The Roman Identity Essays - Roman Mythology, Kings Of Rome

The Roman Identity The Roman Identity The Roman people were a overly proud and highly religious people, whose sense of identity as romans came primarily from their accomplishments in war and their respect of their ancestors. By examining Livy's The Early History of Rome, we can identify these traits through roman patterns of behavior and the foundation myths that their nation is built upon. The romans repeatedly display not only an overdeveloped personal sense of pride, but an exceptional pride in their nation - taking precedence over even family loyalty. The first example of this Roman pride is seen in the very first foundation myth of Rome, the tale of Romulus and Remus. The second of the two versions of this story tells how after the auspices have indicated Romulus as the rightful leader of this new nation, "Remus, by way of jeering at his brother, jumped over the half-built walls of the new settlement, whereupon Romulus killed him in a fit of rage, adding the threat, ?So perish whoever else shall overleap my battlements( P.40 Livy) .'" Not only do we see a foreshadowing of Rome's violent nature in this tale, but it seems to indicate a strong belief in the superiority of this ( barely existant ) nation, one that necessitates a national pride of greater magnitude than the even the strength of the loyalty between brothers. This kind of loyalty to country, as displayed by the Rome's founder, certainly sets a precendent for later roman citizens. Not surprisingly then, we see this same kind of pride with similar consequences later on following a battle between Rome and the Albans. The victory had been decided, not by a full scale war, but by a contest between three men from each country ( two sets of three brothers ). This contest left Rome victorious and five people dead - only one roman brother stood living. The victor returned to rome carrying the ?triple spoils' and,"slung across [ his ] shoulders was a cloak, and [ his sister ] recognized it as the cloak she had made with her own hand for her lover. The sight overcame her : she loosened her hair and, in a voice choked with tears, called her dead lovers name. That his sister should dare to grieve at the very moment of his own triumph and in the midst of national rejoicing filled horatius with such uncontrollable rage that he drew his sword and stabbed her to the heart( Livy 62)." Again we see the word"rage" used to describe this similarly extreme exhibition of extreme national pride. Back in the foundation myth of Romulus and Remus, we see another aspect of Roman pride. There is some indication that, In Livy's time, there was some suspicion that Greek infulence in Rome was detrimental to Roman society. Livy seems to emphasize the absence of any kind of formal schooling ( which would have been greek ) in the adolescence of both Romulus and Remus ( P.38 Livy ) The idea that Romulus in particular, was a self-made man, shows that Rome owes nothing to previous and other nations like Greece and so the pride of such a great nation is all theirs. There is plenty of evidence that Rome was always a highly religious nation. From even as early as the founding of the nation we see their dependance on auguries of the gods to make important decisions - namely the choice between Romulus and Remus as their leader. " As the brothers were twins and all question of seniority was thereby precluded, they determined to ask the tutelary gods of the countryside to declare by augury which of them should govern the new town once it was founded, and give his name to it ( p.40 Livy )." More than any one other aspect of Roman behavior, I feel that recognition and respect of the ways of their ancestors as the ways of ?True' Romans was the most primary source from which Romans defined there identity. This respect stemmed from oral tradition and early historians works that have not survived to us, but which Livy owes his knowledge. From the respect of great deeds that made their cultural history so worth of pride, came their habits of dedicating particular places and edifices in the name of honorable contemporaries and ancestors. Take for instance the story of Caius Mucius Scaevola, a man who was willing to risk anything to save rome from a Etruscan attack. It cost him his hand, hence the name Scaevola- translating as the Left-Handed Man, but his efforts brought peace

Computer Mediated Communication

Computer Mediated Communication Introduction The impacts of intercultural awareness in the use of electronic email exchange between Hungarian learners and native English speakers seem to correspond with Laura (2009) that use of email as a communicative device provides a platform needed to authentic communicative events but the researcher neither tests the hypothesis nor evaluates the program.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Computer Mediated Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Laura (2009) also states that email communication enhances exchange of ideas between native speakers and L2 learners which improves reading and writing skills and development of cultural awareness in the long run. This is inconsistence with Kern (1998) reports that indicated no communication improvement of students who learn from interaction with their virtual peers. Researcher deviation from scientific research procedures in developing research design, population and sample collection can not gain the status of real and useful investigation. Background Unfortunately, although research shows that the sample group consisted of 13 pairs of both Hungarian and American students, it did not indicate how the samples were chosen or the demographic location of the research. It is also unclear of what â€Å"L2 learners† are despite being used throughout the research. Also, the research did not indicate the range of sample group composition in terms of age, demographic location, gender and race which suggests that the study findings provide unclear perspective on the selection of sample group. In examination of social interaction such as an academic environment for his case, a researcher needs to gain first-hand information about social process, essential measurement tools and appropriate research methods.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wi th 15% OFF Learn More For this reason, constant comparative method used as a qualitative analysis tool may hold more promise than their use since the researcher only looked at the end-product. However, little research on constant comparative method supports the coding process of what Strauss and Corbin (1990) states as â€Å"breaking down, examining, comparing, conceptualizing and categorizing data† (p.61) as effective data collection method, little research has reported their efficacy in social environment. The study did not however describe how participants were trained or record data collected. No published studies have reported on the usefulness of computer mediated communication as a platform for development of English language speaking and writing skills even though e-mail communication has become common in consumer culture during the past decades. The theoretical basis for this research included principles drawn from social based practices of a learning environment to elucidate participants’ needs. Since the researcher was also a teacher of the Hungarian students, results of the study could have been manipulated to fit her perspective. Literature review The research should have begun by introducing the reader of what intercultural communication is and how it relates to intellectual awareness. The author fails to mention what intercultural communication and competence in relation to academic learning environment. Literature review provided here in discussion of intercultural communication is very limited and also fails to provide substantial evidence on intercultural communication as intellectual awareness tool. For example, the author emphasises on the importance of computer-mediated communication to help students learn and interact with one another through debate and discussions, but many questions such as is email communication as the primary communication tool in schools remain unanswered in this area.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Computer Mediated Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is also unknown from this literature whether the learning outcomes frequency or duration of email exchange influences cultural awareness or rather intellectual awareness and how long the effects lasts. In addition, it is unclear whether the positive influence of electronic emailing is affected by professional (the school instructor) and where the training of use of email is used. None of the articles reviewed discussed specific learning outcomes of electronic emails in terms of the number of students who reported to have benefited from the program; therefore whether specific learning outcomes in relations to intellectual awareness are more or less effective in positively influencing intercultural awareness, language skills and elimination of stereotype remains unclear. Future research should place emphasise on these variable s if our understanding of the related factors influencing the use is to be expanded. Project description Research period of the project is reported to have started in spring 2005 and does not indicate the period in which the project was completed. The study sample was randomised but the criteria on which the participants were selected in terms of age and race and gender were not mentioned which means that the population as a whole was not fully represented. When it comes to research objective, the author presents two objectives of the project which is confusing to a novice researcher. First; Laura (2009), states the objective of the project to be to develop better intercultural awareness and positive attitudes toward the target cultures, as students discussed information about the cultures, languages, and teacher education systems of the two countries (3).Advertising Looking for critical writing on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, towards the beginning of the essay, in the introduction part, the Laura (2009) stated the objective to investigate the development of intercultural awareness in an electronic mail (e-mail) discussion project between Hungarian learners of English and American speakers (1). Even when known, neither of the objectives represents the underlying philosophy or may lead to tangible results. This makes it difficult for a reader to determine variables to be measured against each other in the research project. Also, since the sample consisted of people who were community dwelling (a school setting), who were Hungarian learners and Native American speakers, pursuing language education and needed access to authenticate communicative events. The results should be not be applied to other factors of learning population since its unclear how the samples were chosen. Future research plan should include randomised sample with clear variables in terms of age and race and use controlled trials with a larger and more inclusive sample than the selected 13 participants. The author should have introduced measurement tools to be used in data collection and participants should have had thorough knowledge of specific progression of communicative approaches used in the research. This case report describes the outcome of email communication to have improved their English language and writing skills for students who participated in the study. It illustrates the importance of electronic email communication to have helped the students developed effective writing skills, improve critical thinking and reasoning skills. All this claims are based on assumptions as the researcher did not introduce variables to be used in the study objective. Period of research project was not however included in evaluating numbers of individuals at regular intervals. Laura (2009) also required students in the study group to freely choose topic of their preference, which did provide controlled trials of t he research hypothesis. To begin with, she has too many research questions. For example, the study groups are asked by Laura (2009) to choose topics based on teachers education program, personal experience, personal communication, experience of school, experience with other cultures, teacher education program, travelling, minority-majority cultures, festivals, fashion, sports, environment, foreign language learning and teaching (4) to mention just a few. It seems to me that she decided to implement emails as a teaching tool and at some point she realised ‘ahhh this email exchange thing is very good for raising intercultural awareness too! Oh I can publish it. Design and Methods Research methodology only uses the reflective papers of her students which is qualitative data and does not include triangulation. Combining both qualitative and quantitative methods (triangulation) may provide enough information that may improve validity of the results. Triangulation approach uses mult iple sources of data collection which extends the quality of data and reliability of the results (Robinson 1992). The research should have also used methodological sampling paradigms of quantitative exploration for using observable, measurable and quantifiable facts which could have helped explain why some diverse principle and knowledge about the simple world (Perry 2005, p.55; Glense and Peshkin 1992). Another important potential benefit of using quantitative paradigm is that it produces knowledge that is free from manipulation that can be generalized. Information on such concerns are meaningful and may assists researchers during their evaluation like in guiding evaluation interviews and develop particular explanations and predictions to generalize from the sample population. This information may also help a novice researcher to maximise his analytic skills such as structured observation and content analysis (Dorney 2007). Researcher did not include additional criteria to help rul e out difficulties in using language development in relation to vocabulary, grammar and style that were not related to email exchange. She does not take into consideration the Hawthorne effect despite the fact that she is the participants’ teacher. Too many variables were used in the research. For example, participants belonged to different age groups, are at various language proficiency levels. She does not mention how their level was determined either before or after the project (pretest/ posttest). She does not tell us how their intercultural competence was measured before and after the project. What were participants’ motives for taking part in the project? Were the Hungarians tested/ marked on their performance or participation? What were the US participants’ motives? She does not question that. Both intellectual awareness and computer mediated communication are represented in the studies reviewed, but the constant comparative method did not develop a theor y that explained the mergence of electronic email and how they connected to the reality of the research of promoting cultural awareness (Glaser and Strauss (1967, p.28). In coding procedure, Strauss and Corbin (1990) states that constant comparative method mentioned in open coding involves â€Å"the process of breaking down, examining, comparing, conceptualizing and categorizing data â€Å" (p. 61) but Laura (2009, p.6) in this case has only compared the participants texts and refinement of the categories and failed to conceptualize and break down the data. This means that the data obtained here can not guide subsequent theoretical sampling decisions. As a result, studies that follow constant comparative methods of data dissemination after collecting initial data will allow use of insights from that analysis and offers full perspective of future research of data collection. The researcher should have allowed contacts with participants spaced over time or tract changes in the text messages until a strong theoretical understanding of the event or phenomenon has emerged. Follow up times that ranges from certain period should also be specified. The research methodology adopted raises questions about the validity, reliability and transferability of the findings. Findings Geographic region: The studies reflect intellectual awareness in an electronic email between Hungarian and American learners findings and offer a broader perspective on how the communication technology improve cultural awareness among other things. The findings however, failed to provide geographical location of the study and since the author specifically mentions the research to be international email exchange, it would be impossible for one to consider findings only from one country to be reliable and conclusive. The study reviews were completed from February to April, making a total study period of 8-9 weeks. This study shows incompetence in determining the exact study period, which should be either 8 or 9 weeks. Future research should follow participants beyond the stated period after questionnaires were issued to determine accurately of data obtained (Laura 2009, p.4). The findings would have been useful if; it was a longitudinal study used learner diaries was not based on a one-to-one interaction through email (some of the participants did not even get on with each other!). A discussion board would have been much more useful (and perhaps more fun for the participants). This would also make the task of cultural exchange more authentic, as it is a totally made-up situation. In real life, we don’t really use emails to learn about each other’s culture. Although the descriptive information of how variables were selected is valuable, it raises questions about what is the expected the learning outcomes and how they can be used for future research. Knowing what to expect during the research analysis may help in evaluating the impacts of intellectual awareness i n an electronic email and quality of data obtained and identifying areas for improvement. The findings on the rates of efficacies of electronic email emphasised the need for development of hypothesis which could be measured at the end of the study. For example, Laura (2009, p.5) reported improved writing skills on Hungarian learners as reported by their American counterparts. Participants demonstrated their ability to learn English proficiency skills through email exchange but these findings did not support the use of electronic email communication as the primary learning tool for developing reading and writing skills among Hungarian learners. Whereas the research is focused on intellectual awareness in electronic email, the study provides evidence that students experienced difficulties in language development in relation to vocabulary, grammar and style. The research did not show how the school teacher trained in using constant comparative method and the arrangements of significan t association with use of email exchange in academic environment to improve communication skills, which is inconsistence with the research objective to determine their relationship. These discrepancies could be attributed from different study population, or types of measurement used. As indicated earlier in the literature review, language learners can learn effectively and more directly through email exchange, and the research relies on accuracy of data obtained from respondents. The research did not make efforts to reduce response bias in email communication in both Hungarian and American native speakers, the results should therefore be applied cautiously. Threats to biasness can be reduced by having assessment and training administered by professional people and not the students instructor for this case. Additional research is required to determine the extent to which computer mediated communication led to the observed benefit of improved writing skills and cultural awareness (Lau ra 2009, p.4). Data analysis Lack of training in email use among Hungarian learners and American natives will not have beneficial effects on the ability of students to speak and learn English skills which could have strong negative effect on research results obtained. Several study features that were required to determine email features in both written and spoken languages were inappropriate for specific design of the participants (Laura 2009, p.5). The author also reported that the Hungarian learners claimed to have improved their general writing, but did not provide any measurement to determine the credibility of these results. All this findings indicate critical need for developing specific measurement tool regarding improved language skills before the results could be published. The findings also suggested that suitable quantitative tool such as ethnographic fieldwork should have been determined at the beginning of the study to eliminate some instances of assumptions. Also, no c alculations conducted to determine whether a statistically improvement were provided. Discussion The main research is to develop ethnographic emphasis that understands and interprets participants’ views of the social world, academic environment for this case. Qualitative tool used was not appropriate for addressing views in social phenomenon because it requires people to interact more between perspectives and experiences (Firestone 1987) as opposed to how Laura (2009) generalized all the results. The difficulties most often cited by participants were different perceptions in discussing education problems due to cultural diversity and age difference (Laura 2009, p.7) which might be the problem most affected by the interventions in this study. Researchers are encouraged to consider diversity on education difficulties interpretation for participants who present with these issues for future research. The research should also include ethnographic fieldwork to collect data about th e way participants acts when interacting. According to Wolfson (1983), application of ethnographic fieldwork as a primary study measurement would provide most varied data and satisfactory results for research in pragmatics. Conclusion and Recommendations The adaptation of appropriate methods for research project is very important. Use of multiple perspectives such as triangular methods increases reliability of data collected which can be used for future research. Much research has to be done in identifying research design, population and sample collection otherwise we would be far from understanding the complicated nature of research methodology. All factors identified in this review that includes the relationship between humans and communicative devices must be considered if the expectation of concrete and reliable research is to be met. The fulfilment of this obligation can be accomplished through research, choosing desirable measurement tool, training on measurement toll to be us ed and addressing concerns of the students. Although the sample size for this research was small, further research is recommended to refine this area. The researcher also specify if the study used interviews, surveys, questionnaire or observable data at the very beginning of the research and include participants characteristics such as gender, gender ratio and race. List of References Dorney, Z,.2007, Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Firestone, W. A. !987, ‘Meaning in method: the rhetoric of quantitative and qualitative research’, Educational Research, vol. 16, no.7, pp.16-21. Glaser, B. G. Strauss, a. L. 1967, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies  for Qualitative Research. Aldine De Gruyter, New York. Glesne, C., Peshkin, A. 1992, Becoming qualitative researcher: an introduction, Longman, London Kern, R. 1998. Technology, social interaction and FL literacy. In J. Muyskens (Ed.),  New ways of learning and teaching: focus on technology and foreign language education , Heinle Heinle Publishers, Boston. Laura, F. 2009, ‘Outcomes of an intercultural e-mail based university discussion project, Language and Intercultural Communication, vol. 9, no.1, pp. 1-10 Perry, F. L. 2005, Research in Applied Linguistics, Routledge. Robinson, M. A 1992, Introspective methodology in interlanguage pragmatics  research, HI University of Howaii, Honolulu. Strauss, A. Corbin, J. 1990, Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory  Procedures and Techniques, Sage Publications, Newbury Park. Woldson, N. 1983, Rules of speaking: language and communication, Longman, London.

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 5

Business Ethics - Essay Example This case study aims to explain the ethically questionable behavior of sales representatives in the pharmaceutical industry. Medical Representatives of the Taiwanese pharmaceutical industry that deals in all kinds of biomedical medicines, and prescribed drugs have formed the sample of the study. Sales Representatives working at hospitals, and not pharmacies or clinics, were considered. 24 sales representatives are informed of the questionnaire, and then of the 16 scenarios, only one version was exposed to each respondent. In total, 328 respondents were analyzed (Hsu, Fang and Lee, 159). In this case study, the differences in the ethically questionable behavior are examined using four variables: â€Å"Frame Pattern†, â€Å"Commission Structure†, â€Å"Behavior Control Type†, and â€Å"Marketing Norm Perceptions.† The Medical Representatives are given a scenario, the background information, and the treatments. They now have to get into the character’s shoes, and arrive at a decision that if they were in that situation what they would have done. The background information given to them is as follows: In the pharmaceutical industry, sales personnel should invite clients to banquets in order to make the sales. The price should not exceed 3500 dollars in Taiwanese currency, but your client has chosen a restaurant that exceeds the bill of 3500 dollars in Taiwanese currency. The treatments are: (Hsu, Fang and Lee, 159). 1. â€Å"The sales representative’s profits (have already reached/are only at) 50%, and the probability of (receiving/failing to receive) the client’s deal, which will achieve the quota, (will increase considerably/is minimal)† (Hsu, Fang and Lee. p. 159). 2. â€Å"The base salary of the sales representative is (600/400) thousand dollars. If he achieves the annual quota, a bonus of (200/400) thousand dollars will be awarded to him. The ratio of this award to his base salary is (only 33%/ 100%)† (Hsu,

The Hawthrone Effect Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Hawthrone Effect - Term Paper Example Regardless of how they act in a real life setting, they will change their behavior to match what is expected or assumed of the experiment. It is also possible for the researchers themselves to fall prey to the Hawthorne Effect to sway the results towards their own expectations. The significance of the Hawthorne Effect is that it causes the results of experiments to be inaccurate. If the subject is aware of the hypothesis of the experiment, they have all the information that they need to change their behavior to influence the direction of the experiment. However, if the subject is not being honest about their behavior, then the experiment risks being a failure and becomes a waste of time and effort. By implementing the Hawthorn Effect into an experiment, the subject is not allowing the researchers to understand a concept or specific behavior. One example of the Hawthorne Effect is if Chip Company One were conducting a taste test between their product and the product of a rival. If the researchers made it known which product was theirs, odds are the subjects of the experiment would automatically say that that product tasted the best. Another example is the famous experiment which coined the term Hawthorne Effect. The experiment involved seeing if lighting had an effect on the productivity of people working in a business.

Media in Elementary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Media in Elementary - Essay Example The section of the society and for that matter of the whole world should come forward and pull up the weaker strata. This can be achieved only when the students who are the leaders and citizens of tomorrow understand the feeling of solidarity. Chapter three accurately points out that even though there are some universities in the United States that offer media literacy programs , they are meager in comparison to countries like Canada , Australia , New Zealand and especially UK where media literacy is far more institutionalized. There should be more programs for teachers so that they can instill in their students the knowledge of media literacy. In the fourth chapter author mentions his experience of interviewing the teachers who attended the Project SMARTArt. This project helped the teachers as they implemented their newly acquired skills in their classrooms. However , one of the greatest hurdle in providing media literacy has been inadequate funds. Hence , I strongly recommend that the governments should not only introduce media literacy programs in their universities but at school level as well.

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks Title: Work-related psychosocial, physical and sociodemographic risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck, shoulders and low back among workers engaged in sewing tasks Abstract Background: Neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities, but their risk factors are controversial or not well-established. Methods: Data on sociodemographic and work-related factors and musculoskeletal pain (MSP) were based on questionnaire surveys of Iranian sewing workers (n = 632) (i.e. carpet weavers, shoe workers and sewing machine operators). Results: The prevalence of neck, shoulder and low back pain was 57.9%, 40.5% and 51.6%, respectively. The prevalence of neck/shoulder pain was higher among females and with increasing age. Working posture and fast working were independently associated with neck, shoulder and low back pain. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was associated with neck and low back pain. Long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with neck pain. Conclusions: The findings emphasise the importance of individual, physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP. Keywords: hand-sewn; shoemaking; carpet weaving; sewing machine; MSDs Introduction Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in the low back and neck/shoulders is a common cause of reduced quality of life, sick leave, and work disability in both industrialized and industrially developing countries (van der Windt et al. 2000; Picavet and Schouten 2003; McBeth and Jones 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). The risk and protective factors of these pains among different occupational groups, particularly in those involved in sedentary and repetitive activities, can be divided into physical, psychosocial, organizational and sociodemographic factors (Arià «ns et al. 2000; van der Windt et al. 2000; Linton 2001; Cà ´tà © et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014). Evidence suggests that neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities. Previous epidemiological studies have shown a high prevalence of neck/shoulder and back pain among sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al., 2002; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). Such tasks are typically highly repetitive, which are performed in a seated working posture for a long period of time. The operations usually require the operator to lean forward (with a forward inclined posture of both head and trunk) to see the point of operation and have better visual control of the task. Such a working condition can impose excessive physical load on the musculoskeletal system, and may eventually lead to the development of MSP in the neck/shoulder and back area. Several previous studies have assessed MSP among occupations involving sewing operations such as shoe sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al. 2002), garment sewing machine operators (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat et al. 2015), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014), although the effects of risk factors are not consistent and conclusive. There are, for example, very few studies which have examined the association between working postures and MSP among sewing machine operators with some studies showing positive association (Dianat et al. 2015), while others show no association (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011). This also seems to be the case for other relatively similar occupations (i.e. carpet weaving and shoemaking) and their contributing risk factors. Therefore, to reduce m usculoskeletal pain, there is a need to improve the understanding of the risk factors associated with such complaints among this working population. Further research in this area will help to better understand the nature of those jobs involving sewing operation and to develop corrective measures and intervention strategies for this population. It also contributes more evidence to the debate and has the potential to inform work practises in other developing societies with similar occupational groups. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of neck, shoulder and low back pain and their contributing sociodemographic and work-related (psychosocial and physical) risk factors among workers involved in different sewing activities. The intention was to place the discussion in a wider occupational context and use the findings to highlight areas that need more attention and to assist in introducing preventative measures and developing guidelines regarding safe working practices for those jobs involving sewing operation. Methods Study design and sample This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in three provinces (East Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Kordestan) in the western part of Iran. The study population consisted of those workers engaged in different sewing activities including hand-woven carpet weavers, hand-sewn shoe workers and sewing machine operators. Data on the number of workers and workshops in the study area was obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Industries and Mines. There were about 14,000 hand-woven carpet weavers, 7,000 hand-sewn shoe workers and 5,000 sewing machine operators in the study area who worked at approximately 1800, 1700 and 500 different workshops, respectively. Sampling was done using a multi-stage random selection process. In the first stage, the required numbers of workshops, which included 60 workshops from each of the three different occupational groups, were selected randomly (using probability proportion to size sampling method). Using the same procedure, participants were then selected from these workshops. The participants were familiarised with the study procedure and their questions were answered by the investigators. They each signed a written informed consent form before participation in the study. The study protocol was approved by the ethical review committee of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Measures and data collection The data were collected using both questionnaire and direct observation of the participants during their work. Arrangements were made and then investigators visited the selected workshops for data collection. The questionnaire, administered by interviewing the participants, was composed of items on sociodemographic characteristics, work-related psychosocial and physical risk factors and musculoskeletal pain in the last month. Working postures were assessed through direct observation of participants’ postures at their workstations using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method (McAtamney and Corlett 1993). Musculoskeletal pain The questions on MSP were adapted from the standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (Kuorinka et al. 1987). This questionnaire has been translated and revised into Persian language and has an established validity and reliability (Dianat et al. 2014; Dianat and Karimi, 2014). The participants were asked whether they had experienced pain in the neck, shoulders or low back lasting for more than 1 day during the previous month. The location of these anatomic areas was also demonstrated by a drawing in the questionnaire. The response alternatives were: No/Yes. Those participants who reported MSP in any of these body areas were asked to rate its severity using a scale of 1 – very low pain to 5 – very high pain. Disruption of normal activities due to MSP (No/Yes) was also included. Sociodemographic and work-related factors The sociodemographic details included age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI as weight/height2), educational level (Illiterate, Primary school, Secondary school, and Diploma), marital status (Single, Married), being involved in regular sport and physical activities each week (for at least 30 min) (No/Yes) and smoking habits (No/Yes). The questions regarding the work-related psychosocial and physical factors were based on prior knowledge and a literature review (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Dianat and Salimi 2014) and included daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job (No/Yes), perceived speed of work (asking ‘Does your work require you to work very fast? No/Yes), duration of continuous work without a break (> 10 min) (asking ‘How many hours do you usually work without breaks (breaks > 10 min)?’), perceived pressure due to work (asking ‘Do you feel pressure due to work? No/Yes’) and job satisfaction based on the question: ‘How much are you satisfied with your job? Low, Moderate, High’. The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study on a sample of 65 participants in order to obtain feedback on the content, clarity and wording of the items of the questionnair e. The test-retest reliability (stability) of the items of the questionnaire was also good (Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.98). Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) (McAtamney and Corlett 1993) was used to assess the working postures of operators at their workstations. The RULA is a reliable and validated observational method for assessing biomechanical and postural loading on the musculoskeletal system of operators which is known to contribute to MSP. This method gives a score for each body part, where combinations of individual scores for upper arm, lower arm and wrist are called score â€Å"A†, those for neck, trunk and leg give score â€Å"B†, and the final score is called â€Å"grand score† which indicates the musculoskeletal loading associated with the operator’s posture. The original version of RULA checklist has been translated and revised into the Persian language and has shown to be valid and reliable (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The observations and recordings of working postures were performed by two trained observers. The inter-rater reliability of the RULA scores was also found to be good (Kappa coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 0.99). Statistical analysis The analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software (version 17.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Sociodemographic data and work-related characteristics of the study participants were tabulated. Logistic regression models with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were developed to estimate the effects. The relationship between prevalence rates and study variables (sociodemographic and work-related characteristics) was initially assessed using univariate binary logistic regression analysis. The variables in the logistic regression analyses included sociodemographic (age, gender, BMI, educational level, marital status, smoking and being involved in regular sport/physical activities each week) and work-related characteristics (daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job, perceived speed of work, duration of continuous work without a break, perceived pressure due to work and job satisfaction) as well as three RULA scores including RULA score A (arm/wrist score), RULA score B (neck/trunk/leg score) and final RULA grand score. Multiple logistic regression analysis (using backward stepwise procedure) was also performed to estimate the association between independent variables and the reported neck, shoulder and low back pain in the multivariate context. The study variables were theoretically of equal importance, and therefore an equal role was assigned for all of them in the regression models without any adjustment. The assumptions of the models (including the presence of outliers and collinearity) were checked and the fit of the models was confirmed by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. P Discussion The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of MSP and their contributing risk factors among sewing workers in a wider occupational context. One of the main findings of the study was that the prevalence of MSP was considerably high among the study population with 76.2% of the sample reporting this, and of these 68% had more than one site of discomfort or pain. This finding provides further evidence that musculoskeletal pain and discomfort is a major problem in this group of workers. More than one-third of the respondents reported disruption of normal activities due to MSP. Individual factors including gender (being female), age (> 30 years old) and lower educational level were independently associated with the occurrence of MSP. Work-related variables such as the number of years worked as a sewing worker (> 20 years for the neck and > 10 years for the low back pain), duration of continuous sitting work (> 2 h) without a break, fast working and working postures were al so found to be independently associated with the occurrence of MSP among sewing workers. There were several notable findings regarding the relation of individual factors to MSP. The results of the present study indicated that gender was a significant factor for neck and shoulder complaints, so that females experienced such complaints more frequently than males. This is similar to the findings of Wang et al. (2007), who reported a higher prevalence of neck/shoulder pain in female sewing machine operators than in males. It was also shown that age was significantly positively associated with neck and shoulder pain. It has been acknowledged that better understanding of the task characteristics may provide an insight into the job (re)design to support the user needs of older working population in future (Stedmon et al. 2012). Moreover, the findings indicated that workers with a higher educational level were less likely to report shoulder and low back pain than other workers. This supports the finding of a study conducted among hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). As shown in this study, working posture was an important risk factor for the neck, shoulders and low back pain among sewing workers. This finding provide further evidence that the sewing operations involve frequent head and trunk bending movements over the duration of the task, and therefore imposes unacceptable postural loading on the upper body and limbs. Our findings indicated that the RULA scores for the workers’ upper and lower arm/wrist scores (score A), neck/trunk/legs scores (score B), and the grand scores were relatively high. The relatively high RULA scores in this study highlights that the working postures of the workers were constrained by both the visual and the manual aspects of the sewing tasks, and that the design of the sewing workstations had a significant influence on the postures adopted. This emphasises that in most cases the workers’ postures at their workstations need to be investigated and some changes are required immediately. These findings are in part consistent with several previous reports of poor working postures (assessed by the RULA method) among workers involved in sewing machine operating (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Teodoroski et al. 2012; Dianat et al. 2015) or hand-sewn shoemaking tasks (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The results also suggest that there is a need to consider other work-related physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks. Interestingly, our findings indicated that perceived speed of work (i.e. fast working) was another independent factor that was positively associated with the occurrence of MSP in all studied body regions (i.e. neck, shoulder and low back areas) among sewing workers. This finding may be attributed to the fact that these workers were paid based on the number of items they completed and this provided an incentive to work at high speed without adequate rest breaks. Moreover, the finding indicated that years of employment as a sewing worker was positively associated with the presence of symptoms in the neck and low back areas, which is in agreement with several previous observations (Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). It is also interesting to note that the sewing workers in this study had frequent periods of long duration of sewing work without breaks (i.e. sitting in one place in a static or non-moving position for more than 2 hours), but this was only associated with the occurrence of neck complaints. The results from some previous studies suggest that the long duration of sitting work without a break may increase the risk for neck/shoulder pain among different occupational groups (Wang et al. 2007; Johnston et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014), and that regular rest breaks may reduce the risk for such complaints (McLean et al. 2001). Therefore, sewing workers should be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to minimise exposure and to help recovery from static and awkward postures. The present study has an advantage that the observer error was controlled by using two trained interviewers in comparison to studies in which there were separate observer for each case. However, the findings presented should be interpreted in the context of the cross-sectional study design. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP. Thus, in addition to the work-related factors, it might be useful to consider individual factors (such as age, gender and education) as potential confounders in future analysis of MSP among this working group. Conclusions In conclusion, the main finding of the study was that neck, shoulder and low back pain are frequent in workers involved in different sewing activities. The findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related (psychosocial and physical) aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and emphasis the need for ergonomic interventions for improving the working conditions of this working group. Working posture and fast working were found to be as important predictors of MSP in all studied body regions. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was also shown to increase the risk for neck and low back pain among sewing workers. However, long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with the occurrence of neck pain. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that working postures of sewing workers should be improved through workstation design for sewing tasks (i.e. based on workers’ anthropometry). Moreover, workers involv ed in these tasks should also be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to alleviate exposure and also to aid recovery from unhealthy working postures. These findings highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP.

Free Essays - To Kill a Mockingbird - What is a Classic? :: Free Essay Writer

What is a classic? One definition given by the dictionary is: having lasting significance or worth; enduring. When examined closely we can discover what makes the novel unique and memorable. There are many important messages in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, which make it memorable to the reader. The main message in this novel is about racism, how people around you, not just parents have a strong influence on you when you are growing up, and how rumors and misjudging can make a person look bad. Judging other people without knowledge of the facts is also a common occurrence. Nearly the whole last half of the book is about racism. The attitude of the whole town is that Tom Robinson, because he is black and,"†¦all Negroes lie,†¦all Negroes are basically immoral beings,†¦all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women†¦"(Lee 207), will be found guilty regardless of how good a case Atticus makes for him. There was substantial amount of evidence that suggests his innocence. Even the prosecution's two witnesses' stories contradicted each other. The jury did not give a guilty verdict it gave a racist verdict. Not a verdict based on fact, but a verdict based on the color of a man's skin. This is important because the author was not making this racism up; it was what it was like in those times. She is trying to show how ignorant and blind people can be just because of differences between them, as well as how society treats racial minorities. During the book Scout and Jem are at an age were people around them greatly affect their thoughts, views and ideas about the world. Although Atticus tried to raise them to treat Negroes as equals, people around them affected their views on them. A good example is when Dill questioned the seemingly rude way which Mr. Gilmer treated Tom Robinson. Scout replied by saying, "†¦after all he's just a Negro." (Lee 201). She believes it to be acceptable. This is not something her father put in her head but people in her town. The same also happens in the black community. When Atticus asks Calpurnia to watch his children for him while he is out, Calpurnia accepts and takes the children with her to church, a church for black people. When she arrives with the children, they are greeted kindly except by a few people. These people use the same reason as in the last example as to why they should not be there, because they are white.

Appropriate Classroom Behavior Essay

Behavior is a choice, and a teacher’s role is to aid students when learning to make good choices. Inappropriate behavior is not acceptable. It should be followed by negative consequences and therefore be discouraged. When the teacher responds to different behaviors, either positive, or negative, it teaches the student something. School is a place where students are given the opportunity to learn and receive an education as well as socialize. Part of the learning process is interaction, however, it should only occur when the time is suitable. Being in the classroom should be considered a privilege. That privilege should only be given if a student’s behavior does not interfere with the ability of the teacher to teach effectively or the ability of other students to participate in classroom learning activities. Consequences should be given to individual students who choose to interrupt the teacher’s lesson or distract others. A whole class should not be punished but should be aware of how that behavior was not right. The behavior that took place last Friday was not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

Miss Havisham in the Novel Great Expectations

Miss Havisham in the Novel Great Expectations Free Online Research Papers Great Expectations is written by Charles Dickens and has many important characters and one of them is a very influential character and she is Miss Havisham. She brings the plot together and has a central position in the story. Dickens presents her in many ways: through her personality, her surroundings and her history. Dickens first presents her in her house Satis House. The house is described as empty and disused showing the reader that Miss Havisham is all alone. Time in this house has stood still, symbolized by the clocks all reading twenty to nine, Miss Havisham some time ago in the distant past stopped living her life. By wilfully stopping her life at a moment of pain and humiliation, she indulges her own anger, self-pity, and desire for revenge; she imagines her death as the finished curse upon the man who jilted her. Compeyson, her fiancà ©, left her at the altar on their wedding day. Her only objective in life is now to take revenge on all males. This is important as Miss Havisham takes revenge on men through her adopted daughter Estella who is told to break Pips heart as well as any other mans heart. She is presented as a weak, psychologically scarred, old and abandoned woman because of what happened to her. Dickens presents Miss Havisham as an unreal character. She has only been wearing her wedding dress these many years, ‘she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white’ since her ‘wedding day’. This is because she has never gotten over the fact that Compeyson had left her on her wedding day. Miss Havisham is portrayed as a wild, mentally fragile, sinister woman, in an effort to create an image in the reader’s mind of a woman who is physcologically damaged. In the 19th century there were many depressed people. Miss Havisham was rich: his makes her a character for whom we have sympathy. She is presented to the reader in her dining room, as this is the room in the whole house which has all the wedding decorations. There is a rotting cake on the table and the entire room is covered in cobwebs; there is no light, ‘The most prominent object waslike a black fungus.’ This shows that she doesn’t really care about or care for anything other than herself and what had happened to her. She walks around the table, ‘She looked all aroundWalk me, walk me!’, so that she is able to get Pip alone and talk to him about Estella, and maybe so that could just look at the table which makes her remember that day, wanting the memory to be kept alive, becoming more and more sinister as time goes by. An impression of Miss Havisham is presented by Dickens through the words and the style in which he writes about her. Her chest had droppedunder the weight of a crushing blow. Dickens uses repetition of the word dropped. This illustrates that Miss Havisham has lost everything; also dropped creates an image to the reader of a woman who is slumped and broken just waiting to die; someone who is mentally wounded. In addition that she has lost all hope, has low self-esteem, is becoming very depressed, and waiting to die. This description is important because it is the first impression Miss Havisham makes upon Pip and will be one that he always remembers. Miss Havishams actions of encouragement and inviting Pip over to play, brings Pip and Estella closer but what she has planned for Estella is cruel and selfish. Miss Havisham requests Pip to play with Estella, but enjoys watching Estella mock and shame him. She is happiest when Pip falls in love with Estella, because then she can taunt him that he will never be good enough to have her. â€Å"Miss Havisham repeated, If she tears your heart to pieceslove her, love her, love her!†, emphasising that he has to love her, trying to keep the image of Pip and Estella together in his brain. Miss Havisham wants Estella to break his heart. In the end, however Miss Havisham eventually sees that she has wanted to hurt Pip because she was hurt, and asks his forgiveness. Miss Havisham plays an important role in Pip’s life, as when she leads Pip to believe that she is his benefactor. He found out it was not her, and when he told her he had found out who his benefactor was, she confessed to making him believe that she was his benefactor but then asked, ’But when I fell into the mistake Who am I, for God’s sake, that I should be kind?’ emphasising that she can do what she wants but also she acts like a child who is throwing a tantrum. She most likely has not acted in this way as Estella herself is surprised by her actions, ‘Estella glanced up at her in surprise’. Pip also believes that it is a part of Miss Havisham’s plan to pair him up with Estella however, when he finds out that she had lied he also realize that the plan does not exist. However, Miss Havisham does continue to give Herbert Pocket money to assure his place in the Clarriker firm after Pip’s request for this, ‘Miss Havisham, if you would spare the money to do my friend Herbert a lasting service in life’. Pip asks for this because this is the least that Miss Havisham can do for him and Pip knows that Herbert is in a lot of debt. When Pip meets her for the last time, Miss Havisham realizes her wrongs doings, she shows heartfelt sorrow, and attempts to make amends. She asks for forgiveness ‘dropped on her knees at my feet: with her folded hands raised to me’ showing that she surrendered mentally and physically. The last time that is made known of in the novel is the time when she catches fire and become badly injured ‘I saw her running at me, shrieking, with a whirl of fire blazing all about her’. Pip’s attempts to save her still even after what she has done to him but he at that time felt for her. Her burning would have been seen to symbolize her purification in the 19th Century. In conclusion, I think that Miss Havisham is a very important character and has been presented by Dickens in a variety of ways. These are mainly presented in her personality, appearance and surroundings. She is a central character in the book because she brings together the two main characters. 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Juvenile Courts

Juvenile Courts Free Online Research Papers What was the social and historical context in which the juvenile court was created? What has been the fundamental difference between the procedures used in juvenile courts and those employed in criminal (adult) courts? Juvenile Court, authority charged with the disposition of legal actions involving children.One hundred years ago, the Illinois legislature enacted the Illinois Juvenile Court Act (1899 Ill. Laws 132 et seq.), creating the first separate juvenile court. The policy debates raging around the country in this centennial year(1899), however, make it uncertain whether the traditional juvenile court will prevail. Early in the 19th century, juveniles were tried along with adults in criminal courts. In common law, children under age 7 were conclusively presumed immune from prosecution because they lacked state brings the suit and must show guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, while in civil cases the plaintiff brings the suit and must only show the defendant is liable by a preponderance of the evidence.Clearly, both the adult criminal and juvenile justice systems have undergone vast changes over the last 100 years. However, one thing that has remained constant is the desire of courts, correctional professionals, and policymakers to reduce recidivism and enhance society safety. To achieve those goals and other important objectives, implementation of a variety of sentencing, corrections, and diversion practices resulted. Currently, officials are looking at new ways to deal with crime or are modifying existing practices to achieve their goals. Research Papers on Juvenile CourtsThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseOpen Architechture a white paperEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenQuebec and CanadaThe Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesDefinition of Export QuotasComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Persuasive speech - why people shouldn't eat fast food Essay

Persuasive speech - why people shouldn't eat fast food - Essay Example Not only that, these foods simply do not just promise to help save time and cost, but they simply provide good taste too. These are the common reasons why fast food are widely consumed from different walks in today’s fast-paced life. Fast foods simply provide advantages that are tantamount to resuscitating an individual from a hectic schedule, financial and economic needs and preferences on foods. However, it is important to consider that together with these advantages, there are also corresponding disadvantages associated with eating fast food. These disadvantages are enough to stand as reasons why people should not eat fast food. These reasons are the following. According to Hales (149) many fast foods are high in salt, fats and calorie but with very low content of beneficial nutrients. Although a person’s body also requires salt, fats and calorie, there is only minimal amount of them which is needed by the body. For instance, the National Research Council (11) stated that the sodium requirement of the human body especially for adult ranges from 0.15 to 0.30 mg because the daily requirement per kilogram body weight is 0.002 to 0.004 mg. Fats and calories on the other hand are necessary for the right body functioning but they must be in small amounts too (Hart and Grossman 66). Let us now build the very foundation of this argument. Freedman (14) reported that there is a strong association between eating fast food and the likelihood of acquiring obesity. This is supported by the claim of Lusted (33) based on a case study in which the respondent was able to gain around 11 kg in a 30-day experiment of eating consecutively McDonald’s foods. Although this experiment would point out that obesity and fast food is a case of personal responsibility, it cannot be substantially denied that fast food can ultimately help a person gain considerable weight. After all, as stated earlier, fast foods

Answers for questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Answers for questions - Assignment Example b) The miotic phase whereby the cell divides; this stage of the "cell cycle" comprises of two stages. First is mitosis, which is the division of the cell nucleus; this gets followed by cytokinesis, which is the splitting up of the cell’s cytoplasm to two daughter cells. Question Two Atomic bonds are in two types - ionic and covalent bonds; they vary in their structure, as well as their features. Covalent bonds comprise of pairs of electrons that two atoms share, and join the atoms in a permanent orientation; therefore, relatively high energies is essential  for breaking break them. The determining factor as to whether two atoms are capable of forming a covalent bond is dependent on their electronegativity that is the influence of an atom within a molecule of attracting electrons to itself. However, if two atoms vary considerably within their electronegativity, the result is one of the atoms loosing its electron to the other atom. In this case, the outcome happens to be a pos itively charged ion i.e. cation, together with a negatively charged ion i.e. ... The somewhat small size of water molecules paves way for many water molecules to bound one molecule of solute. As a result, the water’s partly negative dipoles get attracted to the positively charged constituents of the solute; this is the same with the positive dipoles. Question Four Osmosis is capable of producing disastrous impacts in living things; this is worse when a person drinks salt water like the ocean water. The body has the capability if handling a little bit of salty water, but if a person consumes salt water only for several days, the osmotic pressure starts drawing water from other sections of the body. Considering that a human body varies from 60% water i.e. in an adult male up to 85% in a baby, the body contains a lot of water; nonetheless, water is the vital ingredient within the human body. Therefore, if a person continues ingesting salt water, he or she will eventually undergo dehydration and die. Question Five The primary distinction between DNA and RNA ha ppens to be the sugar present within the molecules. Whereas the sugar available in a RNA molecule turns out to be ribose, on the other hand, the sugar available in a molecule of DNA happens to be deoxyribose. Although Deoxyribose is almost similar to ribose, the difference is that former contains one more OH. It is impossible for DNA to survive as a single molecule; rather, it exists as a tightly-bonded pair of molecules. The two long components entangle like vines, taking the shape of a twofold helix. This array of DNA strands is antiparallel, with the asymmetric tops of DNA components getting known as the 5? and 3? ends. The main differences amid DNA and RNA happens to be the sugar, with 2-deoxyribose getting replaced by the