Ethnic Unbonding in South Africa Essay

Manuel Castells notion of ‘ethnic unbonding’ refers to: the gradual withdrawal certain African-Americans are undergoing, so that they no longer are a member of their initial ethnic group. ‘Ethnic unbonding’ is a process where individuals remove themselves from their ethnic groups, because they are either ashamed or humiliated to be associated as part of a stigmatized ethnic identity. â€Å"So, race matters a lot. But, at the same time, the class divide among blacks has created such fundamentally different living conditions that there is growing hostility among the poor against those former brothers that left them out. Most middle-class blacks strive to get ahead not only from the reality of the ghetto, but from the stigma that echoes from the dying ghetto project on them through their skin. They do so particularly, by insulating their children from the poor black communities (moving to suburbs, integrating them into white-dominated private schools), while, at the same time, reinventing an African-American identity that revives the themes of the past, African or American, while keeping silent on the plight of the present† Castell, M p.57. Manuel Castell raises cognizance to the fact that black South Africans are gradually disassociating themselves from their original ethnic identities. (‘Black South Africans’ refers to the non-white individuals of South Africa, those who were disadvantaged and traduced in the homelands during the Apartheid regime). These ethnic unbonding patterns were first noticed among African-Americans and now South Africans too are gradually adopting them. Citizens split from their ethnic groups to mainly better their lives, since being a part of a stigmatized ethnic group cannot ensure a successful and pleasant lifestyle. Parents want a better life for the children and they find that to live a better quality lifestyle one needs to firstly get an education. So they get a good education and become a success in life only to put their stigmatized ethnic background behind them, to avoid risking the loss of their achievements. Ethnic performances are rarely practised and individuals lose sight of where they come from. â€Å"In the last two decades, geographers have become extremely interested in the issue of ethnicity. Ethnic groups are found in essentially all societies. Ethnic groups are populations that feel a common bond and have a sense of common origin that distinguishes them from other groups. Religion, language, national origin, and skin colour are all used to various degrees by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves from others. It is estimated that the 200 or so independent countries recognized by the United Nations are made up of about 5000 ethnic groups. Increased migration of people in the last 200 years has produced a complex pattern of ethnic groups. Essentially, ethnicity is a spatial concept. Ethnic groups are associated with clearly recognized territories, either some large homeland district or some smaller urban or rural enclaves in which they are the primary or exclusive occupant. In addition, they have somehow marked these places with certain distinguished cultural signs. † (http://teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm). Ethnicity is socially important. It gives certain individuals a feeling of belonging and prevents one from feeling isolated and alone. It contributes immensely to one’s core identity, focusing mostly on the construction of one’s personal identity, and in turn having an effect on the type of person an individual turns out to be in the future. It forms the basis of an individual’s structure and agency. Ethnicity also promotes national strength which can be built from the diverse cultural resources present in South Africa. It brings together a national identity. ‘Afrikaners historically considered themselves the only true South Africans and, while granting full citizenship to all residents of European descent, denied that status to people of colour until the democratic transition of 1994. British South Africans retain a sense of cultural and social connection to Great Britain without weakening their identity as South Africans. A similar concept of primary local and secondary ancestral identity is prevalent among people of Indian descent. The Bantu-speaking black peoples have long regarded themselves as South African despite the attempts of the white authorities to classify them as less than full citizens or as citizens of ethnic homelands (â€Å"Bantustans†) between 1959 and 1991. Strong cultural loyalties to African languages and local political structures such as the kingdom and the chieftaincy remain an important component of identity. National identity comes first for all black people, but belonging to an ethnic, linguistic, and regional grouping and even to an ancestral clan has an important secondary status. (http://www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html). As a result of years of racial separation and discrimination, the majority of South African citizens of which are black, have been severely ill-treated based on the colour of their skin. â€Å"A race is a population that shares visible physical characteristics from inbreeding and that thinks of itself or is thought of by outsiders as distinct. It has been used by societies to justify poor treatment of minority groups† ( http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php). For decades black people have been slandered and stereotyped by the white superior citizens, to be uncultured individuals. White people were entirely prejudiced against the black people. ‘Prejudice is a judgment based on group membership or social status. Prejudice may be formed through both individual and group influences including socialization, rationalizing through stereotypes, the scapegoating process, reinforcement of a self-fulfilling prophecy ramification of an authoritarian personality and degree of contact with minority groups.’ http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php. How black ethnic groups emerged? Being ethnic is relating to or a characteristic of a sizable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic or cultural heritage. (http://www. thefreedictionary. com. ) Just like the trends in America, black citizens of South Africa formed groups based on commonalities. These people shared hardships and sufferings, as a result of being excluded from having any opportunities and privileges, by the white superiorities. The white citizens undermined the black citizens for centuries and thus blacks were forced to form close relationships with one another based on the fact that they had common deprivations. ‘Bantustans’ were formed in South Africa and these areas were wastelands of hardship. Residents of these areas were forced to deal with struggle and poverty thus leading to an increase in crime rate. People did what they could to survive. Stealing, drug dealing etc. all the forms of violence and corruption exploded from these areas. Put a group of homeless and poor people together and what do you get? Chaos. White people were aware of the disorder in the homelands and ever since then stereotypes were given to black people. What provoked ethnic unbonding? Ethnic unbonding is when individuals from an ethnic group break away from their core cultural identity and instead pursue an identity of their own. Individuals mainly do this to improve their standards of living. The stigmas attached to certain ethnic groups are undesirable and individuals are afraid of being part of these unpleasant stereotypes. Certain groups especially ethnic groups have harsh associations linked to them and for these people to improve their quality of life they need to detach themselves from their ethnic groups. The negativity one receives from being part of a stigmatized ethnic group for some is too much to handle. People want to be freed from the harmful judgements of the past, and thus completely detaching themselves from their core ethnic identity is the best way out. ‘’Race and ethnicity are central – to America, as to other societies’ dynamics – their manifestations seem to be deeply altered by current social trends. ’’ (Castells, 1997: 53). Globalisation affects people’s choices on being or not being part of an ethnic group. Westernization transforms certain cultures and moulds them into a more modernized culture, with less practices and more simplicity. Cultural identity is a victim of globalization. Culture is being altered so much by globalization and media effects that soon the culture will transform into something completely different. According to Tomlinson, J. p. 23 states that â€Å"it is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in a pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated with the destruction of cultural identities, victims of the accelerating encroachment of a homogenized, westernized, consumer culture. † Conclusion Ethnic unbonding is inevitable. Every single individual wants a decent lifestyle and a decent life is one with no racial, gender or ethnic inequalities. Ethnic unbonding will continue to take place in South Africa as well as the rest of the world, because the desire for one to have an improved standard of living exceeds the desire to want to belong to an ethnic area. Castells concept of ethnic unbonding is a notion unknowingly practiced amongst the people of South Africa. Castell believes that individuals belonging to certain ethnic groups are developing boundaries within themselves. However, I think that people can still live a better life and yet maintain a part of their ethnicity. Lifestyles can be adjusted so that some form of their religion and culture is integrated into their everyday life and not forgotten. Future generations might be at risk of never knowing exactly where they come from, and being clueless about their ethnic and cultural heritage. 1. Castells, Manuel. 1997. The power of identity. Cambridge, MA. Blackwell, 52-59 2. Tomlinson, John. Globalization and cultural identity http://www. polity. co. uk/global/pdf/gtreader2etomlinson. pdf(12September 2011) 3. Definitions of race, prejudice and discrimination: http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php (12September 2011) 4. Countries and their Culture – South Africa http://www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html (12September 2011) 5. THE GLOBALIZATION OF CULTURE, AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF INEQUALITY: RACE, ETHNICITY & GENDER http://teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm (12September 2011) 6. Definition of Ethnic: http://www. thefreedictionary. com (12September 2011).

According to Aristotle

According to Aristotle, Oedipus is an archetypal tragic hero. Plot plays an integral role in developing Oedipus’s character throughout the play which thus impacts the play's storyline. Aristotle states that â€Å"The plot is the imitation of the action:-for by plot I here mean the arrangement of the incidents† (Aristotle 01). In this quote Aristotle emphasizes the importance of plot development. He explains how each event has a specific role in the playing out of the tragedy. In the beginning of Odedipus Rex, the audience assumes that Odepois is a sympathetic king who cares about his people. However, as one reads further on Odepoi’s true character is revealed. Subsequently â€Å"the most powerful elements of emotional interest in Tragedy-Peripeteia or Reversal of the Situation, and Recognition scenes-are parts of the plot† (Aristotle 01). These are the most prominent characteristics of the tragic genre. Furthermore they play a key role in drawing the reader’s attention. Significant emotional upheaval occurs when it is revealed that Odepois himself fulfils the prophecy and has killed the prior king. Without the emotional aspect of the play, the reader would not relate to the character or understand the plot. A person's character remains less important than a person's actions as Artistrole argues, â€Å"Now character determines men’s qualities, but it is by their actions that they are happy or the reverse† (Aristotle 01). The character supports the plot due to the personal motivation that precisely connected part of the cause-and-effect chain of actions thus producing pity and fear in the audience. Odepois’s determination to finding the murdered of laius, the original king, even though many warned him from discovering the truth is the play's main story-line. The prophecy that Odepois had fulfilled, played a major role in his character development throughout the play. As Aristotle states, â€Å"Now any speech or action that manifests moral purpose of any kind will be expressive of character: the character will be good if the purpose is good† (Aristotle 06). Aristotle explains the importance of the actions of the character and the impact his or her actions will make on the audience, that the actions of the character defines their characteristics. Odepois's blaming of individuals, when in search for the true murderer of Laius whilst remaining unaware of the facts, shows how over dramatic and hasty he is. This foreshadows the future due to the actions that were going to occur because of Odepois’s characteristics. Lastly, he states that the consistency (true to them) is a quality a character should have in a tragedy. Once a character’s personality and motivations are established, these should continue throughout the play as he defends, â€Å"For though the subject of the imitation, who suggested the type, be inconsistent, still he must be consistently inconsistent† (Aristotle 06). Aristotle suggests that a character should stay in role throughout the play in order to maintain a personal connection from the audience. â€Å"But, of all recognition, the best is that which arises from the incidents themselves, where the startling discovery is made by natural means† (Aristotle 07). In Odepois, when Odepois discovers that the prophecy was fulfilled after all, he realizes it was not due to another individual but by fate or nature. This explains how the characteristics of the character play out in creating the plot. Therefore, Odepois would be an example of a tragic hero according to Artistotle's standards.

Should You Submit Your SAT/ACT Scores?

College applications are rarely straightforward, and as the process evolves over time, aspects that used to be fairly standard are becoming less so. This is especially true of standardized tests. While some colleges still place a great deal of weight on SAT or ACT scores, sometimes even using them as an initial screening tool, other colleges no longer require them at all. This leaves some college applicants wondering when and if they should submit their SAT or ACT scores. In this post, we’ll discuss how to decide when to submit your scores and when to withhold them. If you’re planning to apply to college this season, don’t send those score reports without reading this post first. Testing policies are different at each school. Some colleges require that you submit every score from every test you’ve taken. Some want to see only your highest section scores. Other colleges want to see only your highest composite score. It can all get a little confusing when you’re trying to apply to seven or eight different schools. Luckily, checking the score policy at each college is usually fairly straightforward. For one, when you log onto the CollegeBoard’s Score Report page and begin to select the schools you’d like to send your scores to, the form will automatically suggest which scores to send based on that specific school’s testing policy. This is a great tool, but it’s no substitute for doing your own research. The admissions page for each college generally lists its testing policy in an obvious place. If you can’t find it, check the FAQ page or contact the office of admissions directly. Â   The bottom line is that you need to understand the specific testing policy at every school you apply to in order to make an informed decision. Before you send any score reports, research the testing policy at each school on your list and come up with a score report plan for each school individually. Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. At , we recommend choosing only one standardized test and sticking with it. This means that if you choose the ACT, you should focus exclusively on the ACT, and the same vice versa if you choose the SAT. We know, though, that sometimes students choose to take both tests. In this case, you might have a trickier time deciding which score to submit, or wondering if you should submit them both. Â   You should only submit both scores if both are exceptionally impressive. Submitting both scores still won’t necessarily set you apart from someone who submits only one equally as impressive score, but at least it can’t hurt. If you’re not sure how impressive your scores are, you should look up how they compare to the test scores of last year’s admitted students. You can generally find this information through a simple web query. Your scores are considered impressive if they place comfortably above the 75th percentile of admitted students. Â   If your scores on the ACT and SAT are not equally impressive, do not submit both. Instead, only submit the scores that place you higher amongst other admitted students. Again, use the information available from a web query to see how last year’s admitted students faired. Then, select the scores that place you closer to the top. For example, if your SAT scores place you at the 75th percentile of admitted students, but your ACT scores place you at the 50th percentile, stick with your SAT scores. Even though your ACT scores are comfortably within the acceptable range, they aren’t as impressive as your SAT scores, and submitting them could take away from the good impression left by your SATs. Test optional schools are one of the scenarios that elicit the most questions about submitting test scores. While testing policies used to be fairly black and white, test optional schools definitely leave a gray area. In general, when a college application lists smoothing as optional, you should considered it required unless it will ultimately be a big strike against you. Basically, this means that you should still submit your best SAT or ACT score to a test optional school, unless it is poor enough to really count against you. You can determine this by checking the scores of admitted students from last year. If your score places you below the 25th percentile, think twice about submitting it. It might be best to discuss your options with your guidance counselor or eliciting advice from ’s Applications Guidance service. Here, you will be paired with a personal admissions specialist from a top a college who can provide step-by-step guidance through the entire application process, including selecting which, if any, scores to submit. To learn more about test optional schools, check out our post What Test-Optional Means for College Admissions . Of course, your best offense is always a good defense, so we suggest avoiding any questions about submitting test scores by maximizing your SAT or ACT performance from the get go. If you achieve a score you’re proud to submit, you won’t have to worry about it. For advice about preparing for standardized tests, check out these important posts: For more help preparing for your standardized tests, consider the benefits of ’s full service, customized SAT Tutoring Program , where the brightest and most qualified tutors in the industry guide students to an average score increase of 140 points.

Brand Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Brand Development Plan - Essay Example Table of Contents Introduction 5 Assumptions 5 Position Strategy 6 Target Market 7 Competitor Analysis 8 Point of Difference 10 Point of Parity 10 Building Brand Equity 11 Brand Awareness 11 Selection and Justification of Brand Elements 12 Brand Image 12 Communication Strategy 13 Measuring Brand Equity 13 Recommendation 14 Conclusion 14 References 15 Introduction Last Chance is a diversified corporation based in Australia that produces and sells products of different kinds. The company now does not have any product in the beverage industry. It has, therefore, decided to make an entry into the Australian market for soft drinks. The company intends to develop a new product for the beverage market. In order to launch the brand successfully in the market, the company has to conduct a research on the existing brands in the market and their performance. ...A proposal has been presented in this article on how the brand can effectively manage its functionalities so as to yield positive and e ncouraging outcomes. The paper provides insights into strategic positioning of the brand, the target customers, potential and incumbent firms, strategies of developing brand equity and building the brand’s communication strategy on the basis of evaluation of the various factors that have been identified to make probable effects on the brand’s image. Assumptions Last Chance is planning to penetrate into a new market. It is important to note that this market has a number of established players. Hence in order to develop its brand image and retain it in the minds of the customers for a long period of time, Dew Fresh has to make certain reasonable assumptions about the characteristics of the market in which it is venturing. The most important assumptions are mentioned below: 1. The prime customer group for Dew fresh is the young population belonging to the age group of 12 to 30 years. The people of this generation are young, active and enthusiastic. 2. Trends in the soft d rink industry show that the majority of customers belong to the above mentioned age group. They are open to new ideas and are willing to experiment with the products that they use in their daily lives. 3. There are various kinds of beverages in the Australian market. However, any kind of herbal energy drink has not been yet developed. Hence this new kind of soft drink is expected to gain a comfortably big customer base.

Strategic Management Aspect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Management Aspect - Essay Example However, it should also be noted that each of these techniques has its own weaknesses and limitations. Thus, in evaluating the Loftmeister's strategic performance through the use strategic management tools, this report will also state its weaknesses and limitations. The report is organized as follows. The first section will look at the internal environment of the Loftmeister through the use of ratio analysis in order to assess its profitability. Next, the external factors in the company's environment will be looked into through the use of PESTLE analysis. The last section will present a SWOT analysis which will integrate the previous analyses. Financial ratio analysis is a very essential tool in assessing the financial health of a business entity. Specifically, it enables a financial analyst to spot trends in a business and to compare it with the performance of similar business enterprises within the same industry. Financial ratios are grouped into four categories, each showing a different aspect of a company's financial operations. These are profitability ratios, financial leverage ratios and liquidity/solvency, and activity ratios. Due to the limited availability of data, this report will only look at Loftmeister's profitability ratios from 2001-2004. Profitability ratios measure the ability of the company to generate income from its investments less the costs incurred. The gross profit margin ratio tells us the profit a business makes on its cost of sales, or cost of goods sold. The computed operating profit margin, which is the ratio of operating income to sales measures as a percentage of sales, the excess revenue from sales over cost of normal operation excluding financing. (Analyzing Company Reports 2005). Logically, higher profitability ratios indicate a healthier financial condition. The table above shows the computed profitability ratios of the Loftmeiser Plc from 2001-2004. It should be noted that both gross profit and operating profit margins are declining through the years. The company's gross profit margin declined by 9% during the five year period attributing to the rise in the demand for lower margin off-trade products coupled with the decline of higher margins on-trade offerings. On the other hand, operating profit margin also slid by 10% indicating Loftmeiser's inefficient cost management. Financial ratios are commonly used to assess the financial performance of a business organization. However, this type of analysis is limited only in evaluating the financial aspect of a company and not the whole industry. Financial analysis should always be accompanied by benchmarking in order to fully determine how each industry player fared during the financial year. It should be noted that numbers don't tell all and attention should also be focused on other relevant qualitative issues in the market. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE analysis stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. This strategic management tool is noted for its ability to capture almost all the variables in the environment where the business

HIV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HIV - Essay Example HIV/AIDS has been considered as a serious health issue for the past three decades. However, now it has turned to be a major ‘developmental catastrophe’ that would dismantle all achievements of the past half century. (World Bank, p.1) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Although the terms HIV and AIDS are used interchangeably, all HIV carriers do not necessarily develop symptoms for many years. Human Immunodeficiency Virus weakens the immune system and allows external substances, virus, or bacteria attack the human body. Once the immune system of the person is weakened, he/she becomes susceptible to multiple diseases. The HIV can be present in the bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. The infection usually affects the internal body parts like lungs, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal system. (Griffith, Moore, Yoder & Pederson, 2006, p.381). As mentioned earlier, the victim may or may not show symptoms at the initial stage of HIV infection. It depends on the health and habits of the individual how soon the infection may progress to AIDS. In the same way, many of the initial symptoms might be misdiagnosed as flu or other mild illnesses. Therefore, identifying the infection is not easy unless the person undergoes specific medical tests and diagnosis. However, there are certain symptoms in common such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, and diarrhea. In addition to these initial symptoms acute fatigue, weight loss, respiratory and skin infections, swollen lymph glands, genital changes, night sweats, mouth sores and acute diarrhea also might make the patient’s condition highly repulsive. (Griffith et al, 2006, p.381). There are varieties of tests to identify whether an individual is infected with HIV. The first type of tests includes HIV antibody test, P24 antigen test, and PCR test. The other

Internal Auditing, 4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internal Auditing, 4 questions - Essay Example The complex activities are to be controlled by managements of the organizations, and in the case of companies, naturally the first target is the Board of Directors of such organization made responsible to formulate proper policies, to control the various activities, the organization carries our in different countries, with cross cultures , different moral values, and different customer loyalties. One can see Nescafe, Cadbury product, Lux , Colgate ,cocoa cola, Pepsi, Philips, Sony, Motorola, Toyota and a host of consumer products available through out the world, where customers vary, their cultures vary, but they are bound by these products, which speaks of their qualityThese products made their own language.. For making such universal names, just like the saying that behind every successful man there is a successful woman, behind every successful organization, definitely there is a sound, solid, successful management structure with reliable management principles and policies, to operate their businesses across globe. These managements are successful, because of their management policies, which involve various control systems. Managements strength lies in the policies, they frame, and implementation of those policies, by establishing, various controls, at different levels of management. The first in the management hierarchy, na... Organisation structure --Controlenvironment basically includes the organization structure it self. Management's processes involve planning, organising, and directing the business activities, with the assistance of sound management structure. Different levels of management means-- Management by Board and its subcommittees, top management teams, middle and or functional management teams, operating or supervisory management teams. Boardand StrategicTop Management Middle or Functional Management Operating or Supervisory Management. The first in the management hierarchy, namely the board and top strategic management , formulate (i) the vision, (ii) mission, (iii) objectives of the organization,(iv) long term strategic plans ( ranging from 2 to 5 years period)and approve the plans and strategies prepared by other management structures. Functional management prepares strategiesandshort term plans ranging for six months to a two -year period. Operating management prepares operating plans and operating strategies that will range from one week to six months period. All these plans and strategies should be falling with in the top management plans and strategies. Once they are implemented in true spirit, the organization gives excellent results in all directions. But it is not so simple in the present day organisations. Organisation should have proper control systems in place, and internal audit activity exists to give reasonable assurance to the management that the control environment exists, andcontrol systems established by the management are efficient, effective and economical. Assignment of Authority and responsibility-- Managements function throughby fixing responsibilities on the individual mangers, and

Economics suffers from a form of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Essay

Economics suffers from a form of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Explain with reference to modelling , theoretical paradigms and empirical testing - Essay Example 29-30). Normally, the change in momentum of a particle turns out more ill defined as the function of wave is confined to a lesser region. The nature of the wave to particles implies a particle is a wave package, the composite of a number of waves. A number of waves refer to many momentums; only one momentum can be made by observation out of many. The exact facts of complimentary pairs (time, energy, position) are impossible. For instance, it is possible to measure an electron’s position, but not its energy (momentum) simultaneously. Complementarity also implies that dissimilar experiments results into dissimilar outcomes (such as the two slit experiment). Thus, a single reality at the quantum level cannot be applied. Mathematically the uncertainty principle can be described as follows, where p is momentum and x is position: ∆x X ∆p> Ä §/2Ï€ (Romanovsky & Romanovsky, 2007, pp. 114-116). It fundamentally shows that the mixture of the error in momentum times the error in position should usually be bigger than Planck’s constant. Therefore, it is possible to measure an electron’s position to some accuracy; however, its momentum will appear in a bigger range of values. Similarly, it is possible to measure an electron’s momentum accurately; however, its position remains unidentified at that particular time (Romanovsky & Romanovsky, 2007, pp. 113-114). It is evident that there is uncertainty in modeling, foretelling and interpretation of prevailing socio-economic circumstances. This can be visible in the global financial systems’ instability, depending on natural and ordinary disturbances in the contemporary markets and greatly undesirable financial crises (Hilgevoord, 2005, pp. 30-36). This brings the necessity of not only researching on uncertainty in economics, but also establishing the connection to the Heisenberg’s uncertainty

Behaviorist and Learning Aspects of Personality Research Paper

Behaviorist and Learning Aspects of Personality - Research Paper Example Extinction is a characteristic of classical conditioning in which the association between the stimulus and learned response is weakened every time the stimulus (triangle) is presented without the associated unconditioned stimulus (loud noise). However, the persistence of learned fear makes it unlikely that it will dissipate over time due to the self-strengthening mechanism described above. To treat learned fear and phobias, extinction must usually be employed in a behavioral therapy paradigm. A process known as systematic desensitization is one of the most successful and commonly used procedures for treating phobias. These intense and irrational fears can take many forms (fear of dogs, snakes, open spaces, cheese) and are quite resistant to natural extinction effects. Along with the self-sustaining theory, phobias may retain their power because people tend to do everything they can to avoid the eliciting stimulus. Extinction cannot occur without exposure to the stimulus. Systematic d esensitization addresses these issues directly. In order to allow extinction to occur, systematic desensitization ensures exposure to the unpaired conditioned stimulus, but does so in a gradual manner to minimize the fear response and eliminate self-sustainment of the phobia. The process is carried out in three parts (Foa, 2010). First, a fear hierarchy is constructed, listing situations related to the phobia in increasing intensity of discomfort. Next, the patient is trained in progressive relaxation (or deep muscle relaxation). This training will allow the patient to induce a state of calm through relaxation of specific muscle groups. Achieving the intended level of calm takes about twenty minutes, after which exposure to the fear-eliciting stimulus can begin. The typical fear hierarchy is made up of 10 to 15 steps, and begins with the least fear-evoking scenario that was established in the first step of systemic desensitization. The patient is instructed to imagine the scene, fol lowed by a pause where the patient is told to use the relaxation technique that was learned in step two. This process is repeated until the patient reports no fear to the scenario. At this point, the next situation in the hierarchy is confronted. The process can continue, usually through multiple sessions, to gradually extinguish the fear in a step-by-step process (McNally, 2007). The approach can be augmented to use humor instead of relaxation in the second step, or by implementing virtual reality technology to assist with realism and precision. Modeling is an alternative approach to treating phobias or fears that are the result of conditioning. In this technique, patients watch a model (usually on video) that is shown interacting with the fear-causing stimulus. The intensity of the scene is increased as the patient observes. According to modeling theory, the likelihood of performing an act increases when a model is observed doing that act. Observing a model gradually influences th e subject to partake in activities that involve their phobias, leading to the extinction of the fear. This approach has several advantages to systematic desensitization. The video aspect is more appropriate for young patients who may not be able to use their imagination properly and requires less instructor time. References Foa, E. B. (2010). Cognitive behavioral therapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Dialogues in Clinical Neurosciences, 12(2), 199-207. McNally, R. J.,

Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs Essay Example for Free

Psychiatric Disorders, Diseases, and Drugs Essay In the time span of only one year, roughly seven percent of Americans suffer from some form of a mood disorder (Mood Disorders, n. d. ). The typical person is able to experience moods on all levels but those that suffer from mood disorders get â€Å"stuck† into a certain mood (Mood Disorders, n. d. ). There are different mood disorders and each one can have differing levels of how much one suffers from it. Anxiety disorders are when anxiety is the predominant feature or the avoidance of the anxiety causes abnormal behavior (Morris, 2010). Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder. There are many categories, or subdivisions, of anxiety disorders including specific phobias and panic disorders (Morris, 2010). Schizophrenic disorders are very serious disorders in which the individual experiences a disturbance in thoughts, emotions, communications, and can also experience hallucinations and delusions (Morris, 2010). Bulimia nervosa and tourettes syndrome are also psychological disorders that can be helped through medication. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder in which the individual is experiencing bouts of both mania and depression in an alternating cycle (Morris, 2010). There can be bursts of normal feelings interspersed between these bouts of mania and depression. Studies have shown that bipolar disorder affects both men and women equally unlike depression which favors the women. Studies have also shown that bipolar disorder is not as common as depression (Morris, 2010). While depression and mania on their own can be linked to outside factors, bipolar disorder is certain to be a biological disturbance, usually genetic, and therefore medication is most likely needed to treat it (Morris, 2010). To treat this form of depression there are four classes of medication that can help (Pinel, 2009). Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, such as Iproniazid, increase the levels of monoamines in the body, alleviating the mood of the patient (Pinel, 2009). The problem with medications such as these is that there are many side effects and some can be quite serious. The most serious being the deactivation of tyramine in the body which can lead to surges in blood pressure which, in turn, cause a stroke in the patient (MAOI’s: Side Effects, n. d. ). Tricyclic antidepressants are another medication route that those suffering from bipolar disorder can take. These medications are much safer than monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Pinel, 2009). Tricyclic antidepressants may, in the beginning of taking the medication, cause the individual to have problems with sleeping, to feel tired more than usual, and can cause nausea (United States National Library of Medicine, 2012). Up until recently, the medication of choice to help those with bipolar disorder was lithium (Pinel, 2009). Lithium is not an antidepressant but rather a mood stabilizer that aids in the transition between mania and depression (Pinel, 2009). Unfortunately there are many side effects that can come from taking lithium which can include loss of appetite, indigestion, swollen lips, hair loss, stomach pain, joint and muscle pain, and many other minor side effects (United States National Library of Medicine, 2012). There are also many serious side effects that may occur. Loss of coordination, seizures, slurred speech, blackouts, hallucinations, and crossed eyes are only some of the more serious side effects that may occur when using lithium (United States National Library of Medicine, 2012). Selective monoamine-reuptake inhibitors are a fourth type of medication that those who suffer from bipolar disorder may use. These types of medication aid in raising serotonin levels in the body. Side effects from these types of drugs include nausea, tremors, drowsiness, dizziness, sexual side effects, and, in rare cases, cardiovascular problems may arise (Ferguson, 2001). Panic disorder is a branch out of anxiety disorder and those who suffer from it have recurring panic attacks where they experience sudden and unreasonable extreme fears or terrors (Morris, 2010). When having a panic attack the individual may experience chest pains, sweating, fainting or dizziness, difficulty breathing and swallowing, feelings of something horrible about to happen or of losing control, and can even fear that they are dying (Morris, 2010). Medications that can be used to help those suffering from panic disorders include benzodiazepines, serotonin agonists, and antidepressant drugs (Pinel, 2009). Benzodiazepines help by relaxing the individual but do carry side effects like tremors, nausea, sedation, problems in motor activity (Pinel, 2009). Serotonin agonists are not fully understood how they help but it is known that anti-anxiety feelings without causing a rebound anxiety episode (Pinel, 2009). Common side effects of this drug include nausea, insomnia, headaches, and dizziness (Pinel, 2009). Antidepressants, as described earlier, can also help with panic disorders and carry the same side effects in the individual as when taken for depressive disorders. Schizophrenic disorders are very serious disorders in which the individual experiences a disturbance in thoughts, emotions, communications, and can also experience hallucinations and delusions (Morris, 2010). Disorganized schizophrenia is when an individual shows signs of often bizarre and childlike behaviors (Morris, 2010). The cause of this disorder is still unknown but it is known that it typically begins before the age of twenty-five (Schizophrenia-Disorganized Type, 2010). There are many symptoms of this disorder and they include difficulty feeling pleasure, speech that does not make any sense, any motivation, delusional beliefs, hallucinations, committing strange and sometimes silly behavior, and inappropriate or bizarre emotional responses (â€Å"Schizophrenia-Disorganized Type, 2010). Treatment is limited but when experiencing an episode of disorganized schizophrenia it is imperative that the individual is hospitalized for the safety of his or herself and the safety of others. Treatment can consist of antipsychotic medications, clozapine medication, and support groups or programs (United States National Library of Medicine, 2012). Those who suffer this disorder suffer from it for life. Bulimia nervosa is when an individual will binge eat and then force themselves to rid of the intake by forcing themselves to vomit. While there is no specific known cause of bulimia nervosa there are some theories of what may cause this disorder in an individual including culture, families, life changes, stress, personality, and even biological factors. To treat bulimia nervosa there has been only one drug approved by the Unites States Food and Drug Administration and that is the use of some antidepressants as this has shown to aid in reducing binging and purging as well as aid in improving eating habits (Bulimia Nervosa Fact Sheets, 2009). Tourette’s syndrome is a fairly common disorder that has the individual suffering from it having uncontrollable tics such as blinking, coughing, and, on rare occasions, blurting out inappropriate words (Pinel, 2009). There is no known cause for this syndrome and, while it usually forms in childhood, many individuals will outgrow it over time (United States National Library of Medicine, 2012). Treatment can include antipsychotics which can help in reducing the tics. However, side effects of this include developing tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that affects the lower part of the face (Treatment, 2011). While there are thousands of individuals that suffer some sort of psychological disorders all over the world, there is help out there for those in need. While most medication carries some side effects it is up to both the individual and the prescribing doctor to determine if the benefits of using the medication outweigh the side effects that might occur.

Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia

Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia Ruvanthi Kularatne Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia: The Site of Reduction in Nitrogenase Abstract The conversion of N2 to NH3 is done mainly via anaerobic bacteria. The enzyme nitrogenase, which can be found in these anaerobic bacteria, is responsible for this conversion. Much research has been conducted in order to identify the structure of the enzyme, the mechanism for the conversion, and the site of reduction. Hydrazine is a substrate and an intermediate of the nitrogenase enzyme. Hence, the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia is used to mimic the late stages of the biological nitrogen fixation. Here the main focus is to identify the metal atom to which the hydrazine molecule binds. In order to identify the binding site of N2 is Fe, a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand, P(C6H3-3-Me3Si-2-S)33−(PS3†³), is used as the platform to obtain the iron(II) complex, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]. Also, a substrate-bound and product-bound adducts, [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] and [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] respectively, are synthesized. To determine whether the binding site is the V in vanadium nitrogenase, [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] and [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²)(Cl)] [PS3†² = P(C6H3-5-Me-2-S)33-] are synthesized. Introduction Nitrogen is an essential element in all living organisms. It is a major element in nucleotides and in amino acids which ultimately forms DNA and RNA, and proteins respectively. These are the building blocks which make up the nuclei in living organisms. The major source of nitrogen is atmospheric N2. It is a stable molecule and it has to be converted to a form which can be utilized by organisms. The natural way of nitrogen fixation is by lightening and by anaerobic bacteria, the latter being the most prominent. About 25 % is fixed by the industrial Haber process, which occurs at high temperatures and pressure, whereas the biological processes occur at ambient conditions1. During the process, N2 is converted to NH3, which is a more usable form than N2. Nitrogen fixation by anaerobic bacteria is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase. The enzyme is composed of two protein subunits, a MoFe protein and a Fe protein. Studies reveal that the substrate binding and activation in the enzyme occurs at a Mo/Fe/S center. The structure of this molybdenum nitrogenase has been characterized by X-ray crystallography.2 The Fe protein has two bound MgATP molecules. During the reduction of N2, an electron from this Fe protein is transferred to the MoFe protein, which is associated with the hydrolysis of the two MgATP molecules.3 There are reports of three forms of nitrogenase with Mo, Fe and V.4 The Fe and the V are also known as the â€Å"alternative† forms of nitrogenase1. The first has a V in place of Mo and the other is an â€Å"all-Fe† nitrogenase1. Although the structures have been identified, the exact mechanism of the catalysis of N2 by the enzyme is still not fully understood. As a result, research is being conducted to obtain the mechanistic information of nitrogenase. Large number of coordination compounds has been proposed as possible structural or functional models for nitrogenase. Mononuclear and binuclear transition metal complexes and polynuclear Fe/Mo/S aggregates are among the suggested compounds. Hydrazine is a substrate and an intermediate of the nitrogenase enzyme. Hence, the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia is used to mimic the late stages of the biological nitrogen fixation. For the reduction of hydrazine, a proton source and an electron source is necessary (eq 1).1 N2H4 + 2e + 2H+ à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® 2NH3(1) Studies through hydrazine have suggested that the site of binding of N2 is at Fe in the MoFe-cofactor.5 However, some research also shows that the reduction site is at Mo in the MoFe-cofactor1,6 or in a VII state in vanadium nitrogenase.7 Based on electron density maps and X-ray crystallography, it has been found that the Fe/Mo/S cofactor has an elongated MoFe7S9 cluster which is composed of MoFe3S3 and Fe4S3 cuboidal subunits bridged by two or three sulfide ligands.1,6 In order to identify the site of reduction of nitrogenase and the mechanism involved in the reduction process, much research has been carried out by the formation of various metal complexes. Here, to see if the binding site is Fe, a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand, P(C6H3-3-Me3Si-2-S)33−(PS3†³), is used as the platform to obtain the iron(II) complex, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] (A).5 Also, a substrate-bound and product-bound adducts, [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] (B) and [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] (C), are synthesized. To determine whether the binding site is the V in vanadium nitrogenase, [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4][V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) [PS3†² = P(C6H3-5-Me-2-S)33-] are synthesized. Methods Synthesis of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]: FeCl2 was added to a solution of H3[PS3†³] and n-BuLi in acetonitrile in the ratio of 1:1:3 respectively, to give an emerald solution. To this [P(Ph)4]Br in acetonitrile was added followed by ether, and then the solution was placed at −30 °C for 3 days. This yielded an emerald crystalline solid of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] ·4CH3CN ·(C2H5)2O. Synthesis of [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)]: H3[PS3†³], Li and FeCl2 was reacted in ethanol in the ratio of 1:3:1 respectively, which gave a green solution. It was followed by the addition of excess N2H4 ·H2O. Then, [N(Bu)4]Br was added and the reaction mixture was kept at −15 °C for 2 days. This resulted in a green crystalline solid of [N-(Bu)4][Fe(PS3†³)(N2H4)] ·5C2H5OH. Synthesis of [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)]: H3[PS3†³], Li and FeCl2 was reacted in ethanol in the ratio of 1:3:1 respectively, which gave a green solution. Then it was charged with NH3 gas (1 atm) to generate an emerald solution. Then, [N(C2H5)4]Br was added in ethanol, and the solution was kept at −15  °C for 2 days. A green crystalline solid of [N(C2H5)4][Fe(PS3†³)(NH3)] ·3C2H5OH was obtained. All the structures were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Catalytic reactivity of [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)]: To observe the catalytic activity, an external reductant, [CoCp2] and a proton source, [LutH][BAr†²4] was used (CoCp2 = cobaltocene, LutH = 2,6-lutidinium, and Ar’ = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) and all the reactions were carried out in a N2 enivironment. First, [P(Ph)4][Fe(PS3†³)(CH3CN)] and CoCp2 was dissolved in CH3CN in 1:1 ratio of the complex to the reductant. Then, N2H4 and [LutH][BAr†²4] were added to the solution in 1:1:2 ratio (complex: hydrazine: proton source). The reaction was carried out at ambient temperature for about 30 mins. Concentrated HCl was used to quench the reaction. Then, the solvent was removed by vacuum and the solid was extracted with distilled water. Finally, the insoluble residue was removed and the filtrate was taken to do ammonia analysis13 and hydrazine analysis.14 Synthesis of [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) VCl3(THF)3 in THF, H3[PS3†³] in methanol and Li were reacted together in a 1:1:3 ratio. This gave a deep red solution. Then, PPh4Br in CH2Cl2 was added and it was layered with pentane. Which gave a red crystalline solid of D. E was synthesized using the same procedure but using the H3[PS3†²] ligand. Catalytic reactivity of [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²Ã¢â‚¬ ²)(Cl)] (D) and [P(Ph)4] [V(PS3†²)(Cl)] (E) The catalytic reduction of hydrazine by D and E were determined using cobaltocene and 2,6-Lut.HCl, using the same procedure as for A. Results and Discussion It was identified from X-ray crystallographic data that the three complexes, A, B, and C were crystallized with solvent molecules. Complex A had four CH3CN molecules, B had five C2H5OH molecules and the complex C had three C2H5OH molecules. These solvent molecules filled the voids in these structures by the formation of hydrogen bonds. It was also identified that the three complexes has a five coordinate iron(II) center with a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, which was formed by bonding to the PS3†³ ligand and to the nitrogen in each ligand (CH3CN, N2H4 and NH3 in complexes A, B, and C respectively). Complexes D and E also show a trigonal bipyramidal geometry at the vanadium(III) center in the same manner as in A, B, and C. This can be seen in the ORTEP diagrams shown in (Figure 1). The results of the catalytic activity of A, for the reduction of hydrazine to ammonia are given by Table 1, those for D are given in Table 2. According to Table 1, the maximum conversion ~83 % is obtained at 30 mins for the catalyst A. For D, ~83 % conversion was obtained after 24 hrs. But a conversion percentage of 90 was obtained after 48 hrs. A controlled reaction was carried out in the absence of complex A. For that reaction, only less than 5 % of hydrazine was converted to ammonia. According to eq 2, hydrazine can decompose into ammonia and nitrogen. 3N2H4 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ® 4NH3 + N2(2) To interpret the amount of ammonia formed by the decomposition reaction rather than the reduction, the reactions were carried out for both A and D without using the proton and the electron source. The corresponding data for A are given in Table 3. Accordingly, the conversion to ammonia at 30 mins is only 8 % and it was 15.6 % after 1 hr. Therefore it is safe to assume that the majority of ammonia production for A is carried out by the reduction process. There was no production of ammonia for D in the absence of the proton and the electron source. Figure 1: ORTEP diagrams of (a) A ·4CH3CN ·(C2H5)2O, (b) B ·5C2H5OH, (c) C ·3C2H5OH, (d) D and (e) E Table 1: Production of ammonia by A via the catalytic process at different reaction time. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 5 6.0 1.32 Ãâ€" 10-4 5.3 44 10 6.0 1.66 Ãâ€" 10-4 6.6 55 20 6.0 1.85 Ãâ€" 10-4 7.4 62 30 6.0 2.50 Ãâ€" 10-4 10.0 83 60 6.0 2.49 Ãâ€" 10-4 10.0 83 Table 2: Production of ammonia by D via the catalytic process at different reaction time. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 1.5 5.0 5.19 x 10-5 2.1 21 6 5.0 8.97 x 10-5 3.6 36 12 5.0 1.48 x 10-4 5.9 59 18 5.0 1.85 x 10-4 7.4 74 24 5.0 2.06 x 10-4 8.2 82 48 5.0 2.25 x 10-4 9.0 90 Table 3: Production of ammonia for A by the decomposition of hydrazine. Time (min) N2H4 added (eq) NH3 yield (mol) NH3 yield (eq) Conversion (%) 5 6.0 9.27 Ãâ€" 10-6 0.37 4.6 10 6.0 1.18 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.47 5.9 20 6.0 1.35 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.54 6.8 30 6.0 1.61 Ãâ€" 10-5 0.6 8.1 60 6.0 3.11 Ãâ€" 10-5 1.2 15.6 The isolation of the products B and C, the substrate bound and product bound complexes respectively, suggests that the catalytic reduction takes place at single iron site which is supported by the PS3†³ ligand. The mechanism for this can be thought as the bound CH3CN molecule in complex A is replaced by a molecule of hydrazine to give the substrate bound complex B. At this stage, the N-N bond of the bound hydrazine in the iron (II) center is not activated. Therefore, by the addition of a proton source to protonate the hydrazine molecule would allow for the bond breaking of the N-N bond. Hence the first ammonia molecule will be released and a FeIVNH2 intermediate will be formed. Then, FeIVNH2 will be converted to FeIINH3 by another protonation in the presence of an external electron source. Finally, the second ammonia molecule will be released. This reaction pathway can be shown by Scheme 1. Scheme 1: The reaction pathway for the catalytic reduction process of A The catalytic reduction of hydrazine by E did not yield any ammonia. This implies that the bound chloride in E is not exchanged with CH3CN; instead the complex dissolves in it. However this exchange takes place in D, hence the catalytic activity is visible. The reason for the differences in reactivity for these two complexes, D and E, can be accounted by the two ligands, PS3†³ and PS3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¢ respectively. In PS3†³ ligand, there are more electron donating substituents than in the PS3à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¢ ligand. Therefore, the most electron donating ligand, PS3†³ ligand, will donate more electrons to V and will facilitate the replacement of the bound chloride with a CH3CN molecule. Hence, the exchange will not take place in E. Therefore the reduction of hydrazine will not take place. Conclusion In summary, it is possible to say that Fe, in MoFe-cofactor, and V, in vanadium nitrogenase, act as the binding site of hydrazine, an intermediate of nitrogen fixation, mimicking the late stages of the nitrogen cycle. Since both the complexes are formed in a tris(thiolato)phosphine ligand platform, the reactivity of the two complexes are comparable. Hence, by comparing the conversion percentages of the two complexes, A and D, with time, it is possible to conclude that the iron complex (A) is far more efficient than the vanadium complex (D). For further studies, this research can be extended by including Mo in both these complexes and by the formation of cubanes. This would introduce a more complex nature to the complexes and would represent the enzyme more effectively. Moreover, it is possible to compare the efficiency of Mo, by forming complex with Mo on a thiolate platform. Research Proposal Title: Proper Identification of the Site of Reduction in Nitrogenase by the Catalytic Reduction of Hydrazine to Ammonia. Introduction: The three forms of nitrogenase with Mo, Fe and V,4 have been identified. Yet, the exact mechanism and the site of reduction is still not fully understood. Studies through hydrazine have suggested that the binding sites are at Fe in the MoFe-cofactor,5 Mo in the MoFe-cofactor1,6 or in a VII state in vanadium nitrogenase.7 There has been many debates over this topics and much research has been conducted to identify the exact metal atom on which the binding take place. No research has been conducted by including Fe-Mo and V-Fe together. If these two complexes are formed, we might be able to properly identify the site of binding of N2 in nitrogenase. The enzyme in question is bulky, which is the nature of an enzyme. Hence, to include this bulkiness in the model compounds, we can use cubanes of complex nature. Furthermore, by optimizing these complexes, we may be able to use them in the industry instead of the Haber process. Goal: Identify the proper binding site of hydrazine by including both metal atoms in the complex and to use a more complex environment to properly mimic the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Aim: Synthesis of MoFe- complex and VFe-complex Synthesis of cubanes of the two mentioned complexes Methodology: FeCl2, MoCl2, H3[PS3†³] and n-BuLi are mixed in 1:1:2:6 ratio in acetonitrile. After 24 hrs, PPh4Br in acetonitrile will be added to the reaction mixture. Then, the solution will be layered by the addition of ether. Later, the solution can be kept at -30 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C for about three days. This will result in a complex with Fe and Mo. To check the catalytic activity, the complex: cobaltocene: N2H4: [LutH][BAr†²4] in the ratio of 1:2:1:2 respectively, can be used. First, the complex and cobaltocene are dissolved in acetonitrile. Then, N2H4 and [LutH][BAr†²4] in acetonitrile are added to the mixture. The reaction is carried out at ambient temperature for 30 mins. Afterwards, conc. HCl is added to quench the reaction and then the solid will be filtered and removed. Finally the filtrate will be taken and ammonia analysis and hydrazine analysis will be carried out using the indophenol method13 and PDMAB14 method respectively. References: Demadis, K. D.; Malinak, S. M.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1996, 35, 4038. Einsle, O.; Tezcan, F. A.; Andrade, S. L. A.; Schmid, B.; Yoshida, M.; Howard, J. B.; Rees, D. C. Science 2002, 297, 1696. Danyal, K.; Inglet, B. S.; Vincent, K. A.; Barney, B. M.; Hoffman, B. M.; Armstrong, F. A.; Dean, D. R.; Seefeldt, L. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 13197. Malinak, S. M.; Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvani, D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 3126. Chang, Y-H.; Chan, P-M.; Tsai, Y-F.; Lee, G-H.; Hsu, H-F. Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 664. Coucouvanis, D.; Mosier, P. E.; Demadis, K. D.; Patton, S.; Malinak, S. M.; Kim, C. G.; Tyson, M. A. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 12193. Chu, W-C.; Wu, C-C.; Hsu, H-F. Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 3164. Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 436. Demadis, K. D.; Coucouvanis, D. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 3658. Palermo, R. E.; Singh, R.; Bashkin, J. K.; Holm, R. H. J. Am. Chem.Soc. 1984, 106, 2600. Zhang, Y.-P.; Bashkin, J. K.; Holm, R. H. Inorg. Chem. 1987, 26, 694. Wong, G. B.; Bobrik, M. A.; Holm, R. H. Inorg. Chem. 1978, 17, 578. Chaney, A. L.; Marbach, E. P., Clin. Chem. (Winston-Salem, N. C.) 1962, 8, 130. Haji Shabani, A. M.; Dadfarnia, S.; Dehghan, K., Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2004, 25, 213. 1

The Womens Room Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

I slid down off of my barstool and picked my way across the room. Luckily, the women’s restroom wasn’t too far because it was a crowded night at the bar. I opened the large wooden door and was surprised to see that even though there appeared to be another girl waiting, one of the two stalls empty. Before I even had a chance to let my eyes adjust to the lighting change, the other girl said, in that just-a-little-too-loud drunken voice, â€Å"There’s no toilet paper in that one!† I hadn’t yet made any attempt to enter the stall and she was making sure I didn’t. She then took it upon her self to make sure that we acquired some of the precious paper as soon as humanly possible. She did this by leaning in towards the door of the other stall (which was occupied) and demanding, in the same slightly-too-loud voice, â€Å"Help us out and give us some toilet paper, will ya?† There was no answer from the other side of the stall door so she continued to make her demands. The girl on the outside of the stall gave more warnings to others that stumbled into this semi-chaotic restroom. Still no response from inside the stall. I was half tempted to launch into the Seinfeld â€Å"Spare a Square† tirade (in which Elaine gets into a fight with a woman in a neighboring stall who refuses to pass her some toilet paper), since it seemed fitting in such a situation. But I held off, doubting that either girl would understand the joke. Fortunately, I didn’t have to ponder what to do for too much longer because, just then, the door to the occupied stall swung open and a strikingly tall, slim girl stepped out, still zipping her pants. â€Å"There, have as much as you like!† she said, as a form of greeting, in the same intoxicated voice. She was... ...ng co-eds in the bathrooms of fraternity houses (technically not â€Å"ladies rooms,† they are usually populated with a female majority during large parties) and discussed everything from hairstyles to events on the nightly news with women while waiting in line use a bar bathroom. One would think that somewhere where such a â€Å"private† act takes place would not be considered so freeing. However, Good Housekeeping was right on the mark in its comment on the importance of the ladies room. The ladies room is a place where traditional social norms loose their importance and, as strange as it may seem, new honesty emerges. Now, I don’t have first hand knowledge of the typical men’s room experience, but I have been told it is far from similar to its female counterpart. It’s too bad really, imagine what sort of peace agreements could be made if they were held in the loo.

Michael Jackson :: essays research papers

Many people would pass up listening to the styles of the new/old Michael Jackson, but do you know why? Why do people absolutely refuse to claim they have ever heard his music? Why do parents ban their children’s CD selection from some of his greatest hits, like Bad, or Thriller? Why do people hate him? Many reasons of course, some lies, some true, some public. And some private.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael was very famous from the beginning of his life. He started at such a young age, he doesn’t remember much. His memories are so vague, he can’t remember why a lot of people began hating him at that age. Well, one thing was that his sister’s, LaToya, and Janet, weren’t included. In his book, â€Å"Moonwalk†, written a few years back, he stated that people would see them on the streets and shun them, saying they were â€Å"sexist siblings† and â€Å"they should let the girls be in the group.† Michael, of course, had no choice in this whole ordeal, which was hard on him, because him and Janet got along well, at the early ages. Seeing and hearing this stuff made Michael very optimistic, and sensitive on the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Michael was in the Jackon-5, he had absolutely no freedoms. He would have late-night recordings, and would have troubles in school. Most of his attention from his parents was on the business, they never gave him the attention he lacked, he was pretty lonely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Michael grew up, and he moved on in his career out of J-5, he was thought low of to everyone in the music/movie industry. Brooke Shields once quoted that he was a â€Å"lowly-person, who needed help†, plus some other things that cannot be said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackson did have some people of whom thought very high of him, Elizabeth Taylor was one of his best friends throughout the hard stages. He looked up to her, and vise versa. With the help of her, he got through the depression of his family members (LaToya mostly) disliking him, and disapproving of him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Michael realized that his reputation was not the hottest on the press, he totally gave up on his self image, caring less on what he looked like, and began foolish rumors about himself. He use to tell reporters when they would ask him on his â€Å"transformation to being white† that â€Å"his dad beat him to white.† They of course gulped in every bit of information ever said, sarcastic, or not.

Differing Mentalities In Hip Hop And Rock :: essays research papers

Some of my friends listen to certain genres of rock music, some listen to hip-hop. Despite our friendship we have differing views upon each genres of music. Having listened to both genres of music at one point in my life I have an understanding of why some rock listeners would be quick to reject hip-hop as meaningful, complex and valid art form. The production of hip-hop music first consisted of two turntables and a microphone. The originators of the music who embraced the essence of spoken word in a rhythmic format, were working with the best of what they had living in a situation of poverty. As time and technology progressed, and became cheaper, the production of hip-hop became digital. Beat machines, computer programs that sequenced samples and DAT players that recorded vocals all combined in a computer to produce a finishing product known as hip-hop. Rock music consisted of a drummer, a guitar and a bassist. As time and technology progressed the instruments of this music also changed. The introduction of the electric guitar connected to amps and speakers. Guitar players were able to distort the sound giving it a louder angrier tone. Although technological progress has changed the method in which hip-hop is produced, rock music is still traditionally played with guitarists, drummer and bassists. The actual music being played in hip-hop is simplistic. Traditional hip-hip will not exceed 8 bars of music and is looped over and over again. It is usually a repetition of one-note with quarter note intervals or mere arpeggios, or just the use of a sample with simple bass and constant drum line. There is a reason for this simplicity. If hip-hop were more melodic, it would clutter the MC. Therefore the beat in hip-hop plays a secondary role, accompanying the MC. The focus of hip-hop music is not in the actual music being produced but is the content of the message that the MC is attempting to portray. Of course some have more meaningful things to say than others. The simplicity of hip-hop is where most of the rock listeners find hip-hop music unappealing, because of the â€Å"lack of skill† in the production of music compared to that of rock. Majority of rock music is more complex than hip-hop concerning the actual music being played. There is more effort in the production of t he notes being played as it grows from a theme and is harmonized, while the drums play a more active role, as the song progresses and reaches its climax.

Has Globalisation Destroyed the Power of the Modern State? Essay

There is not doubt that globalisation is one of the buzzwords of the twenty first century, radically transforming international relations around the world, and directly or indirectly altering the way we view global politics, but how much has it affected nation states and their power? Globalisation is a complex and abstract term which has been given many definitions and meanings. For the purpose of this essay, I shall use a single definition which is closest to what I think globalisation is, and when referred to in the essay, this is what is meant. Heywood (2011) states that â€Å"Globalization is the emergence of a complex web of interconnectedness that means that our lives are increasingly shaped by events that occur, and decisions that are made, at a great distance from us.† The causes of this interconnectedness can be broken down into three engines of globalisation; Cultural, Political and Economic. Cultural globalisation is facilitated by technological advances in communic ations and especially the internet. This enables a large amount of the developed worlds population instant access to vast amounts of information unaffected by physical borders (except when censorship is in place), which in turn is making the world more culturally homogeneous. The rise of multinational actors like transnational corporations (TNC’s (for example Sony, Nestlà © and Nike)), non governmental organisations (NGO’s (for example Greenpeace, Oxfam and Amnesty International)) and other international organisations (eg; UN, EU and NATO) means that there are more authoritative actors on the world stage, as opposed to historically, states being the only predominant actor. Globalisation means that the economic market is now truly global, as money can be shifted worldwide in an instant. This has facilitated businesses to operate in different countries to their home country to take advantage of cheaper labour costs, local resources and other factors, which mean goods are now manufactured on a global scale. All these factors mean that geographical distance and territorial borders are becoming â€Å"less significant† (Heywood 2011). Since the creation of the modern idea of statehood after the Peace of Westphalia (1648), the nation state has been vastly the most predominant actor on the world stage. Sovereignty allowed states to have sole power over what happened within their own borders, and disputes between states usually brought about war. The classic definition of a state as outlined in the Montevideo Convention has four features: 1) A defined territory. 2) A permanent population. 3) An effective government. 4) The capacity to enter into relations with other states.

How does Shakespeare introduce themes in these acts both verbally and visually?

6th January in Shakespeare's day, this was a day of comedy where people swapped roles and dressed up for the day before going back to normal life. The play name can be related to this Twelfth Night. The play is developed as you go in many ways and information is given to add to previous or past moments. The play starts as a shipwreck and twins are torn apart for each other by the brutal sea. The female of the twins is rescued and is left on her own not knowing if her brother be dead or alive she is left to take care of herself. In this essay I will be focusing on who I think are the main characters and in what ways they contribute to the themes in the first 2 acts both visually and verbally. The audience will be able to pin point easily where and what the humour means but there are more jokes which need to thought about deeply to get them. Love that is a theme and that is what is being developed first to give the audience a better understanding of events to come. Orsino who is deeply enthused by Olivia the ‘Fair, cruel maid' will do what ever it takes to get his love. Orsino is a pertrachan as well is Olivia he will spare nothing to get what he wants. Orsino likes his music ‘ If music be the food of love play on, give me excess of it. ‘ But he gets bored of the tune as fast as he ordered it. Orsino is also enticed when he hears that Olivia refuses to entertain his messenger he just gets more passionate about getting her. Orsino sees himself as the perfect lover but really just fancies himself being in love. The theme further develops because Viola needs a job and the only way she can get one is by disguising herself as a man. Her new name being Cesario. The audience know Viola is in costume but Orsino doesn't. This is now where the play is further developed because no one can get what they want all the characters have different obstacles to overcome. Viola then realises she likes Orsino ‘ I'll do my best to woo your lady. [Aside] Yet, a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife. ‘ Meaning she wants to be his wife this is love in disguise. ‘I am not what I am. ‘ Viola says this and this is true she no longer is Viola she is Cesario. Which we would expect because 12th Night is about dressing up and deceiving others. Disguise is a massive part of the theme in 12th Night, why? Because everybody is hiding behind a mask or costume. Olivia mourning her brother always behind a veil, Viola trying to fit in and Feste the jester who alas is wise and considerably aware of the situation is always changing his attitude and his costume. The audience know by now the danger that is brewing from the disguises and know both personalities of one person. Feste the fool who is no fool at all is responsible for a lot of verbal wit and more. The proof of this is that he exposes Olivia for mourning her brother. ‘I think his soul is in hell, Madonna. ‘ Olivia-‘I know his soul is in heaven, fool,' ‘The more fool you Madonna to mourn for your brothers soul being in heaven. Feste has tricked her exposing in the process. The he uncovers the disguise of Viola saying ‘Jove in his next commodity of hair send thee a beard. ‘ The songs that Feste sing come from the heart and this helps to reveal his character he speaks the truth in the words that he sings. He also fools with Sir Toby and Andrew. There is falseness in other characters like Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. These two characters are not what they seem for behind closed doors they are like children in an adult world. Sir Toby when in company is a gentlemen a person of dignity and power but his behaviour does not show this. He likes to drink a lot and is far from quiet. He likes to sing and dance not sit and be formal he likes to be different. ‘ To hear by the nose, it is dulcet in contagion. But we make welkin dance indeed? Shall we rouse the night owl in a catch that we will draw three souls out of one weaver? Shall we do that? ‘ (Drink until the sky spins round). This is not what a formal intellectual would do. Malvolio woken up in the night by their drunkenness announces ‘My masters are ye mad or what are you' Malvolio is not pleased him being a man of normality. Sir Andrew too is one for drink but without a brain likes to have fun and be too as loud as Toby. All of this is visual appearance and Shakespeare wants you to notice this. Malvolio is also one for deception but he is only deceiving himself. Malvolio is a steward and nothing more and has ideas way above his station as Toby points out. The plot to fool him is well deserved for his arrogance, but we wait to see where it ends. Olivia clearly states, he is ‘Sick of self love' and cannot relax in any situation. The next theme developed is that if bewilderment or foolishness. This theme is not particularly big in the early stages of the play but from what is happening you can tell it will be a main theme later to come. People in the play are not what they seem nor what they truly are, and then an element is developing chaos. We the reader or audience knows who is who at the moment but the actors do not for example no body knows that Cesario is actually viola in disguise although Feste has his suspicions but that is the whole point the element of surprise the day of trading places 12th night that is what is meant by the name. The audience also know that her twin brother Sebastian is still alive and has not perished and even more surprising he is in the land as her. You can guess what might happen there. The potential to confuse between these two people is massive, as they look so similar. This is a big visual aid as we wait for their paths to cross. Shakespeare's whole point in the play is to provide visual or verbal jokes whether they are slapstick comedy for less intellectual or complicated situations that look like trouble. The whole Shakespeare motive is not funny, comical nor fun. It is drama and sadness. Shakespeare is setting a drama through comedy the play is set around trust, who can you trust. No one in the play every person has there own little secret. Disguise is treacherous as viola points out, ‘Disguise through art a wickedness wherein the pregnant enemy does much. ‘ Therefore comedy is not what it seems it itself is a disguise for a much darker side to life a much bleaker and unimaginable side nothing we could have thought of.

John Lennon

IntroductionOn a gloomy night in London, while Hitler's bombs rained down from the sky, John Lennon was born. An infant of war, Lennon would turn out to be a symbol of peace to the entire world. His father left him for the sea and his mother was taken from him in a car crash. However, he had music inside of him, and with this music he built a new family, a family which still endures and still cultivates the lives of many. He journeyed the earth, singing â€Å"come together† and â€Å"all you need is love.† He journeyed to India to study harmony in the land of Gandhi. He gave an anthem to the peace movement when he sang â€Å"All we are saying is give peace a chance† (Give Peace a Chance, 1969). But more importantly, he gave the world vision and dreams when he sang â€Å"Imagine† (1970).This discussion will highlight the points in Lennon’s career that transformed him into one of the most recognized figures of our Western culture. With his influences from Eastern cultures, he incorporated many aspects of this into his music and created a double ideology that can still be seen today. Various aspects of Lennon’s career will be analyzed in order to realize the type of person he was, and how he has influenced our culture at present. In the concluding section, a much deeper analysis will be conducted noting the importance of Lennon’s impact through his music, art and mind.The Career of a GeniusMainly well-known as one of the members of the Beatles as well as the co-composer of the Beatles song catalogue which included many of the most admired rock songs ever written, John Lennon is also distinguished for his solo career, with his continuing status as a celebrity persecuted by one of his own fans, shot dead outside his New York City home, and as a celebrity who used his fame to draw awareness to various peaceful causes (Coleman, 1992).Lennon was born in Liverpool, raised in a middle class home that lacked a father and al so a mother as well; Lennon was for the most part raised by his aunt Mimi, who warned him that while playing his guitar was fine, it was unlikely that he would learn a living from it (Coleman, 1992). He attended an art school where he produced a small group, the Quarrymen, which would later shape the foundation for the Beatles (Conord, 1994).Lennon was the original leader of the Beatles and their most controversial component. At the 1963 Royal Command Performance, he said to the audience, â€Å"On the next number, would those in the cheap seats clap their hands and the rest of you rattle your jewelry.† Upon being awarded the MBE, Lennon observed, â€Å"I can't believe it. I thought you had to drive tanks and win wars† (Conord, 1994). He provoked even more argument when on November 25, 1969, he returned his MBE â€Å"with love† to the Queen to object to Britain's involvement in Vietnam and his song â€Å"Cold Turkey† slid down the charts (Green, 1989).In 1 966, Lennon told Maureen Cleave in the London Evening Standard, â€Å"The Beatles are bigger than Jesus Christ,† provoking a religious repercussion in the United States (Coleman, 1992). A similar British reaction was created when Lennon appeared naked on the cover of his Two Virgins album. An exhibition of Lennon's erotic lithographs had to have eight prints removed under threat of possible prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act. However, they were later declared â€Å"unlikely to deprave or corrupt† by legal experts and handed back (Conord, 1994).In addition to music and art, Lennon also experimented with literature. Lennon wrote his first book, â€Å"In His Own Write†, which subsequently won a Foyle's Literary Prize. This was followed by â€Å"A Spaniard in the Works†. In addition to his film work with the Beatles (Help!, A Hard Day's Night, Let It Be), Lennon had a small role in Richard Lester's illogical black comedy â€Å"How I Won the Warâ €  (Davies, 1968). He was also the focus of the documentary film Imagine.Lennon also formed his first post-Beatles group, the Plastic Ono Band, which originally consisted of himself, Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, and Alan White, who threw together an under rehearsed show for a live concert in Toronto which was recorded as an album and film. Lennon's next Plastic Ono Band effort, Plastic Ono Band with Voorman on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and occasional piano by Billy Preston and Phil Spector, is one of rock's all-time classic albums (Conord, 1994). Sparse and powerful, the album was an outgrowth of Lennon's involvement in primal scream therapy techniques as he tries to exorcise his personal pain and rejection tempered by feelings of love and hope (Henke, 2003).Paradoxically, following the break-up of the Beatles, even Ringo Starr initially had greater chart success than Lennon (Green, 1989). If Plastic Ono Band evoked Lennon's agony, his â€Å"Imagine† album celebrate d his delight, and proved to be another classic. This was the most melodic of Lennon's solo albums, a quality he would downplay subsequently as his peace expressions gave way to political statements as on his rasping â€Å"Some Time in New York City† album (Henke, 2003). Lennon decided to move to the United States, but Lennon's political activities brought him under examination by the FBI and he was ordered to leave the U.S. by the Immigration establishment (Coleman, 1992). Lennon was able to productively fight the deportation, and in January 1974, he asked the Queen for a Royal Pardon in connection with his drug conviction in order to be free to journey to and from the United States (Green, 1989).Nevertheless, Lennon's dedication as an artist has left a lasting feeling, from his commitment to political causes to his celebrated love for Yoko Ono in the face of public hostility and contempt (Seaman, 1991). His solo music has been frequently repackaged, his demo tapes and home recordings formed the basis of a long-running radio show, â€Å"The Lost Lennon Tapes,† a couple of these recordings formed the basis for the two Beatles reunion singles, â€Å"Real Love† and â€Å"Free As a Bird,† and many of these pieces were collected together for release in late 1998 as the Lennon Anthology album (Seaman, 1991). They offer a complete portrait of Lennon, from his pleasure to his misery, his irritation and his wit.Lennon came to the conclusion years ago that what most people around him were most attracted to, was Lennon himself, and few artists have put so much of themselves into their talent so that he and his love for Yoko became his celebrated subjects (Henke, 2003).The Influence of a SoulThe feelings that John Lennon spoke of grew more and more personal, striking a receptive chord in the fans that followed him; some commented that the experience was like group therapy (Aquila, 1985). Following Lennon's tune â€Å"all you need is love,â₠¬  a whole new generation loosened the bonds with their parents and turned to their peers as relatives. With colleague Beatle Paul McCartney, John wrote â€Å"I am the Walrus† (1967), which began with the association with LSD, â€Å"I am he as you are he,† and led to the sixties collective ideal â€Å"we are all together.† From Berlin to Paris, from New York to Sydney, John wandered with his three fellow Beatles, singing and living a meaning of honesty and peacefulness. Lennon and McCartney’s â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (1967)† about â€Å"flowers that grow so incredibly high† was said to present a pleasant image for a central chapter in the history of youth culture: flower power and psychedelia (Weiner, 1984).â€Å"And in the end,† he sang, â€Å"the love you take is equal to the love you make† (â€Å"The End†, 1969). The end for this man of peace came by a gun in the hand of a criminal. Nevertheless John Lenno n is greater in death even than he was in life. In life, John Lennon was a rock star. In death, he was to become a myth. The young people who were his original disciples are no longer young, but are still devoted to him. Now they are joined by their children and grandchildren: Lennon has become a voice that speaks to all generations. The man who was born in hostility and died in violence became a principal representation of peace.We can see the power of indifference and re-initiation in Lennon's music which is only granted to us at a sanctified time. Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the reason a person becomes a hero or heroine is that they create a new distinctiveness for their generation or that they represent the collective ideals of their society. Perhaps we can say that a commendable figure is the one who listens to his own needs and those of his generation and has the gift to respond to these needs by his talent and flair. John Lennon is just the one who was gifted in converting his private pain and struggle into a public voice (Wiener, 1984), thus he gave his society a meaning to live by, and a dream to pursue.Legacy: A Cultural InfluenceTo an age group of baby boomers, John Lennon was at the head of their culture. His music and way of life changed the way a generation reflected, dressed and felt about drugs, sex and political opinions. Future generations revealed the Beatles and John Lennon in the years after his death (Green, 1989). Today, almost every musical artist regardless of type is familiar with and partial in some way by the music of John Lennon and the Beatles. Possibly the aspect of Lennon's music that makes it so long lasting and influential is its sincerity (Green, 1989). John was not afraid to confront his own demons, writing about the passing away of his mother, his painful removal from heroin, his irritation, his love and his wish for a better world. He was genuine, and the approaches raised by his music remain real today. Now, around 25 years after his death, the influence of John Lennon remains powerful. The world will never know what route Lennon may have taken had he lived further than December 8, 1980. Although in the 40 short years he was on this world, Lennon gave the world music that made it think and feel and changed the way millions of people look at the world. Very few people have had as strong of a legacy as he.ReferencesAquila, Richard. â€Å"Why We Cried: John Lennon and American Culture† in Popular Music & Society. Vol. X, No. 1, 1985.Carr, Roy, and Tony Tyler. The Beatles: An Illustrated Record. Revised and updated edition. New York, Harmony Books, 1981.Coleman, Ray â€Å"Lennon: The Definitive Biography.† Harper Perennial, New York, 1992.Conord, Bruce W.   John Lennon.   USA:   Main Line Book Co., 1994.Davies, Hunter. The Beatles. Harper Collins, 1968.Du Noyer, Paul â€Å"We All Shine on: The Stories Behind Every John Lennon Song: 1970-1980.† Harperperennial Library, 1997.Green, John â€Å"Dakota Days.† St Martins Mass Market Paper, 1989.Henke, James. Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon: Chronicle, 2003.â€Å"Legend-John Lennon†Ã‚  Online.   http://www.johnlennon-legend.com 4/4/07.Norman, Philip.  SHOUT!.   New York:   Simon and Schuster, 1981Seaman, Frederic â€Å"The Last Days of John Lennon.† Birch Lane Pr, 1991.Wiener, Jon. Come Together: John Lennon in His Time. New York: Random House, 1984. John Lennon John Lennon: The Smart Beatle â€Å"You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one,† is the chorus of Imagine, one of the most famous John Lennon songs. John Winston Ono Lennon was a singer, songwriter, artist and a hero in the eyes of the many people that belonged to the world of the hippies during the 1960s through the 1980s. John Lennon was part of the music group the Beatles; who sang about everything from world peace to young love and even drugs. He also became a solo artist after the Beatles split up and created a sound of his own.He earned the love and admiration of his generation by creating a huge body of work that inspired and led people (John Lennon). However, he was not a god in any way; he had his flaws just like any other person. John Lennon suffered through a rough childhood, faced a challenging, yet exciting adulthood and would never get a chance to experience his manhood. As a child, John Len non was defiant, determined and extremely intelligent. John Lennon was born on October 09, 1940 during the Nazi bombing of Britain (â€Å"John Lennon Biography†). John was born to Alfred Lennon and Julia Stanley Lennon.They separated when he was a baby, but were never officially divorced. He did not see his father from the age of four, until after he became famous. After Alfred and Julia separated, Julia started a new relationship with John â€Å"Bobby† Dykins. When the social services discovered that young John was sharing a bed with Julia and her new partner, it was agreed that John would move in with Mimi Smith, Julia's sister (Coleman 88-89). John was raised in Woolton, Liverpool by his Aunt Mimi (63). At the age of four he was taught to read and write by his Uncle George, later came to have a passion for books (99).John attended Dovedale Primary School where he did well in all of his classes. John excelled in art but had a weakness in math.. At the age of eleven J ohn was accepted into Quarry Bank High School after passing an eleven-plus exam (104,106). While attending Quarry Bank High School, John became less responsible. John started failing to pay attention in class, would skip lessons, started to smoke and began to swear (107-108). John attended Liverpool College of Art and was kicked out by the age of nineteen for disorderliness. All these things would not be enough to prepare him for what he was to encounter as a growing adult.During his adulthood, John became more daring, less responsible and was found caught up in the rush of fame. At the age of sixteen, John became a fan of Elvis Presley, who at the time was just being discovered. Elvis became the inspiration behind the band that John formed called the â€Å"Quarry Men†, named after his school (â€Å"John Lennon biography†). Shortly after forming the band, John met Paul McCartney and a friendship based solely on music was formed. After playing their first gig, the band began to gain momentum and decided it was time for a new name (194).As the band started to throw around names such as Long John Silver, one of the band members came up with the name the Beetles. John would later change the name to the Beatles, to incorporate the word ‘beat’ which was a popular word used to define the unique bands that originated from Liverpool (195-196). After the Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein in 1961 at the Cavern Club, they released their first single, Love Me Do in October 1962 and it peaked on the British charts at number 17. The Beatles became the first band to break out in the United States, creating the Beatlemania.After Beatlemania started to lose the magic that is possessed from the start, the band split up. After an extended break, the band returned to the studio to expand their experimental with drug-influenced exotic instrumentation/lyrics and tape abstractions. The first sample was the single Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever, followed up by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, still considered by many to be the greatest rock album ever (â€Å"John Lennon Biography†). John never did get to experience his manhood, but he did get to experience many other things like marriage, divorce and having kids.The first woman he married was his college friend Cynthia Powell. Cynthia became his wife during Beatlemania and had their son during that time too. On April 8, 1963 their son John Charles Julian Lennon was born (Coleman 261). John Lennon did no want to get married, but in order to protect Cynthia and the child he decided that marriage was the best option (264). Cynthia Powell said, â€Å"I don’t think that we’d have been married if I hadn’t become pregnant. He wasn’t the sort at the age of twenty- one to say: â€Å"Will you marry me? It was all so immediate that we hardy realized the seriousness of it all: making love, getting pregnant, getting married. † (qtd. in C oleman 263). After meeting Yoko Ono at one of her art showings in 1966, John and her started to have an affair. As they got more and more serious John finally had the courage to tell Cynthia what was going on (422). Though they tried to work through this hard time, John finally decided to end their marriage in 1968 (440). John and Yoko were married on March 20, 1969 (John Lennon). They had a son, Sean Lennon Ono, in 1975.John’s second marriage ended on December 8, 1980 when he was assassinated by an enraged fan outside of his hotel (John Lennon Biography). After the death of John Lennon his record sales soared and he continued to be admired by his generation (John Lennon). On December 14, 1980, a ten-minute silent vigil in John’s honour was observed around the world at 2:00 P. M. E. S. T. (Coleman 724). John left behind a legacy of music that has reached generation after generation. John Lennon suffered through a rough childhood, faced a challenging, yet exciting adult hood and would never get a chance to experience his manhood.As a child, John was raised by his Aunt Mimi after his parents were divorced, never saw his father until he became famous and was seventeen when he lost his mother after she was hit by a car. During his adulthood he formed a band, began a friendship with Paul McCartney and his renamed band, the Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein. John never did get to experience his manhood, but he did get to experience many other things like marriage, divorce and having kids. He married, divorced and had a child with Cynthia Powell. Then he married and had a child with Yoko Ono and during their marriage he was assassinated by an enraged fan.John left behind a legacy of music that has reached generation after generation. â€Å"You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one,† is the chorus of Imagine, one of the most famous John Lennon songs. Works Cited Colema n, Ray. Lennon: the definitive biography. USA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1985. Print. â€Å"John Lennon Biography. † The Rock and Roll Hall of fame and museum. Web. 09. Aug. 2012 â€Å"John Lennon. † 2012. Biography. com 2012. Biography. com 10 Aug 2012

Our Sense of Self

As Feenstra (2011) states in your textbook: â€Å"Social psychologists are interested in who we are. Our sense of self is affected by what we know about the self and by the people around us. The self is a powerful force. The self affects how we feel, what we think we can do, and what we in fact do. † (pg. 32). Expanding on the quotation above, describe how individuals develop a self-concept and self-schema. Discuss the cultural, social, and environmental influences on that development.In what ways does our sense of self determine how we think about others and how we interact with individuals and groups of people? What is the significance of the acting self? In your response, be sure to address at least three of the key concepts presented in Table 2. 2 of the reading. Individuals develop a self-concept through learned behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that they usually get from their friends and family. Self-concept is continuously developed by the reinforcement of factors such as religion, experiences, relationships and even actions.The self-schema helps organize all the information we contain within the self-concept. The way we see ourselves versus the world’s view definitely plays a significant role in the choices we make, our behavior, and even our beliefs. A person’s opinions of the world are generally influenced by the experiences they have with the outside world, both negative and positive, but ultimately it is the person’s reaction to the situation that forms the self-concept. One large impact on the development of our self-concepts is our culture. Cultures vary greatly in a variety of ways, but one large difference is in the way cultures view the self and connections with others. † (Feenstra, J. , Chp. 2, Sec. 2. 1)  Cultures that are independent view people as unique individuals while interdependent cultures believe that people should be viewed as a group. Having a healthy sense of self is essential for interaction wi th people.Self-esteem plays a large part in determining a person’s personality: high self-esteem = outgoing, makes friends, â€Å"party starter†, low self-esteem = quiet, keeps to oneself, doesn’t appear friendly. That doesn’t mean high self-esteem individuals are awesome, however that doesn’t stop them from believing they are. A person’s sense of self is important when it comes to interacting with people because it affects a person’s feelings of acceptance and rejection. If a person feels rejected by the social world then they will have a hard time mingling with others.The acting self allows us to become who we need to be at that particular moment. For example, during a job interview when asked how well you could perform the job, a person must describe their worth as high in self efficacy for that specific job. The images we portray of ourselves to others is constantly changing and therefore allows us to take on new roles when necess ary. Reference: Feenstra, J. (2011). Introduction to social psychology. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.