these regulatory systems sometimes go wrong and need external assistance be this injecting hormones, taking advantage of environmental conditions, i. e. basking in the sun (lizards), panting (dogs, etc).

Physician-Assisted Suicide for Alzheimer Patients Article

Physician-Assisted Suicide for Alzheimer Patients - Article Example There are alternatives to physician-assisted suicide for Alzheimer patients and dementia victims. One of them is palliative care. However, some opinion polls indicate support for PAS when it is administered only as a relief for a dying patient under extreme pain. Besides, Americans prefer an alternative such as ensuring control of pain and offering compassionate care for such Alzheimer patients, not helping them to die (Rhymes et al). Moreover, this preference is firmer among the patients of Alzheimer. A past study found out that numerous patients under pain preferred palliative care to PAS more than the public who also support palliative care. Masses still prefer pain relief and palliative care more than euthanasia or PAS though the latter method is not as popular as the PAS. This is because PAS underplays proper pain management practices. This therefore disputes Jack Kevorkian’s suicide assisted demise (Knickerbocker, 2011). Secondly, hospice care is yet another option for patients with Alzheimer ailment. This is a method that has increasingly been seen as an end of life choice for individuals with this deadly disease. Furthermore, this alternative applies activities such as pet therapy which offers reassurance and compassionate care for them. Additionally, the patients can be read to or listen to music, which is believed to elicit long forgotten emotion, regardless of the fact that they may not be apt to communicate effectively. However, some aspects of hospice care may seem not to effectively help patients with serious dementia (Rhymes et al). For instance, counseling at the end of life may not be effectual for those patients with communication drawbacks. Thirdly, patients with Alzheimer disease may make a decision to undergo pain control procedures disputed to the renowned PAS that Jack Kevorkian endorses as the best method of helping Alzheimer patients. Besides, pain is underrated and difficult to reduce in Alzheimer patients under dementia. Therefore, pain control aims at; at least reducing the pain than terminating it through PAS.

Educational system through the use of new ICT resources Essay

Educational system through the use of new ICT resources - Essay Example It is very important to consult the customers of education business because the demand is logically generated by their willingness to patronize the enterprise. In this case, the students are the customers. Any investment in ICT by Mid Wales University would have to satisfy needs of mostly students through faculties, educational systems and resources, along with strategies for implementing plans and programs. The average ratio of staff to students in UK universities is 1 per 18.1. At Buckingham, it is only 1 staff for every 10.5 students (The University of Buckingham 2013). For purposes of this scenario analysis, let the assumptions be as follows: (a)Mid Wales should aim to have a staff to student ratio of 1 is to 12 in order to aspire for quality education through closer supervision of individual educational performance. (b)Following a similar statistics identifying who are the students of Buckingham University, wherein 52% are British; 14% come from Asian and Pacific countries like Australia, China, India, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Langka, Singapore, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, and New Zealand; 13% are from Africa and islands somewhere in the Indian Ocean; 11% come from countries belonging to the European Union; 5% are made up of people from America including USA, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua, and other Caribbean countries; 3% from Middle East and North Africa e.g. Bahrain, Israel, Algeria, Palestine, Syria, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, Oman, Turkey, and Libya; and 2% from other European countries and Central Asia, such as Russia, Georgia, Macedonia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. Therefore, the customers are from many nations worldwide. (c) Most of these students, about 73%, are employed on full time basis as they study, while 15% went back to school for further studies. Only 7% are employed but work only part-time. 1% went to school while on volunta ry work. Only 3% are self-employed and only 1% unemployed. (The Buckingham University2, 2013) Due to the changing UK trend of jobs in demand, the courses have to be considered as well. Assumption (d) would be the eventual inclusion of 10 courses related to the forecasted high demand work for the near future. Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Statistics, Liberal Arts, Engineering, and General Science will remain. However, it is assumed in this scenario that Genetics, Environmental Engineering, Mental Health and Psychology, Food Production, Software Engineering, Information Security, Medicine, Language Interpretation and Translation, Computer Engineering, and Civil Engineering will become integrated in the coming years due to the demand for such jobs in the near future (Zabala, R. 2012). A Powerful, Flexible Server for Short to Long-Term Educational Enterprise A. Infrastructure For educational institutions, technology of teaching and learning should consider not only the stude nts and courses or curriculum, but also the enhancements for the effective delivery, progress monitoring, and advancements in education, supposed to be found in infrastructures. Mobile and digital technology owned by the learning population have become the means to access information. This situation demands certain requirements from the ICT Infrastructure within the campus. The server room must provide for networking in terms of wireless access points (WAP). It should have a

Bacterial cells Quantification Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bacterial cells Quantification - Lab Report Example Additionally, the information provided by this can be used to discover the effect of an enzyme on bacterial cell count – if an enzyme increases reproduction or lyses cells, this is discoverable by comparison to the absorbance graph created using known concentrations. In this experiment, the activity of lysozyme is studied. Lysozyme is the name of a glycoside hydrolase which damages cell walls by catalysing hydrolysis of the links between two key components of peptidoglycan – N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (Pommerville, 2007). It is notable that lysozyme is present in many human excretions, such as saliva and tears, and this forms one of the body’s many natural antimicrobial techniques. It is also notable that lysozyme is more effective against Gram-positive cells because the cell walls of these bacteria have a higher concentration of peptidoglycan (Pommerville, 2007). An additional experiment was performed to test the effect of certain antibiotic s on bacterial cells. This is always an important test because of the current crisis in clinical practice due to the increasing amount of bacteria that are highly resistant to many or all of the available antibiotics (Neu, 1992). This can be done in several ways, but antibiotic disc sensitivity testing is particularly useful as it allows a test of several antibiotics on one sample of organism, allowing us to be certain that all the microbes are the same and thus reducing the possibility of false results. Results Antibiotic Effect on Various Bacteria Antibiotic/Dose Escherichia coli (-) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (-) Staphylococcus aureus (+) Bacillus subtilis (+) AP/25?g S R S S GM/10?g S S R S PY/100?g S R S S NA/30?g S R S R NI/50?g R R S S SM/200?g R R R R T/100?g S R S R TS/25?g S R S S NI at a dose of 50?g is effective only against Gram-positive microbes. TS at a dose of 25?g and T at a dose of 100?g, as well as NA at 30?g, PY at 100?g, GM at 10?g and AP at 25?g all appear to be ef fective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Micrococcus lysodeikticus Concentration vs. Absorbance at 450nm Micrococcus lysodeikticus (cells/ml) Absorbance at 450nm 0 0.000 6.25 x 106 0.406 1.25 x 107 0.274 2.5 x 107 0.301 5.0 x 107 0.455 1.0 x 108 0.870 Unknown 0.599 The general trend appears to be that absorbance is higher with a higher concentration of cells per ml. Absorbance = (0.000000008 * cell concentration) + 0.21 We can thus work out the unknown value by rearranging this formula – Absorbance – 0.21 = 0.000000008 * cell concentration Cell concentration = (Absorbance – 0.21)/0.000000008 Unknown = 48625000 or 4.8625 x 107 Effects of Lysozyme Solution on Viable Cell Count – Shown Using Absorbance Time (minutes) Absorbance of the M. Lysodeikticus standard containing 5.0 x 107 cells/ml 0 0.414 3 0.350 6 0.337 9 0.333 12 0.320 15 0.300 The longer the cells are left in the lysozyme solution, the less absorbance is shown. Discussion A s noted in the discussion, lysozyme is more effective as a antimicrobial towards Gram-positive cells due to the larger amounts of peptidoglycan in the cell walls of these organisms. As can be seen here, lysozyme has a very distinct effect on the absorbance measurements from the M. lysodeikticus standard which increase substantially with time, suggesting that there are less viable cells the longer the organism is left in the presence of

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Essay

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Management) - Essay Example The advantages which are connected with medical technology are substantial. There exists a disturbing rise in the index of patient moratlity of which medical facility error has been a causal attribute. Medical Technology Equipment from the User's Perspective Academic articles and books have recommended that user participation by means of the inclusion of the ergonomic engineering inside of the medical component architecture and production process (MDDD) presents many advantages which facilitate the production of less hazardous and more efficient medical technology components which cater to the user's needs in a more effective manner. There has not been a great deal of research which has been completed with regards to the user participation in this procedure, the efficacy of the participation of the medical equipment user in providing feedback (Money et al., 2011). Medical technology equipment usage at the planning phase was discovered to be the greatest due to the participation of th e users. Participation of the users at the planning stage is regarded to be of great importance. The most elevated user involvement during the planning phase was to formulate user directed designs which are applied to implementing new efficient product designs. The design outcomes are applied to the manufacture of medical components which have increased equipment user security and that may be effectively applied. Another purpose for the increased user participation at the planning stage is the need for formal planning procedures which should be initiated and concluded with the customer requisites as per regulation ISO 9001. Nonetheless, each phase of the medical component life cycle is integral and required (Shah, 2006, p. 506). In considering a holistic perspective to the comprehension of the interactions between individuals and system components, it becomes feasible to classify the technological characteristics that will best comply with the user's requirements. This holistic pers pective will augment the quality of the medical technology equipment experience and the well being of the user when applying the medical technology. The user centered perspective which is applied by practitioners with respect to ergonomics may enable health care organizations to possess a methodology of application when procuring and applying medical technology. This users perspective includes the ascertaining if the medical technology equipment complies with the ergonomics requisites of the user and if there will be any adverse impact on the technology system of which it will become an integral element (Shaver and Braun, 2008). The Nielsen -Schneiderman Heuristics Perspective The Nielsen- Schneiderman Heuristics are the following elements of evaluations which should be applied from a user's perspective on the ergonomics of medical technology equipment: 1. Consistent results- The users should be aware that the actions which are performed will provide empirically assessed results. 2. Visible operation of the medical technology equipment. 3. Mental compatibility of the user's perception of the medical technology equipment concept. 4. Minimal information requisites. 5. Minimal memorization of the medical technology equipment required. 6. User feedback on the efficiency of the medical technology equipment. 7. Resiliency- The user should be able to custom tailor the medical techn

Picturing the Perfect Essay by Tim Bascom Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Picturing the Perfect by Tim Bascom - Essay Example With the help of this written piece, I have been able to develop understanding regarding visual models that encompass our mindset of bringing abstract to words and expression. It is no less than an astonishing experience of mine after reading this piece that I came to know about literal nature of design. Visual models such as braids and dipping into the well immersed a whole new experience of mine about writing and expressing (Bacom).   If such visual models are generally used by the essay writers then it is expected that essays would not just deliver a body of words but incorporate communication in a two-way mode between the essay writer and reader.   The tone that has been used by the author in the paper is very clear and easy to understand. General public will be able to gain understanding about the subject being discussed without getting misled by the designs and its relation with essay writing (Bacom). I would agree with almost every claim that had been made by Bascom in his written piece because I believe clarity about writing is much needed. By implementing visual models, one can easily expect an effective piece of writing or essay. I would suggest my peers to make use of this written piece in learning the art of essay writing. If such visual models are generally used by the essay writers then it is expected that essays would not just deliver a body of words but incorporate communication in a two-way mode between the essay writer and reader.  

Earning Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Earning Management - Essay Example In addition, key defense in the financial management is full disclosure. This implies that if all the information available for positional analysis of a company is available and true, analysts are able to provide timely and effective advisory information for a company. However, when a company decides to provide fraudulent information to gain investors’ preference and stakeholders favors, the companies end up being overwhelmed with deceptive information and at last lose the very thing they have been fighting to win (Temte, 2005). To increase the quality of financial reporting and hence the credibility of the information contained therein, there must be some ethical consideration. This implies that it is unethical for any company to intentionally and inappropriately conceal information that would change the financial image of a company.   Further, honesty has always been considered the best policy, especially in business. Companies that undertake earning management are doing nothing less than dishonesty. The use of deferring maintenance to post positive image does not mean that the deferred activities are not to be undertaken. What happens is that the deferred activities will I the long run cost the company a fortune (Vataliya, 2009). And since the company made investors and analysts believe that it is doing well financially through fraudulent data, then the company loses all that it has sought to save. The investors and stakeholders, therefore, feel deceived and that a company they have depended on has been dishonest.

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Essay

Medical equipment lifecycle ( Medical Equipment & Technology Services Management) - Essay Example The advantages which are connected with medical technology are substantial. There exists a disturbing rise in the index of patient moratlity of which medical facility error has been a causal attribute. Medical Technology Equipment from the User's Perspective Academic articles and books have recommended that user participation by means of the inclusion of the ergonomic engineering inside of the medical component architecture and production process (MDDD) presents many advantages which facilitate the production of less hazardous and more efficient medical technology components which cater to the user's needs in a more effective manner. There has not been a great deal of research which has been completed with regards to the user participation in this procedure, the efficacy of the participation of the medical equipment user in providing feedback (Money et al., 2011). Medical technology equipment usage at the planning phase was discovered to be the greatest due to the participation of th e users. Participation of the users at the planning stage is regarded to be of great importance. The most elevated user involvement during the planning phase was to formulate user directed designs which are applied to implementing new efficient product designs. The design outcomes are applied to the manufacture of medical components which have increased equipment user security and that may be effectively applied. Another purpose for the increased user participation at the planning stage is the need for formal planning procedures which should be initiated and concluded with the customer requisites as per regulation ISO 9001. Nonetheless, each phase of the medical component life cycle is integral and required (Shah, 2006, p. 506). In considering a holistic perspective to the comprehension of the interactions between individuals and system components, it becomes feasible to classify the technological characteristics that will best comply with the user's requirements. This holistic pers pective will augment the quality of the medical technology equipment experience and the well being of the user when applying the medical technology. The user centered perspective which is applied by practitioners with respect to ergonomics may enable health care organizations to possess a methodology of application when procuring and applying medical technology. This users perspective includes the ascertaining if the medical technology equipment complies with the ergonomics requisites of the user and if there will be any adverse impact on the technology system of which it will become an integral element (Shaver and Braun, 2008). The Nielsen -Schneiderman Heuristics Perspective The Nielsen- Schneiderman Heuristics are the following elements of evaluations which should be applied from a user's perspective on the ergonomics of medical technology equipment: 1. Consistent results- The users should be aware that the actions which are performed will provide empirically assessed results. 2. Visible operation of the medical technology equipment. 3. Mental compatibility of the user's perception of the medical technology equipment concept. 4. Minimal information requisites. 5. Minimal memorization of the medical technology equipment required. 6. User feedback on the efficiency of the medical technology equipment. 7. Resiliency- The user should be able to custom tailor the medical techn

Earning Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Earning Management - Essay Example In addition, key defense in the financial management is full disclosure. This implies that if all the information available for positional analysis of a company is available and true, analysts are able to provide timely and effective advisory information for a company. However, when a company decides to provide fraudulent information to gain investors’ preference and stakeholders favors, the companies end up being overwhelmed with deceptive information and at last lose the very thing they have been fighting to win (Temte, 2005). To increase the quality of financial reporting and hence the credibility of the information contained therein, there must be some ethical consideration. This implies that it is unethical for any company to intentionally and inappropriately conceal information that would change the financial image of a company.   Further, honesty has always been considered the best policy, especially in business. Companies that undertake earning management are doing nothing less than dishonesty. The use of deferring maintenance to post positive image does not mean that the deferred activities are not to be undertaken. What happens is that the deferred activities will I the long run cost the company a fortune (Vataliya, 2009). And since the company made investors and analysts believe that it is doing well financially through fraudulent data, then the company loses all that it has sought to save. The investors and stakeholders, therefore, feel deceived and that a company they have depended on has been dishonest.

Development system Essay Example for Free

Development system Essay Over much of the twentieth century, the foremost edges of economic development and growth were mainly identifiable with sectors distinguished by varying degrees of mass production, as expressed in large-scale machine systems and an unrelenting drive to product standardization and cost cutting. all through the mass-production era, the dominant sectors evolved through a progression of technological and organizational changes focused above all on process routinization and the exploration for internal economies of scale. These features are not particularly conducive to the injection of high levels of aesthetic and semiotic content into final products. Certainly, in the 1930s and 1940s many commentators with supporters of the Frankfurt School (Adorno, 1991; Horkheimer, 1947) being among the most vocal expressed grave misgivings concerning the steady incursion of industrial methods into the globe of the cultural economy and the concomitant tendency for multifarious social and emotive content to be evacuated from forms of popular cultural production. These doubts were by no means out of place in a framework where much of commercial culture was focused on an enormously narrow approach to entertainment and disruption, and in which the powerful forces of the nation-state and nationalism were bend in considerable ways on creating mass proletarian societies. The specific problems raised by the Frankfurt School in regard to popular commercial culture have in definite respects lost some of their urgency as the economic and political bases of mass production have given way before the changes guided in over the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the new economy started its ascent. This is not to say that the modern cultural economy is not associated with a number of staid social and political predicaments. Although it is also the case that as commercial cultural production and consumption have developed in the major capitalist societies over the last few decades, so our aesthetic and ideological judgments concerning their underlying meanings have lean to shift. The rise of post-modern social and cultural theory is one significant expression of this development. Creative Industries Policy and the Reason of Shift in Terminology â€Å"The idea that cultural or creative industries might be regenerative was the result of changes in the cultural-industries landscape that were themselves in part the product of cultural policy shifts – when cultural policy is understood in the wider sense, to include media and communications† . One other key aspect also goes unnoticed in Hesmondhalghs book, which is that the sector itself, the ostensible object of both academic and policy discourse does not distinguish itself in the term cultural industries at least not instantly. Some are simply unaware of how their activities relay to a range of disparate occupations and businesses. Some are clear in their refusal of the terminology and the company with which they are thus grouped. Certainly, one of the key arguments of the policy advocates is that this sector lacks a essential voice, it needs to convey its demands, needs to become self-conscious as a sector, needs to present itself with the consistency of other economic groups, needs, therefore, to co-operate in its own building as policy object (OConnor, 1999a). If an necessary part of this discursive operation is the dismantling of fixed oppositions between economics as well as culture then this has to be about the self-perception, individuality (and identification) of cultural producers the inculcation or adoption of a new kind of what Nigel Thrift calls embodied performative knowledge but can as well be seen as a form of habitus (OConnor, 1999a, 2000b). â€Å"The notion of culture is constructed through a number of intersecting discourses providing particular means of mobilising the notion and defining its object. These discourses are selectively emphasized to frame cultural (industries) policies† . The cultural industries discourse then is not just policy making but is part of a wider shift in governance, and needs a new set of self-understandings as part of the key skills in a new cultural economy (OConnor, 2000b). In this sense those apprehensive to advocate cultural industry strategies could be seen as a species of cultural intermediaries.

Adaptation of Psychometric Tools in Bangladesh

Adaptation of Psychometric Tools in Bangladesh Roufun Naher Introduction Measurement refers to a procedure which identifies the value of a quantitative variable through its numerical relationship to another value (Michell, 1990). For example, we want to know the body temperature of a particular person. Suen (1990) says, â€Å"The science of developing educational and psychological tests and measurement procedures has become highly sophisticated and has developed into such a large body of knowledge that it is considered a scientific discipline of enquiry in its own right. This discipline is referred to as psychometrics†. Presently, psychological researchers are intended to conduct cross-cultural researches and they must have reliable and valid instruments conducting those researches. Psychology is a growing field in Bangladesh both for research and practice. A number of psychological researchers of Bangladesh give emphasis on quantitative research which requires standardized instruments to measure behaviors and mental processes. However, the reasonable way to get an instrument can be cross-cultural adaptation whereas development of a new instrument is relatively tricky and time consuming. Meanwhile, many researchers adapted numerous instruments or psychometric tools to measure a range of behaviors and mental processes of human being. The adaptation of psychometric tools differs in the process, study design, sampling technique, sample size, reliability and validity. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to systematically review the adaptation of psychometric tools in Bangladesh, more specifically the adaptation procedure and research methodology. Table 1 shows the review. Sousa Rojjanasrirat (2010) provided a user-friendly guideline for translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for use in cross-cultural health care research. The guideline includes seven steps for the adaptation of psychometric tools. The steps are (1) Forward translation, (2) Comparison of the two translated versions (synthesis I), (3) Blind back-translation, (4) Comparison of two back-translated versions (synthesis II), (5) Pilot testing of the pre-final version, (6) Preliminary psychometric testing of the pre-final version, (7) Full psychometric testing of the pre-final version. Table 1 The Review of the Adaptation of Psychometric Tools in Bangladesh Method of Review The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the quality and utility of psychometric tools adapted in Bangladesh. For conducting this review, the psychological journals published in different public universities were taken for literature review. Then the studies on adaptation of psychometric tools were picked up initially. Finally six original papers on adaptation of psychometric tools which met the criteria of current systematic review were selected from these journals. Among them four papers were selected from ‘The Dhaka University Journal of Psychology’ and two other papers were selected from ‘Jagannath University Journal of Psychology’. Eligible Criteria The papers were basically selected based on the following criteria Has the study been done in the context of Bangladesh? Has it been done on the adaptation of psychometric tools for use in Bangladesh? Whether it is an original study or review? Whether it is published? Results of Review Information about the Reviewed Studies All the selected studies represent the adaptation of psychometric tools for use in Bangladesh. The pervasive developmental disorder assessment scale presented in first study (shown in table 1) contains 40 items and 3 subscales. Similarly, the inventory of interpersonal problems contains 64 items and 8 subscales. The inferiority questionnaire and the Bangla parental power-prestige questionnaire contain 20 and 10 items respectively. The questionnaire on stress in cancer patient contains 23 items and 5 homogenous subscales shown in fifth study of table 1. Finally the Warnick-Ebinburgh mental wellbeing scale is composed of 10 items. The sample size of the reviewed studies ranges between 50 and 232. Only the first study shown in review table followed random sampling technique. On the contrary, other five studies followed convenience and purposive sampling technique. The design of all six studies was cross-sectional survey. The reliability ranges between .72 and .96. In case of validity mo st of the studies followed content and construct validity. Adaptation Process Followed by the Studies Researchers of three studies (such as study number 1, 3, and 5 shown in table 1) among six mentioned that they followed the guidance provided by International Test Commission (ITC). However, the researchers of other studies did not mention that which guideline they followed during adaptation. The first step of adaptation process is forward translation by two different translators. Two translators should have different background for example one translator must have the knowledge of health terminology whereas the second translator must possess cultural and linguistic knowledge (Sousa Rojjanasrirat, 2010). However, no researcher among six mentioned the background of the translators in their papers. In fact, most of the researchers did not even clarify the different phases of adaptation process although the reliabilities of the adapted instruments are relatively high. Moreover, the researchers of all the above studies except study number 6 (shown in review table) did not make contact with the original developers for their consent and proof reading which is considered as an important phase of adaptation of psychometric tools. On the other hand, the blind back translation step needs two translators who are native speaker of the original language from which the instrument was translated in first step. In addition the translators must be chosen form distinct background like the translators of forward translation (Sousa Rojjanasrirat, 2010). It is paradoxical that none of the reviewed studies followed the blind back translation phase strictly. However, the other steps mentioned in introduction part were reasonably followed by the above researchers. That is why the reliabilities of their adapted instruments are relatively satisfactory. Sample size and sampling technique Whether the result of a study can be generalized or not, depends on the sample size as well as the sampling technique by which the sample is drawn. Sousa Rojjanasrirat (2010) suggested using 300 to 500 subjects for the adaptation of psychometric tools. Contrary to that all the researcher of current reviewed studies used less than 300 subjects in their research. Moreover, five out of six studies did not use random sampling. That is only available and interested people were the subjects of these studies. Consequently, Passable generalization may not be possible by these studies. Conclusion Most of the psychological researchers in Bangladesh show interest in quantitative research. Reliable and valid instruments are needed for this type of research. In fact, lots of such instruments or questionnaires have been adapted at different times in Bangladesh. However, after this systematic review it is difficult to say that the researchers could follow standardized adaptation procedure and research methodology to adapt these instruments. Standardized adaptation procedure and research methodology are important because cultural diversity among countries is a gigantic issue of discussion in research world. If the adaptation process of a psychometric tool becomes flawed it will not be able to measure a sample of behavior accurately. Ultimately the field of psychology including mental health practice may suffer as it is sometimes very much dependent on the psychological tests and measurement. The further research on adaptation of psychometric tools in Bangladesh should follow the sta ndardized procedure and research methodology strictly. References Ahmed, F., Uddin, M. K., Islam, M. J. (2011). Preliminery evidences for psychometric  properties of the bangla parental power-prestige questionnaire. Jagannath University   Journal of Psychology, 1, 97-106. Hossain, M. S., Yeasmin, M., Uddin, M. K. (2008), Adaptation of inventory of interpersonal  problems. The Dhaka University Journal of Psychology, 33, 1-10. Haque, S. Das, A. (2007), Adaptation of pervasive developmental disorder assessment scale.  The Dhaka University Journal of Psychology, 31, 11-22. Jerin, M. I., Khatun, M. N., Ahmed, A. (2013), Adaptation on questionnaire on stress in  cancer patient revised. The Dhaka University Journal of Psychology, 37, 23-30. Michell, J. (1990), An Introduction to the Logic of Psychological Measurement. Hillsdale, New  Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. Rahman, S. T. Imran, M. H. (2013), Bangladeshi adaptation of Warwick-Ebinburgh mental  well-being scale. The Dhaka University Journal of Psychology, 37, 49-60. Sousa, V. S. Rojjanssrirat, W. (2010), Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or  scales for use in cross-cultural health care research: a clear and user-friendly guideline.   Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 17, 268-274. Suen, H.K. (1990), Principles of Test Theories. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. Uzzaman, M. A., Islam, A. S. M. A., Haque, M. A. (2011), Adaptation of inferiority  questionnaire. Jagannath University Journal of Psychology, 1, 35-42.

Role of Religion in Determining the Earths Shape :: Geography

Role of Religion in Determining the Earth's Shape The Greek geographers of the later Roman period developed systematic calculations for the mapping and shaping of the earth. However, what would come to replace these systematic calculations? Why were the ideologies of a flat earth accepted and why were those of a spherical earth ridiculed? The answer to this question is very simple and can be answered by one clear and concise word: Religion. "Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5) This verse from the of book Ezekiel simply states that the city of Jerusalem should be in the center of all maps created. This eliminated the need for any latitude or longitude. Before hand, there had been more than six hundred maps created, not one having this holy city as the center. There was nothing new about putting "the most sacred place at the center" says Boorstin. The Hindus placed Mount Meru, a mythological 70,000 foot high mountain at the center of their map. In the Muslim faith, the Ka'bah in Mecca was the highest point on earth and the polestar showed the city of Mecca to be opposite the center of the sky. As one can clearly see, many maps, had different centers. Each map had a different center, each based on a different religion. Many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Greeks theorized that the earth was a globe. But after that, there was a period in history called "The Great Interruption." This period was categorized by a complete silence where people in general, forgot about the issue of whether the earth was flat or whether it was a globe. Another reason that brought the theories of a globular world to rest was because the priests told the general public that the earth was flat. Priests such as St. Augustine and others invented the Antipode theory, which stated that a world shaped like a globe is impossible because objects would be hanging downwards and growing backwards. Once again, religion played a major part in this argument that would rage on for many years to come. To conclude, much like the theories of the priests in the first 400 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, who said that Jerusalem was the center of a flat earth, one might be able to relate this period in time to a much more recent and modern one. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789,

Religious Imagery in Flannery OConnors The Life You Save May Be Your

Religious Imagery in Flannery O'Connor's The Life You Save May Be Your Own The religious imagery in Flannery O'Connor's 'The Life You Save May Be Your Own' gives the story a cynical undertone along with a healthy dose of irony. O'Connor uses allusions to Jesus and Christianity to examine the hypocrisies of the religion and its adherents. Her character Tom T. Shiftlet is portrayed paradoxically as both the embodiment of Christ and an immoral, utterly selfish miscreant. By presenting these polarities side by side within one persona, O'Connor shows the dichotomies between so-called Christian morality and the reality of the Church. During his first encounter with the Lucynell Craters, Mr. Shiflet appears to be a harmless, generous wanderer. As he approaches the Crater?s home he ?swung ...

How far is it true that the play ‘The Duchess of Malfi’, presents a moral world of Webster’s that is different from the conventional mores? Essay

The Machiavellian qualities seen in the villain’s, along with the pragmatic of even existentialist attitude to life displayed by the good as well as bad characters may give a first impression that the world Webster presents in The Duchess of Malfi, is a chaotic world, but for a closer and deeper look at the play will show that the world is influenced by a moral order though this order cannot be universally enforced. Though the moral presence exists, this world remains mysterious, incomprehensible and the future of worldly creatures is unpredictable. The growing immortality and sensuousness, which the court displayed, made the citizens sympathise with the Puritans. People began to criticize the court and religion more vocally. This critical temper had its effect in literature of the time too. Times were running out and pessimism and satire arose out of the dissatisfaction among the people. The melancholy mood found in the literature of the late 16th and early 17th century was not affection, but a natural expression of the gloom and frustration that people of the time felt. The preoccupation of Webster with decay, disease sickness and death can be explained in the light of the social history. Webster excels in the sudden flash, in the intuitive but often unsustained perception. At times he startles us by what may be called the ‘Shakespearean’ use of the common word. In the dark night of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ at the high point of tension when the Duchess is about to die her last words are: â€Å"Go tell my brother, when I am laid out They then may feed in quiet†- The bareness of ‘Feed’ increases the force of the line, for it suggests animal’s engrossment. It has too, that kind of authority peculiar to the common word unexpectedly introduced. Its impact is that of ‘bread’ in Hamlet’s skill. [â€Å"He took my father grossly, full of bread, With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May:†] They too often remain isolated and detached from the main stream of thought. In his manner of writing such sentences come too often though they may not have a direct relation with the texture of the play. Such lines as: â€Å"O, this gloomy world: In what a shadow, or deep pit of darkness, Doth womanish and fearful mankind live! Let worthy minds never stagger and distrust To suffer death or shame for what is just; Mine is another voyage†, stand out as detached expression of Webster’s sententious wisdom. Many of Webster’s lines in The Duchess of Malfi have become almost proverbial and can be quoted like proverbs without consideration of the text in which they occur. Tragedy according to Aristotle should ‘arouse pity and fear leading to the catharsis of such emotions’. Webster, an Elizabethan and a Jacobean, possibly could not have written plays according to Aristotle’s cannons. However, there is plenty in the play that arouses pity. And surely there is fear too in abundance arising out of all pervading horror in the play. As it is generally understood, a tragedy deals with sufferings and misfortunes of the protagonists of the play. â€Å"That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads, And lay her general territory as waste As the hath done her honours.† The Duchess of Malfi, like any good tragedy teaches us to know the world and its ways better. There are plenty in the play that are sensational and horrifying making it melodramatic to some extent, and they appeal to the morbid instincts of the playgoer. However, the principal victim of this play is not merely the sufferer, the Duchess, but the unconquerable and unsubdued human spirit of hers. In this the Duchess comes close to Shakespearian heroes and heroines. She keeps up her dignified spirit of defiance towards the evildoers, but is remarkably humble before heaven. She displays her sensuality not only in her marriage but also in devouring the apricots with evident greed. She becomes blind in her passion for Antonio and is credulous in taking Bosola’s words at face value. Her shirking of her responsibility, as a ruler of Malfi is a glaring flaw. Still the resigned dignity with which she faces the spectacle showing her dear ones as dead and her own impending strangling make us respect her unbreakable spirit. That enduring spirit ennobles us and uplifts us. Our faith in the essential nobility of human beings is reinforced, despite the damaging effect on that faith caused by the evil and villainy of others. In the case of Bosola, it is an intellectual failure. He fails to understand his personal identity and his responsibility for his actions. The play suggestively tells that sin is inherent in man and that the corruption of the body will find its way into corrupt action. The drift towards an error is natural and it eventually arrives at the natural consequence: retribution. This appears to be the meaning of the play. â€Å"Right the fashion of the world: From decay’d fortunes every flatterer shrinks: Men cease to build where the foundation sinks:† The Duchess, Antonio and Bosola share the focus of tragic issues in the play. The tragic flaw (hamartia) in the Duchess is the ‘madness’ which Cariola identifies at the end of the first act. That of Antonio, mainly is ambition- â€Å"Ambition,madam,is a great man’s madness, That is not kept in chains and close-pent rooms, But in fair lightsome lodgings, and is girt With the wild noise of prattling visitants Which makes it lunatic beyond all cure.† Along with the realism may be mentioned the meditative energy and the capacity to realize the irony, the mysterious nature and the pathos of life. The meditative energy Webster displays is an essential part of his dramatic genius. Sometime he introduces fables or parables even when by doing so inconsistencies in character portrayal creep in. Duke Ferdinand’s parable or Reputation, Love and Death and the Duchess’s fable of the salmon and the dog-fish belong to this area. â€Å"Though we are eaten up of lice and worms, And though continually we bear about us A rotten and dead body, we delight To hide it in tissue:† Webster presents a moral world that is some mysterious ways that ultimately bring punishments for the crimes one commit. The devilish Arragonian brothers and their equally devilish instrument, Bosola, feel the pangs of conscience and meet ignoble death. Remorse touches Ferdinand the most, and makes him lycanthropic. His presenting a dead man’s hand to the Duchess is another indication. The sight of the dead Duchess indeed acts as a trigger in turning him fully mad. Finally he is killed by Bosola. Bosola is struck with remorse, when he finds that his much expected ‘preferment’ does not come to him. He declares that if he was to live once again he would not commit his crimes, â€Å"For all the wealth of Europe’ Further looking at the dead Duchess he says, â€Å"Here is a sight As direful to my soul as is the sword Unto a wretch hath slain his father.† Later he mortally stabs the Cardinal and the Duke and himself, is killed by the Lycanthropic Duke. Even the Cardinal, who is a cold and calculating Machiavellian, feels the pricking of conscience. He goes to the religious books for consolation but finding it futile, lay it aside. He expresses his mental agony clearly when he soliloquizes: â€Å"How tedious is a quality conscience: When I look into the fish –ponds in my garden, Methinks I see a thing arm’d with a rake, That seems to strike at me.† True, the Duchess and Antonio do have their flaws but the sufferings they face appear to be out of proportion to their sins. Really their mistakes are minor and the punishment too great. Webster illustrates that the moral order he visualizes does not mete out reward and punishment equitably. The intense suffering that is heaped upon Duchess and to a lesser extent on Antonio , is determined by the forces of evil that exist in her devilish brothers and their villainous tool Bosola. The three appear to be mentally diseased people, sadists who enjoy inflicting of pain on others. Bosola, despite his occasional moral meditations and occasional show of sympathy for the plight of the Duchess, inflicts subtle mental torture on the Duchess. â€Å"Who would be afraid on’t. Knowing to meet such excellent company In the other world?† The dramatist’s fondness for bloodshed, violence and horror can be seen from his preoccupation with the morbid and the macabre. The world he presents is one of corruption, immortality, cruelty, dishonesty, greed and Machiavellianism. â€Å"This is flesh and blood, sir; ‘T is not the figure cut in alabaster.† Altogether ten murders take place, on the stage, in The Duchess of Malfi. Tortures of the most repulsive and shocking kind are released on the Duchess. The presentation and the dead man’s hand, the spectacle of the waxen figures of Antonio and children, shown as dead, the letting loose of the lunatics on to coffin, the strangling of the Duchess, Cariola and the children, the lycanthropia of the Duke, the killing of Antonio and the servant and the final Carnage, all show the preoccupation of the author with the murky and the morbid. Further, he seems to show disappointment when he finds the Duchess unbroken in spirit, despite her effort to break it. In Webster, like in Shakespeare, the good people with minor flaws seem to suffer deeply. Revenge is not a sacred duty in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’. Thus the play defers from the traditional ones. Revenge in its most grotesque form is presented here. Both the brothers, who seek revenge, are beastly villainous beings. In their rage they lose their sense of judgment and behave as depraved human beings, which they really are. Their resentment at the Duchess’s marriage below rank is natural, but it makes them commit inexplicably monstrous atrocities. Their revenge is not even a wild justice but very unnatural and bestial cruelty born out of perversion. In presenting this changed kind of revenge Webster has moved away from the beaten path. â€Å"Would I could be one, That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears, Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads And lay her general territory as waste As she hath done her honours.† Webster does not believe that human suffering is caused by a supernatural agency- God or Fate. The events in the play show that human suffering is caused partly by the flaw in the sufferers and partly by the devilish qualities that exist in other villainous people. The Duchess, who suffers most in the play, is not a blemishes person. She has her flaw, her hamartia which is her sensuousness that makes her marry beneath her. She does not care for the damage of reputation her marriage could bring to her illustrations brothers, a Cardinal and a Duke. â€Å"He and his brothers are like plum-trees that grow crooked over Standing-pools: they are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them. Could I be one of their flattering ponders, I would hang on their ears like a horseleech, till I were full, and then drop off.† The Duchess of Malfi is one of the John Webstar’s finer plays. Several images are in the play which brings in tempests, thunder and earthquakes. Perhaps the best that belongs to this group is found in the Duke’s answer to the Cardinal’s question why the former behaves like a tempest. Very pungently he satirises the courtiers and courtly life of the time. The corruption of the court and the rewards the princes extended for devilish services is one of the major themes of the play. In the very first scene of the play we find Bosola making fun of the courtiers, and the evil patrons. Webster’s skill in stagecraft is displayed in several episodes of the play. The whole of Act IV is a theatrical tour de force. The Duchess wooing of Antonio leading to the secret marriage in Act I also shows equally great dramatic skill. The sudden appearance of Cariola from behind the arras gives a shock to Antonio. The meeting of Antonio and Bosola in the courtyard of Malfi palace, with its ‘sense of the theatre’ resembles the courtyard scene in Macbeth (Act II, Sc.I). Also dramatic is the Duke’s stormy appearance at the residence of the Cardinal with a letter in hand, fuming with rage. The Duke’s secret entry into the Duchess’s bed chamber gives a dramatically arresting episode. The Duchess s surprised at the continued silence of her husband, hears footsteps behind and turns expecting him coming back, but sees her brother the Duke advancing to her with his hand on his poniard. Another, theatrically very effective scene is where the Duke suffering from lycanthropic appears on the stage muttering ‘strangling is a very quiet death.’ The Duke, stealing across the stage in the dark, whispering to himself, with the devastating appearance of mad man is a figure one may not forget. Despite the existence of definite flaws in the nature of the Duchess and Antonio the sufferings and misfortunes they faced would not have arisen but for the evil present in the Cardinal, the Duke and Bosola. Webster appears to believe in the predominant existence of evil in this world. The various references to the devil and Machiavellianism stand testimony to it. Such references help to emphasize the evil nature of the Cardinal, the Duke and their tool-villain, Bosola. They are responsible for most of the sufferings and the ten deaths shown in the play. The tyrannous brothers become indignant at the news of their sister giving birth to a child, which they think to be illegitimate. The Duke is affected more and loses all self-control: He shouts in anger that he would become a storm: â€Å"That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads, And lay her general territory as waste As the hath done her honours.† In Elizabethan drama scenes of madness used to be shown on the stage, but they were episodic and did not contribute to the play at a psychological level. Webster too presents the chorus of madmen according to the revenge tradition. It creates, mostly a grotesque atmosphere with the antics and lunatic dance of the mad men. However there is some psychological interest too present in it. The Duke devises the scheme to torture the Duchess with the intention of turning her mad, but ironically he, not the Duchess, becomes mad. The lycanthropic madness of the Duke has still greater psychological significance. his madness is shown not only as an instrument to create horror, but to show that his crime has knocked him out of his sanity. Human beings inflict untold sufferings on his fellow beings prompted by ambition, envy, hatred, greed and lust for power. In Webster’s world it is the natural lot of man that he endures decay, disease and death. The Duchess and Antonio, the good characters of the play meet their death; one after a long suffering, the other by simple accident. Even the blameless Cariola, and the innocent children meet death by strangulation. Virtue, innocence and other good qualities appear to offer no assured safety against suffering and premature death. â€Å"If all my royal kindred Lay in my way unto this marriage, I’d make them my low footsteps.† Webster’s world is one where suffering embraces all, the good and the wicked. Suffering and death are inevitable. They result sometimes from deliberate contrivance as in the case of the Duchess, Cariola etc; sometimes from compulsive action as in the case of Antonio; and they can take place quite arbitrarily as in the case of the servant whom Bosola kills. Though he is a villainous person perpetrating some of the most heinous crimes, but he is also portrayed as a meditating malcontent who occasionally appears to act as a mouth-piece of the author’s view of life. Seeking happiness in the world, Webster seems to say is a futile effort for pleasure and is only momentary, but suffering is inevitable and profound. The dying Antonio makes it clear, â€Å"Pleasure of life, what is ‘t?only the good hours Of an ague: merely a preparative to rest, To endure vexation.† Webster could have been influenced by a few contemporary incidents to make the play what it is. One of them is the story of the fate of Torquato Tasso at the hands of Alfonso d’Este, an Italian Duke, because of his love for the Duke’s sister. Another was the imprisonment of Lady Arabella Stuart, as a punishment for het marrying Lord William Seymour against the wishes of King James I, her cousin. Lady Arabella became mentally deranged while in person. Though Webster followed Painter’s line, he made many noticeable additions. This can be found not only in the plot construction but also in characterization. In the play we find the Cardinal and the Duke warning the Duchess against a remarriage. There is nothing of the sort present in Painter. So also are the part played by Bosola, the secret entry of the Duke into the bed chamber of the Duchess and the sub plot of Julia’s adulterous relationship with the Cardinal. Further most of the incidents of Act IV especially the tormenting of the Duchess, by presenting the spectacle of the waxen images, the Duke’s presenting a dead man’s hand to the Duchess, the antics of the lunatics, Bosola’s entry as a tomb maker and a bellman etc., are all Webster’s inventions. Antonio’s visit to the Cardinal, the Echo-scà ¨ne, the lycanthropia of the Duke, Bosola’s decision to turn against his master and the final death of all the three, too are Webster’s additions. â€Å"I have ever thought Nature doth nothing so great for great men As when she’s pleas’d to make them lords of truth: Integrity of life is fame’s best friend, Which nobly, beyond death, shall crown the end.† The Duchess of Malfi has an admirable exposition in the first act. All the major characters are introduced sufficiently well. Antonio, knowledgeable in the fashion and manners of French Court, the Duke and the Cardinal who are like plum trees that grow crooked and right noble Duchess’ whose ‘discourse it is so full of rapture’ are painted with a few thick strokes . Later the Duchess shows her independence, vivacity and passionate nature by declaring her defiant attitude to the advice of the brothers and wooing Antonio abruptly and marrying him secretly. This may apply not only to the virtuous Duchess, but also to the wicked Bosola, who with determination kills the two characters. Bosola’s statement, â€Å"Let worth minds ne’er stagger in distrust To differ death or shame- for what is just:† makes this point amply clear. Whether virtuous or wicked, all should boldly decide not to compromise or surrender, but persist in being what they have it in themselves. Bosola by declaring: â€Å"I’ll be mine own example-â€Å" And the Duchess by asserting, â€Å"I am Duchess of Malfi still† He realizes that he has to ‘die like a leveret’. He does so and we feel as if he has faced the ultimate punishment for his crimes. Nemesis reaches all the three villains giving the impression that there is some moral -order that in some unknown way mete out punishments to the evil doers. The Duchess ridicules Cariola for her respect for religion and calls her ‘a superstitious fool’. However she displays her belief in God by kneeling before her death. We have to conclude that, Webster does not openly negate the existence of God in the play. However, the turn of events in the play makes one think that Webster’s moral world is an extentialist one. â€Å"Whether the spirit of greatness or of woman Reign most in her, I know not; but it shows A fearful madness: I owe her much of pity.† Bosola’s telling that â€Å"I will be mine own example† is a typical extentialist statement. The Duchess taking firm personal decision about her marriage, Duchess’s disregarding the opinion of her brothers and her accepting the consequences of that action with a resigned courage too is an existentialist attitude; so also is the detachment with Antonio faces his fate. One of the basic requirements of that philosophy, negation of God, however is not emphasized in the play. Antonio is an extentialist as far as his attitude to religion, but nothing is said to show that he does not believe in God. The fables, the Duchess and the Duke relate, too are significant for their moral worth. Bosola, though a dark and villainous tool in the hands of the equally dark brothers, during his meditative bouts brings out worthy moral; truths. About gold coins he says, â€Å"These cur’d gifts would make You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor:† He has other philosophic comments too. â€Å"Since place and riches oft are bribes opf shame: Sometimes the devil doth preach.† Musing over the ruins of the Abbey near the Cardinal’s palace he says: â€Å"But all things have their end: Churches and cities, which have diseases like to men, Must have like death that we have† To show the transcience of happiness he says, â€Å"Pleasure of life, what is ‘t? only the good hours Of an ague:† The moral message of the play comes out frequently through pithy statements. It is interesting that almost all characters utter some universal truth, some statement significant to human life, displaying the moral undertone of the play. Antonio moralizes from the beginning till his last moments. Even minor characters are often found to express moral ideas. Cariola comments on the Duchess’ marriage thus: â€Å"Whether the spirit of greatness or of woman Reign most in her, I know not; but it shows A fearful madness:† The first pilgrim has this to say about the fall of the great. â€Å"Fortune makes this conclusion general. All things do help the unhappy man to fall.† Julia, the trumpet too utters a pithy statement â€Å" ‘T is weakness, Too much to think what should have been done.† Delio has something moral to state very often â€Å"Though in our miseries Fortune have a part, Yet in our noble sufferings she hasth none:† He winds up the play with a statement pregnant with philosophic truth: â€Å"Integrity of life is fame’s best friend, Which nobly, beyond death shall crown he end.† All these moral statements may appear out of place in a tragedy to a modern reader, but an Elizabethan play goer would have taken it as a sign of the Author’s moral consciousness. â€Å"I am Duchess of Malfi still†, brings out Webster’s view of life. There is an amount of self-centered thinking in her. Further she is a credulous person and susceptible to flattery. We see her gloating over the praise Bosola showers on Antonio and reveals her secret of identity of her husband to Bosola. Then, pleased with his flattering comments on her marriage she takes him as a confidant decides to accept his advice and to go to Loretto on a feigned pilgrimage. Both the actions lead to disastrous consequences. Antonio too, faces his fate partly because of his flaws. Though he despises ambition as ‘a great man’s madness’, it is his ambition that makes him succumb to the desires of the Duchess and marry her. His passivity too led to his downfall. He does not show any inclination it out with the Arragonian brothers though he knows that justice is on his part. Many of the opinions expressed by the various characters of the play betray Webster’s extentialist leanings though, the word ‘extentialism’ as a philosophy evolved only in the nineteenth century after Kierkgoard. Extentialism rejects metaphysics and concentrates on the individual’s existence in the world. It is a pragmatic and psychologically realistic philosophy that negates the existence of a God. There is some inherent absurdity in man’s existence. For ‘all human activities are equivalent, all are destined by principles to defeat†, but a man is responsible for his effect on others, though only his existence is real to him, and he is ultimately his own judge. Among all these apparently chaotic happenings in this world one wonders what a man should aim at. Are there some values he should cherish? Webster answers, surely, through his unmistakable esteem for the virtuous characters in the play. He apparently advocates two qualities to be cultivated among humans: they should persist in being what they are and they should face calamities with fortitude. The closing speech of Delio may be Webster’s message to humans. â€Å"The weakest arm is strong enough that st rikes With the sword of justice† Webster presents in his plays, a view of the world where the destructive forces unleash their power on the individual. The inner reality one sees in Shakespearean characters is absent in Webster. He portrays only their outer nature, and even that is often absorbed into the general forces. This results in their losing even the exterior marks of individuality. After sketching their traits through narration, Webster shows them behaving in conformity with that narration. They become types, their characteristics being shared by many others in this world. The soliloquy of Webster does not give any deep insight into the character, which Shakespeare very well provides. Webster’s soliloquies only throw light into a plot and action. Further Webster removes the inner dimension of man from his tragic picture he presents. As a result development of character, as is seen in Shakespeare, is not possible in Webster. â€Å"I am puzzled in a question about hell; He says, in hell there’s one material fire.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ************************************************************************************ EXCEPT IDEAS AND SETTINGS AND REFERENCES, WORDS AND SENTENCES FROM DR.S.SEN.