Project Paper-Adult Development Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Paper-Adult Development Issues - Essay Example What emerges from this study is the importance of physical and intellectual competence, an adaptive personality, financial security and a supportive family. A sustained, dramatic change in the demographic profile of American society has been observed and documented in recent years, brought about by a new high in life expectancy, which has increased to approximately 77 years, showing a difference between 73.6 years for men and 79.4 years for women. Statistical studies predict that, by 2050, the elderly (above 65 years of age) will constitute a significant 22.9% of the U.S. population (Schaie and Willis, 2002. Page 5). This trend can be attributed mainly to the migration of young adults, fertility rates over different periods and mortality. The marked rise in life expectancy is matched by a corresponding decline in mortality rates, chiefly due to vast strides in sanitation, nutrition and scientific advances in medical treatment. As we inevitably head towards a society with an increasingly aged population, with its’ attendant problems and implications, the study of gerontology takes on urgent significance. Gerontology is defined as â€Å"the study of the phenomena of the aging process from maturity into old age, as well as the study of the elderly as a special population† (Schaie and Willis, 2002. Page12). The word is derived from the Greek ‘geras,’ for old age. An approach that would contribute to a more complete understanding of elderly people’s capabilities and positions is one which does not rank them on the basis of chronological age alone, but differentiates between biological age, which is dependent on the physical condition of the body; social age, which reflects the position occupied by the individual in society; psychological age, which is indicative of behavior, attitude and skills. Another approach which

Public Law - Parliamentary Sovereignty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public Law - Parliamentary Sovereignty - Essay Example Public Law - Parliamentary Sovereignty Notwithstanding the symbolic importance of Parliament within the separation of powers doctrine, in practice commentators have suggested that within the contemporary socio-political framework the reality is that the separation of powers doctrine is intrinsically limited. Academic discourse has suggested that the lack of clarity in the unwritten UK constitution as compared to other democracies has further compounded the lack of defined boundaries between various institutional functions under the separation of powers doctrine within the UK. However, whilst there may be no absolute doctrine of separation of powers, it has been acknowledged that the principle underlines day to day functions of the executive, legislature and judiciary. This paper critically reviews the extent to which Parliamentary sovereignty is qualified. In doing so, this paper will firstly refer to parliamentary procedure and undertake a contextual analysis of how EC law and the Human Rights Act 1998 exemplify the real ity that Parliamentary sovereignty is inherently qualified in practice. It is proposed at the outset that there is no clear separation of powers within the theoretical ideal and in practice there is a fusion of powers, which is arguably necessary to ensure effective channels of communication in the socio-political infrastructure. Whilst the Law Commission’s legislative authority asserts its independence ; the internal governance of the Commission with appointments being made by the Lord Chancellor enables executive influence in legislative functions.10. Furthermore, the extent of judicial powers derives directly from the Crown and therefore the operation of the socio-political infrastructure is clearly dependent on the overlap of functions between the theoretical separate powers11. This blurring of the separation of powers has significant implications for Parliamentary procedure. The central function of Parliament is as legislative arm of the British political system12. However, Parliament effectively operates within a party political system and t o a degree is used as medium for sanctioning executive sovereignty as it relies on the executive for policy initiatives13. Whilst Parliament can subject executive

Study Of Feminism In Middlemarch English Literature Essay

Study Of Feminism In Middlemarch English Literature Essay George Eliot was a significant female writer in the 19th century; her life was close related to her works; her life experience attributed themes to her lterary works, and the relation between her works and her life experience had been studied by many researchers for a long time. George Eliots masterpiece Middlemarch, since its publication, earned many readers and critics in English society. Dorothea, in Middlemarch, was a feminist; this heroine had been studied through the views: the combination of George Eliots idealism and Vitorian realism, George Eliots view of marriage, feminist linguistic-psychoanalysis. The success or failure of Dorotheas feminism is paid close attention all the time. In this paper, the writer uses case study analysis to study Dorothea in a multidimentional view, and makes a further development of her feminist revolution. This paper will analyze the background of Victorian period, Dorotheas character, view of marriage, then based on the analysis, the author puts forward that George Eliot had a new recognition about feminism. Dorothea, the heroine in Middlemarch, to some extent, penetrated George Eliots thought, and also got new meaning of female in marriage, in life and even in society. Key words feminism; Victorian Period; George Eliot; realism; idealism; character 1. Introduction George Eliot, penname of Mary Ann Evans, was one of the greatest writers in the 19th century. She was regarded as the one of those who wrote the best novels for adults. In her writing career, controversy and outrage accompanied her. George Eliots critical reputation came from the very start when she began to issue works by using the pseudonym of George Eliot to cover her identity of the unmarried wife of George Henry Lewes. When she worked in Westerminster Review, she knew George Henry Lewes, who she thought understood her and could lead her to a wise life, then in 1854, she began to live with George Henry Lewes, an extrodinary man of letters who wrote philosophy, science, fiction, and drama. Their marriage was not accepted in English society and considered to be immoral. Under the encouragement of George Henry Lewes, in 1857, Mary Ann Evans wrote her first fiction The Sad Fortunes of Reverend Amos Barton and published in Blackwoods Magazine. It could be said without exaggeration tha t, it was George Henry Lewes who created an eximious female fictional writer George Eliot of the 19th century. In her 60s, George Eliot married John Walter Cross for a legal marriage. Because of her immoral relationship with George Henry Lewes, she faced virtual ostracism. Though many critics followed her, her intellect was never hidden; her later works earned her recognition as well as the love of the reading public. She was recognized as the greatest writer in Victorian age(the authors translation,à ©Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å"Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬, 1987:6). Virginia Woolf commented that, she was a woman of pride and model(the authors translation, Virginia, qtd. in à ¦Ã‚ Ã…“à ©Ã… ¡Ã‚ ½, 2006:1); her novels stood in the list of a handful of English novels written for adults (the authors translation, Virginia, qtd. in à ¦Ã‚ Ã…“à ©Ã… ¡Ã‚ ½, 2006:1). The whole life of George Eliot was rebellious, and was regarded as unsensible. She struggled between realism and idealism; she wanted to make full use of herself though she was a female, however gender was discriminated before the 20th century. As a feminist and idealist, George Eliot had a profound significance in feminism among the Victorian novelists. Her works were combined with her real life experience. Middlemarch, since its publication, had been recognized as George Eliots finest achievement, written when she was at the height of her power. Middlemarch had been recognized as George Eliots work of her combination of idealism and realism, as well as the portray of her real life. In her life, George Eliot married John Walter Cross for a husbands surname; she finally bowed to conservative society and got the forgiveness of her family. In Middlemarch, George Eliot, created a heroine, Dorothea, for feminine emancipation. Not to mention the success or the failure of Dorothea s emancipation revolution, she was the product of George Eliot under the general effect of her real life experience, her idealism and realism to the English society in the 19th century. In Middlemarch, George Eliot aimed to creat a great young lady, who had profound knowledge and a virtuous heart for human beings. For a long time, she lived in her idealistic society that a knowledgeable young lady could help to make a better life for society. While at the end of the fiction, George Eliot made her heroine back to reality; the heroine was recognized as the soul of George Eliot herself; she was also considered to be the representative of George Eliots feminine revolution. As a model of feminist, Dorothea was not like traditional women, not paying much attention to her dress; she pursued to help the prevailing society, not only living for self-admiration. With the shock of reality and personal idealism, in this novel, she had two marriages in the way of pursuing her high range of spirit and positional satisfaction. In this novel, she had objection on her ideal way. She made great efforts to marry Mr. Casaubon, who was much older than her, which was a sacrifice. Mr. Casa ubon was not that kind of great soul as she thought to be. Finally, Dorothea had a usual end. After the death of Mr. Casaubon, her heart beated strongly for finding a man and married him, who really understood her views and took women as independent and equal individual; they were equal in marital relations, and took part in social activity; both of them found their value in marriage. George Eliots masterpiece Middlemarch ¼Ã…’A. C. Dicey described it as a book which may be said, almost without exaggeration, to have made for many persons the chief happiness and interest of the last year (George Eliot, 1992:3). This book brought her many critics and approve; in Middlemarch, George Eliots heroine for femimine emancipation was an incarnation of George Eliot; she struggled for feminine emancipation under her idealism and the realism in society background. This paper is to study the life experience of George Eliot, her idealism and realism in the English sociey, in order to figure out how these factors affected her feminism in the real English society, as well as how they attributed to her heroine in Middlemarch. Thus the paper aims to make a further study of Dorotheas feminism in Middlemarch, focusing on George Eliots life experience, her idealism, and realism of Victorian period. Under the study of such factors, the writer can draw a conclusion that the feminine emancipation of Dorothea could not be a failure, but it was her new attitude toward life as well as marriage- wives were and should be the great man beside her successful husband. 2. Literature Review By the time George Eliot died on December 22, 1880, she was recognized as the greatest of comtemporary English novelists. Her whole writing life left many literary works and comments to later generations to study and research. George Eliot was a writer of appreciation and depreciation. George Eliots works reflected the politics, philosophy, science, religion, and genders. Her literary works had been studied by scholars from home and abroad since 19th century. In 1884, George Willis Cooke in George Eliot: A Critical Study of Her Life, Writing and Philosophy mentioned that George Eliot was a product of her time; some knowledge of her early home and the influences admist which her mind was formed, helped largely to an appreciation of her books and the views of life which she presented in them (George Willis Cooke, 1884). George Eliot was a realistic writer, in her works, she reflected the 19th science attainments, philosophy, and genders. In Middlemarch, George Eliot created an agloat young doctor named Lydgate, a feminist named Dorothea, an old pedant named Casaubon, and a romantic named painter Will Ladislaw. Through these roles in her works, George Eliot showed her brilliance. George Levine once commented that George Eliot had been discovered that since the Second World War it was her brilliance and intellectual depth of her fiction gave her appreciative reputation. George Levine also mentioned that George Eliot was a realist; she was sel f-reflexive in that her life experience attributed a lot of themes to her works. Besides that, as a feminist, George Eliot also showed herself struggling against men-dominated society. Kate Flint in George Eliot commneted that in George Eliots writing, alertness and acute consciousness of the injustice to which they gave rise, necessarily chafed against the doctrine of submitting to a sense of broader social duty(George Levine, 2001). George Eliots feminism was not noly seen in her life but also in her works, making clear in fields of education and marriages. In her masterpiece Middlemarch, one third of the pages penetrated her feminism. The heroine, Dorothea, thirsted for knowledge, thus had two marriges in her life. However, in the 19th century, women was decoration of men; the ideal women were the decoration in her house. Womens great importance lied in reproductiveness. Biomedical discourse defined females in terms of her reproductive function as the following description: a biological entity, a sexed body: Womans nature and her social role were said to be controlled by her womb and her ovaries, and were the inevitable and indivisible consequences of her reproductive and the female organization another (Joanne Shattock, 2001:79) At abroad, there have studies about feminism, George Eliots introdction, critical study of George Eliot, and the relation of George Eliot and the Empire. At home, many scholars have studied George Eliot from her views of marriage, feminism, philosophy, ethic, and the harmonizing and synthesizing of realism and idealism. In 2006, Wang Pei issued a thesis to discuss George Eliots view of marriage in Journal of Chongqing University of Science and Technology. She mentioned that though George Eliot had a rebellious love and marriage, she was still that kind of conservative women in 19th century. She longed for love as well as legal marriage; she also held that women could get desired happiness only when they felt satisfied with the mediocre marriage life. Her view of marriage was reflected in Dorothea, who dreamed to be a great female and contributed to society, finally back to a common housewife. Then on George Eliots feminism, in 2004, Vice Professor Dong Shumin studied in Zhejiang Social Science that George Eliot expressed her feminism in Middlemarch that females and males were unequal to the public all the time, if women wanted to show themselves, they must realize the limitation of women from the society. Women could have their distictive importance, which was to affect males, making males become some kind of man. Just as George Eliots heroine, Dorothea, she married Will Ladislaw and made him be s successful man; Dorothea herself became a common wife for love and desired happiness as well as femine fullfilment in family. Though George Eliot was a feminist, even she had idealistic and fair society for females to make full use of themselves, she had to bow to reality. In George Eliot: Harmonizing and Synthesizing Idealism and Realism, Doctor Zhang Jinfeng pointed out that George Eliot was an inborn idealist, combining her realistic aesthetics with her idealistic life and society for females, even for human beings. Even so, she could not avoid reality and finally converted to reality. In Middlemarch, she would like to creat ideal polictics, education and marriages, in which female was free. Dorothea was a role under her idealism. Dorotheas first marriage, with Casaubon, was all her idealism, she could not chage the men-dominated thought of Causobon. Finally, she would like to have a husband who really cared females, then married Will Ladislaw, and became a wife and mother. The end of Middlemarch was the surrender of idealism to realism. Based on the above analiysis, there is the information that George Eliot was a idealist as well as a realist; her works set on the real society but also embraced the profound effect of her idealism. While, social limitation made George Eliot hard to build an ideal world. All her thoughts affected in her works. Thus here is the gap that George Eliots life experience, her feminist, her idealism and realism contributed to her works, especially her heroine Dorothea in Middlemarch. In this paper the writer aims at the above mentioned factors and make a further study of Dorotheas feminism, through analyzing the difference between George Eliots ideal feminism and the feminism in Victorian period, Dorotheas character, as well as her two marriages, to illustrate that Dorothea got a new cognition of womens status and feminine emancipation in marriage, even in society. 3. Feminism in Victorian Period and George Eliots Feminism As a female writer in the 19th century in the English society, George Eliot lived in a men-dominated society; she was not satisfied with the rising condition. As a feminist against the serious society for females, George Eliot struggled between ideality and reality. 3.1 Real Feminism in Victorian Period In the 19th century, females status was discriminated and inferior to males. The English socity was a men-dominated society; men were superior to women, no matter in politics, economy, society, family and marriage. Though Queen of Victoria was at reign, womens status was not equal to mens. Women were limited to work in politics, science, education, social activities, and literary and so on. A wifehood or womanhood should be the best profession of a female. An ideal lady should be what Virginia Woolf called-the Angel of the House(Virginia Woolf, qtd. in à ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ £Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ·Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬Å" ­, 2004:1) At that time, people took for granted that a woman should not be educated for self-development, but for self-renunciation. They were sent to study in girls schools, to learn how to be an ideal wife. They learned music and entertainment; they were trained to be peaceable, obedient to males, and not having personal thoughts. To the public, a lady with few opinions about their husband, society and politics was virtuous. In such a society, women were born to suffer and to be in a disadvantageous status in family, education, occupation and marriage, first as a daughter and then a wife. In family, daughters were dependent on her father or brother. After marriage, they were dependent on their husband. If left without any heritance and remaining single, daughters would lead a miserable life. In marriage, girls could not have their own choice. They were the property of their father to use for land and estate; always, they were used by men to consolidate social status. In the 16th century, when Elizabeth was at reign, a father chose a husband for his daughter, if the daughter did not agree to get married, she would be locked in a room and heavily punished. In the 19th century, women could choose their own beloved, but the beloved should be accepted by their family, most importantly by their father, if it turned out to be not, their family might disengage their relationship or would not give help when they were in trouble. Because of the limitation in occupation, education, family and marriage, women were not encouraged, even allowed to work outside the house, thus womens self satisfation was based on the success of being a wife. They seeked for inspiration to be an ideal wife, mother, and do well in housework. The following words can best describe womens feelings of being inferior: As long as I can remember, I have been discouraged, when I have endeavoured to cast the sum of my intellectual value, by finding that I did not possess, in the degree of some other men, an intuitive perception of intellectual beauty(Godwin, qtd. in Joanne Shattock, 2001:14). The 19th century could be said to be a turn of feminine status; thanks to Industrial Revolution, women could go out of homes to work in factories, but their salary was much less than mens. Moreover, their jobs were insignificant, for instance, a tutor, a nurse and so on; after Industrial Revolution, they had one more choice-a worker. In Victorian Era, literature in English was at the height of devolopment. Many female writers emerged, for example, sister Bronte, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, May Sinclair, George Eliot, and so on. However in the 19th English society, female writers were not given high recognition of their writing talent; they chose to publish their works by using pseudonym. A woman and her book are identical-or so Edgar Allen Poe reflected when reading an early collection of poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Joanne Shattodk, 2001:8). Female consciousness had been awaken, and most of their works were about seeking for feminine status in society; females w ere more independent in their opinions, thus they began to write in order to uncover their sufferings and defend for their occupations. 3.2 George Eliots Ideal Feminism Victorian Age was the trend of realistic literary. As a successful realistic novel writer, Gorge Eliot was born in a family of land agent, and spent her childhood in the rural environment within the country of Warwickshire in the mid lands. Her childhood and her living environment provided her with plenty of material for her earlier works. Due to the reality, George Eliots later works had a big change. In George Eliots later novels, characters and situations seem more and more to be projections of ideals in her mind (Zhang Jinfeng, 2005:61). George Eliot created her art out of a cluster of rebellions, particularly against reigning social, moral, and aesthetic conventions (George Levine,2001:2). George Eliots living exprience made her an idealist; she wanted to change her social status, even all feminine social status, therefore limited to the reality, she wrote down what she had in mind. A woman and her book are identical (Joanne Shattodk, 2001:8). Her unique personality, education, and moral belief made her an idealist. To begin with, she was a religious freethinker. She was sent to boarding schools together with her elder sister. In one boarding school, George Eliot met a female teacher, Maria Levis, who was a piously Evangelical. With the instruction, George Eliot became a piously Evangelical too. But her friendship with religious freethinkers in Coventry in the early 1840s reinforced her own growing doubts and led to a break with orthodox religion (George Eliot, 1992:1). From the very beginning of 1842, she claimed that she would not go to church, not to pray, not believe in God any more. Besides, George Eliot strongly held that it should be of the very importance for females to receive systematic education as well as have their own occupation. She herself went to boarding schools from 5 years old to 17 years old. She learned language, science, and piano. She was a lady who never gave up pursuing her value. The following cited event could voice her support for feminine education: She sympathized with the movement for womens education and donated 50 pounds towards the establishment of Girton, a Cambridge college for women. Her support for womens educational reforms led her to attend a series of letures at Bedford College for Ladies during these years and moved her to contribute to Emily Davess campaingn for the establishment of Girton College and to other feminist efforts to open the professions to women in the 1850s and1860s. (ibid, qtd. in à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ¹Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã…“ ¼Ã…’2007:19) Not only approving of women education, George Eliot also earned a living herself. When she was 29 years old, George Eliots father died; in Victotian English society, an unmarried, intellectual lady without any inheritance from father, would lead to a miserable life. But George Eliot decided to stay in London and earned the living herself. Later, she began to be an editor for Westminster Review. In marriage, George Eliot broke the traditional convention of marriage. She fell deeply in love with a married, acknowledgeable man, named George Henry Lewes; at that time, George Eliot had been a publicly well-known female; though she was ostracized by English society , her works was criticized, and her family was angry with that, she was determined to live with George Henry Lewes as an unmarried wife. In George Eliots mind, women could have their own choice of marriage, even though the whole world would not accept her, she still sticked to her love. Her view about marriage was somehow penetrated in Dorothea in Middlemarch. Dorothea, when 18 years old, was determined to marry a pedant who was almost twenty years older than her, which was not understood by citizens of Middlemarch. Ralph Waldo Emerson commented that George Eliot was a young lady with a not quiet and serious soul (Emerson, qtd. in à ¦Ã‚ Ã…“à ©Ã… ¡Ã‚ ½, 2006:7). George Eliot was inborn ideal; life made an idealistic George Eliot. The following cited paragraph demonstrated George Eliots whole life and her idealism well: As an overly intense and bookish child in a pratical household, as a fervid evangelical adolescent Christian doctrine, as an independent woman editor and journalist in a social bohemians, and finally as the unmarried domestic partner of George Henry Lewes, George Eliot was always strecthing the norms of acceptable female behavior, and bringing social rejection upon herself. (George Levine, 2001:21) 4. The Character of Dorothea Dorothea, under the background of Victorian English, was a female representative to struggle for female emancipation. Her beauty was not like the traditonal females, and she thirsted for profound knowldege as well as made full use of herself. All these made her a unique female in Middlemarch. 4.1 Rebellious Charm of Dorothea In the 19th century, the girls of middle class attached importance to their appearance and dress.; lace, flouce, and bowknot were prevailing. The rich young ladies wore fashionable dress and jewelries. They were sent to learn music and painting, which could improve their charm. A conventional charming lady, as to the men and even to the public, should lays herself out of a little more to please us. There should be a filigree about a woman-something of the coquette. A man likes challenge. The more of a dead set she makes at you the better (George Eliot, 1992:79). Focusing on simple dress was a means of good cultivation. Dorothea held the belief that a remarkably clever woman should not pay much attention to appearance, even so, she still had her charming beauty. Her hand and wrist were so finely formed that she could wear sleeves not less bare of style than those in which the Blessed Virgin appeared to Italian painters; and her profile as well as her stature and bearing seemed to gain provincial fashion gave her plain garments (Gorge Eliot, 1992:1). She didnt like jewelries either, when Celia (Dorotheas sister) reminded her of looking at mamas jewels and divided them, she was busy drawing her building, obviously forgetting them. After opening the box, she liked none of them, except gems and a bracelet to match it. Dorothea liked the gems because of her inspiration of the Revelation of St. John, It is strange how deeply colours seem to penetrate one, like scent. I suppose that is the reason why gems are used as spiritual emblems in the Revelat ion of St. John. (George Eliot, 1992:9). Though she took them, she thought wearing them was some kind of sinking. Dorothea not only didnt pay attention to her dress, but also appreciated that kind of plain appearance, which was contrary to the beauty criteon of the public. In chapter nine in Middlemarch, when Casaubon showed around his house to the Brooks, when seeing portraits, Celia said that the aunt wearing necklaces was more beautiful than Cassaubons mother; however, Dorothea pursued that kind of immortal figure, as when she entered the room, she could image that Casaubons mother- the ghost of a tight-laced lady revisiting the scence of her embroidery (George Eliot, 1992:66). To the public, females were born to please males; ladies should dress beautfully, had sweet voice and could paint, and that kind of ladies were charming. On contrary, Dorothea regarded them as silly gentlewomen. She insisted on her sense of beauty; at the party before her marriage, she came into the drawing room in her silver-grey dress-the simple lines of her dark-brown hair parted over her brow and coiled massively behind (George Eliot,1992:78). On such a significant occasion, she did still not rig out her figure gorgeous, simple as Santa Barbara as who she was pursuing. In Middlemarch, Rosamond Vincy was recognized as a representative of charm and she was a famous beauty in province , she has excellent taste in costume, with that nymph-like figure and pure blondness which gives the largest range to choice in the flow and colour of drapery(George Eliot, 1992:86). A fair lady should have charming image as well as could play an instrument, sing songs and draw; when facing people, she should keep amiable smiles. Dorothea didnt like playing any instruments, her behavior was like a saintess, which to others was quite unusual and rebellious. Even so, she was a recognized distinctively beautiful lady; her plain garments added more dignity to her statue and bearing. In contrast to her sister Celia, people might say that Dorothea was remarkbly clever, but Celia was more sensible. 4.2 Dorotheas Thirst for Knowledge Dorothea and her sister Celia were orphans; their parents died when they were very young. The sisters were sent to boarding schools, an English family and a Swiss family to receive education in order to get them ready in the market of marriage. But Dorothea didnt like ladies duities; she liked studying religion, science, and those knowledge which could do good to society. She admired those who was knowledgable and could devote himself to society. The living environment and social status attributed to Dorotheas mode of thinking during her life. She seeked for eternal theory; compared with her sister, she had less common-sense in that her mind is theoretical, and yearned by its nature after some lofty conception of the world (George Eliot, 1992:4) and since I can do no good because a woman, reach constantly at something that is near it (Gorge Eliot, 1992:3). To Dorothea, contribution to human was the most significant thing in life; she believed that a spiritual life involved eternal consequences. she was keen on religion; she was a fans of knowledge, for pursuing the so-called knowledge and spiritual life in her mind, she wore plain garments and gave up her hobby of horseriding which she thought to be most attractive, and was not in accordance with the other young ladies. Dorothea knew many passages of Pascals Pensees and of Jeremy Taylor by heart; and to her the destinies of mankind, seen by the light of a spiritual life involving eternal consequences, with a keen interest in guimp and artificial protrusions of drapery. Her mind is theoretic, and yearned by frankly include the parish of Tipton and her own rule of conduct thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Gorge Eliot, 1871:4) The Victorian society was unequal for the education of girls and boys. Dorothea was thirst for knowledge, which was against the men-dominated society, and was prejudiced and unconventional to the neighbourhood. Evev so, she still grasped the precious chance to learn more knowledge-to marry a pedant, Mr. Casaubon. She admired Casaubons abundant knowledge to such an extent as to think Casaubon is a distinctive man; she said to Celia he is one of the most distinguished-looking men I ever saw. He is remarkably like the portrait of Locke. He has the same deep eye-sockets (George Eliot,1871:15). Dorothea didnt want to be an idle lady of Victorian age; she longed for a guide who would light her spiritual and intellectual life. Casaubons emergence provided her the hope, and she thought that she could have spiritual communion with him, moreover Casaubon was a man who could illuminate her principle with his widest knowledge. Thus she married Casaubon for pursuing knowldege. 5. Two Ideal Marriages of Dorothea As a young lady pursuing equal social status as men, Dorothea was not only different in character from the conventional women, she also had a distinct view about marriages. On the way of idealistic female emancipation, she had two marriages, first she married an old pedant for knowledge, and then a young man for true love. 5.1 Marriage for Knowledge George Eliot was an idealist; she lived in her own world without regard to the real outer world. She struggled for female occupation and marriage, which was treacherous to convention and also became the soul of her masterpiece Middlemarch. In Middlemarch, George Eliot put her idealism inon the creation of the heroine Dorothea. Dorothea was not only a knowledge fan but also a social contributor fan. She dreamed to be a saint to rescue the world. Her garments and behavior were distinct with the conventional young ladies. In the 19th century, females were not free to devote themselves to occupation, what they could do was to find their value in marriage no matter how remarkable the lady was. Dorothea was enthusiastic about making the society better through her knowledge and effort, but reality made her will meet much setback; she could not do anything. Dorothea, in the eyes of males, even her uncle, was childish and innocent. At the dinner party in Tipton, when Dorothea expressed her idea about land, Mr. Brook said that, young ladies dont understand political economy (George Eliot, 1992:12). Furthermore, when Dorothea delivered her wish to help her uncle sort his papers, Mr. Brook said that, No, no. I cannot let young ladies meddle my documents. Young ladies are two fighty (George Eliot, 1871:15). Dorothea wanted to do things to make herself useful, but even in her uncles house, she met a lot of obstacles. She hoped someone could come to her life and led her to a spiritual and worthy life. Casaubons e mergence was the drip in drought. Mr. Casaubons present gave her hope to live for others, to devote to society, and she thought that she was going to have room for the energies which stirred uneasily under the dimness and pressure of her own ignorance and the petty peremptoriness of the world habits (Gorge Eliot, 1992:38). Dorothea was happy that she could find her value in the marriage with Casaubon in that, she could make devote to Casaubons aim-Key to All Mythologies. Receiving Casaubons letter for marriage, Dorothea was too happay to think over whether Casaubon was a suitable husband for her ; she only considerded that she was suitable for Casaubon and she could make herself useful. While in this letter, Casaubon conveyed clearly that his marriage was for changing the solitary life; he needed a wife who could supply aid in graver labours and cast a charm over vacant hours (George Eliot,1992:37). Casaubon needed a wife as a decoration to his life; his wife should be beautiful, young and blooming, as well as easy to control and attentative to his wishes. To Dorothea, her ideal marriage was some kind of life beyond self, to which she could devote herself, and her marriage concept took its color entirely from the enthusiasm to help her husband to finish his significant work, which could also make herself glorious. As to be noble and devoted, she dreamed to be almost perfect as a saint. In the marriage relationship, the husband wanted a tame and obedient wife; the wife wanted a knowledgeble and broad-minded husband. It was obvious that Cassaubon and Dorothea were not as much as they thought they were suitable to be spouse. In such a marriage, even though they were careful, comflict and susp

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Essay -- Climate Change Envi

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect Human induced climate change resulting from an enhanced greenhouse effect is probably the greatest environmental threat facing the world today. Specifically, the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide may be classified as the primary culprit. As a result of greenhouse gases entering the upper levels of the earth's atmosphere, it diminishes or breaks down the earth's Ozone layer. With this loss of this protective blanket, harmful radioactive rays from the sun enter the deeper into the earth's atmosphere. This creates a rise in the overall temperature of our planet, along with alterations in the global environment, ecosystems and way of life for the habitants of earth. The earth like any body in space cools and warms until energy inputs from solar radiation and outputs from natural radiation are balanced. Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from human activities trap some of the energy radiating from the earth, increasing the temperature at which the earth creates energy balance. Based on a study by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) done in the early 1990s, approximately 65% of human induced greenhouse gases contributed to global warming. Over 80% of the increased atmospheric concentrations of harmful gases since the industrial revolution have been causes by industrial countries. Due to recent outsourcing and manufacturing market transfers, Asia and Latin America are regions where harmful emissi...

Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, ambition, strength, and insanity play major roles in how the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth behave and react. In this twisted story about man slaughter and the thirst for power both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth represent all 3 of these behaviors at some point. However, their behaviors progress in very different ways. Throughout the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth gradually evolve into each other bringing out opposite personality traits from their previous opinions. It is well known that simply wanting something is not enough to actually get it. One must have the desire, the ambition and must work towards obtaining a certain goal. In the beginning of the play Macbeth has the desire to become king, but lacks the motivation and ambition to work for it. He doesn’t have the violent drive that Lady Macbeth possesses and is frankly just a moral man with moral values. He acquires the ability to see right from wrong and shows that he has a very strong conscience when he says, â€Å"I am Thane of Cawdor. / If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/[thought of killing Duncan] whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ and make my seated heart knock at my ribs/ against the use of nature? â€Å"(1. 3. 146-150). Here Macbeth shows that the thought of killing Duncan makes him uneasy, nervous and frightened. Already his senses are warning him that what he is thinking is wrong, but unfortunately enough for Macbeth he is mentally weak and easily convinced. Lady Macbeth on the other hand has all the strength, ambition, motivation and desire to become royalty. She knows her husband well and knows that he will not take action against Duncan, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. Lady Macbeth calls upon the forces of evil to â€Å"unsex [her] here, / and fill [her] from the crown to the toe top- full/ of direst cruelty. Make thick [her] blood, / stop the passage to remorse† (1. 5. 48-51). In this speech there is no perplexity that Lady Macbeth is clearly willing to do whatever necessary to take hold of the throne. Her strength of purpose is contrasted with her husband’s tendency to waver and it will be her ambition and strength that questions his manhood, which will drive him forward to a life of misery and violence. Macbeth is a mentally weak character that undergoes a drastic mental change after committing cold blooded murder. He is progressively becoming more evil as his inhuman deeds allow his evil nature to take control of his thoughts and actions. Macbeth becomes paranoid about losing power and obsessed with proving his manhood. He associates manhood with fighting and bloodshed when he says, â€Å"What man dare, I dare. / Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,/ The armed rhinoceros, or th’ Nyrean tiger,/Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves/ Shall never tremble. † (3. 4. 121-125) Just as Lady Macbeth was, Macbeth becomes a manipulative mastermind who is so power thirsty and driven by violence that he would kill anyone, even his best friend, to get what he wants. As Macbeth’s mind relocates to a state of paranoia and violence, Lady Macbeth’s conscience slowly starts to eat her away forcing her to resort to a life of misery, insanity, and eventually death. Her guilt is so strong that she is haunted in her sleep by the image of blood. Lady Macbeth could not rest peacefully without trying to wash all the blood off of her hands, â€Å"Out, damned spot; out, I say†(5. 1. 30) she would mutter as she wandered around the castle carrying a candlestick for light and rubbing her hands together trying to rub off all of the guilt. Shakespeare makes a valid point in this play that the future of your life does not depend on someone else, but is in entirely your hands. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth could have avoided their own misery and downfall if only they did things differently. Don’t get too caught up in yourself but be patient and be grateful for what you have because a lot of people would love to be in your position than their own. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth gradually become different people, one for the better and one for the worse.

A Response Paper On Christopher Steiner’s

Christopher Steiner’s article entitled ‘Authenticity, Repetition, and the Aesthetics of Seriality’ talks about the ‘mechanical reproduction of art’ at the height of technological improvement and technical production nowadays.He discusses Walter Benjamin’s essay entitled ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ in the issue that: first, mechanical reproduction is not just a new form of technical production but engenders â€Å"an entirely new philosophy of production in which the work of art is emancipated† (Steiner 88); and second, that the mechanical reproduction and consumption of art makes the object more accessible to wider population (88).His argument, therefore, is that â€Å"to justify the authenticity of tourist art one must begin from an entirely different starting point† (89), since tourist art should be viewed as a culturally valid, authentic art.   He argues that mass-produced art carries a n authenticity, which it shares with other mass-produced objects in the industry.What I argue, however, is that mechanical reproduction of art does not carry anymore the authenticity and validity of what a true art should be—that it should be an expression of views, beliefs, and culture of an individual or a number of individuals.   Objects that undergo mass production are merely ‘reproductions’ of the original item.   The true ‘art’ is in its originality.This means that, although the reproduced object is an exact image of the original object, it is merely a mimic and is not an expression of the self.   When it comes to being culturally valid, however, I agree that objects that undergo mass production are, indeed, culturally valid, since it reveals a certain aspect of culture that, though reproduced again and again, still holds the originality and the individuality that the culture and the people reflect.Art is like what a human being is: it is a reflection of culture and society, yet it cannot be an exact replication of the other—for there is none like it.   Mass-produced objects of art contain authenticity and validity in terms of culture art, but not as an individual art.Works CitedSteiner, Christopher.   â€Å"Authenticity, Repetition, and the Aesthetics of Seriality: The Work of Tourist Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.†Ã‚   [name of book].   Ed. [name of editor].   Place: publisher, year.   87-103.

Perception essays

Perception essays Question: In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world. To a large extent, I agree to the statement that in order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world. Filters are mediums through which one view or perceive the world as. They are windows through which individuals view their world, and make conclusions about the world around them. In order for one to think, they have to go though this filters, mediums that analyze their thoughts and therefore give them ideas that form in their heads. However, the thoughts that filter through these certain mediums are ones that may take place subconsciously in an individual every time he thinks. One may not necessary understand the filters through which one perceives the world in order to find out how things really are. One, however, may fully grasp the understanding of these filters in order to perceive the world more clearly and thus make more accurate perceptions of reality. It would be necessary for us to know these filters in order for our thoughts, our perceptions to be more analyzed and structured. Thus I would like to highlight certain filters in order for us to understand what filters are and what are their roles in our perception. Language is one that plays an important role in our everyday analysis of things. As one may say that language is a core filter through which other filters may follow. Perhaps without language, one may not be even able to perceive the world. Pictures and sounds may still be forms of languages, thus without words, sound and pictures, it would be almost impossible to think our perception without these three essential forms of language. If one sees and observe an object, he would be unable to make any analysis of what he is seeing and observing. This suggests that nothing is going through his head as he looks at the object. There ...

Free Essays on The Souls Of Black Folk

Booker T. Washington was the first African American whose likeness appeared on a United States postage stamp. Washington also was thus honored a quarter century after his death. In 1946 he also became the first black with his image on a coin, a 50-cent piece. The Tuskegee Institute, which Washington started at the age of 25, was the where the 10-cent stamps first were available. The educator's monument on its campus shows him lifting a symbolic veil from the head of a freed slave. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave on April 5, 1856, in Franklin County, Va. His mother, Jane Burroughs, was a plantation cook. His father was an unknown white man. As a child, Booker swept yards and brought water to slaves working in the fields. Freed after the American Civil War, he went with his mother to Malden, W. Va., to join Washington Ferguson, whom she had married during the war. At about age 16 Booker set out for Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, which had been established by the chief of the Freedmen's Bureau to educate former slaves. He walked much of the way, working to earn the fare to complete the long, dusty journey to Virginia. For his admission test he repeatedly swept and dusted a classroom, and he was able to earn his board by working as a janitor. After graduation three years later he taught in Malden and at Hampton. A former slave who had become a successful farmer, and a white politician in search of the Negro vote in Macon County obtained financial support for a training school for blacks in Tuskegee, Ala. When the board of commissioners asked the head of Hampton to send a principal for their new school, they had expected the principal to be white. Instead Washington arrived in June 1881. He began classes in July with 30 students in a shanty donated by a black church. Later he borrowed money to buy an abandoned plantation nearby and moved the school there. By the time of his death in Tuskegee in 1915 the instit... Free Essays on The Souls Of Black Folk Free Essays on The Souls Of Black Folk Booker T. Washington was the first African American whose likeness appeared on a United States postage stamp. Washington also was thus honored a quarter century after his death. In 1946 he also became the first black with his image on a coin, a 50-cent piece. The Tuskegee Institute, which Washington started at the age of 25, was the where the 10-cent stamps first were available. The educator's monument on its campus shows him lifting a symbolic veil from the head of a freed slave. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave on April 5, 1856, in Franklin County, Va. His mother, Jane Burroughs, was a plantation cook. His father was an unknown white man. As a child, Booker swept yards and brought water to slaves working in the fields. Freed after the American Civil War, he went with his mother to Malden, W. Va., to join Washington Ferguson, whom she had married during the war. At about age 16 Booker set out for Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, which had been established by the chief of the Freedmen's Bureau to educate former slaves. He walked much of the way, working to earn the fare to complete the long, dusty journey to Virginia. For his admission test he repeatedly swept and dusted a classroom, and he was able to earn his board by working as a janitor. After graduation three years later he taught in Malden and at Hampton. A former slave who had become a successful farmer, and a white politician in search of the Negro vote in Macon County obtained financial support for a training school for blacks in Tuskegee, Ala. When the board of commissioners asked the head of Hampton to send a principal for their new school, they had expected the principal to be white. Instead Washington arrived in June 1881. He began classes in July with 30 students in a shanty donated by a black church. Later he borrowed money to buy an abandoned plantation nearby and moved the school there. By the time of his death in Tuskegee in 1915 the instit...

Benefits And Challenges Of Department Stores

Benefits And Challenges Of Department Stores Department stores represent a large retail organization which offers to consumers a large choice of goods and services. Consumers have the opportunity to compare price, quality, and service at different stores at the same time and in a limited place. So the company can profit from individual benefits other sectors. The strategy of F4U is not only to sell quality goods at a reasonable price , but also to offer a unique service .Its prices are neither as cheap as the lower end department store, nor as expensive as the high-end store. F4U will try to bring the immediate attention of consumer through visual effects like layout, displays and colored posters and will place itself directly in front of the shoppers. The company wants, thereby, to entice different target groups and gain those other brands according to the motto† good quality, fashion style, best price†. In addition F4U intend to retain its consumer through a bonus program and to collect their personal data to bui ld an aggregate profile of individual consumers to target them with special offers and appropriate advertisements. Benefits and challenges of Department stores: Department stores offer to the customer the direct experience to touch and feel the product and judge its quality as well as the possibility of living the purchase as experience (Steinmann 2011:27) .The customer can try the clothes and take them immediately. Whereby the number of returns can be decreased. The face-to-face contact is crucial for many consumers especially for old people or people who dislike shopping online. Another advantage is the longer opening hours compared to specialty retail stores especially on Friday and Saturday. Department stores have also many disadvantages such as the existing of a concrete and inflexible location. Consequently, the location is a crucial factor for the shopping place. In this context, many consumers opine that, the fixed opening hours and parking fees are unfavorable. In addition, the time exposure, due to the travelling time, could be also a problem for some consumers (Heinemann 2008:19) Furthermore, department stores emerge several costs for the company such as lease costs and staff costs. Catalog selling Catalog selling as a channel for F4U Catalog selling is one of the most popular strategies used in Fashion game. The approach involves the creation of a printed catalog with a listing of products for sale. Every product is explicitly described and clearly illustrated with a picture to make the shopping experience as real as possible for the consumer. The catalog contains also a size chart to help consumer choosing the appropriate size. F4U tries, across catalog selling, to expand its clientele and above all to attain consumers, who are not familiar with using the internet or who dislike to walk around the stores for buying clothes. The catalog will comprise different ordering informations. The consumer can choose between ordering by telephone and entering the order at the online site.F4u will also offer its consumers various delivery options .They range from shipment directly to the consumer’s address, to delivering the goods to a F4u retail store or simply to a Packstation.

Identy theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identy theft - Essay Example A high percentage of credit card companies send out checks for the purpose of paying off other cards, or to use like cash. The checks often arrive with your statements, and are sometimes sent separately. As the consumer, you do not know when they are sent. Unfortunately, some of the credit card companies do not know when they send them. The criminals can get their hands on your checks in many ways. They can be stolen right out of your mailbox. They can be misappropriated by a postal employee. They can be shanghaied with other mail from a mail truck. There are probably a hundred other methods, but you get the picture, it is easy for the criminal to get his or her grubby hands on your financial documents. The most successful approach is a proactive one. The most effective solution is to ensure the checks are not sent at all, and to this end I recommend you cancel your credit cards. If you have no credit cards, you will receive no credit card checks. At a minimum, call all of your credit card companies and ask them to stop sending the checks, they will be happy to oblige. Another approach is to have them sent only upon your request. This way you can still have the use of the checks, and you can track roughly when, and how many, are sent. You might ignore this advice, as I would have at an... The check clearing companies do not care about consumers, they do not even use the driver's license information that most proprietors verify when a check is written! If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, you will undoubtedly be shocked, as I was, to hear the police tell you that you are not the victim! The victims are the stores that cashed the check, or the check clearing companies, because they will eventually be the ones with actual monetary losses. These steps are just the first of many if you truly want to protect yourself. They will potentially save you; a lot of grief, time spent trying to get agencies to help, a considerable amount of money, frustration, and stress in general. For more information, check out . This site is an excellent entry point for you to educate yourself about the many aspects of identity theft. Protect yourself, be proactive, and tell everyone you know the same. Brochure Front cover: IDENTITY THEFT AN INVISIBLE CRIME Victims of identity theft usually do not even know that they have been targeted until it is to late. Identity theft can take years and a lot of money to clear up, and until it is credit is ruined and lives are destroyed. As with other crimes we cannot completely control if we are victims, but we can be aware how criminals obtain our private information, how to reduce the risk of being a victim and some helpful information on what to do after the crime is committed. Inside How Does Our Private Information Fall Into The Wrong Hands Stealing records from their employer, Bribing an employee who has access to these records, or Hacking into the organization's computers. Rummage through your trash Obtain

Case Study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Case Study Analysis - Essay Example For a long time, public administration has reluctantly been viewed as a science by several other disciplines. Perhaps, this is attributable to the idea that public administration theories rely on other disciplines in predicting and explaining relationships among elements articulated in its administrative functions. Nevertheless, public administration system entails studying human beings in an organizational setting, but which operates in a political environment (Rabin et al 2006). In this regard, public administration theory is derived from other disciplines, but studied as a single entity due to its unique traits of enjoining different dynamics to have an effective administration. In a broader sense, public administration is explained by two theories; universal design theory and situational design theory (Farazmand, 2001). In universal design theory, scientific management, classical and bureaucratic theories explains the structuring the public administration. Situational theory deno tes on the human aspect of the organization. Common theories that emphasize on this theory include behavioral approach, system approach and human relations theory among others. In the United States, the public administration can be argued to have utilized theories of public administration effectively. However, Milakovich & Gordon (2012) argued that it is indispensable for the public administration to consider exploring all available ways of bridging the existing gaps. For instance, with the increase in the number of migrants in the United States, the department of homeland security has been face with the challenge of controlling foreigners streaming to the United States. Going by the scientific management theory, Fredrick Winslow Taylor emphasized on the need to have social prosperity between the workers and the management. This aims at developing science of each element of man’s work and

The fashion clothing industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The fashion clothing industry - Case Study Example Primark operates in 167 in UK, Spain and Ireland with one-third of its stores in Ireland and two-thirds in UK. Since September 2006, 23 new stores have opened to give 4.4 million sq ft of retail selling space. First established in 1969 as Penneys in Mary St (Dublin), Primark Stores Ltd., is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods Plc (ABF) a publicly quoted company. Primark is the leading player in UK's no-frills fashion retailers. Primark is a fast fashion trend setter for the consumers of age below 30. . Primark's profits rose 30% in 2005 off the back of a 17% sales increase (sales were worth over 1bn).( The Guardian) In 1997, the combined wholesale sales revenue of the UK fashion design companies was about 600m, over half from overseas sales. The fashion clothing sales revenues have grown from just 185m in 1990, an increase of 225% over seven years giving a compound annual rate of growth of more than 18%. (Designer Fashion) The UK industry, though experiencing strong growth, is still small by comparison with France (whose industry, including revenue from perfume, accessories etc, is worth 900m), Italy (1.5bn) and the US (5.2bn). Led by Paul Smith, and international experience suggests that there is room for growth in this sector. Overall, it is reasonable to project that the fashion industry will continue to grow at around a rate of 5% per year in nominal terms. ((Designer Fashion) Ac SWOT Analysis: While understanding the business strategy of any organization, the initial step to consider the SWOT analysis of the company. According to Chuck Williams, co-author Managing Organizations, "Strength and weakness are considered internal to the company while opportunities and threats are seen in the environment external to the company. (Williams, C. et al) Strengths: Cost Leadership: Primark's core strength lies in low price offer to the clothing consumer. This can be studied as cost advantage of the firm in the following sections. The company also exhibits Cost leadership strategy. Primark has a tactful strategy in offering speedy markets sales that replicate the hot trends of the fashion show within less time for cheap prices. The clothing is highly admired by teenage girls, mothers and young lads. Speed to market: The primark release the new fashion into the market in a rapid manner. While that fashion item is still in demand and hot in the market, it appears in the stores of primark. Value for money. Primark gives value to consumer's money. In primark's view, value to money is equal to quality compared to price. So, consumers are fully satisfied with the quality of clothes in primark and about prices. Efficient distribution: Having maximum hype is not enough to sustain in retailing market, delivering in time to retailers is also most important for business. This is possible through the efficient channel partners for distribution to primark. Delivering the products in time is the factor of success. Segmentation & Targeting: Primark's focus strategy is it targeted the fashion conscious in young people only under the age of 35, by offering high quality. Fashion basics at value for money prices. Primark is proud on its loyal customer base.

Concept of multiple intelligences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concept of multiple intelligences - Assignment Example Gardener however emphasizes that there might be more forms of intelligence apart from these eight. There have been speculations of the possibility of existence of an experiential intelligence or spiritual intelligence or the ability to reflect on the big questions about life’s meaning. This idea of separate abilities by Gardener is based on evidence that in the instance of brain damage, the functioning of just one area, for instance language, is affected or interfered with and not the functioning of other areas. Another point of proof is the fact that a person may perform extremely well in any one of these eight areas but have no noteworthy abilities in the other seven. Gardener argues that intelligence refers to the ability to resolve problems and also make outcomes and products that are of value to a culture. There have been various values placed on these eight intelligences in different periods of history and cultures. In cultures with more emphasis on technology, mathemati cal and verbal intelligences are crucial while in cultures that are farming-oriented, a naturalist intelligence is important. Additionally, Gardener is of the opinion that the foundation of intelligence is biological in nature (Gardener, 1998). However, he does not refute that a general ability exists, but poses the question of how useful it is in accounting for various human achievements. Though the multiple intelligence theory by Gardener has been adopted by many educators, it has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. Some critics argue that a number of the intelligences are not at all new. Separate spatial and verbal abilities have been discovered by many researchers. Additionally, correlations among the abilities and the eight intelligences are not autonomous in nature. Spatial and logical-mathematical intelligences have a high correlation (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Effective Uses of Multiple Intelligences The multiple intelligence view is advantageous since it amplifies individuals’ mode of thinking about different abilities and teaching avenues. There are various ways of using multiple intelligences to ensure good results in the classroom setting. Firstly, using this technique, schools can go about a discipline, general idea or subject matter in diverse manners. This caters for diverse needs of students. Many schools have previously been culprits of trying to cover too much too quickly. It is however more sensible to spend a substantial amount of time on the main crucial questions, productive ideas and concepts and let students familiarize themselves with such ideas and what they imply. There should therefore be effective utilization of changing instructions and a variety of methods of teaching used in the course of the day. So as to keep the students concentrated on the specific instructions, they should be made aware of differing strategies within a certain time period. The presentation of a single lesson can be done in a number of diffe rent ways. For example, when a lesson is introduced by oral, physical and visual means, the needs of every individual student are catered for by the teacher hence ensuring all students are fully engaged in class. This in turn increases the probabilities of students’

Mexico Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mexico - Case Study Example Large numbers of multinational automobile manufacturers are either shifting their base from Canada to Mexico or are limiting their operations in Canada and expanding the same in Mexico (Althaus â€Å"Mexico Sets Auto Production Record, Aims for More†). Mexico has gained significant attention of automotive producers, as a result of several factors that deliver geographical and other competitive advantages to manufacturers. These advantages include extremely low wage rate, free trade agreements with approximately 45 countries across the globe, well-developed transport system with year-round ice free coastal ports and high level of financial incentives from Mexican government. Owing to these features, global automakers announced investment of $7 billion in Mexico as opposed to $750 million in Canada. Mexico’s stable and lucrative business environment has caused most automakers to adopt global strategy for business expansion (Keenan â€Å"Mexico races ahead in auto industry as Canada stalls†). Contextually, it is imperative to comprehend the distinction between international and global strategies even though they are frequently used interchangeably. These differentiating factors are degree of central involvement and coordination in strategic activities, degree of standardization in products and responsiveness towards local business environment and strategic integration and competitive steps. Since internationalization in Mexico is mainly about achieving competitiveness in production and operations, almost all companies adopt global strategy (Twarowska and Kakol 1005-1011). Under the purview of global strategy, most automakers ensure and exercise central control over production in Mexico and as automotive industry is about ensuring standardization in products, global strategy is most effective herein. Unlike international

The fashion clothing industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The fashion clothing industry - Case Study Example Primark operates in 167 in UK, Spain and Ireland with one-third of its stores in Ireland and two-thirds in UK. Since September 2006, 23 new stores have opened to give 4.4 million sq ft of retail selling space. First established in 1969 as Penneys in Mary St (Dublin), Primark Stores Ltd., is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods Plc (ABF) a publicly quoted company. Primark is the leading player in UK's no-frills fashion retailers. Primark is a fast fashion trend setter for the consumers of age below 30. . Primark's profits rose 30% in 2005 off the back of a 17% sales increase (sales were worth over 1bn).( The Guardian) In 1997, the combined wholesale sales revenue of the UK fashion design companies was about 600m, over half from overseas sales. The fashion clothing sales revenues have grown from just 185m in 1990, an increase of 225% over seven years giving a compound annual rate of growth of more than 18%. (Designer Fashion) The UK industry, though experiencing strong growth, is still small by comparison with France (whose industry, including revenue from perfume, accessories etc, is worth 900m), Italy (1.5bn) and the US (5.2bn). Led by Paul Smith, and international experience suggests that there is room for growth in this sector. Overall, it is reasonable to project that the fashion industry will continue to grow at around a rate of 5% per year in nominal terms. ((Designer Fashion) Ac SWOT Analysis: While understanding the business strategy of any organization, the initial step to consider the SWOT analysis of the company. According to Chuck Williams, co-author Managing Organizations, "Strength and weakness are considered internal to the company while opportunities and threats are seen in the environment external to the company. (Williams, C. et al) Strengths: Cost Leadership: Primark's core strength lies in low price offer to the clothing consumer. This can be studied as cost advantage of the firm in the following sections. The company also exhibits Cost leadership strategy. Primark has a tactful strategy in offering speedy markets sales that replicate the hot trends of the fashion show within less time for cheap prices. The clothing is highly admired by teenage girls, mothers and young lads. Speed to market: The primark release the new fashion into the market in a rapid manner. While that fashion item is still in demand and hot in the market, it appears in the stores of primark. Value for money. Primark gives value to consumer's money. In primark's view, value to money is equal to quality compared to price. So, consumers are fully satisfied with the quality of clothes in primark and about prices. Efficient distribution: Having maximum hype is not enough to sustain in retailing market, delivering in time to retailers is also most important for business. This is possible through the efficient channel partners for distribution to primark. Delivering the products in time is the factor of success. Segmentation & Targeting: Primark's focus strategy is it targeted the fashion conscious in young people only under the age of 35, by offering high quality. Fashion basics at value for money prices. Primark is proud on its loyal customer base.

Mexico Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mexico - Case Study Example Large numbers of multinational automobile manufacturers are either shifting their base from Canada to Mexico or are limiting their operations in Canada and expanding the same in Mexico (Althaus â€Å"Mexico Sets Auto Production Record, Aims for More†). Mexico has gained significant attention of automotive producers, as a result of several factors that deliver geographical and other competitive advantages to manufacturers. These advantages include extremely low wage rate, free trade agreements with approximately 45 countries across the globe, well-developed transport system with year-round ice free coastal ports and high level of financial incentives from Mexican government. Owing to these features, global automakers announced investment of $7 billion in Mexico as opposed to $750 million in Canada. Mexico’s stable and lucrative business environment has caused most automakers to adopt global strategy for business expansion (Keenan â€Å"Mexico races ahead in auto industry as Canada stalls†). Contextually, it is imperative to comprehend the distinction between international and global strategies even though they are frequently used interchangeably. These differentiating factors are degree of central involvement and coordination in strategic activities, degree of standardization in products and responsiveness towards local business environment and strategic integration and competitive steps. Since internationalization in Mexico is mainly about achieving competitiveness in production and operations, almost all companies adopt global strategy (Twarowska and Kakol 1005-1011). Under the purview of global strategy, most automakers ensure and exercise central control over production in Mexico and as automotive industry is about ensuring standardization in products, global strategy is most effective herein. Unlike international

The Impact of Substance Abuse on the Adolescent Population Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Substance Abuse on the Adolescent Population Essay Introduction Understanding the scope of drug use and addiction in the world includes knowing the prevalence among various populations and researching the many health and social consequences. The United States is both the largest producer of drug research in the world and the world’s only â€Å"drug-control superpower.† The simultaneous leadership in social science and world agenda setting is not the result of a symbiotic relationship between American research and policy making.During adolescence, friends and peers become far more influential than before, and intimate dating relationships become primary interests (Laursen Williams, 1997). Along with these important developmental changes, however, come increased risks of pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and abuse by and toward dating partners (Leaper Anderson, 1997). As well, alcohol and drug use and abuse enters the picture, which may contribute to the occurrence of the other risk behaviors (Milgram, 1993; National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1999). Although some of these developments are harmless, there is a growing awareness of the importance of education and prevention to increase teens personal safety and responsibility. Not surprisingly, prominent adolescent risk behaviors are alcohol and drug abuse, unsafe sexual behavior, and dating violence-share many of the same contributing risk factors, although to important and differing degrees. These include problems related to the family, such as family conflict and violence, poor relationship attachment, early and persistent behavior problems, as well as peer and academic problems, such as school failure, peer rejection, and exposure to community violence. In addition to the above, teen pregnancy, early sexual intercourse, and risky sexual behaviors are associated with early onset of puberty, truancy, and delinquency (Kilpatrick, Acierno, Saunders, Resnick, Best, 2000). In the absence of compensatory factors, such as education and social competence, these varied risk factors can contribute to or become risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol use is associated with teen pregnancy and violence). Common Elements A common family element found among teens who engage in these high risk behaviors is the amount of time spent without proper adult involvement or supervision (Dishion, Capaldi, Spracklen, Li, 2005). Not surprisingly, children who grow up in caring and supportive homes are more likely to resist risky behaviors, while children who have grown up witnessing or experiencing alcohol abuse or violence in their homes, having poor family structure and insecure attachment-related experiences are more likely to be less resistant to these same risky, unhealthy behaviors. A description of the age, gender, and ethnic identities of youth who engage in high risk behavior is provided by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, which tracks data regarding many health risk behaviors for adolescents in the United States. According to this data, black youth, for example, report significantly higher rates of sexual intercourse before age 13 than do Whites and Hispanics, while White youth report the highest levels of forced sexual intercourse. Black youth also report less alcohol consumption at last sexual intercourse and higher condom use than do White and Hispanic youth. Not surprisingly, males report more alcohol use before the age of 13 than females, across all ethnic groups (YRBSS). However, these data on prevalence of self-reported adolescent risk behaviors is descriptive only, and tells little about the contextual factors contributing to such risk. While looking closer at some of the factors that may contribute to the mentioned risk behaviors, the one can see that alcohol use among teenagers remains prevalent in todays society. A national probability sample of 4,023 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 found that 15% of the sample used alcohol, 10% used marijuana, and 2% reported hard drug use in the past year (Kilpatrick et al. 2000). Although some alcohol consumption among adolescents is considered normative, there is great concern for the number of teens who are exhibiting signs of alcohol abuse or dependence with 7% of the above sample meeting diagnostic criteria for alcohol, marijuana, or hard drug abuse or dependence. Trends in alcohol use reported in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicate that binge drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion during the 30 days prior to the survey) has shown little variation over the past several years, ranging from 31.3% in 1991 to 33.4% in 1997 to 31.5% in 1999 (Centers for Disease Control, 2000). Binge drinking continues to be a problem among youth and needs to be targeted specifically. Importantly, studies have found that alcohol use influenced the practice or involvement in a number of other high-risk behaviors. Sexual activity, smoking, and drinking and driving were significantly related to heavy drinking. Another study examining trauma experiences among adolescents found that those who reported alcohol abuse or dependence were 6-12 times more likely to have a history of childhood physical abuse, and 18-21 times more likely to have a sexual abuse history (Clark, Lesnick, Hegedus, 2001). The continued increase in alcohol consumption among teenagers is cause for concern, particularly as it relates to and influences other risk factors and behaviors. Teen Addiction, Recovery and Relapse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These three (3) aspects are critical elements of this discussion because they are more closely related to reach other than originally recognized.   Teen addiction has often been linked to the risk factors that will be discussed in the later segments of this paper (Kilpatrick et al. 2000).   Teen addiction is often correlated to exposure to risk factors.   The causal link that has been found is that the risk activities that teens are exposed to often lead to drug addiction and dependency.   Alternatively, those that find themselves in drug related problems are often also found to take part in risk activities. The second element, teen recovery is also connected to all of these factors in that the success of recovery treatment depends highly not solely on the teen’s non-exposure to drugs but also with the withdrawal from all of those risk factors such as drinking, smoking and healthier dating relationships.   Finally, this section will also shed light on the relapse rate which has also been found to be closely related to alcohol and smoking problems.   As found in most studies, continued use of non-drug addictive substances also increases the relapse rate especially among teens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As previously mentioned, teen addiction is often attributed to many different factors.   The foremost among these factors remain peer pressure, troubled childhood and lack of parental and substitute parental guidance (e.g. teachers).   These are well documented causes of teen drug addiction which will only be briefly discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While there are theories that suggest it may not be just one single element that promotes teen drug addiction, it cannot be denied that the aforementioned factors when taken together do increase the chances of teen drug addiction.   Given this fact, once these factors are added with the risk factors such as social acceptance which leads to increased sexual activity, drug addiction not only becomes guaranteed but continued substance abuse well into the late teens is also certified. In the book entitled, â€Å"Care of Drug Users in General Practice: a harm reduction approach†, it has been found that addiction to drugs is not always the primary addictive element and that in certain cases the addiction is to the other benefits derived from drug addiction that individuals find more appealing such as social acceptance and increased sexual activity (Phillips 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of recovery, as discussed in â€Å"Care of Drug Users in General Practice: a harm reduction approach† often cites that recovery is based on the same factors that caused the addiction but to a varying extent (Phillips 2004).   This basically means that in order for one to enter voluntarily, which has been found to have to lowest relapse rate, into drug rehabilitation programs, there is a need for the external aid.   The cause which began the substance abuse must also be willing to aid the individual in the rehabilitation stage.   An example of this would be sexually active teenagers who attempt rehabilitation but fail due to one of the partner’s refusal to enter the same program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teens are at a very impressionable stage and in order to be able to reach out to them one must be able to reach out to their peers.   This is easier said than done, however, since the clannish nature of most teenagers makes it almost impossible to be able to get on a more comfortable personal level with any of them (Phillips 2004).   Most drug rehabilitation programs have begun implementing peer outreach programs where the former successful teen patients volunteer to help the centers in reaching out to the troubled youth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the problem of relapse must also be discussed.   Relapse is often a greater problem than getting the addict to rehabilitation.   The reason for this is that maintaining the dissociation with drugs and the related elements requires constant vigilance without outside intervention (Phillips 2004).   Most of the problems that teen addicts face after rehabilitation lies in breaking away from comfortable and familiar ties who are often still exposed to the drug elements to which the teen seeks to break ties from.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a lot of literature on this matter which suggests that drug rehabilitation programs should equally pay attention to the â€Å"check out† stage of most recovered addicts.   While there is success in getting the addict to quit, for the time being, success can only be measured in its entirety.   In this dangerous and socially important aspect, partial success does not count as a victory (Phillips 2004).   What truly matters is getting the teen to totally isolate himself or herself from any factor which may bring about a relapse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to tackle this problem, it is important to maintain peer programs such as the AA and the like that have constant monitors on their members.   There are programs that have already instituted these types of programs but most have failed due to the lack of commitment by most of its members (Phillips 2004).   Teen drug addiction is not an easy problem to admit as most teens often find themselves in denial of their addiction and take it instead as a growing pain that everyone goes through (Phillips 2004).   Yet, as revealed earlier, the teen drug abuse rates reveal a different story.   Therefore, in order to address the problem of drug relapse, most teenagers must be able to realize that the addiction was not just a part of growing up but rather an experience that is avoidable and must not be repeated. Teen Treatment Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This section will briefly tackle the issue on treatment systems such as counseling or outpatient services and its effects on the adolescent population whether it is helpful or only helpful when combined.   At the onset, it must be stated that as a part of the rehabilitation system, the issue on counseling and/or outpatient services is critical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As previously mentioned in the prior section, many of the treatment systems that have been implemented do not focus solely on counseling alone but also include other treatments such as outpatient services and extracurricular activities (Philips 2004).   Counseling, as discussed in a number of studies, is only effective up to a certain extent.   While generally considered as a more passive approach to treatment, newer and more dynamic systems have also been added to the treatment (Botvin 2005).   It has been found that counseling is only the initial step in teen substance abuse rehabilitation.   It must be complemented by more dynamic systems as teen outreach programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The value of an addict for his or her life is greatly increased when seen in the context of aiding the community.   These new treatment systems have been developed specifically to target teens.   The reason for this is that it allows for the effective isolation from the harmful and detrimental substance abuse elements and allows the addict or individual to be â€Å"reintroduced† as a productive member of society and the community (Botvin 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second step in this process is the outpatient service that is offered.   The problem of relapse is common among teenagers and as such effective outpatient services to monitor the teens is necessary.   The greatest danger comes from not being able to maintain the positive and productive environment for the adolescent.   This is perhaps the single most important step in keeping the teens from relapsing into substance abuse (Botvin 2005). Teen Addiction and Risk Factors As such, it is also relevant to discuss how addiction manifests itself in relation to certain aspects such as risky behavior because certain studies have shown that drug addiction is intensified by these elements as well. Dating Relationships Teens generally begin dating, either singly or in small groups, between 13 and 18 years of age, with a range of variability regarding frequency, level of intimacy, seriousness, and importance of these relationships. An illustration of dating, intimacy, and sexual experiences and expectations is provided by an in-depth survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and YM Magazine, involving 650 boys and girls ages 13-18 years (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and YM Magazine, 1999). They discovered levels or stages of intimacy that developed by age of the youth; that is, intimacy progressed as the youth developed in age chronologically, not as the relationship progressed in length. Most 13-14-year-old teens (72%) reported that it is typical for dating couples their age to kiss, with 45% reporting that French kissing, petting (15%), and intercourse (4%) are expected. Adolescents 15-16 years of age expected an increased level of sexual activity, with 93% reporting kissing, and slightly higher rates of French kissing (71%), petting (48%), and intercourse (28%) as normative. Couples at this age typically spend more time alone together. Older teens (ages 17-18 years) have significantly more sexual experience, with 57% reporting petting to be typical and slightly more than half (52%) reporting intercourse to be typical of their dating relationships. Just as intimacy becomes more involved and prevalent in older teens relationships, so does the significance of the relationship. Although teens continue to value relationships with parents, siblings, other family members, and nonrelated adults, relationships with dating partners begin to gain in importance. Gender differences emerge in how relationships develop in significance and closeness during the adolescent years. A study of the network of relationships among younger adolescents found that dating partners were ranked 6th out of 7 in terms of support received (i.e., companionship, intimacy, instrumental help, affection, enhancement of worth, nurturance of the other, and reliable alliance). By mid-adolescence, dating partners were tied for second place with mothers and, in college, males rated their dating partner as the most supportive person in their network, while females gave equally high ratings to partners, same sex friends, siblings, and mothers (Furman Buhrmester, 2002). A similar study comparing dating and non-dating adolescents found older adolescents and males interacted more frequently with romantic Clinical Issues in Intervention dating partners, whereas younger adolescents and females divided their social interaction time among several relationships (Laursen Williams, 1997). What is not clearly understood, however, is how these relationships emerge in early adolescence, and how these relationships transform over the course of adolescence. Gender differences in expectations and closeness may lead to conflict and tension in dating relationships, if these expectations are not clearly understood or reciprocated. Patterns for more high-risk youth (e.g., those involved in dropout prevention and alternative school programs) stand in contrast to these normative patterns. Of high-risk youth, 35% report being 13 years or younger at first intercourse, 33% were 14-15 years old, and 13% were 16 years or older (OHara et al., 2003). Obviously, youth with other risk behaviors (such as alcohol abuse or school problems) are more likely to also engage in high-risk sexual behavior. Monitoring dating abuse and violence among adolescents is fairly new. Surveys of high school students report 36%-45% of students experience any form of violence in the relationship as a victim or perpetrator (OKeefe Treister, 2003). Recently, a measure of physical abuse in dating relationships has been added to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Intentional physical violence, including being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend, was reported by 8.8% of youth in the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior survey (YRBSS, 2005). A series of focus group studies with adolescent males and females ages 14-19 years regarding teen dating relationships revealed many disturbing attributions regarding harassment and abuse in dating relationships. Factors that caused violence as reported by the teens were grouped into individual, couple, and social levels (Lavoie, Robitaille, Hebert, 2000). Individual factors attributed to the aggressor included jealousy, the boys need for power, and alcohol and drug use. During focus group discussions, youth identified factors attributed to the victim including provocation by the girl, previous experience with violence, a victim personality type (i.e., one who is easily preyed upon), and a strong need for affiliation. Factors attributed to the couple included communication problems and sadomasochism. There was endorsement for consensual violent sex, meaning that a little force during intimacy was considered acceptable as long as both partners agreed. Although consensual, the youth did regard this as sometimes being problematic because partners have agreed to the violence, but may not be sure when one or the other has then crossed the line. Teens in this study frequently attributed blame for violence in the relationship to the victim. Importantly, physical violence in a dating relationship has different ramifications for males and females. While there is a trend to believe that males and females are equally violent, there is evidence that females perpetrate more violence than males out of self-defense. There are also differences in the severity of violence experienced, as well as the impact it has on the victim (Foshee, 2006). A study of high school dating violence revealed that girls experienced significantly more severe physical violence than boys (Jackson, Cram, Seymour, 2000). Females were more likely to be punched and to be forced into sexual activity, whereas males were more likely to be pinched, slapped, scratched, and kicked. The physical effects of the violence were more severe for females, with 48% reporting that it â€Å"hurt a lot† or caused bruises (29%). Males (56%) more frequently reported that it did not hurt at all. Reaction to the worst incident of violence in the relationship also was assessed. Males most frequently reported that they laughed (54%) in reaction to the situation, while females reported a number of other responses: crying (40%), running away (11%), and fighting back (36%); 12% reported that they obeyed their partner. Sexual assault and forced sexual intercourse also occur at an alarming rate during adolescence (9-10% of first sexual intercourse experiences were forced). Males perpetrate more sexual dating violence than females, and females sustain more sexual violence than males (Foshee, 2006). Sexual Activity among Adolescents While it is easy to track female pregnancy rates, adolescent males are typically not researched or surveyed regarding their histories of fathering pregnancies. A study of urban African-American male youth regarding pregnancy history and other health-risk behaviors indicated that 24.2% reported a pregnancy history. These males were 14 times more likely to report three or more sex partners in the last year, more than five times as likely to report a sexually transmitted disease history, and more than three times more likely to test positive for drugs than males without a pregnancy history. Safe sex practices also seem to be of little concern to these males, as they were 2.5 times as likely to be inconsistent or nonusers of condoms during sexual intercourse (Guagliardo, Huang, DAngelo, 2006). Disturbingly, a study of youth in dropout prevention and alternative school programs assessed for risk of HIV/AIDS prevention found that use of alcohol and drugs and age of sexual initiation were significantly associated with a high risk profile ile for AIDS/HIV (OHara et al., 2003). Males (29%) were more likely than females (14%) to use alcohol and drugs before having sex and were more than likely to have had sex with two or more partners (males, 78%; females, 22%). Early onset of sexual intercourse is cause for concern, particularly as it increases the likelihood of increased numbers of sexual partners and condom nonuse during the adolescent. Increased numbers of sexual intercourse partners has been correlated with risk behaviors such as unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Connections between dating violence and alcohol use were found to be among the strongest predictors for an increased number of sexual intercourse partners for Black and White adolescent males and females (Valois, Oeltmann, Waller, Hussey, 2003). Younger dating youth who have older partners may be at greater risk of experiencing dating violence. Not including cases where physical force was threatened or used at first sexual intercourse, 34% of male partners of 11-12 year old females were five or more years older; 12% of male partners of 13-15 year old females were five or more years older; and 7% of male dating partners of 16-18 year olds were five years or more older (Leitenberg Saltzman, 2000). Although the disparity in age range between the male and female partners seems to decrease as females get older, such disparity has important prevention implications. Information about onset of sexual intercourse is available, but information is scarce about feelings regarding the experience, planning for the event, and discussion regarding birth control or safe sex practices before intercourse has occurred (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and YM Magazine, 1999). Females tend to feel more pressure to participate in some form of sexual activity and are more concerned about what friends, peers, and the dating partner think of them. Motivation for initiation of sexual intercourse has not been significantly examined. Predictors for early initiation of sexual intercourse include a belief that they are more mature than their peers, early physical maturity, a tendency to use hard drugs, and a desire for earlier autonomy from parents (Rosenthal, Smith, de Visser, 1999). Research regarding individual risk factors and risk behaviors has been conducted primarily in isolation. Recently, research into how these many behaviors are related has begun to take place. Making the links between these factors and behaviors may have important consideration when designing prevention programs. Making the Links The links between adolescent risk behaviors described above merit careful investigation. While it is understood that these behaviors do not usually occur in isolation, there seems to be no clear understanding of how they operate together, and what the ramifications might be for adolescent dating relationships. The survey data presented earlier shows that some adolescents begin drinking at an early age, and many begin to experience sexual intercourse at an early age. Undoubtedly, there are serious health ramifications to these issues (i.e., potential for pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol and other drug dependence, and increased aggression). Typically, researchers have considered these ramifications in the context of the individual, a lot depends on the occurrence of these behaviors in peer and dating relationships, and the possible impact on individuals and relationships. Linking Alcohol and Sexual Activity A report written by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse used data from two prominent surveys in the United States: the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey; and the 1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, regarding adolescent risk behaviors to develop a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the connections among alcohol, drug use, and all aspects of sexual activity and violence (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1999). Again, the links among dating violence and alcohol and sex are not explicit. However, significant findings from this report reveal that teens who use alcohol and drugs are more likely to have sexual intercourse, initiate sexual intercourse at an earlier age, have multiple sex partners, and be at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Early onset of drug use and number of years of sexual intercourse has been found to be associated with increased numbers of sex partners. In addition, students with more partners are more likely to be heavier drug users. The Kaiser Family Foundation study found that almost two in ten (17%) teens, aged 13-18, who have had an intimate encounter, admit having done something sexual while under the influence of drugs or alcohol that they otherwise might not have done. One in three (32%) girls, 17-18 years of age, have had this experience. Linking Alcohol and Intimate Violence The links between alcohol use and marital aggression have been documented, but the same attention has not been shown to adolescent dating relationships. Only recently have questions regarding dating violence been added to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Centers for Disease Control, 2000). Substance abuse is frequently linked with sexual violence. Alcohol has been named the primary culprit for date rape on college campuses (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1999). A study of college men and women found that 78% of undergraduate women experienced sexual aggression, and 57% of men reported being sexually aggressive. Dates that included sexual aggression were more likely to include heavy drinking or drug use, in comparison to the last date that did not include sexual aggression. Among high school students, experiencing dating violence has been identified as a salient risk factor for females for using alcohol or street drugs, and increases the odds 20-fold for alcohol and drug use (Wekerle, Hawkins, Wolfe, 2001). There is a move toward establishing a better understanding of the significance and links among adolescent risk behaviors. With this understanding comes a need to develop new prevention programs that deal with these risk behaviors in a broader sense, rather than in isolation. Adolescent Risk Behavior and Drug Prevention Programs Prevention programs developed over the past decade have been targeted specifically at adolescents for a number of risk behaviors: dating violence, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, pregnancy prevention, safe sex programs, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, to name a few. Literature reviews and program evaluation studies point to the conclusion that programs may be successful at providing information and delaying onset of the risk activity, but long-term prevention of the focused risk behavior is seldom achieved. Evaluation of prevention programs in all of these areas has been limited due to methodological problems, such as inadequate standardized measures, ambiguity of terms (e.g., defining dating relationships), lack of multiple informants and control groups, lack of trained facilitators, and long-term follow-up issues. Some programs are developed for universal prevention, while others are targeted at groups considered to be at greater risk based on presence of known risk factors. Undoubtedly, good prevention programs are derived from theory, input from youth, and practice. There are several theories that have contributed to the creation of prevention programs for dating violence, substance abuse, and pregnancy or safe sex education. Social learning theory postulates that youth are vulnerable as a result of the social environment in which they are raised. Negative family, peer, and community influences will contribute to risk for adapting to negative behaviors. Problem behavior theory relies on the belief that some youth may have a natural tendency for deviance or nonconformity and, therefore, may be more likely to engage in problem behaviors. Adolescents may engage in alcohol consumption or early onset of sexual intercourse because they perceive it as a means to achieve a goal, that is, peer acceptance, or to cope with boredom, unhappiness, anxiety, or rejection (Botvin Botvin, 2002) Theory and model testing of problem behaviors in a recent study of early adolescents found support for a model that included specific factors related to aggression, drug use, and delinquent behaviors, and a higher order problem behavior factor (Farrell, Kung, White, Valois, 2006). Life-skills training programs that have been developed based on problem behavior theory are built on the philosophy that targeting the underlying determinants (such as personal and social competence skills) will affect the factors that cause the risk behavior. Similarly, social bonding theory links healthy attachments to family and school as factors that protect youth from deviant behavior; unhealthy attachments are regarded as risk factors (Farrell, Kung, White, Valois, 2006). Instead of focusing on preventing something negative from happening to youth, some recent programs emphasize youth involvement and empowerment, which shifts the focus to promoting positive youth development. In this approach, youth are considered as assets and resources rather than problems or â€Å"targets.† Prevention programs, such as the Youth Relationships Program have expanded the role of theory to include youth empowerment as a central theme in educating youth about positive, healthy relationships program and the avoidance of violence and abuse. Several factors have been identified as being essential components of prevention programs among adolescents, regardless of the topic. The location of the program is often debated as to whether schools or other community service agencies are better. In the case of sexuality and education prevention programs, there is no question that these programs should be offered in schools; however, what programs should be taught remain a concern (Kirby Coyle, 1997). Some groups favor teaching abstinence until marriage only, while others favor education regarding contraception and sexuality. Similarly, dating violence prevention programs have been offered in schools and in community service agencies with varying degrees of success. These programs may be most effective when embedded in a declared school context of â€Å"zero tolerance† for any type of school violence. The advantages of school-based programs include access to youth, space, and time, and staffing support. The disadvantages include concerns that truant youth, who may need the program most, are not available in the schools; disclosures of abuse in the classroom may not be handled well in a large classroom situation; a large group may not be a safe place to discuss personal beliefs and attitudes; and learning may be limited to only the school context of the individuals life. These concerns notwithstanding, the main advantage of community-based programs has been the development of community partnerships. Although the advantages may not be inherently evident in the results of the prevention program itself (i.e., preventing something bad is hard to prove), such programs appear to reduce duplication of services, increase cooperation and efficiency among service providers, and help integrate services into the community. In turn, communities that have a â€Å"face†-a reputation for cooperative and active prevention-have significantly reduced the perceived and actual levels of violence, even in the poorest neighborhoods (Sampson Morenoff, 1997). Advocates of prevention programs favor sustained, long-term efforts in education to make prevention successful. Programs should be on-going from kindergarten to the final year of high school, and should be especially intensive just prior to the age of initiation of substance use or similar risk behaviors. Unfortunately, it seems that this does not transfer readily into practice. In the case of sexuality education in Canada, a report by the Council of Ministers of Education indicates that curriculum time in schools available for sexuality education has been reduced as health education becomes combined with physical and career education. Fewer public health nurses in schools also severely reduced the quality and availability of preventive sexual health education services to adolescents (Council of Ministers of Education of Canada, 1999). Pregnancy prevention and sexuality education programs, while deemed extremely important in reducing teen pregnancy rates and incidence of sexually transmitted disease, are critically received by a number of groups and agencies when being implemented in communities. Differing views regarding how to handle this issue conflict with effective program implementation. For example, some religious and moral beliefs dictate that youth should remain abstinent during adolescence, that parents are responsible for protecting their children from negative influences, and that education will positively influence knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. Programs that focus on abstinence or pregnancy prevention have typically been delivered to females only. While females need to take responsibility for their choices and actions, males also need to be educated about the same issues in order to make responsible choices as well. Males who have unprotected sex are also at risk of becoming fathers and contracting sexually transmitted diseases (Pierre, Shrier, Emans, DuRant, 2006). Substance abuse prevention programs have typically been school-based and education focused (Botvin Botvin, 2002). Evaluations of earlier programs have consistently found them to be ineffective. One school-based intervention was able to show significant reductions in drug use enduring for six years after implementation of the program. The success of this program was attributed to teaching a combination of resistance and social competence skills, the proper implementation of the program, and sufficient length for program with at least two years of booster implementations (Botvin, Schinke, Epstein, Diaz, Borvin, 2005). The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (Brounstein Zweig, 2000) has identified six prevention strategies that can be used in combination to develop prevention programs that focus on risk and protective factors for substance abuse, including: information dis semination, prevention education, alternatives, problem identification and referral, community-based process, and environmental approaches. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention has recently completed an analysis of substance abuse prevention programs that have been evaluated. Rigorous statistical criteria for evaluation were adopted, resulting in the definition of eight model programs which have adopted a combination of these prevention strategies, representing a number of age groups, as well as universal, selective, and indicated prevention for children and youth (Brounstein Zweig, 2000). Of all these programs, only one included information regarding sex or health education, and one provided information and skills for violence and gang prevention and conflict resolution. Although these programs were successful in reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors, they did not demonstrate alcohol and drug use prevention. Unfortunately, there are no existing programs that address alcohol and dating violence prevention together. Although some alcohol abuse prevention programs do discuss or deal with aggression, it is usually in the context of community violence not intimate interpersonal violence. A review of prevention programs that focus on teenage sexual risk behavior indicated that they also were narrowly focused to one aspect of this behavior, that is, abstinence only, contraception programs, and HIV/AIDS awareness programs (Kirby Coyle, 2007). It is time to begin linking these risk behaviors together in universal and targeted prevention efforts, focusing on the intimate and personal effects of these risk behaviors on teenage dating relationships. Adolescence provides an opportunity to enter into discussions regarding the impact, consequence, and prevalence of these behaviors and explore the perceived benefits and drawbacks of these risk behaviors. Prevention programs can offer an opportunity for youth and adults to engage in discussions regarding the motivators for initiating these behaviors and relevant information regarding short term effects. Prevention of specific risk behaviors requires community coordination and varied input. Parents, teachers, school officials, health care workers, and community workers need to be part of strategies to prevent risk behaviors. Community organizations and resources have learned to work collaboratively on a number of issues, including violence, alcohol, drug use, and the prevention of pregnancy. Collaboration and coordination helps to reduce costs and improve efficiency as well as build community. The growing research provides evidence that youth may possess a number of concurrent risk factors for any of the behaviors that are outlined in this chapter. There is overlap among the risk factors and behaviors and, therefore, prevention programs need to better consider the clustering of these components and develop programs that will address a number of these issues simultaneously (Saner Ellickson, 2006). However, intervention and prevention programs have been weak in helping youth to manage risk and anticipate risky situations in advance. Because all risks cannot be eliminated, youth need to learn how to manage them. Prevention programs that make youth aware of how they may be at increased risk in certain situations and provide skills to deal with or avoid the situation may be most promising. References Botvin, G.J. Botvin, E.M. (2002). Adolescent tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse: Prevention strategies, empirical findings, and assessment issues. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics,13(4) 290-301. Botvin, G.J., Schinke, S., Orlandi, M.A. (2005). School-based health promotion: Substance abuse and sexual behavior. Applied Preventive Psychology,4, 167-184. Brounstein, P.J., Zweig, J.M. (2000). Understanding substance abuse prevention. Toward the 21st century: A primer on effective programs. Washington, DC: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Centers for Disease Control. (June 9, 2000) Youth risk behavior surveillance-United States 1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 49, 1-96. Clark, D.B., Lesnick, L., Hegedus, A.M. (1997). Traumas and other life events in adolescents with alcohol use and dependence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,36(12), 1744-1751. Council of Ministers of Education of Canada. (1999). Schools, public health, sexuality and HIV: A status report. Toronto: Author. Dishion, T.J., Capaldi, D., Spracklen, K.M., Li, F. (2005). Peer ecology of male adolescent drug use. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 803-824. Farrell, A.D., Kung, E.M., White, K.S., Valois, R.F. (2006). The structure of selfreported aggression, drug use and delinquent behaviors during early adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29(2), 282-292. Foshee, V.A. (2006). Gender differences in adolescent dating abuse prevalence, types and injuries. Health Education Research,11(3), 275-286. Furman, W., Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Development, 63, 103-115. Guagliardo, M.F., Huang, Z., DAngelo, L.J. (1999). Fathering Pregnancies: Marking health-risk behaviors in urban adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 24, 10-15. Jackson, S.M., Cram, F., Seymour, F.W. (2000). Violence and sexual coercion in high school students dating relationships. Journal of Family Violence, 15, 23-26. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and YM Magazine. (1999). 1998 National Survey of Teens: Teens talk about dating, intimacy, and their sexual experiences. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation. Kilpatrick, D.G., Acierno, R., Saunders, B., Resnick, H.S., Best, C.L. (2000). Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse and dependence: Data from a national sample. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(1), 19-30. Kirby, D., Coyle, K. (2007). School-based programs to reduce sexual risk-taking behavior. Children and Youth Services Review,19(5/6), 415-436. Laursen, B., Williams, V. (1997). Perceptions of interdependence and closeness in family and peer relationships among adolescents with and without romantic partners. New Directions for Child Development, 78, 3-20. Lavoie, F., Robitaille, L., Hebert, M. (2000). Teen dating relationships and aggression. Violence against Women,6(1), 6-36. Leitenberg, H., Saltzman, H. (2000). A statewide survey of age at first intercourse for adolescent females and age of their male partners: Relation to other risk behaviors and statutory rape implications. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29, 203-215. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. (1999). Dangerous liaisons: Substance abuse and sex. New York: Author. OHara, P., Parris, D., Fichtner, R.R., Oster, R. (2003). Influence of alcohol and drug use on AIDS risk behavior among youth in dropout prevention. Journal of Drug Education, 28(2) 159-168. OKeefe, M. (2003). Factors mediating the link between witnessing interparental violence and dating violence. Journal of Family Violence,13(1), 39-57. Pierre, N., Shrier, L.A., Emans, S.J., DuRant, R.H. (2006). Adolescent males involved in pregnancy: Associations of forced sexual contact and risk behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health,23(6), 364-369. Rosenthal, D.A., Smith, A.M., de Visser, R. (1999). Personal and social factors influencing age at first sexual intercourse. Archives of Sexual Behavior,28(4), 319-333. Saner, H., Ellickson, P. (2006). Concurrent risk factors for adolescent violence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 19, 94-103. Sampson, R.J., Morenoff, J. (1997). Ecological perspectives on the neighborhood context of urban poverty: Past and present. In J. Brooks-Gunn, G.J. Duncan, J.L. Aber (Eds.), Neighborhood poverty: Vol. 2. Policy implications in studying neighborhoods (pp.1-22). New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Valois, R.F., Oeltmann, J.E., Waller, J., Hussey, J.R. (203). Relationship between number of sexual intercourse partners and selected health risk behaviors among public high school adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 25(5), 328-335. Wekerle, C., Hawkins, D.L., Wolfe, D.A. (2001). Adolescent substance use: The contribution of child maltreatment and violence in teen partnerships. Development and Psychopathology, 34, 571-586. YRBSS: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (2005). Retrieved October 27th from:   http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5505a1.htm