Institutional Affiliation

Terrorism within our borders was not something that people thought of daily if ever. Radio advertisements that instructed us on how to talk to our children about terrorist attacks, as though it were similar to a tornado warning, is not something that I anticipated in my lifetime. The atrocity that occurred on 9/11 is not something that is supposed to happen here, but it did. We are challenged by the infiltration of immigrants to our country, whether legal or illegal. Our citizens are fearful of the future attacks that are threatened and at times the very presence of the Arab population within our communities.International terrorism threatens the United States, its allies, and the world community. Defeating the terrorist enemy requires sound policies, united government effort, and international cooperation. In light of that, it is difficult to remember as you board an airplane with six Arab passengers, that we live in the â€Å"melting pot. † America was founded on freedoms, fr eedom of speech and freedom of religion, to name a few. How do we, as a country, monitor and measure our safety, while ensuring the freedoms that are afforded our citizens? How do we deal with the threat of terrorism within our own borders?Can we provide safety by simply following the laws of our country? As a senior counter-terrorism official, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of our communities. Local law enforcement plays a critical role in enhancing the safety in communities. Communication links between local law enforcement and state and federal government will further the effectiveness of this program. It will be my responsibility to encourage local law enforcement in their fight against terrorism. We do not have the right to intrude on the religious activities of Arabs or anyone else within our communities without just cause.Defining terrorism in a country based on freedoms is a difficult task. Our country’s downfall is we have still not attempted to deal wi th or identify the causes of terrorism. We must identify the cause and the potential activities which threaten our society. The problem of terrorism–the problem of a relatively small number of violent lawbreakers who have set out to undermine our democratic way of life and seek either to blackmail the government through violence or the threat of violence to comply with their demands, or to overthrow the government entirely. We should all think about what kind of country we want to live in.To be truly patriotic means recognizing our responsibilities to uphold the democratic principles which make this the freest nation on Earth. It is important to remember that the opening words of the Constitution are `We the People' not `I the People. ‘ Being a citizen in a democracy means that you can't organize your own private army because you disagree with the actions of the democratically elected government. We need to focus on restorative justice. Restorative justice is grounded i n the focus on the harm created, not simply on the breach of law. This means that the first priority isunderstanding and responding to the needs of victims and the healing of victims. The direct victims are the primary focus, but everyone else who has been touched by the crime is also involved, including the community as a whole. To address the harm to victims, restorative justice believes that we must affirm moral responsibility and the need for accountability on the part of those who have done the harm. Restorative justice sees the past in the context of the present and the future, looking at: * what accountability is needed to address the harm to the victims; * what accountability would provide the offender the opportunity to dorestitution or reparation or whatever needs to be done to address the harm created; and * what accountability is needed for the restoration of community, including the restoration of the victim and the offender into community. Such accountability assumes t he need for safety. This involves the whole community taking responsibility for the victims as well as the offender, including seeing everyone in a human context that is broader than just the moment of the crime. Finally, restorative justice is about the engagement of all parties, including the larger community, in working towards healingthe harm and the creation of community, a community that includes both the victims and the offenders. Within our communities, it is critical that we appropriately monitor the business of individuals who have been associated or are believed to be associated with known terrorists. There are already procedures in place to monitor the actions of these individuals. It would not be appropriate to infiltrate communities on the basis of race, unless there are specific ties to known terrorists. Ethically, homeland security is responsible for the safety of all individuals within ourborders and cannot pick and choose based on race. Known terrorists, whether Am erican born or a foreign national, once captured should all receive the same treatment and rights. Recent actions of military in Iraq and elsewhere, if interpreted by the Iraqi people, may give rise to the belief that Americans are in fact the terrorists. The torture of Iraqi captives and the outright murder of innocent Iraqi civilians could lead one to believe that we are no better than Al Queda. We do not have the right to torture terrorists in order to gain information. Effective counterterrorism should take the form of prevention.We need to neutralize the terrorist organization by weakening it or making potential targets more difficult to attack. After the attacks of 9/11, an important distinction was drawn between the U. S. argument that an attack on Afghan soil was legitimate because of the Taliban's close and supportive relationship with al Qaeda and the more extended claim, that one nation could launch an attack within another nation's sovereign territory, even if there was no state support for terrorists acting within the borders.If evidence is present that a particular state has intentionally supported global terrorism and continues to do so, the case can be made for armed force to avoid future terrorist attacks within the framework of the just war tradition. A state linked to support of terrorism against another nation is engaged in a war of aggression. Any country that is the object of terrorist attacks has a right to defend itself. In effect, the case against the Taliban was not intervention for regime change but a war of self-defense against a government that was directly complicit in terrorist attacks. (Himes, 2004) The attack on Iraq does not meet the criteria of Just War.President Bush and his advisors presented a case for armed intervention in order to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Concern that enemies might use such weapons has fueled the new debate. The United States declared its willingness to initiate attacks upon adversaries it considers to be threatening. Anti-Americanism is alive and well in all parts of the world. Within our own borders, Anti-Americanism is not as widespread as is the disillusionment with our own government. It is not the foundations of America that are at issue, but the interpretation and thus application of our ability to affect the rest of the world.

Lawrence Joseph Ellison: On Leadership Style Essay

As the article recounts, Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Larry to many, is an adopted child of a Russian emigrate when his unwed mother left him to them. He used to be a mediocre in his class. However, with his self-confidence and goals set in mind, he conquered all the discouragements he got from the people around him and proved them wrong when he started to work on a database project for the Central Intelligence Agency. As of the moment, Larry Ellison owns 23% of the $18 billion-worth Oracle Corporation which is a producer of database softwares being used in thousands of giant business companies all over the world. The success of the organization and of ensuring to bring about innovation is largely dependent on Larry’s notion on leadership. Leading is said to be a human activity and being such, one has to be familiarized with the styles, traits and characteristics of a leader to become an effective one. A leader is mainly focused on influencing people to follow the directions set by him such as goals, perspective and attitude towards work. He or she is also tied up with a set of â€Å"standard† proficiency in decision-making where the executive aspect of being a leader is taken into account, in problem-solving where the analytical aspect is being considered, in managing problems where one should be well-able to handle pressure and stress, in managing power and influence in which the proper control of a leader is being exercised and in building trust to be able to get a sound faith from his subordinates (Nacamara, 1997). As can be seen, Larry spends not much time in Oracle, rather, he is more inclined in yacht-racing. He does not even have his own office. He leaves the tasks to his senior partners. He has an aptitude for delegating tasks all over his team and this type leadership skill is of delegation type. This type of leadership based from Heathfield (1997) is situational such that the style is dependent on the task, the capacity and knowledge of the team or the individual, the time and the resources available and the results which are aspired for. For Larry, he empowers his employees by delegating them with tasks that allows them to contribute their best efforts and to further succeed. As the founder of his own company, he has an attitude of wanting total control over it. He still has a great confidence in his self and, with a trusted, bright-minded people as his staff that dutifully and faithfully follows him, succession planning is yet far from his mind. Larry, in his style, also has trimmed down his company of people he gets does not get along with. He fires people which he thinks wants to rise up in his company and claim to be the next heir or when his executives start to give him advices on how to run his business. Moreover, with his perceptive yet impulsive trait, he puts his capital to dying companies and older versions of programs and works into unifying them. For some people, Larry’s moves are too risky in this age when technology and software companies are fast-emerging. Though he is good at delegating in tasks in his company, he should already have by a clear plan on who’s going to be his successor. If he has a good faith in his employees that they have learned great competence from him, he should also be open to the idea that one day one of his executives will be an heir to his company. Leading his company forever is possible not physically since he also has to retire in his job. Yet, his leadership skill which may have been a legacy for his employees is what is going to be intangibly forever. Daly (2003) asserted that leadership skills can be studied and learned and for that, people are expected to constantly improve their ability to lead. Being such, he would be more confident that his company will be in good hands after he steps down from his throne and spend more time to his family and yachts. References: Barret, VM. , (2006, August 14). Irreplaceable? Retrived, February 22, 2008, from http://www. forbes. com/forbes/2006/0814/082. html Daly, NR. (2003, January 1). Characteristics that count: nine leadership traits that translate to on-target actions. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from Healthfield, S. M. (1997). Delegation as a Leadership Style. Retrieved, February 22, 2008, from http://humanresources. about. com/cs/manageperformance/a/delegation. htm. McNamara, C. , (1997). Overview of Leadership in Organizations. Retrieved, February, 22, 2008, from www. managementhelp. org. mht.

Trends That Influence Effective Learning Assignment

Trends That Influence Effective Learning - Assignment Example Proper instructional design should promote the transfer of information from the known to the unknown to enable learners to link up the current to the past, and be able to prepare for the future. The efficiency of every trend of instruction should be evaluated scientifically, or through observations to ensure significant results that may facilitate easy transition of knowledge and skills. Promoting performance in education, one should come up with various instructional blueprint models such as the ADDIE process. This paper shall indicate how this model of instruction promotes instruction. According to Morrison et al (2010) ADDIE process was established in the University of Florida, and was meant for military training servicemen, who needed curriculum development processes. Its present version was developed, and revised in mid 1980’s. ADDIE process involves the five treads founded in this model. They include; analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluation. These five steps have an influence that will enable effective learning. Analyze; this involves an instructor collecting information concerning the learners, identifying the topics, and the content that should be covered. It is in this step that the instructors give a layout of the projects objectives that need to be achieved. This enhances and gives meaning to the content since it makes learning to be relevant and achievable. Objectives serve as pointers of goal setting in education. When an instructor is developing a pedagogical way of delivering information, one must ensure that he comes up with objectives that need to be addressed. In cases, where these goals are not met, then learning may not have taken place. Therefore, for useful learning and teaching to be identified proper tools and materials should be applied to improve instruction. Design; this is the second step that enables instructional designers to develop their projects using the information received from the analysis stage. It is at this point that the instructor shows how he plans to ensure that learning has been achieved. The content is broken down in to basic units that can be easily understood by learners. The instructors use elementary concepts as foundations to build complex ideas. In addition, the instructor shows activities which will involve learners that will portray an achievement of goals in education. Develop; this is where activities that need to be implemented are identified and developed for effective leaning. Materials that should be used in the design are collected and brought together. The instructor, at this level makes sure that the models for the design are available to enhance the achievement of the goals. Implement; content is the subject matter that the instructor intends to pass to the learners. This suggests that content is a significant factor to be considered, when designing teaching approaches. Therefore, it is at this stage that the content is build up together with the tools and materials of learning that are needed to facilitate the transition of knowledge and skills (Morrison et al 2010). Evaluate; as mentioned above, goals indicate the route map, and the foundation of effective learning. They guide the instructors on how to deliver their content to the learners. Therefore, assessment of these goals is necessary to test the achievement of the learning process. According to Morrison et al (2010), content should be in agreement with the goals

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

Issues - Essay Example Shared decision-making (SDM) which is a collaboration between patients and caregivers in the treatment process, is gaining recognition as the basic necessity of a patient-centric model of care. It is considered to be especially ideal for the treatment of chronic illnesses (Zoffmann et al., 2008). SDM is essentially based on a mutual selection of care goals arrived at by the patient and his physician, but is not well understood or appreciated by many health professionals. Following is a case scenario in point. The trustees of the Snowdon Fund Medical School and Hospital were keen that the organization should revitalize itself and become more productive to keep abreast of competition. A committee comprising of a nominated trustee, experienced administrators, clinicians, and senior nursing staff was formed to draw up a competitive strategy for the same. During a meeting of the committee, Prof. Jones, a senior professor and clinician made a strong case for adopting shared decision-making (SDM) to make the treatment more patient-centric and the hospital patient-friendly. Prof. Jones with more than two decades of experience in treating chronically ill cases was convinced that SDM was the way to go especially where the treatment of chronic diseases was concerned. A perusal of published medical literature (Legare et al., 2008) and her own discussions with her patients had persuaded her to believe that patients want to be involved in their own treatment. Thi s was good, Prof. Jones opined, because with the ever-increasing number of patients taking medicines, allowing them to make informed choices would definitely reduce waste and unnecessary cost associated with non-compliance with the prescribed medication regimen, yet help the patients derive the full benefit of the treatment. In chronic illness, â€Å"adherence to physician designed programs is usually moderate to poor.† (www.amga.org). The

Art history summary and answer question Assignment - 1

Art history summary and answer question - Assignment Example Moreover, he spelled out that Vasari could sing divinely without any preparations. Through outrageous incredible attributes of Leonardo, Vasari is able to capture people’s attention towards Leonardo’s life. Another factor that Vasari points out is that Leonardo was a ‘multi-player’; he was able to perform numerous tasks interchangeably and easily. He did not give up on drawing and relief workings despite doing other things such as playing lyre, doing arithmetic and singing. Overall then Vasari was able to influence Leonardo’s fame after his death through the style of oratory, hyperbole and idealistic comments. Vasari’s oratory praise style was very instrumental in elevating the life of Leonardo. To begin with he argued that Leonardo’s fame was great when he was still alive and enhanced when he passed on. He expounded on this view holding that the heavens, in seldom times, sent people some individuals who represented both humanity and divinity. This, Vasari believed was important to people such that it enabled them to view it as a model and imitate it so as to approach the heavenly highest parts with their mind and with the intellect excellence. Through this explanation, Vasari is able to capture people’s emotions such that Leonardo, with his impeccable attributes, was a real role model for many people and hope for them that they could reach far. Besides, Rubin (pg. 97) adds that individuals who wish to follow Leonardo’s footsteps of such admirable attributes via studying, even when not helped by nature to realize such magnitude; could at least embrace the works of divine of those who play a part of the divinity. From these comments of Vasari, enormous praise was notably laid on Leonardo before people intentionally. In fact Rubin (pg. 97) argues that Vasari was deliberate by using unique terms and metaphors in describing Leonardo’s ‘wondrous and divinity’ characteristics. Rubin argues

To What Extent Do You Consider That Robin is an Enterpreneur Essay

To What Extent Do You Consider That Robin is an Enterpreneur - Essay Example Although many people come up with great business ideas, most of them never act on their ideas. Entrepreneurs do† (2008). To sum it up, an entrepreneur is an individual who identify opportunities and creates business based on those opportunities and is willing to take risk to realize those business ideas a reality. Based on this definition of an entrepreneur, Robin qualifies as an entrepreneur and embodies its characteristics. Robin also has the essential skill of an entrepreneur of how to manage risk. This uncanny ability of Robin to manage risk was demonstrated when he was able to identify and seize opportunities without exposing himself to undue risk. This was manifested in the case when he started as a part time IT auditor with IT Alchemy yet he still took casual work to supplement his income. This demonstrates that while he was willing to explore opportunities with IT Alchemy, he is also a pragmatist that in case things will not work out, he still has another source of inco me as a fall back. It was not explicitly stated in the case but reading between the lines, Robin knew deep in his gut that there is an opportunity with IT Alchemy being a start-up company. This was evident with his inclination to stay with IT Alchemy when he was faced with the dilemma of not having the time for the lucrative contract with Heriot-Watt. This has to be stressed because if Robin had the mindset of an employee, he would have readily pursued the contract with Heriot-Watt because of the lucrative pay. Instead, he would have chosen IT Alchemy if he had to make a choice between the Heriot-Watt contract and IT Alchemy because he knew the potential of the company. This ability of entrepreneurs to discern and seize opportunity is elaborated by Timmons that entrepreneurs are able to create and see opportunities at the right time while others see it late or too early (2011). Robins also manifested his entrepreneurial tendency when he found a solution with his dilemma where he can stay with IT Alchemy and keep the contract with Heriot-Watt without losing anything. He was able to create a favourable value for himself because Mike Parr of IT Alchemy agreed with his idea and made him a part-owner of the company when Mike shared ownership of the company with Robin. This may not have been explicitly expressed in the case but Robin may have just been waiting for the right time where he can become a shareholder of IT Alchemy. The Heriot-Watt contract provided him the bargaining chip to leverage himself to become a part-owner of the company. He was able to turn a dilemma into an advantage which is the innovative characteristic of an entrepreneur. When Robin became the Director of the start-up, IT Alchemy, his entrepreneurial acumen to identify opportunities manifested which also proved to be beneficial to the company. As an IT expert, he was able to identify the opportunities spawned by the increased regulation of software licensing and made business out of it. He k new that with the heavy penalties imposed against non-compliance of software licensing, companies would conscientiously pay for renewal regularly in fear of licensing and copyright legislation to the point that they overpay their licensing fees. In a study by the Gartner Group, it was estimated that firms are paying 30% to 50% more on software licence compliance than they need to be. It may be unacceptable from a fiscal point of view for many firms but Robin was able to ident

Reflective and action plan evaluating positive and negative aspects of Essay

Reflective and action plan evaluating positive and negative aspects of the experience(my experience - Essay Example During my tenure at the ministry, I was responsible for the maintenance of records and making correspondences with the clients and other relevant stakeholders of the department, through sending and receiving mails. Occasionally I could accompany the tax collecting team to assist them, especially when the workload was more for them. This way, I also got an opportunity to meet and interact with different types of entrepreneurs, managers and business people, allowing me to enhance my communication skills while also learning some relevant business skills. Nevertheless, there are numerous challenges that come with such a job position, or any other job that entails dealing directly with clients (Brink and Berndt, 2004, p.77). While dealing with clients directly, tolerance and patience are some of the vital aspects that an individual should possess since some clients are uncooperative, while still others lack understanding. Thus, my tenure at the tax department has prepared me well for any future responsibility. Discussion Working is a responsibility that entails diverse concepts, as opposed to being a one-sided issue. While being recruited at the Saudi Arabian ministry of finance, Department of Tax, the consideration was made for the position of a clerical officer, whose responsibility entailed the maintenance of records and making correspondences with the clients and other relevant stakeholders of the department, through sending and receiving mails. However, in the course of my tenure in the department, it became apparent that employees, regardless of the job position they have been recruited for, must be flexible and adaptable to the multi-faceted working environment, which requires them to undertake some responsibilities which were not part of the initial job description, based on the prevailing circumstances. Thus, an individual is forced to switch roles and tasks, depending on how the situation and the expectations changes (Mintzberg, 1989 p72). Having been recr uited as a clerical officer responsible for maintenance of records and making correspondences, I ended-up working as a member of the tax collection team, whenever the team was over-burdened by the workload, or under circumstances where there was little clerical work to be undertaken. Additionally, I was delegated some duties that ought to be managerial duties, which included representing my seniors in certain meetings. Therefore, the first significant experience that I obtained from working in the Tax department of the Saudi Arabian ministry of Finance is flexibility and adaptability to changing situations and organizational needs, which can see an employee engaging in a responsibility that is totally different, from the initial responsibilities, as indicated under the job description (Brink & Berndt, 2004 p43). The next invaluable lesson that I learnt during my tenure in the Tax department is the value and the role of teamwork and interpersonal relationship within an organization. While every employee is recruited as an individual into an organization, there is no way in which the employee can fulfill the duties and responsibilities

Financial Crisis 2007-09 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Crisis 2007-09 - Case Study Example Other factors include surge in subprime mortgages as an answer to high housing speculation and growth of the bubble. The main culprits were lenders, because they were responsible for lending funds without taking into consideration the risk of defaulting. After the central bank lowered interest rates and flooded the market with cash. The lenders, like investors, had ample capital to lend, and more willingness to undertake extra risk to increase their returns. The financial crisis commenced in the US and spread throughout the world. The failure of Lehman Brothers teaches us the importance of risk management because this institution had invested in risky securities loosing much value after the U.S housing bubbles. In addition, the crisis teaches us that it is important to retain the confidence of the financial market because once shattered, it becomes difficult to restore. When such confidence is shattered, it can lead to a full-blown confidence crisis in the entire word. The housing bubble resulted from the enormous savings from developed countries, and the low interest rates that existed in the U.S. Due to the available funds, there was demand for high-yielding investments leading to the housing bubble. Some small banks in the US reduced lending; therefore, governments and consumers could no longer borrow and spend before the crisis. Businesses also had to reduce their workforce because the recession meant less funds. The credit crunch deepened as the losses increased

Analysis of Early Roman civilization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of Early Roman civilization - Assignment Example For instance, the practicality of the Roman civilization is evident from the many roads they built as well as their strong belief in faith and patriotism(Forsythe, 30). Besides, early Roman civilization stressed on morals and characters and held women in high regards unlike other civilizations like the Greek. Education was still information with the focus on teaching children about Roman religion and ideas. Early forms of education included memorization of the Roman’s Twelve Tables (Forsythe, 32). Home education would also account for civilization of early Rome as the emperor built schools because it was expanding. Education during early Roman civilization was practical based, and this explains the Romans tremendous contribution in engineering and law. Conversely, early civilization ideologies planted a bad culture of spectatorship among the Romans as they focused more on professionalism. The civilization bred a materialistic culture where Romans focused more on wealth acquisition and luxury living. However, it is the luxurious nature of the civilization that would mark the decline of the emperor because barbaric groups gathered with intention of getting the rich life of the emperor without fighting invaders (Forsythe,

The Role of Psychology in Understanding Essay Example for Free

The Role of Psychology in Understanding Essay General Health Problems such as Coronary Heart Disease and Chronic Headaches Psychology has done a great deal in educating people about the processes and the ways the human mind impacts and affects body systems. Over the years, this field of science has provided people bases of understanding several cognitive processes and problems which people deal with everyday. However, as a broad field, psychology branches out to explicate other general health issues in terms of psychological causes, effects, and interventions. Some of these health problems which psychology covers today are the Coronary Heart Ailment and cases of Chronic Headaches. Hence, this paper aims to discuss and explain how the field of Psychology can be related to and how it can elaborate on these health problems. Psychology in Coronary Heart Disease Heart disease has been known all over the world to be one of the most common causes of death. In the United States alone, two weak hearts give off and die every minute due to heart ailments and other heart-related conditions (Clay, 2007). Considering this thought, it is not just the field of Cardiology that is working out on eliminating these fatal health problems. Over the recent years, a field called Psychocardiology or cardiac psychology now opens doors to explain how psychosocial factors and interventions can contribute to the acquisition of the disease (Clay, 2007). Coronary Heart Disease or CHD is a general term which pertains to the condition wherein cardiac ailment results from the shortage of oxygen that reaches the heart (Feuerstein, Labbe, Kuczmierczyk, 1986). The disease is widely recognized all over the world due to its horrible fatal rates which make information campaign about the disease very significant. Although many people know the basics about CHD, what some of them do not know yet is that there is a certain part of the disease that can only be explained by psychocardiology. Psychocardiology defines the distinct personality which has been found to be at risk of acquiring CHD the most. This was identified as the Type A person. Feuerstein, Labbe, and Kuczmierczyk (1986) explained this construct in their book, Health Psychology. Type A individuals are characterized as people who easily and/or frequently get impatient over usual everyday activities and experience difficulty in focusing on one activity at a time since they are always in a hurry accomplishing their daily tasks. People with ac Type A personality also tend to take more and more responsibilities than what they can actually accommodate (Feuerstein, Labbe, Kuczmierczyk, 1986). These kinds of people are found to be more prone to CHD since their behaviors and activities greatly induce stress and depression. Greater psychological reactivity, which causes their cholesterol levels and their blood clotting times to rise, and imposes heavier work load for the heart, was also found among Type A individuals (Feuerstein, Labbe Kuczmierczyk, 1986). Aside from this, various studies still further prove that there is direct and solid connection between psychological conditions and CHD. Psychological researchers have already focused on internal factors in order to view this presumed relationship between psychology and CHD closer. It has been discovered that factors such as depression, anxiety, and social isolation, which are all symptoms of certain psychological disorders, seem to contribute greatly to the acquisition of CHD (Clay, 2007). At some point, international cardiologists performed a world-wide survey and assessed 12,000 CHD patients. The survey includes criteria which determine whether they qualify to a state of depression before the diagnosis of CHD. The results report that 50% of the surveyed patients showed histories of depression which more likely can be considered as a major factor that led them to CHD (Marano, 2003). In reviewing these studies and researches in the field of psychocardiology, it may appear that psychology indeed associated with a lot of other health problems and issues such as alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction, eating problems and many others. Just like in CHD, all of these health conditions consist of factors and interventions which are attributed to people’s behavior, social stability, and personality and can only be explained through the principles and concepts in psychology. Psychology can enter the serious picture of CHD in a simple factor as stress. Stress is often taken for granted as a common phenomenon, but with the study of psychology and its relationship with CHD, it can be seen that stress has more to it than what people know about, because with the study of psychocardiology, it can be understood that stress can actually lead to the fatal CHD. Thus, several factors and interventions such as restlessness and stress can be taken for granted if not for the explanations brought by psychology. However, aside from CHD, there are still a great number of common health conditions which psychology tries to explore. One of these conditions is the common case of Chronic Headaches. Psychology in Chronic Headaches The pain and terrible uneasiness brought by headaches cause depression among patients all over the world. This disease has also been one the most common sources of frustration and despair due to the aggravating pain it causes (Disorbio, 2008). The main focus of relief and cure in chronic headache cases is the source of pain. Pain can be considered to be the major frustrating factor in these cases. As a physiological sign, pain is generally attributed to physical factors. However, several comprehensive studies on pain like in chronic headaches conditions have been conducted having particular focus on the psychological perspective. These studies work on identifying behavioral and cognitive factors that affect pain and also the appropriate behavioral treatment for this condition. In understanding chronic headaches in this perspective, one may discover that the process of thinking of emotional and sensory ideas has a direct effect on the intensity of the felt pain (Borkum, 2007). Related studies also show evidence that an individual’s attention to and focus on the pain indeed cause the condition to get worse in varied levels. Psychology also plays a relevant part in identifying several psychological factors which can bring about chronic headaches. The usual cases of headaches like tension headaches and migraines have been found to have some connection to an individual’s emotional stability. A person was found to be more prone to suffer these kinds of headaches when he or she is exposed to depressing family environment and is isolated from friends and other significant others (Disorbio, 2008). This was discovered to be possible since these people who have weaker emotional states tend to deal with frustration and depression more inadequately, and they also tend to have a more negative outlook on things, including pain. Thus, through psychology, chronic pain can be treated through understanding how thinking can get over the individual’s tolerance of pain. Several studies have also proven that a degree of pain control can be accomplished by deviating one’s attention to other tasks and objects aside from the pain (Borkum, 2007). In most clinics, it can be noticed that doctors are starting to teach their patients several ways on diverting their attention from the pain to other things. This is because of the consideration that psychological processes play an important part in one’s tolerance and forbearance for pain. Hence, it may appear that although these health conditions typically have the biological explanation and background in discussing their nature and treatment, the field of psychology apparently greatly contributes to understanding the other aspects of these conditions by explaining the psychological interventions and causes of such health conditions. Although the psychological explanation for these health conditions may not be as popular as the knowledge of people about their physical reasons, it still appears evident that psychology plays a significant role in understanding these health problems from a different perspective. References Borkum, J. M. (2007). Chronic Headaches: Biology, Psychology, and Behavioral Treatment. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence and Erlbaum Associates. Clay, R. A. (2007). One Heart- Many Threats. Monitor on Psychology, 38 (1), 46. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from American Psychological Association (APA) Online: http://www. apa.org/monitor/jan07/threats. html. Disorbio, M. (2008, March 27). The Psychology of pain- headaches. National Pain Foundation. Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www. nationalpainfoundation. org/MyTreatment/articles/Headache_TO_Psychology. asp. Feuerstein, M. , Labbe, E. E. Kuczmierczyk, A. R. (1986). Health Psychology: A Psychobiological Perspective. New York, NY: Springer Publication. Marano, H. E. (2003, Januray 3). Heart saved: treating depression may prevent heart-related deaths. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 18, 2008 from http://www. psychologytoday. com/articles/pto-20030103-000011. html.

Understanding consumer behaviour attitudes towards advertising

Understanding consumer behaviour attitudes towards advertising Total 2010 UK advertising expenditure amounted to 14.5 billion. Of this, more than 80 per cent was spent on display advertising in the press, broadcast, print and outdoor media. (Source: The Advertising Association) Under the current circumstances, advertising represents one of the major sectors in the economy with millions of workers worldwide. The efficiency of functioning of the economy in general, to a considerable degree, depends on that sector. Advertising accompanies competition between companies and is an essential attribute of the market economy. 1.2 Background Companies need to understand consumer behaviour in order to find the best way on how to shift demand of products in their favour. When companies are able to discover the reasons why consumers make particular purchasing decisions, they can adapt their marketing efforts to better suit the needs of the consumers. Understanding consumer behaviour may result in increased sale and improved profit performance of the organization. Classical microeconomic theories of consumer behaviour have focused on the principles of rational consumer behaviour, which suggests that consumers choice is primarily a matter of personal preferences, whereas utility theory of consumer behaviour maintains that consumer choices reflect their attempt to secure maximum usefulness from their financial resources. Citation! While classical theories still apply in contemporary western societies, the role of mass media, internet and various aspect of modern culture may have fundamentally changed many elements in the understanding of consumer behaviour. Also marketing opportunities available in the digital information age have altered the way how consumer choice is being shaped and used for profit. Advertising is perhaps the first thing that people think about when considering marketing. Companies must do more than make good products they must inform consumers about product benefits and carefully position products in consumers minds. To do this, they must skilfully use the mass-promotion tools of advertising. Advertising strategy consists of two major elements: creating advertising messages and selecting advertising media. Media planners consider many factors when making their media choices. The media habits of target consumers will affect media choice advertisers look for media that reach target consumers effectively. Target audiences are set to focus on different groups: adults, teens, pre-schoolers and other groups. It is essential to become familiar the target market, their habits, behaviours and attitude to advertising in general. It is known that student youth is less conservative in their views and decisions, comparing to others age and social groups. 1.3 Research Aims and Rationale Based on the above information, the main aim of the research is to investigate the extent to which the purchasing decisions of students in the UK are influenced by the advertisement campaigns. During the preparation of the current research paper a questionnaire was carried out among Queen Marys students, which aimed to study their attitude to advertising. Survey sample covered opinions of 20 young people between the ages of 21-24, that is students in their last years of studies. The choice of the audience was not random. The survey had a probing character and could not represent the aggregate of the student youth population or even more general adult audience with statistical precision. However it offers a clear representation of dominating tendencies in preferences and opinions of the chosen audience, which is the main aim of mass advertising. 1.4 Outline of the Project Chapter 2: Literature review Advertising is an important means by which economic enterprises communicate with both their current and potential customers. It is often said that to be effective an advertisement must be read, understood, believed, remembered and acted upon (Adcock, Halborg, Ross, 2001) There are five principal ways in which a company can communicate with its markets: Media advertising (commercial television and radio, the press, posters, cinema and direct mail/internet) Public relations activities Selling Merchandising Packaging (Chisnal, 2001) These promotional activities are at the heart of effective marketing strategies. According to Adcock, Halborg, Ross, (2001) advertising strategy consists of two major elements: creating advertising messages and selecting advertising media. The major steps in media selection are: deciding on reach, frequency and impact; choosing among major media types; selecting specific media vehicles; and deciding on media timing. The current research paper is concerned with determining an appropriate media type (medium) which better suits habits and preferences of the observed population. Media planners consider many factors when making their media choices. The media habits of target consumers will affect media choice advertisers look for media that reach target consumers effectively (Kotler, Armstrong, 1997). For example fashions are best advertised in colour magazines and daily newspapers are a first consideration in advertising real estate. Different types of messages may require different media. Cost is another major factor in media choice. Whereas television is very expensive, for example, newspaper advertising costs much less. Setting the advertising budget is a complex task. Some critics charge that large consumer packaged-goods firms tend to spend too much on advertising, and industrial companies generally underspend on advertising. They claim that the large consumer companies use lots of image advertising without really knowing its effects. They overspend as a form of insurance against not spending enough. (Kotler, Armstrong, 1997) For a long time, television and magazines have dominated in the media mixes of advertisers with other media being neglected (Jobber, 1995). Recently, however, costs of these media have gone up and audiences have dropped. Advertisers are now increasingly turning to alternative media, such as outdoor advertising or internet. The question that concerns companies remains the same: how much advertising spending really has on consumer buying and branding royalty? In order to answer it media impact must be re-examined regularly. As summarized in the table the major media types are newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and outdoor. It is important to list advantages and limitations of mediums, as they will prove to be guidelines in the interpretation of the observed results. Medium Advantages Limitations Newspapers Flexibility; timeliness; good local market coverage; high believability Short life; small pass-long audience Television Good mass market coverage; combines sight, sound, and motion; appealing to the senses High absolute costs; high clutter; fleeting exposure; Less audience selectivity Radio Good local; acceptance, high geographic and demographic selectivity; low cost Audio only, fleeting exposure; low attention; fragmented audiences Magazines High geographic and demographic selectivity; credibility and prestige; long life and good pass-along readership Long ad purchase lead time; high cost; no guarantee of position Outdoor Flexibility; High repeat exposure; low cost; low message competition; good positional selectivity Little audience selectivity; creative limitations Chapter 3: Research Method and Procedure 3.1 Introduction This chapter reviews the research methods which were used in this project. It is necessary for a researcher to choose a suitable method for the problem. To get a full picture a blend of qualitative and quantative research analysis is recommended. This research will take the following procedure: define the research objectives, develop research approach, analyse results and make a conclusion. 3.2 Research Objectives. This research takes into consideration three main objectives. Firstly, to determine respondents attitudes to advertising in general. Secondly, to identify students preferences among different types of media. The final objective of a survey is concerned with evaluating the influence of advertisement campaigns on the purchasing decisions of students in the UK. 3.3 Research Approach and Instruments. There are several methods of collecting data for research. In the current paper the primary data was collected for the first time using questionnaires. This method has proved to be efficient way in getting both quantative and qualitative data. The questionnaire (Appendix 1) incorporated both main types of questions which are commonly used in surveys: open-ended questions and closed questions. Open questions are interesting because of the spontaneity and individual flavour of the replies, but frequently it is difficult to compress free answers into limited number of codings. Findings in closed questions provided the research with statistical evidence, whereas open questions gave to the research depth and range of information. Interviewer was recording all answers verbatim because there is always a danger of interviewer bias through inaccurate recording. 3.4 Reasons for specific questions In giving an answer to the question 1: What is your attitude to advertising in general? respondents had a considerable freedom in phrasing an answer, which may be lengthy and detailed, and in his or her own words. In the question 3 respondents were able to choose from a range of possible answers. The simple follow up question invited to give a more detailed explanation on the subject. Questions 4 to 6 were closed type questions, which call strictly limited responses. The respondents were offered a choice of alternative replies from which he or she was expected to select an answer corresponding to his or her personal views on a particular subject. The research used simple alternative questions: YES/NO. 3.5 Summary The results of this process will appear in the next chapter. Chapter 4: Results 4.1 Introduction The project sought to examine media popularity among students and find out to what extent advertising influences their purchasing decisions. To achieve the research projects aim and rationale, a questionnaire was utilized as stated in the previous chapter. The following section will present and analyse results of this survey. 4.2 Findings. Part 1 As shown in Diagram 1, the vast majority of respondents prefer television, whereas magazines took the second place. The results indicate that the Internet is the third popular media, while newspaper and outdoor advertising share the fourth place. Percentages indicate the proportion of votes students gave to a specific media out of total votes. For instance out of total 37 only 1 vote was given to advertising on the radio. Popularity of television was not a surprise as it combines sight, sound and motion. It was described by respondents as the most effective and the best medium for advertising. It advantage lies in broad mass market coverage. Magazines appeal to students for its credibility and prestige; long life and good pass-along readership. Students explained that it is good for fashion, and pictures of movie stars make it attracting. Outdoor media was described the most creative and eye catching. It is interesting to note that on the contrary (Author) mentioned little creativity as a negative side of this type of media. Newspapers appeal for its timeliness and high believability. It is popular among those respondents who spend a lot of time travelling. Internet advertising is relatively new media type however number of its admirers grows. It can be explained with growing popularity of online shopping. Another advantage is that it has no time limitation and can be viewed day and night. However spam is often mentioned as its negative point. Radio came last, probably due to its disadvantages: audio only, fleeting exposure and low attention. Not the least of the factors was that most of the students live in halls of residence, which lack radio equipment. 4.2 Finding. Part 2 Bar Chart 1 shows responses to questions. The bar chart clearly shows students opinions on specific subjects. Majority of students have positive attitude to advertising and commonly cite its informative function, in other words in creates awareness. Some students see the artistic value in some commercials. Advertising creates awareness, so no wonder that majority prefers advertised product over unadvertised. However there is a strong opinion that quality products do not need advertising. There have been quite a few commercials that state that product of their company is better than competitors product. The results show that vast majority do not believe those commercials. It might be a good idea for companies not to employ such advertising strategies. Just more than a half of respondent believe that commercials help them to make a better purchase. Consumers are better off when exposed to some information about the product before buying it. However 45% prefer to do their own research about the product. Answers to the question 7 clearly show the power of advertising. 85% of students wanted to try something just because they saw its commercial. Most respondents were curious and wanted try it to see whether it was as good as commercial said it to be. It is important to note that 70% respondents sing songs from commercials. This may prove as an indicator for companies adding a catchy tune to a commercial can increase sales. Chapter 5: Conclusion 5.1 Introduction This chapter will summarize findings of this research project, highlight some of the interesting findings, offer practical implications, cite limitations of this project and give suggestions for further research. Summary of Findings and Interesting Findings The purpose of the current study was to identify an advertising media with a largest exposure and find out the effect it has on its target audience. Results were analysed in the previous chapter. Practical implications of this research were also considered. Identifying and understanding target audience is important. The evidence from this study suggests that the television as an advertising medium appealed to the majority of respondents. Magazines and the Internet took the second and the third place respectively. It may help companies to better allocate their advertising space. Students have positive attitude towards advertising in general because it carries an informative function and creates awareness. The results indicate that majority of students prefer advertised products over unadvertised products and believe that commercials help them to make a better purchase. Vast majority wanted to try something just because they saw it in a commercial. Some interesting results were found. An advertising strategy when a company positions their products superior to competitors products proved ineffective as only few students trusted such commercials. Another implication possibility from this study is that commercials with songs appeal to consumers. Companies may consider using this strategy to their advantage. Limitations of the Research The current study was limited for the size of the sample and imbalance concerning the students country of origin. Because all of the respondents who responded within this project were international students, the findings do not necessarily reflect the habits and opinions of all students. This is important since an advertising usually targets the values of the western societies and different cultures may have different attitudes towards advertising. Therefore, it would be important to conduct further research in this area of media influence and involve more respondents from western-culture countries. Recommendations for further studies This research has raised many questions in need of investigation. The designed questions were not perfect so some other aspects may be needed to investigate what contributes to making a purchase decision. Some factors examined in this research influence consumers but not necessarily mean that they will make an actual purchase. For example, further research may investigate what advertising strategies such as verbal or visual elements appeal to consumers. Endnote This project has been concerned with advertisings influence on students purchasing decisions and the research indicates that choosing the correct advertising strategy is a crucial element in an effective marketing strategy.

Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples

I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter. Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter.

Comparing Theories of Language Acquisition and Language Development Ess

The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality l iteracy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language. Language acquisition is perhaps one of the most debated issues of human development. Various theories and approaches have emerged over the years to study and analyse this developmental process. One factor contributing to the differing theories is the debate between nature v’s nurture. A question commonly asked is: Do humans a... ...conditioning.html Sims, M. & Hutchins, T. (2011). Program planning for infants and toddlers: In search of relationships. Sydney: Pademelon Press. Slavin, L. (2010). Theory on Cooperative Learning. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oE-3bZik8rQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA160&dq=slavin+2010+theory+on+cooperative+learning&ots=K_fTJis6u7&sig=O6SN6RtlnBSjSt-VP8lFzxIN944#v=onepage&q&f=false Stocia, D. (2008). Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development [Online presentation]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/dtr200x/vygotskys-theory-of-cognitive-development-presentation Vukelich, C, Christie, J & Enz, B 2002, Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy, Allyn & Bacon, Bosten MA. Wadsworth, B. (1978). J. Piaget for the Classroom Teacher. NY, Longman Wilhelm, J., Baker, T., & Dube, J. (2001). Strategic Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Born in Yorkshire in 1934, Alan Bennett. :: English Literature

Born in Yorkshire in 1934, Alan Bennett. Born in Yorkshire in 1934, Alan Bennett has been writing, performing and directing since his first theatrical encounters as a student at Oxford in the early 1960's. He first gained success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and later, in collaboration with Dudley Moore, Peter Cooke and Jonathan Miller, enjoyed considerable acclaim with the original Beyond the Fringe. (www.museum.tv. Accessed 26/01/03) Alan Bennett is the archetypal Northerner, his bespeckled, dour appearance make him an unlikely celebrity and he would not look out of place as a slightly muddled professor or, as Bennett himself observes, a vicar. He says on the subject of appearances 'people often end up doing what the mirror tells them they are suited for, while feeling themselves quite different inside. And in the process whole lives are thrown away' (Observer.co.uk. Accessed 21/01/03) Bennett writes about ordinary people, involved in mundane activities, but with his unique style he can liven up the dullest tale and add interest to life's lonely outcasts. Although the stories in Talking Heads are fiction, it is easy to see that some are influenced from events in Bennett's early life. His mother suffered from depression and he uses his experience of mental illness as a core for some of his characters. As he says, the people he writes about are 'part of a story to the meaning of which they are not entirely privy' (Observer.co.uk. Accessed 21/01/03) A reflection of Bennett's own sexuality can be seen in the character of Graham in A Chip in the Sugar, who is portrayed as an uncomfortable homosexual. Bennett described his sexuality during an interview in the New Yorker in 1993 thus 'I'd always been in love with guys but always unhappily' (Observer.co.uk. Accessed 21/01/03) Although not included in the collections of Talking Heads, the concept actually started with 'A Woman of No Importance', which was first televised in 1982. It began the trend that Bennett carried on in both Talking Heads 1 and 2. Both of these compilations contain works with similar themes running through them, loneliness, unhappiness, alienation from a changed society, and vague mental illness. The ironic wit Bennett uses to convey the almost tragic stories are central to how the characters accept the way their lives have turned out (www.museum.tv. Accessed 21/01/03) The theme of loneliness and alienation from a changed society runs like a thread through all six of the first Talking Heads stories. Each of the characters portray a struggle to 'fit in' with everyday life, some are alone and lonely, and some in a relationship of some kind, yet still lonely. The gentle humour used in each of the tales makes

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Japan

Ivan Morris’ The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Japan is an appraisal and an attempt to restore the imaginary life of Prince Genji in the highly illustrious Lady Murasaki’s Genji Monogatari and, for the most part, to portray Japan’s regal, entrenched, strange yet vibrant world. The manuscript was both a source of pleasure to those who would want to enjoy the splendor of literature and a good source of knowledge regarding the Land of the Rising Sun – its history and culture – details that even history failed to recount. This book has, beyond a doubt, disclosed the most intriguing and accomplished culture in our world, mulled over Japan’s classical age of marriage politics and the turbulent political currents of court life, the rise of aristocracy, Buddhists’ and Confucians’ doctrines of salvation and impermanence, the pursuit for elegance and refinement, the roles men and women play, over and above women’s role in the patriarchal society during their time. Physically, little was known about the odd yet amusing country which was â€Å"divided into large estates ruled by feudal baronies, dominated by military men who for over a century had kept the islands in a state of almost perpetual warfare,† (p. xxiii). There was already a well-established religion, rooted in Buddhism and Confucianism. Religious leaders are, in general, wealthy, powerful, and often wielded political influence that they, at times, oppose with secular authorities in supervising the territories. Provincial warriors also rose during the Heian period. Although, the West might have thought of their supreme power since they are physically trained, samurai warriors enjoyed no prestige among the nobles. It was only later that they ascended, which eventually lead to taking power. The Heian epoch is indubitably considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court where sovereignty lays upon the emperor. Nonetheless, power was wielded by aristocratic families, particularly the Fujiwara clan. The emperor upholds dominion over most of the territory. But, he did not have much supremacy to rule with equal firmness over all of this vast territory compared to the aristocrats. The latter filtered out into various ranks. And it had been palpable that the imperative factor in determining an individual’s rank that time was the overall status of one’s extended family. In other words, hereditary privilege is an overwhelming factor in one’s general status. This is why landed gentry would most likely choose to marry those belonging in the upper crust for their personal gain and sustained stature. Aptitude and knowledge might enable someone to advance to some extent, but there was little room for social mobility. The members of the Japanese court have, indeed, lived opulent lives, concerning themselves with works of art aside from their primary occupation of managing lands and came to depend on a system of private estates (shoen) for revenues. A paradoxical fact of the condition of the lower class was also shown in the masterpiece and was noticed by Morris. Ignorant peasants in their society produce nearly all of the country’s wealth but for the most part are experiencing a filthy and wobbly life. The members of the imperial families put land tillers to work to enrich themselves rather than for the benefit of the whole country. Indeed, in the political sense, the period is known for the height of control of the noble families. On the other hand, Heian Japan is also noted for its cult of beauty. In other words, it is a culture that has put emphasis on â€Å"beautiful things† or the â€Å"splendid things. † History would tell us that the aristocrats, particularly the Fujiwara clan, fostered a court culture which devote much of their time on refined tastes and elegant aesthetic pursuits. Since the upper-class Heian life were believed to be confined in their palaces, men and women rarely venture the world outside their homes, â€Å"almost claustrophobic in nature, and living an indoor life to a large extent,† (p. 167), most of them had sufficient leisure time, giving them enough time to develop artistry. Consequently, they became great patrons of poetry, painting, calligraphy, music, dancing, and landscape gardening. Poetry, in fact, became one of the most important skills to develop. The mastery of its technique was necessary in both social exchanges and formal poetic gatherings. The central figure in the Tale of Genji, to whom this book was attributed, dwelt remotely from his relatives and would exchange notes, messages, or poems once they get to see each other, especially during family gatherings. Other spare time activities include sketching and painting depicted in Morris’ account of Genji’s sketches of the sea and the hills, during the Prince’s banishment in Suma, and arrived at a conclusion that â€Å"they were almost all amateur artists,† (p. 186). A popular form of drawing consisted of sketches of men and women. It appears that these sketches were erotic (p. 86), however, there were no other details provided that will substantiate the truth of this claim. But what is apparent is the influence of the Chinese even in the arts. These portrayals reveal to us a particular age and civilization of the extraordinarily sophisticated Japan – a part of the world away from the cultivation of the West, a country so outlandish yet very rich when it comes to art, literature, and culture. The remarkable sense of aesthetics, as Morris noted, and the extent to which aesthetic beauty substituted for moral goodness both defined the characteristic of this ancient society. The other element that should be taken into consideration during the Heian Period is the position of women in the society. The world before is, undeniably, patriarchal. Women are considered inferior to male; a mere shadow to male’s existence; living without freedom; living without name. However, Morris was able to point out women’s position in the society that time. To know that women in Heian Japan were economically independent, or at least semi-dependent, surprised him. He added that they also benefit from total subordination from the domineering sex. This would suggest that Heian women, so long as they are financially stable, can do whatever it is that pleases them, without men dictating it. It is true that women are not quite affiliated politically, yet they were able to do well out of the freedoms that the Western women were not able to enjoy. Although, women were by and large branded as inferior, they could legally inherit and even own properties, as well as engage themselves in all sorts of leisurely activities. In fact, most of Heian prose writers were women. Lady Murasaki, who wrote the Genji Monogatari, along with other world-renowned writers flourished during this period. According to Morris, many of the women then had their own houses and being economically independent, were free to have such relations as they wished and also to terminate them. Part of their freedom is that they could refuse their favor to a man,; they could keep him waiting; they could send him away at any time; or replace him by another lover. This freedom was perceived by Morris as promiscuous, freedom that he himself was not able to characterize during his time. The society that surrounds them is filled with male supremacy but women in this period had a niche of their own – a nook that they know can satisfy them in some ways, in spite of the fierce standards of conduct during that time. Morris also stressed out the intricate relation between men and women of this milieu. Men can only converse with women if the latter were behind curtains. And there were even characters who lived apart from their female relatives and would see them rarely. Morris (p. 167) viewed this as an exaggerated case of formality with regard to the relation of men and women. Incongruously, though, there were some characters like Prince Niou who go to bed with Naka no Kimi on their first meeting and for Kashiwagi to do the same with Prince Nyosan before they have spoken to each other (p. 167). This gives us the impression that women are again classed according to their economic potential. Women can have freedom only if they can keep up with the challenges freedom entails. Women can have their choices granted so long as they can cope with the consequences of their decisions. In Morris’ account of the Shining Prince’s world, we were able to have a glimpse of a paradise located at one part of the globe. Their exquisite traditions, highly majestic politics, the rise and fall of aristocracy, exceptional artistic expression, the pursuit of elegance, and fascinating literature have been one of the world’s wonderful crafts ever hewn in the history of mankind. Overall, Morris’ attempt to discuss the narrative of an Eastern country was a brave endeavor to overcome Western ignorance. He was able to bridge distinct cultures, bringing forth understanding and high regard of unique civilizations, and in turn, minimizing indifference. There may have been lapses in the judgment of Morris regarding Japan’s mysteries, however, somehow his work was able to give a picture of Heian society of aristocratic reign, astonishing veneration for beauty and sophistication, and finally for the depiction of the interesting roles men and women played during that period of classical Japan. Indeed, Morris has produced a work of art that will not only entertain you about Japan’s lovely mysteries but enfold an interesting tale of the efflorescence of an ancient civilization.

Childhood Obesity in America Essay

Ahhh there is nothing better than waking up at noon to the smell of some freshly cooked bacon and a heaping pile of blueberry pancakes. Mom makes them fresh every weekend morning. Usually the bacon and pancakes don’t quite do the trick so the pantry is raided next. At the top of the pantry next to the family size bag of Doritos, which will most likely be consumed later in the night, lays the hardest decision that will have to be made all day long. Which one of these sugary cereals shall be devoured this morning and fill up the rest of this already overstuffed belly? Reese’s Puffs, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs or the tasteless Raisin Bran that Mom and Dad prefer. You can definitely count out the Raisin Bran. Cocoa Puffs it is. After grabbing the largest bowl that could be found in the house, the Cocoa Puffs are smothered in chocolate syrup to make the already chocolate milk even more chocolaty and delicious. After every last puff goes down the hatch it is time to chug the extra chocolaty milk right from the bowl. Now that the belly is completely stuffed it is time for a nap. A nap is necessary after a long night of online gaming on the brand new Xbox 360 that mom bought last week. The other players don’t stand a chance after a week non-stop gaming with a few breaks here and there for the much needed meals and bathroom breaks. After the well- deserved napping session it is back to the big screen. Only this time it is not to play video games because the carpel tunnel is acting up in the left hand again. This time it is to watch the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives marathon on the Food Network. You just can’t get enough of the food network. But all this talk about food is making the stomach rumble and it is time for lunch. Mom promised that she will take us to the McDonalds that is right down the street if the chores were done. Little brothers are great. After slipping him a whole two dollars, the chores are done in no time and a McDonald’s double quarter pounder with extra cheese is all that is on the brain. The clerk at the counter asked, â€Å"Would you like to Supersize that sir?† After thinking for a  second about the giant container of fries and the bucket of coke the answer was easy, â€Å"Yes, Ma’am!† But why stop there? It is March and all those commercials about the new Shamrock Shake make it nearly unbearable. After a delicious lunch the only thing on the mind on this beautiful Saturday afternoon is getting back to that big screen TV and playing the brand new Call of Duty game. While all the other kids are outside running around pretending to shoot each other, the real action is inside this intense videogame. After an exhausting night, it is time to go to bed with plans for tomorrows day on the mind. Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the Un ited States. The article, â€Å"Obesity in America: What’s Leading the Epidemic?† states that nearly one thousand people are killed each day from obesity. Obesity is measured by BMI or Body Mass Index. This measures how much body fat someone has based on their height and how much they weigh. The author, Harvard Men’s Health Watch states that a BMI of twenty five or more qualifies as overweight and a BMI of thirty or more qualifies as obese. About 63% of Americans are considered overweight and about 31% are considered to be obese (Harvard Men’s Health Watch 2012). These numbers are strikingly large. This article only focuses on the adults that are obese in the United States and doesn’t focus much on the children. The children are what America should really be focused on because some day they will make up majority of the population. The most obese child in the world is Jessica Guade who is seven years old and weighs four hundred and eighty two pounds. That is heavier than a majority of people in the entire world. Every single day she drinks ten thousand calories in Coca-Cola and consumes fifteen hamburgers. She can’t even walk and gets around by rolling. How can a parent do this to their child? Are they afraid to say no or do they just not care about their child’s health? This is what the American life is doing to children. These numbers will continue to go up and we will see more children like Jessica if nothing is done about this epidemic. American life is changing and people are adapting to new culture which is making them focus less on their weight and appearance. The main factors that contribute to the obesity outburst are the lack of exercise, watching way too much television, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat. With the changes in television and advertising on television, Americans crave things that they see on TV. When you are watching TV you will see countless fast food advertisements where they make the food look so delicious and look like it was prepared in a five star restaurant. This is just one of the many tricks that advertisers use in order to get people to buy their products. The sad part is that most of the time it works. Americans see all of these advertisements on TV and all they want to do is go out and buy it. These days children are watching so much television rather than playing outside. Young children are the main target for some advertisers like McDonalds and Burger King. In all of their commercials they show images of children eating their food and it makes children want to go and get it. Not only are there a lot of commercials about fast foods, but there are commercials about snacks and drinks as well. According to M. Mello in their article, â€Å"Federal Trade Commiss ion Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role†, a majority of the food and drink advertisements on television are advertising things that are unhealthy for the human body to consume (Mello 2010). The amount of these advertisements is ridiculous and according to this article the FDA has had to start cutting the airing of a lot of them. Not only are the advertisements on TV a problem, but the amount of television that children watch is an even bigger one. These days’ kids would rather stay inside and watch TV and play video games rather than going outside and playing sports like the past generations. The video games of this generation have made it possible for children to virtually play any sport that they want instead of going outside and physically breaking a sweat and playing them. Television has made Americans so much lazier than they used to be. People don’t get out of the house nearly as much as they used too. Instead of going out to the ballpark and watching baseball games, they just go out and buy big screen televisions and sit on their butts and watch them. Children look up to their parents and will adapt these kinds of habits from them. This is a huge reason why children are becoming so obese in America. The amount of television that kids watch and how many video games they play has a direct correlation to the lack of exercise in America these days. To children, a videogame or cartoon show is much more appealing than running around outside and exercising. Also, the developing culture of America as a whole has added to the lack of exercise in Americans.  Technology has simplified nearly every aspect of human life. Rather than walking everywhere like our ancestors did, everyone drives, or takes the bus, or does anything that keeps them from using up their energy and breaking a sweat. As the parents of children are doing this, their children adapt to that lifestyle and in turn they end up doing the same thing and start to live the way that their parents live. In the old days you would see people walking all over the streets, but now that there are automobiles the streets are just lined with traffic. As cities are bec oming more civilized and advanced, there are less and less places for people to work out, and for kids to run around and play outside. In the article, â€Å"Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity† by, T. Rahman, R.A. Cushing, and R.J. Jackson, it states that the neighborhood the child lives in has a huge impact on their health. For example, if there are bike paths and places to play outside and run around, the child will be more physically active, but if these things aren’t in place, then the child is more prone to stay inside and watch television and gain weight as a result of that (Cushing 2011). While watching television they don’t have to get up to do anything anymore. Remote controls have changed the world. You can change the channel on the television, turn on and off the lights, and answer the phone right from your chair without getting up to do anything. The only thing that people have to get up to do is go and get more food from the fridge. Less and less children are becoming involved in athletics and exercise. Going outside and running around is much less appealing to children then it used to be. Lack of exercise is a huge contributing factor to obesity and children and something needs to be done about it. Fast food is so easy, quick, and convenient. Most Americans live a lifestyle th at is always on the move and always busy. It is very easy for them to turn to fast food and grab a quick meal before they go to work. Not only is it fast and easy, but there are so many fast food restaurants in the United States. In 1970 McDonalds operated close to one thousand establishments; in 2002 nearly thirty-five thousand restaurants were being operated. An estimated two thousand new McDonalds are opened each year. That is the road that most Americans choose rather than trying to sit down and eat a home cooked meal. That goes along with the laziness of Americans. In this article from CBS news â€Å"Fast Food linked to Child Obesity†, it states that â€Å"Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children  aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity† (CBSNEWS 2010). Fast food is so much faster and easier than going to the grocery store and getting all the ingredients needed to cook a nice healthy meal for your family. Instead most parents resort to the greasy, salty, and fatty foods that fast food establishments have to offer. According to J.Hariss’s article â€Å"Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions†, â€Å"Humans possess an innate preference for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods, and a reluctance to try unfamiliar foods† (Hariss 2011).Although some fast food restaurants offer substitutions like how McDonalds offers apples instead of French fries, most people do not choose these substitutions. People are more concerned about taste then health and to them, greasy salty foods taste better than apples. The only time that children would choose to eat the healthier choice is when their parents are with them. According to M. Stutts in their article, â€Å" Nutrition Information and Children’s Fast Food Menu Choices†, when children go into fast food restaurants alone, they will choose to eat whatever they want regardless of the fat content. When their parents went with them they influenced them to choose the healthier items on the menu (Stutts 2009). The problem with the items on the fast food menus is that they are full of calories. The recommended calorie intake for a thirteen year old child that weighs ninety pounds is about thirteen hundred calories each day. A McDonlad’s cheeseburger happy meal with a low fat milk as a drink has approximately seven hundred calories. That is half of the amount of calories that is needed in one day. On top of that most chi ldren these days aren’t exercising at all and all of those calories turn straight into fat. Fast food in general is so unhealthy for your body and if it was cut out completely, the number of obese children would be reduced dramatically. There are so many factors that play into why children are becoming so obese, but eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat is the number one reason why they are so obese. Most people in the world worry about the way they look when they look in the mirror. They will do anything to make themselves â€Å"look skinnier† and make themselves look more attractive. Nobody every worries about what is going on inside of their body. Most Americans do not realize that being overweight or obese can have some serious negative health effects  on the body. There are so many aspects of life that are affected by obesity. Your metabolism, health of your muscles, bones, organs, and other parts of your body can be greatly affected when you are at an unhealthy weight. In the article â€Å"Obesity in America: Large Portions, Large Proportions,† the author talks about some of the health risks that are involved with obesity. Some of the health risks are coronary artery disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, many forms of cancer, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, and depression (Large Portions, Large Proportions 2006). Obesity can ultimately lead to a shorter life span from the health risks. It is obvious from this article that there are some major health risks from obesity that can affect your body in a very negative way. It is important that people take care of their bodies so that they can live happy and healthy lifestyles. A huge part of the childhood obesity problem is that the children have no idea what they are doing to their bodies by not exercising and having unhealthy diets. The author of this paper had the opportunity to educate children on the proper nutrition and recommended hours of exercise daily through a service learning project that was completed with the help of a middle school from their hometown. Service learning is defined as â€Å"a method of teaching and learning that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities† (What is Service-Learning, 2008). The author was given the chance to strengthen the community and inform young children about the dangers of obesity. The author did so by creating an informative brochure that the principle of Rosa Parks Middle School Dr. Donna Redmond Jones enjoyed and agreed to hand out to students around the school. The brochures were also made available in the health room where students can just come in and pick one up. In completing the service learning project, the author was able to gain a lot of knowledge on obesity, more importantly the health risks and ways to prevent them. The author also gained the fulfillment that he had informed young students about these risks and was able to benefit the community. The service project was ultimately successful because the author was able to re-teach the knowledge that he had gained from research to the children that the research was about. The information that has been provided in this paper demonstrates how a lack of exercise, watching too much television, and eating too many foods high in calories and fat, has lead to the obesity epidemic that is in America today. The number of obese children in American is an absurd number. Children in America these days don’t worry about their image and their weight as much as they used to. All they are worried about is what TV show they are going to watch next, what video game they are going to play, and what type of fast food they are going to eat today. The idea of going outside and exercising never crosses their mind. If parents gave their children a little motivation to get involved in sports and exercising, the number of obese children in America would decrease substantially. Parents don’t motivate their kids because they are doing the same exact thing as them. Not only are there a lot of obese children in America, but there are an incredible amount of obese adu lts as well. Children are prone to learn from what their parents do and inherit the bad habits that they have. So therefor if a parent is eating fatty foods and sitting around watching TV all day, their children will do the same thing. There are so many health risks that can come from obesity that you would think people would be more worried about it. Do people not pay attention to the warnings and health risks? Do they not really care about the way they look and the negative effects that it can have on the body? The prevalence of technology in America has changed the world greatly. It has made things so much easier, but in turn it has made Americans so much lazier. Everything can be done from a seat on the couch without having to get up at all. Watching too much television, lack of exercise, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat are the three biggest factors that play into the amount of obese children these days, but there are a ton of factors that play into why Americans are so overweight. Something needs to be done about this epidemic before we see more serious side effects from obesity. References La Merrill, M., & Birnbaum, L. S. (2011). Childhood Obesity and Environmental Chemicals. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 22-48. doi:10.1002/msj.20229 Anzman, S. L., Rollins, B. Y., & Birch, L. L. (2010). Parental influence on children’s early eating environments and obesity risk: implications for prevention. International Journal Of Obesity, 34(7), 1116-1124. doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.43 Harris, J. L., & Bargh, J. A. (2009). Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions. Health Communication, 24(7), 660-673. doi:10.1080/10410230903242267 Rahman, T., Cushing, R. A., & Jackson, R. J. (2011). Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 49-57. doi:10.1002/msj.20235 Stutts, M., Zank, G. M., Smith, K. H., & Williams, S. A. (2011). Nutrition Information and Children’s Fast Food Menu Choices. Journal Of Consumer Affairs, 45(1), 52-86. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01192.x Mello, M. M. (2010). Federal Trade Commission Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role. Journal Of Health Politics, Policy & Law, 35(2), 227- 276. doi:10.1215/03616878-2009-051 Obesity in America: What’s driving the epidemic?. (2012). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 16(7), 5-7. Anderson, S. E., & Whitaker, R. C. (2010). Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children. Pediatrics, 125(3), 420-428. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0417 Obesity in America: large portions, large proportions. (2006). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 10(6), 1-5. Fast Food Linked to Child Obesity. (2009) The Associated Press. CBS News.

Analysis of “John Donne’s” “The Flea”

Phillip Hassoun English 1102 Dr. Thomason 03/14/12 Analysis: The Flea, By: John Donne Most of John Donne’s work during his time frame was usually seen as being vulgar or too much, usually for the sexual themes he put behind them. But being the witty and clever author John Donne was, it is by no surprise that most people raise their eye brows after reading his poem titled The Flea. In the poem, he makes the unusual connection between a flea and sex between couples. Using a metaphysical conceit, the poem is written using that relationship in mind, which today most people would see as kind of funny or odd.In this unique comparison, he ultimately try’s to persuade his beloved to become fearless of the consequences in pre-marital sex. It is important to understand the use of metaphysical writing, and how it enabled writers like John Donne to write so well about two very seemingly different things. When the term metaphysical is used, it is referring to a very powerful form of philosophy dating back to Aristotle. It is used to explain something usually complex in simple to understand terms, by making a comparison. One does this by asking themselves two questions; what is there?And what’s it like? These two questions lead the person into a higher level thinking proses, which usually end up in a form of descriptive writing like parables and poems to add ever more understanding and emotion to the thought. This is how authors like John Donne can write of comparisons between something simple like a flea, and something as complex as the emotions we feel. However, the poem to most people today would still not make sense. But when considering the knowledge and ethics of the people during his time frame, this poem makes much more sense.When John Donne’s 16th century love poem was written, it was believed that when two people had sex, the partners would share each other’s blood. Also hygiene wasn’t a very big issue, since it wasnâ€℠¢t common knowledge to know that bacteria and viruses could make you sick or more obviously that people didn’t share blood during sex. Due to lack of hygiene, people during this time all had some sort of human flea that lived on them, which ate their blood. The people from this time frame really didn’t see it as something gross like people would see today.Because everybody had fleas on them, they were all equally as gross to each other in their minds. When John Donne is trying to persuade his beloved into sex with him, this is how he comes up with a metaphysical connection between the two, which is also a perfect example of why people thought he was coarse or dirty in his writing. Keeping this knowledge in mind as you read the poem is crucial in order to understand the poem. In the first stanza he begins to set up his argument with the girl he is addressing.Using the metaphysical conceit he makes between a flea and sex he writes to his beloved, explaining why he thinks she should have no reason to be worried about having sex with him. â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little you denist me is;† He says to open the poem. Look at how small this flea is, that’s how small the fact of why you won’t have sex with me is, to reword what he is saying. Describing how little the issue is as he goes on in the first stanza. He says that the flea can suck his blood, and then jump to the girls and suck her blood, and share all three of the souls in one body.Then says that by doing so, the flea is not causing â€Å"A sin, nor shame, not loss of maidenhead;† (1: pg. 571) talking about her virginity. He describes the nature of the flea to enjoy the mixing of blood from humans before it is in love, or without care at all since it is a flea. He finishes the argument at the end of the stanza by saying to his beloved that the flea, is doing far worse than what only they would be doing. He continues in the second stanza by tryin g to protect the flea’s life from the girl.It is understood from the reading that his beloved has become obviously upset with what he said, and so she attempts to kill the flea in spite of him. To prevent her from doing so, he starts to explain to her that the flea is carrying three souls inside it, him, her, and the flea. And reiterates how the flea is doing far more than them even if they are to be married, since it shares all three souls. He says that since there blood is mixed with inside the flea, to look at the flea as their â€Å"marriage temple† and their custom right to properly have sex, since their blood is already mixed.And furthermore says that although your parents urge you to not get married to me, we already have inside the living soul of the flea. He then in the last parts of the second stanza states his second argument for why they should have pre-marital sex. â€Å"Though use make you apt to kill me,† (1: pg. 172) hysterically saying that she wouldn’t mind killing him. He argues that although she wants to kill the flea, doing so would mean killing herself, himself, and the flea.An odd way of explaining that there mutual love would die, and the fleas love for both would also die, which would be sacrilegious by killing all three souls. As he continues to make this unconvincing argument to his beloved, she kills the flea at the beginning of the third stanza, probably from his almost mockingly sounding poem about a big step in their relationship. However it is at that point when he turns the argument on her completely. â€Å"Cruel and sudden,† he describes her actions as she kills the flea. Saying that the flea was only innocent, and only was guilty for was stealing two drops of blood.By killing the flea that shared the couple’s blood, he asks her if she feels as if their relationship is weaker. Obviously not feeling like their relationship had grown apart, he then completely switches the argument on her , after destroying their â€Å"wedding temple,† By saying that he taught her a lesson of fear. He explains further in the end of the last stanza that the honor she lost in killing that flea, would be just as much honor lost if she were to engage in intercourse with him, since she obviously did not care about the death of the flea.He reiterates in his last statements that he is doing the exact same thing as the flea that took life from her. This concludes his not so romantic poem, but very interesting explanation of their situation. John’s poem is written in a clever way, unlike most of the poems people would read from Shakespeare’s century. He makes a good metaphysical connection between the flea and sex, and almost sounds like he denies the fact that he is really just trying hook up with her. If any girl was to be read this poem as a pickup line, and understand it, then they would probably be offended.This is why the poem cannot be read far too seriously when h e explains that the important subject of losing your virginity can be compared to the instinct of a flea, and dooms the poem to have you chuckling while you read it. However, when he ties everything up in the final stanza it turns into an eye opening poem. This was a very ingenious way to explain the feelings of the man in a relationship. The one who is trying to get the girl in the bed, but she fears all of the consequences.The connection he made between something as small and irrelevant as a flea being described into a deep elaborate though about love, and man’s thoughts just show his great writing skill. Works Cited Page Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. A Little Literature: Reading/writing and Argument. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007. Print. â€Å"John Donne â€Å"The Flea† and Persuasion† StudyMode. com. 10 2011. 10 2011 . Analysis of â€Å"John Donne’s† â€Å"The Flea† Phillip Hassoun English 1102 Dr. Thomason 03/14/12 Analysis: The Flea, By: John Donne Most of John Donne’s work during his time frame was usually seen as being vulgar or too much, usually for the sexual themes he put behind them. But being the witty and clever author John Donne was, it is by no surprise that most people raise their eye brows after reading his poem titled The Flea. In the poem, he makes the unusual connection between a flea and sex between couples. Using a metaphysical conceit, the poem is written using that relationship in mind, which today most people would see as kind of funny or odd.In this unique comparison, he ultimately try’s to persuade his beloved to become fearless of the consequences in pre-marital sex. It is important to understand the use of metaphysical writing, and how it enabled writers like John Donne to write so well about two very seemingly different things. When the term metaphysical is used, it is referring to a very powerful form of philosophy dating back to Aristotle. It is used to explain something usually complex in simple to understand terms, by making a comparison. One does this by asking themselves two questions; what is there?And what’s it like? These two questions lead the person into a higher level thinking proses, which usually end up in a form of descriptive writing like parables and poems to add ever more understanding and emotion to the thought. This is how authors like John Donne can write of comparisons between something simple like a flea, and something as complex as the emotions we feel. However, the poem to most people today would still not make sense. But when considering the knowledge and ethics of the people during his time frame, this poem makes much more sense.When John Donne’s 16th century love poem was written, it was believed that when two people had sex, the partners would share each other’s blood. Also hygiene wasn’t a very big issue, since it wasnâ€℠¢t common knowledge to know that bacteria and viruses could make you sick or more obviously that people didn’t share blood during sex. Due to lack of hygiene, people during this time all had some sort of human flea that lived on them, which ate their blood. The people from this time frame really didn’t see it as something gross like people would see today.Because everybody had fleas on them, they were all equally as gross to each other in their minds. When John Donne is trying to persuade his beloved into sex with him, this is how he comes up with a metaphysical connection between the two, which is also a perfect example of why people thought he was coarse or dirty in his writing. Keeping this knowledge in mind as you read the poem is crucial in order to understand the poem. In the first stanza he begins to set up his argument with the girl he is addressing.Using the metaphysical conceit he makes between a flea and sex he writes to his beloved, explaining why he thinks she should have no reason to be worried about having sex with him. â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little you denist me is;† He says to open the poem. Look at how small this flea is, that’s how small the fact of why you won’t have sex with me is, to reword what he is saying. Describing how little the issue is as he goes on in the first stanza. He says that the flea can suck his blood, and then jump to the girls and suck her blood, and share all three of the souls in one body.Then says that by doing so, the flea is not causing â€Å"A sin, nor shame, not loss of maidenhead;† (1: pg. 571) talking about her virginity. He describes the nature of the flea to enjoy the mixing of blood from humans before it is in love, or without care at all since it is a flea. He finishes the argument at the end of the stanza by saying to his beloved that the flea, is doing far worse than what only they would be doing. He continues in the second stanza by tryin g to protect the flea’s life from the girl.It is understood from the reading that his beloved has become obviously upset with what he said, and so she attempts to kill the flea in spite of him. To prevent her from doing so, he starts to explain to her that the flea is carrying three souls inside it, him, her, and the flea. And reiterates how the flea is doing far more than them even if they are to be married, since it shares all three souls. He says that since there blood is mixed with inside the flea, to look at the flea as their â€Å"marriage temple† and their custom right to properly have sex, since their blood is already mixed.And furthermore says that although your parents urge you to not get married to me, we already have inside the living soul of the flea. He then in the last parts of the second stanza states his second argument for why they should have pre-marital sex. â€Å"Though use make you apt to kill me,† (1: pg. 172) hysterically saying that she wouldn’t mind killing him. He argues that although she wants to kill the flea, doing so would mean killing herself, himself, and the flea.An odd way of explaining that there mutual love would die, and the fleas love for both would also die, which would be sacrilegious by killing all three souls. As he continues to make this unconvincing argument to his beloved, she kills the flea at the beginning of the third stanza, probably from his almost mockingly sounding poem about a big step in their relationship. However it is at that point when he turns the argument on her completely. â€Å"Cruel and sudden,† he describes her actions as she kills the flea. Saying that the flea was only innocent, and only was guilty for was stealing two drops of blood.By killing the flea that shared the couple’s blood, he asks her if she feels as if their relationship is weaker. Obviously not feeling like their relationship had grown apart, he then completely switches the argument on her , after destroying their â€Å"wedding temple,† By saying that he taught her a lesson of fear. He explains further in the end of the last stanza that the honor she lost in killing that flea, would be just as much honor lost if she were to engage in intercourse with him, since she obviously did not care about the death of the flea.He reiterates in his last statements that he is doing the exact same thing as the flea that took life from her. This concludes his not so romantic poem, but very interesting explanation of their situation. John’s poem is written in a clever way, unlike most of the poems people would read from Shakespeare’s century. He makes a good metaphysical connection between the flea and sex, and almost sounds like he denies the fact that he is really just trying hook up with her. If any girl was to be read this poem as a pickup line, and understand it, then they would probably be offended.This is why the poem cannot be read far too seriously when h e explains that the important subject of losing your virginity can be compared to the instinct of a flea, and dooms the poem to have you chuckling while you read it. However, when he ties everything up in the final stanza it turns into an eye opening poem. This was a very ingenious way to explain the feelings of the man in a relationship. The one who is trying to get the girl in the bed, but she fears all of the consequences.The connection he made between something as small and irrelevant as a flea being described into a deep elaborate though about love, and man’s thoughts just show his great writing skill. Works Cited Page Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. A Little Literature: Reading/writing and Argument. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2007. Print. â€Å"John Donne â€Å"The Flea† and Persuasion† StudyMode. com. 10 2011. 10 2011 .