A class conscious society Essay

Her lack of authority of her son makes us feel considerate for Sophy. We know that women had little or no influence over their sons, so she cannot retaliate towards her son. In a modern society, her son’s behaviour towards her would not be tolerated, this once again emphasizes that the Victorian era was much more male dominant. Sophy can be argued a victim because she cannot have a relationship with her son, they are in two worlds. Hardy uses the word ‘deficiency’ to describe Sophy’s grammar. The language employed by Hardy suggests that she lacks a certain qualities, qualities to fit into the upper class society. Already, we are aware that she cannot fit into an upper class society because of her incorrect grammar, but more sadly, she cannot have a relationship with her son. It is as if that Sophy can be taken out of the lower class society, but the lower class statue never leaves her. Her son vetos the idea of Sophy becoming married to Sam, because of this, Sophy declines to Sam’s proposal and obeys her son. Sophy is now part of an upper class society, if she married a lower class citizen, this would be frowned upon. However, Sophy listens to her son and not her heart, if she was to marry Sam, her son’s reputation would go down, and her son wouldn’t be respected in the upper class community. Hardy makes it clear that Sophy does love Randolph, but he has no love for her. Her son vetoing her marrying Sam highlights his lack of respect for his mother, showing he doesn’t give a damn for her and only worried of his eminence. Once again, we observe Sophy as a victim, because she will never be happy. Through her relationship with Sam, we see that Sophy is comfortable with being a lower class citizen. During her relationship with Sam, she pulled the strings in the relationship; she was the one to be pleased. In reversal, in the upper class society, she was the one who had to please, but because of her grammar, she was looked down upon. Hardy suggests what marriage to Sam would’ve been like for Sophy. Throughout the story, Sophy speaks a sentence at a time when she is talking to her son and her husband, Mr Twycott. When she is with Sam, we speaks freely, she had to reason to hide her true self, she is only truly herself and at ease when she is with same. She doesn’t have to try with Sam, however, with Mr Twycott, she has to try hard and speak properly and act like a ‘lady’. Her excitement when she is with Sam portrays her only care in life, this emphasizes that she may regret her decision of marrying Twycott. Sophy’s incapacitation is symbolic of her loss of control of her life. After Twycott’s death, she has no control over finance, she has no control of her own son, she has no control where to go and even marrying Sam, or she feels she cannot. This is a complete comparison to life in the countryside; she had control of life, including her relationship with Sam. After marrying Twycott, her only control was to say no to Sam, this highlights she lost all control of her life as soon a she married Twycott. Hardy creates sympathy for Sophy, we see that she may never be happy again in her life because of her son vetoing the idea of her marrying Sam, he only happiness. We see that Sophy is only living to die. A modern day reader would be angry towards her son as he uttlerly lacks compassion fir hid Mother although, during the Victorian period, this was common, The fact that son’s had no influence from their Mothers means that they could almost tell them was to do, a role reversal. Despite all this, we see Sophy accepts his son’s path because she loves her and understands his motives. Sophy accepts the situation, this results her being trapped between two worlds. We see that Hardy himself, favours lower class society. Hardy uses harsher words and illustrates a dark gloomy surrounding for upper class citizens such as ‘dirty’, ‘tortured’ & ‘dusty’. He uses friendlier words and colourful surroundings to illustrate a lower class citizen such as ‘pretty’ and ‘fine peal’. We can expect Hardy to favour lower class citizens because he himself was bought up in a working class family and experienced what it was like to be part of a lower class society. We can expect him to have harsh views on the Upper class Society because of their lack of understanding and lack of consideration towards the working class people. Despite this, we do not see a happy ending in the terms of a modern day reader. We would want Sophy to marry Sam despite the vetoing of her son, instead Sophy dies unhappy. Sophy doesn’t have a happy ending, she dies alone and unhappy, for the reason she cannot marry Sam. Either Sophy is a victim to a class conscious society or she simply made too many bad decisions. When Twycott proposed to Sophy, she didn’t have to accept, however, she felt that she couldn’t. This once again shows how the Victorian Society was class conscious, the lower class citizens felt that they couldn’t defy upper class citizens; therefore it shows how much that the class has bearing on her. She also didn’t have to listen to her son and go and marry Sam, but again, the class system would show and she made the decision no to go with Sam. On the other hand, Sophy can be declared a victim, she was forced to move away from her friends and families, her own wedding was a hushed up secret, people glance and gossip about her, she has no friends and her own son has no respect for her. My view on this is that Sophy is a victim of a class conscious society because of the decisions she made. Nikesh Patel 11B Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Essay

According to Atlas (2008), Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a multidisciplinary approach to prevent criminal behavior through environmental design. In order to achieve deterrence effects of criminal behavior, CPTED strategies have been designed to rely on their ability to influence offender’s decision that precedes criminal acts. Therefore CPTED can be seen as an approach to problem solving that takes into account the environmental conditions and the opportunities they offer for criminal behavior occurrence (Cornish and Clarke 1986). Thereafter, it utilizes those perceived opportunities responsible for causing crimes to control access, provide opportunity to see and to be seen and defines ownership while encouraging territory maintenance (Luedtke et al, 1970). In this context CPTED approach to criminology differs greatly from other policing approaches in the sense that CPTED focuses on design in crime prevention unlike other approaches that employ target hardening. Furthermore, CPTED encourage crime prevention through design and place, while policing values effective response to crime incidences by identification and arresting the offenders (Kruger and Liebermann, 2001). In this regard, crime prevention through environmental design can be considered to be slightly different from traditional policing, but its consistent with problem- oriented policing in four ways: first, touches on the broad scope of problem and not crime only; second, involves systematic analysis of crime factors, events and conditions that fosters crime occurrence; third, leads to design of proactive strategies tailored to problem and the specific geographical locations; fourth, involves all stakeholders and makes them active participants for the program for sake of long–term achievement and improvement (Cornish and Clarke 1986). However, it should be noted that CPTED approach focus on design and not safety, and on productive use not security. Therefore this unique focus makes it people centered as opposed to the view that it is police responsibility. However, the tool of design and techniques fall purview of policing prompting it to be a team effort, and thus police participate in the program but do not necessarily control. Historical evolution since 1970s The origin and formulation leading to emergence of CPTED was initially done by criminologist Jeffery Ray who termed it as defensible space and later on it was improved on by architect Newman Oscar (Jeffery1977; Newman1972). It’s a point of worth to note that both Newman and Jeffery were building on the work of Elizabeth Wood. By 1990s Jeffery and Newman models were expanded to involve a multidisciplinary with Newman`s model limiting itself to the built environment. But by 2004, the adopted CPTED model s were those of Newman and Crowe, since Jeffery model was more of psychology and biology and could not fully support the 2nd generation CPTED (Jeffery1977; Newman1972; Crowe, 2000). Furthermore, in 2005 CPTED has gained internationally recognition and acceptance with dropping off Jeffery `s notion of offender’s internal environment (Jeffery1977 Crowe, 2000). The theoretically foundation evolution of CPTED can be traced back in 1960s when Elizabeth Wood developed guidelines aimed at addressing security issues when she was working with Chicago housing authority (Clarke, 1992). In her guidelines, she emphasized on the design that would lead to supporting natural surveillability, though Elizabeth’s ideas were never implemented, they evolved into simple implementation such as street lights to distinguish between outlaws and thieves from legitimate travelers (Luedtke et al, 1970). Today, evolution of theories and research behind CPTED design are rooted in the environmental criminology theories which explain the relationship between place and crime; and also borrow some ideas from rational theories focusing on situational prevention (Clarke, 1992). Both cluster of theories focus on the crime events and how criminal understand and use environmental to their advantage to commit crimes. This evolution in research and theoretical foundation has played a central role in informing strategic design to employ. Strategies utilized in CPTED Strategies formulation in relation to CPTED approach are rooted in the theoretical foundation and scholarly research conducted by criminologists. Crowe (2000) reports that the central tenet used to arrive at the strategies is the analysis of crime and the environment where it occur using an analytic question â€Å"why here†. Furthermore, such analyses have proved that: crimes are specific and situational; crime distribution correlates to land use and transport network; and offenders are usually optimistic and commits crime in place they know well (Atlas, 2008). Moreover, these analyses reveal that opportunities for crime arise out of daily activities and crime places that are often without observer. In reaction to the analyses, criminologists who are proponents of CPTED designed necessary strategies in line with the findings. These are; Natural surveillance, target hardening, terrestrial reinforcement and natural access control (Newman1972; Crowe, 2000) Territorial reinforcement This is physical design that extends a sphere of influence that enhances users to develop sense of territorial control while potential criminals are discouraged while perceiving these controls (Goldstein, 1990). This is promoted and facilitated by features defining property line such as public and private, signs, pavement designs, or gardens well maintained indicate someone takes care of it. This ensures that only persons that belong to a particular place are their. Target hardening Target hardening strategy in CPTED is usually accomplished by features that prohibit access or entry (Kruger and Liebermann, 2001). These features can include locks, interior door hinges or dead bolt for door, gates units points of entry to certain place, fences, trees line, support of alarm system is also useful and can reinforce the design (Cohen, 1979). Natural surveillance These are programs designed aiming at keeping offenders or intruders observable, this is attained by place design that gives an opportunity to see site perimeter or designs that facilitate to see or/and be seen (Kruger and Liebermann, 2001). It is usually achieved through sufficient lighting that enables to observe activities and individuals, building location and orientation, windows that offer two way views. The design features that facilitate natural surveillance need to be supported by observer or CCTV to maximize its effectiveness (Atlas, 2008). Natural access control This strategy aims at decreasing crime opportunity by employing design that denies access to crime targets while at the same time creating a risk perception in criminals (Goldstein, 1990). The strategy is achieved through street designs like side walks, entrance construction and neighbor’s gates; in order to prohibit entrance to private places that discourages ill motives. However, the essence and usefulness of the strategies used in CPTED is not in their effective design, but rather in their implementation and application to offer desired goal (Cornish and Clarke 1986). It`s indisputable that application of CPTED to community has resulted to impressive results that Atlas (2008) reports that accounts to 40% decline in crimes occurrence and prevalence in areas where it has been implemented, this has been accrued to design that minimizes criminal behaviors while encouraging individuals to keep eye on each other, therefore proper implementation is critical to program success. Application and Implementation of CPTED The problem solving approach that uses CPTED is applied in a series of steps that are designed to respond to: what is the problem? Why here? What can be done to solve it? And how well do we solve the problem? (Kruger and Liebermann, 2001) In order to address and satisfy these hypothetical questions in analyzing a crime scene to inform prevention through CPTED approach, application and implementation is usually done through four phases. These four phases of application as stipulated by Goldstein (1990) are: scanning, analyzing, response and assessment (Table1. Application and implementation phases). These phases of application and implementation stages addresses environmental design issues that are critical to applying CPTED strategies in order to solve security problems. Importantly, various factors ought to be considered when applying the program in relation to specific locations and circumstances. As Atlas (2008) acknowledges, easy said than done also do apply to implementation of CPTED program. Challenges in implementing CPTED Like any other project, implementation is usually engulfed in normal problems that face any change process not mentioning resistance. However, the major problems that can be conceptualized in the implementation process of CPTED program are two. First, time allocation for the program implementation may hamper realization of the project goals (Cohen, 1979; Goldstein, 1990). This is in the sense that sometimes time allocated for the implementation of the program may require additional of a longer duration as a result of complexities arising from project implementation while impacting a larger geographical area with a larger number of stakeholders (Table2. Stakeholders involved in CPTED implementation). Secondly, the cost of implementing CPTED program requires significant capital investment (Cohen, 1979) that is really a barrier. However, the challenges of implementation are inventible, yet they can be solved through efficient and effective leadership, increased participation and involvement, and wider consultation with all stakeholders for any given CPTED program.

Anything Goes is a bad policy technology and Society Essay

Anything Goes is a bad policy technology and Society - Essay Example The problems of technology are then considered through use of 'Resistentialism'. Turning from that to the question of whether we adapt technology, or if it adapts our needs, the study will also consider if technology is truly neutral, and therefore the responsibility for good and evil outcomes lies within the human being using and developing this technology. After discussing all these factors, the essay will conclude by considering whether this subject is to be feared, utilized, or ignored in order to achieve the best for society. Science fiction has produced some of the most influential books of the last century, many of them written in the period between the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Cold War. These stories, such as Fahrenheit 451, or 1984 are often dystopian in setting and outcome, with technological advancements used by negative forces. C M Kornbluth's A Little Black Bag ends tragically, as the hero is destroyed by other's greed, and a technology that should have been beneficial to society at large is eliminated. In those stories, human evil is responsible for manipulating the essentially neutral technology (In Kornbluth's tale, it is used for good by the doctor who redeems himself, and it is his assistant's inability to see any use for the technology except as a money-spinner which causes the tragedy [Kornbluth A Little Black Bag]). However, overuse of technology, also increases in human ignorance. Asimov's The Feeling of Power depicts a future where people cannot do mathematics a ny more due to their reliance upon technology; even the most basic thought processes are troublesome to people dependant upon computers and machines. Later fictions, such as the Cyberpunk movement, have been more ambivalent about technology: Neuromancer depicts a future in which technology gets more and More amazing, without having any effect on the world's Problems. (Jones, 92) Certainly Neuromancer is not a utopian version of the future, but in the novel, society cannot function without technology, whether it is the official social structures, such as businesses or those in the underworld and black markets. This may be a reflection of the current state of western society, where we cannot imagine a future in which technology does not play a major part. Any discussion of the role of technology in society must consider what exactly is meant by the term 'technology'. Usually, when this word is used, in phrases such as 'IT' (information technology), it refers to the mechanical and electronic systems

IT Governance Project in Geneva Industrial Services Essay

IT Governance Project in Geneva Industrial Services - Essay Example This case study of The Geneva Industrial Services (Services Industriels de Genà ¨ve, SIG) gives a good example of the IT Governance project. SIG is a state-owned organisation that renders services in electricity, gas, heating, energy and drinking water supplying; as well as in used water and waste processing and improvement, and telecommunications. This IT Governance case study is focused on the innovative electricity Distribution Management System (DMS), introduced in the organisation. The case study is based upon the project presentation of Glassey at the e-CASE International Conference in Singapore (Glassey 2009) and on the report describing the SEAM method, which is laid at the heart of the SIG’s DMS (Wegmann et al. 2008). IT Governance is ‘a framework for the leadership, organisational structures and business processes, standards and compliance to these standards, which ensure that the organisation’s IT supports and enables the achievement of its strategies and objectives’. As it was mentioned above, this IT Governance project in SIG was mostly aimed at the reorganisation of processes and systems in order to separate distribution and commercialisation activities in the company’s electricity distribution management system (DMS). This in its turn would enable the company to comply with the new Swiss law (Glassey 2009). In the area of electrical and electronic technologies the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading organization for international standards.

DO SOCIOLOGICAL METHODS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF THE Essay

DO SOCIOLOGICAL METHODS PROVIDE AN ACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD WHAT IS LEFT OUT BY THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE - Essay Example Many fundamental discoveries in sociology have been made, reviewed, established, evaluated and adjusted according to new data in the past decades. However, the current position in sociological research is looking at tools and techniques which could not have been imagined a few decades ago (Platt, 1996). The application of the scientific method of study to sociology created the first revolution and the information age can be said to bring about the second revolution for all fields of study. This is especially true in sociology since the ability to crunch numbers at light speed is only possible with the use of new and powerful computers. While the modern methods of research and analysis have had an important effect on the field, scientists are also concerned about their overuse and a lack of focus on actually performing the study and too much attention on the analysis and twisting of the results. Indiscriminate application of technology and statistical tools can only result in situations where the application of sociology is more or less meaningless (Chatterjee, 2004). Some human conditions can not be described in percentages or in terms of numbers and require more than simply pushing buttons. Sociologists apply methods and techniques which result in statistical figures used by governments and the media and we are often told that one can prove anything with statistics. While tricks may be played with statistics, there is no doubt that the scientific methods needs to be applied for it to give results that are useful. We can debate all we want about qualitative/quantitative evaluations, micro/macro assessments and inductive/deductive reasoning but unless the scientific method is applied any research can be doubted. With the correct application, statistical sources and various methods for research and analysis are invaluable tools but misuse and unethical

Business law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Business law - Assignment Example (Harpwood, 2009). However, in the case if Donoghue v Stevenson the court established significant principles to guide in the determination of the duty of care person owed another and the range of duty of care a person can owe another. In a contractual relationship, one party owes the other a duty of care whose breach can result to legal consequences on the party in breach (Harpwood, 2009). However, in tortuous liability a person can be guilt of negligence for the person or persons are not contract parties if only there is evidence that the person in breach owed the other duty of care and they breached that duty which consequently caused the person they owned duty of care recoverable damages or loss (Steele, 2014). When determining whether the duty of care existed between the parties or whether it did not exist depends on type of claimant, type defendant, the nature of damage caused to the claimant and the nature of conduct of the defendant (Harpwood, 2009, P. 229). In Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] UKHL 100, the plaintiff had been bought a bottle of ginger-beer by her friend from a retailer. As she was about to clear the content of the beer, she discovered a decomposing snail in the bottle. The sight of the decomposing snail was nauseating so that it caused the appellant to suffer from shock and severe gastro-enteritis. The bottle was opaque such that neither the trader nor the customer could realize the content in the bottle unless by emptying the content of the bottle. She was unable to sue the seller either under breach of contract or for negligence, but she could sue the manufacturer of the ginger-beer. The manufacturer had a duty to ensure the goods sold to the consumers are of the right quality and provide efficient system that would detect any fault in the products. When issuing the verdict the court developed the â€Å"neighbor principle† whereby the defendant will be held responsible

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 16

Leadership - Essay Example More over, a successful leader and consequent leadership are attributed to sound judgement. The aspect of judgement is fundamental since it depicts the strength and weaknesses of a leader and leadership. Essentially, judgement is effortlessly used to determine and gauge the leaders (Huges, et al, 26). Wise and well-informed leaders are known by the extent of wisdom applied in making judgements. This study attributes that, effective leaders can be born, and other can be natured as long as they reflect and practice the fundamental of leadership. For instance, the â€Å"Action-Observation –Reflection† (AOR) model explains that acquired leadership is attributable to three aspects, which include action, observation and reflection. A leader expresses the actions extended towards certain situation, the observation made and interpretation of the impacts on other people, and personal reflection on the situation (Huges, et al, 26). Personal reflection or evaluation includes lesions learnt, personal view on doing something in a better way and feeling about the situation at hand and the overall application of experience in implementing a new idea. In summary effective leadership is rooted on the listed pillars. Effective leadership has attracted numerous researchers who have researched on diverse methodologies and have come up with diverse opinions. These opinions might be either acceptable or unacceptable meaning of an effective leader and consequent leadership. Fundamentally, numerous subjects or topics of study or research do not have one dimension of thinking. This is similar to leadership. It is relatively easy to reconcile the diverse opinion on the effective leadership than resolve the disparities. In essence, lack of congruence of among leadership researchers is irresolvable but reconcilable (Huges, et al, 76). The diverse perceptions and opinions on effective leadership can be reconciled by examining the common character traits an effective leader either

Major problems and issues of an organization analyzed through a case Essay

Major problems and issues of an organization analyzed through a case study - Essay Example The two thus form a good case study through which the major problems that face organizations can be studied. An in-depth analysis of the companies will be undertaken through a brief background on the two in the movie rental market followed by diagnosis of their situations. A competitive and performance analysis will then be undertaken with recommendations on the way forward being generated. Netflix was started in 1997 by Reed Hastings and 10 years later had already taken over market leadership in movie rental services. Figures such as $1.2 billion in revenues, 100,000 movies in their catalogue and 7 million subscribers are quite enviable in the market. The main source of their dominance has been pioneering online movie renting through subscriptions (Thompson, Strickland and Gamble). Blockbuster on the other hand enjoyed early market domination since its inception in 1985 by David Cook (Blockbuster.com 2009). Its main source of advantage was availing movies at a much cheaper rental rates through negotiating deals with the major film studios thus reducing its rates to even just a tenth of competitors’. Blockbuster’s competitive advantage was nullified by Netflix’s focus on internet adoption. The two firms are still competing in a highly competitive market as stated by Netflix Inc. (6). Diagnosis of Netflix’s and Blockbuster’s Competitive Situations. Netflix is at the moment the market leader but is facing cutthroat competition from a resurgent Blockbuster which re-strategized and started slicing Netflix’s market share to an extent that forced the later to reduce its subscription fees leading to drop in its stock prices from panic. Other competition is also being felt from other albeit smaller rivals such as Redbox. Netflix (6) is also in recognition that the movie rental market is subject to drastic and rapid changes since

Critique a Research Study Essay Example for Free

Critique a Research Study Essay The nursing research study I chose at the beginning of the semester was Impact of health literacy and patient trust on glycemic control in an urban USA population. The research article begins with a description of Diabetes, its consequences of the disease process, complications, economic cost, and the public health crisis that is foreseen over the next few decades. Research has shown that improvement of glycosylated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c) in diabetics can have a significant positive impact on this impending critical condition. The second component of the article evaluates the impact health literacy and patient trust has on controlling and maintaining glycemic control in diabetics. The purpose of this article was to research a â€Å"quantitative study conducted to examine health literacy and patient trust as predictors of glycemic control (Mancuso, 2010)†. I believe the credibility of the research article was trustworthy, based on the research topics evaluated that are known in medicine to be accurate and valid. As a nurse, I am well aware of the impact health literacy and patient trust effect disease process and glycemic control. The research sample size evaluated by the article included one hundred and two participants with diabetes selected from two urban primary care clinics in the United States. Although I believe the sample size could’ve been larger, the final conclusions of health literacy and patient trust showed how important those factors are in influencing glycemic control. According to Polit, the presumed cause is the independent variable, and the presumed effect is the dependent or outcome variable (Polit Beck, 2014, p. 43)†. The Quantitative type of research design used in this study was Non-experimental/Observational study on the effects of health literacy and trust on glycemic control. â€Å"When researchers study the effect of a cause they cannot manipulate, they design correlation studies that examine relationships between variables. Correlation studies can be detected through statistical analysis ((Polit Beck, 2014, p. 159)†. The independent variables consisted of health literacy, patient trust, knowledge of diabetes, performance of self-care activities, and depression. These variables were measured with testing at the beginning of the study that yielded statistical results used to associate between variables. The dependent variable was the Hemoglobin A1c. Often the dependent variable can have multiple causes, which are examined in the article. The study also considered other related factors such as: demographics, socio-economic status, diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, and depression. I would categorize these variables with health literacy and patient trust as independent variables. The variation of factors can have a significant influence on the final outcome of HbA1c. This is the reason that research is essential for diabetes, to determine the influence these factors have on glycemic control. Evidenced-based interventions and approaches to improving glycemic control in the US population will help improve the current health crisis this country is facing, and will continue to face in the decades to come. â€Å"This was a cross-sectional study of patients with diabetes, utilizing several survey instruments and data sources (Mancuso, 2010)†. These 102 participants with diabetes were chosen from two free primary care clinics in the U. S. that met the criteria for the study. Reading comprehension test, scales, and screening through the use of surveys examined the independent variables. Testing for Hemoglobin A1c, a blood test, was conducted every six months to measure glycemic control for research purposes. I believe the design was appropriate because it was particular on the types of participants used for the study and factors that influenced the outcome according to the research article. Regardless of the level of participants, results of the study based its findings on the needs of the diabetic population. One of the strengths I identified early on in the research article was the research design chosen to evaluate glycemic control. The cross-sectional study of patients with diabetes utilized several survey instruments and data sources. The framework of the study helped to assess and predict the relationships between variables. Second, I felt the methods used to gather data was appropriate and beneficial to the research study. The data received was sufficient enough to research and observe. Finally, another strength I identified in the article was its reliability that correlated to Evidenced-Based data that guides clinical practice in nursing today. The final findings of the article support that the data collected and examined would help patient’s outcomes on increasing their glycemic control. Distinct weakness in the research study I identified first was the size of the sample that was chosen. With only one hundred and two participants from two different clinics, I felt that the sample size could have been more effective with larger numbers studied and in more areas of the country. The study also identified the recruited participants were from an uninsured population and identified the groups to have poor glycemic control. I believe the research study should have had a more diverse population of patients that would demonstrate how the US really is. Finally, the research article was evaluating health literacy; I believe that most patients who are illiterate would have been reluctant to participate in the study for fear of judgment and humiliation, thus not portraying the most accurate recruits. Evidenced-Based research is an essential component for the continual evolution of professional nursing practice. Research provides us with a solid foundation to ensure that nursing practice and interventions are based on scientific principles that have been proven to be effective. As professional nurses, we should strive to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Through nursing research, we can expand our nursing knowledge and development to deliver healthcare based on guided research decision-making. In studying my research article, I believe that the strengths outweighed the weaknesses because the findings did correlate with Evidence-Based practice already known. After critiquing the research article, I support its findings on health literacy and glycemic control; they definitely contribute to Evidence-Based practice that should be implemented in nursing practice. Diabetes is a major health problem in the United States and also a major risk factor for other types of disease processes related to it. Health literacy, the ability to read, comprehend and comply with medical instructions is directly related to improved glycemic control. The research article I have chosen reflect the effects between health literacy and glycemic control in the United States population. Conclusions from the articles emphasize the need to communicate and educate patients effectively with low health literacy. As an emergency room, healthcare teaching plays an important role when discharging patients home with the correct information and education to manage their symptoms and disease processes. This research article applies to my nursing practice by pointing out the need to assess health literacy in-patients sent home or admitted with Diabetes. When we can determine that health literacy impacts glycemic control, we can take measures to help patients maintain their diabetes effectively. By understanding the relationship between education and health care outcomes, nursing can make a significant impact through effectively assessing the needs to provide adequate healthcare teaching. References Mancuso, J. (2010). Impact of health literacy and patient trust on glycemic control in an urban USA population. Nursing Health Sciences, 12(1), 94-104. doi:10. 1111/j. 1442- 2018. 2009. 00506. x Polit, D. F. , Beck, C. T. (2014). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health /Lippincott Williams Wilkins.

Women in the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Women in the Civil War Essay During the civil war, the contributions made by women both in the north and the south, though somewhat unheralded, were nonetheless significant. In fact many women were not contented with merely supporting the war efforts from the home front. Hundreds of them were actually with their armies in the battlefronts. Many were serving as field nurses while others were general purpose aides. When the soldiers had to march for days, they, too, marched with them, living in camps and eating army rations. They also endured the heat, rain, mud, and snow borne by the soldiers, protected by the same ineffective shelter and insufficient clothing. As bullets flew and cannons roared, some of these women were actually in the battlefields playing the role of â€Å"medics. † They were often caught in the crossfire, rushing to help wounded soldiers, equally endangering their lives in the process. (Hall, n. d. ) Stories had been going around about some of these women. One nurse was mentioned – Augusta Foster who came from Maine. She fell off her horse when it was shot, missing her by inches. That near miss, however, did not scare her. She went on with her duties as if nothing had happened. One of the most talked about nurses was Anna Etheridge, who was a mere â€Å"Daughter of the Regiment† in Washington, D. C. when the war started in April 1861. (A â€Å"Daughter of the Regiment† was only supposed to inspire soldiers going to war. Dressed in fancy uniform complete with decorative feathers and a bonnet, she would be with other women like her, leading the parades which presented and paid tribute to the soldiers before they were sent off to the battlefronts). When the war started getting really bloody and news of hundreds of soldiers getting wounded and killed started filtering back to Washington, D. C. , Anna was one of the many members of the â€Å"Daughter of the Regiment† who made themselves scarce. They decided to actually â€Å"go to the front† and do their share. â€Å"Gentle Annie,† as she came to be known, marched from Michigan with the 2nd Infantry â€Å"and was under fire on several occasions. † Her efforts were recognized in 1864 with the Kearny Cross, an award given for gallantry in action. The Confederacy had their share of courageous nurses. Lucy Ann Cox was one of them. Lucy started out as a â€Å"vivandiere† (a woman who goes with the army simply to sell things to soldiers). She, however, later became a field nurse for Company A of the Confederate Army’s 13th Virginia Infantry which fell under the command of General Lee, where her husband belonged. She marched with the group during the two times that Lee invaded the North. She was conferred full military honors when she was buried after the war. (Hall, n. d. ) Another interesting woman in the Confederacy was Mrs. Juliet Opie Hopkins from Alabama. According to information picked up from a scrapbook prepared by a certain Captain J. C. Featherston and included in the papers of the Irvine, Saunders, Davis, and Watts families, when the war started Mrs. Hopkins sold her properties in â€Å"New York, Virginia, and Alabama† and donated the proceeds to the Confederacy for the purpose of setting up hospitals for their soldiers. Afterwards, she volunteered to act as the chief matron in the hospital in Richmond. Accounts had it that she, herself, even suffered gunshot wounds two times when she personally went to the battlefield. She was christened â€Å"Florence Nightingale of the South† for her efforts and her picture appeared on the currency of the Confederate government printed in Alabama. (As cited in Hearts at Home: War Work, n. d. ) Working with the wounded in hospitals was one of the ways where women demonstrated their patriotism. They did their best to keep the morale of their soldiers alive not only through their nursing work but also by holding all sorts of events such as dinners where they would entertain the wounded. (From the diary of Louisa H. A. Minor, as cited in Hearts at Home: War Work, n. d. ) However, although they were working at the home front, their work was not without dangers. Take for instance the report printed in the March 14, 1864 issue of the Daily Richmond Examiner about a March 13, 1863 mysterious explosion in a laboratory in Brown’s Island. That incident left 35 women killed and 31 injured. Many of the victims were reported to have been burned â€Å"beyond recognition. † (Hearts at Home: War Work, n. d. ) Some of the women in the North as well as in the South helped with the war efforts in the home fronts knitting socks for their soldiers, fabricating bandages for their wounded, sewing shirts, and attending to some other supplies needed in the battlefronts. Some even manufactured small arms and the ammunition that went with them. In Fayetteville, an arsenal managed by women was able to turn out about â€Å"900,000 rounds of small arms munitions in 1864† before it was destroyed. Organizations like the â€Å"Sick Soldier’s Relief Society and the Soldier’s Aid Society† were organized by women to offer any help they could. (Women of the American Civil War, n. d. )

Literature Review dependent variable is knowledge productivity.

Literature Review dependent variable is knowledge productivity. 2.1 Introduction This chapter is divided into six main sections. This first section provides an overview of the chapter. The second section is a definition of essential terms that used in this study. The third section discusses the background and the previous study that focusing on factors that influencing and contributing to the knowledge and research productivity. The fourth section discusses the models and frameworks of knowledge conversion abilities developed by past researchers. The fifth section highlights the theoretical framework, hypotheses develop for this study, and the final section summarizes the chapter. 2.2 Definition of Term There are 3 essential terms in this study. There are that are knowledge productivity (KP), organizational factor and individual factor. All these three terms will be frequently highlight and discuss throughout this study. 2.2.1 Knowledge Productivity According to Kessels (2001), Knowledge productivity involves signalling, absorbing and processing of relevant information, generating and disseminating new knowledge and applying this knowledge to the improvement and innovation of processes, products and services (Kessels,2001). Refer to the Cambridge Dictionaries Online (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary), productivity define as a rate at which an organization make or produces goods, it usually judge by the number of people and amount of the materials produce. In the context of this study, knowledge productivity can be refer to the amount or number of knowledge produce or generated. Meanwhile, according to (Jansink, et.al, 2005) concept of knowledge productivity is related with training and research activity. Hence, for the purpose of this study knowledge productivity is referring to research productivity. Williams (2003), define research productivity as an effort of any scholarly research produced by a faculty member that contributes to the new knowledge. In this study the dependent variable is knowledge productivity. 2.2.2 Organizational/ Institutional factor According to Waworuntu and Holsinger (1989), organizational factor consist of the quality of research facilities, research collaboration, reward system and institutional prestige. Meanwhile, according to Long et.al (2009), organizational factors are the affective motivator for the research production. They list out research reward; research expectation and pressure to publish are research comes under organizational factor. Dundar and Lewis (1998) 2.2.3 Individual factor Early work with these factors included the effects of age, gender, socioeconomic status, and educational background (Dundar.H, Lewis.D.R, 1998) 2.3 Previous Study on Knowledge Productivity 2.3.1 Knowledge productivity Research has become the most important functions of universities all over the world. Knowledge is created through research conducted in the Universities. It is clear that faculty build and disseminate knowledge through the production of research (Dundar and Lewis, 1998). Faculty members or academician, the primary producers of academic research, play crucial roles in producing knowledge. According to Teodorescu (2000), professor at Research University are expected to produce new knowledge through research and use the latest result in their teaching. Research productivity or research performance is very synonym with the academician and University. Williams (2003), define research productivity as an effort of any scholarly research produced by a faculty member that contributes to the new knowledge. Research productivity always refer to the number of books, articles, technical reports, bulletins, and book reviews published, as well as presentations given and grants received through revi ewing curriculum vitae or other print materials (Rotten 1990). Meanwhile, according to Wilson (2001), research productivity defined by the number of the publication of publication in an academic refereed journal and scholarly books. Obviously, research productivity is a number of researches done which measure by the number of publication published. According to Gaston (1970), research productivity divided into two components. There are knowledge creation which is related to the research activity and knowledge distribution which is related to the publication or productivity. Hence in the study, research productivity will be considered as knowledge productivity. Importance of Knowledge Productivity Research is a one of the product creates by academician. Research has a significant impact to career development of the academician. Previous studies shown that research productivity give the impact to academician profession. Research productivity is one of the criteria for promotion, reward system as we as their tenure ( Kotrlik, 2002). It supported by Bloedel (2001), stated that research productivity always serves as a main factor in determine successful of academician, especially related to the promotion, tenure and salary. Meanwhile, according Read et al (1998), criteria for the promotion had been change in recent year. Most of the academician who being promoted in recent year has conducted more research compare with academician promoted in a last few year. This scenario shows that the University has emphasize research productivity for the promotion exercise. Gibbs and Locke (1989), through their study which involved 93 University found that the most important criteria for the pr omotion and tenure decision are the research productivity. The productivity of knowledge or research not only gives the impact to the academician but also to the academician itself. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the important of research productivity to the University or higher institution. According to Blackburn et. al, (1991), research productivity not only important to academician, but also important for enhancing an institution reputation. Research productivity contributed to the University rank and performance (Henthorne et al.,1998). Study conducted by Olsen (1994), also found that increase in productivity led to high prestige for the institution. This supported by Boyer (1990). He found that research productivity not only give a promotion to the academician, but also improve university reputation and rank. Meanwhile, Kasten (1984) found that major criteria for promotion for academician is a research productivity. Influencing factor on Knowledge Productivity The important of the knowledge productivity in the academic environment has encouraged researcher to study and investigate influencing factor on knowledge productivity. Numerous studies have been conducted on the influencing research productivity in academic environment. The studies have identified and investigated numerous factors that influencing research productivity. It is important to identify the factors that have a relationship with research productivity to encourage research activity among the academician. According to Blackburn and Lawrence (1995), socio demographic and career factors as well as self-knowledge, social knowledge, behaviours and environmental related to research productivity. William (2003), identify environmental factors, institutional factors and individual factors are related to the research productivity. Zainab (2001) identify that individual and organization correlated with research productivity among academician in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Fox (1996) found t hat individual characteristics, environmental and reinforcing which included colleagues and mentorship influencing research productivity among academician in science faculty. Personal or individual factors seem a most frequent factor that has been connected with the research productivity. Wood (1990) proved that research productivity significant influence by personal variables. He has conducted a study among academician for Australian university. Through the study, he found that academic research activity is highly influenced by a number of personal variables, such as research styles and the freedom of inquiry (the choice of research topics). The personal correlates considered in studies are gender, age family background and personality traits. Age has been studied in previous studies with different results. Gender Gender is a one of the variable has been examined under individual variable. Most of the previous studies indicated that men are more productive than women (Bailey 1992; Vasil 1992; Billard 1993; Blackburn Lawrence 1995; Creamer 1998; Kotrlik et al. 2002). Blackburn, Behymer and Hall (1978) found that male academician published three times more than are women academician. These finding supported by study done by Cole and Zuckerman (1984). They found that on average male academician published 40% to 50% more compare that women academician. Same scenario also happens on the academician in ASEAN region. Study by Waworunto ( 1989), who focus on the Indonesia academician also found that male academician are more productive in doing a research. There are several reason have been highlight in the previous study on this scenario. According to Guyer and Fidell (1973), this is because of women academician more engaged in applied research compare than men who engaged more on theoretical resear ch. Applied research needed considerably more time to publish compare than theoretical. Cole and Zuckerman (1984) also provided a reason for their result of the study. According to them, women are less productive because of they do not have strong network on research and family obligations also prevent women to spending more time on research. This reason support by (Creamer 1998), indicated that, women naturally members often have family demands that compete with time to conduct research. Further, Gaertner and Ruhe (1983) found women academician are excited to perform better than men, however it caused greater stress to them and effect their productivity However, opposing result has been found by some researchers. They found that there was not a gender difference in productivity (Kotrlik et al. 2002; Teodorescu 2000). Consistent result also found by Rubin and Powell (1987) and also Omundson and Mann (1994). They found no difference in publication outputs for male and females. Meanwh ile Garland (1990) found that gender was not a significant variable on productivity compare with other variables such as rank, educator and type of institution. Age Many previous studies on research productivity have indicated that career publication and age have not strong relationship, although most of studies found that publication generally declines with age (Teodorescu 2000). Over (1982), found that research productivity slightly decrease with age. However, when productivity was investigated in groups by birth date, younger faculty members produced more research at an earlier career stage than older faculty members. He also found that many senior academicians remain quite active in research and their outcomes can be comparable to those of younger faculty members. These finding are significant with the study by Levin and Stephan (1991). They reported in his study that the life cycle effect varies significantly by field. Life cycle is related to publishing productivity and obviously scientists become less productive as they age. Generally, a persons age at first publication affects consequent research productivity. If academic lecturers submi t research for their first publication at a young age, then it is more likely that they will produce more when their age increases. Although many studies found relationship between age and research productivity, there are several studies found that there is no strong relationship between age and research productivity. Bland and Berquist (1997) found that shift workloads and emphasis have strong relationship with productivity compare with the age of the academician. Williams (2000) has studied academic lecturers in the Human Resource Development Faculty in the United States and found no significant relationship with age. Kotrlik et al (2001) also found the similar result. His study on the university agricultural education faculty members in the United States found that age did not significantly affect research productivity. Besides that, Ramsden (1994) also found age is not correlated with research productivity. Marital Status Luukkonen and Hieskanen (1983) indicated in their study that, married female academician are more productive. Kyvik ( 1990) who done a study among academician in Norway also found that married and divorce academician ( men and women) were more productive compare than single academician. Author also found that, women with children were more productive compare than that academician who doesnt have children. However the result showed that women who have only one child were more productive compare than women academician with two and more children. Through this study, author has provided some explanation for this finding. These findings because of married women have more energy and stamina compare with women without children. Married academician also gets a support from their husband or wife and their have more experience in social life. Authors also explain that family life have increase their self respect and being married neutralize the affect of sex since married women corporate more with their male colleagues. In contrast, Creamer (1998), discovered that there was either no significant effect or a positive effect on publishing productivity for married women. Interest, attitude and motivation (research skill) Wood (1990) found that personal or individual characteristic influenced research productivity among Australian academician. The personal or individual characteristic that has been study is the ability, energy, creativity, motivation, ambition and also self discipline. According to author, productive academician tended to be a senior academician because they ready with extraordinary workload, intellectually curiosity and like writing and puts time away for research. Productive academician also saw as a gamesmanship, who hard-nosed about the time allocated for research even though need to scarified other responsibilities such as teaching. Through this study, author found that less of productivity are because of the lacked of confident being judge by peer, adhere to such high standard that their work never get published and also lack of experience. Author also found that productive academician is a who have certain attitude and approach toward research such as they put greater stress of research activity and also working extra time on their research activity. Interest in research also was study by Behymer (1974) and found research interest to be the best predictor of research productivity. Meanwhile Noser et al. (1996) found attitude toward research to be related to research productivity. Sageemas N.W.,S.N, Wongwanich.S Bowarnkitiwong.S. (2009) also found capabilities in research skills and technique, funding skills, research management and research communication skills and networking and team work would produce high research productivity among Thailand academician. Bland, C.J. et al (2002) also have study motivational factor on research productivity. They found that academician who highly research driven is positively associated with research productivity. This result is significant with the study by Zainab (2001). She found view or perception on the research also positively associated with research productivity among Malaysian academician. Work habit Fox 1993 refer A recent study by Fonseca et al. (1997) of50 eminent Brazilian scientists in the field of biochemistry and cell biology, indicated that they are highly motivated, found pleasure in their work and able to face challenges effectively. High publication productivity reflects excellence. The eminent scientists have a common trait in that they were all highly productive. The scientists were also interviewed and their CV examined to identify periods of greater and lesser productivity. The peaks and falls were used as a reference point in the interviews. For each scientist two productivity scores were computed (a) total number of published papers and (b) sum impact factors (IF) of the journals in which the articles are published. The IF of a journal is the average number of citations received in one year by the articles published in that journal in the two previous years. These two scores were plotted along the years of each scientists career. The interviews revealed five groups of factors i nfluencing productivity: (a) human factors related to human relations in the laboratory, the quality of the working team, the relationship of the leaders to the students, the ability to exchange ideas, interact with other scientists, and the rapport among team members; (b) subjective emotional factors related to the ability to face challenges, motivation and pleasure at work.; (c) active material conditions related to facilities, equipment and money to buy chemicals ; (d) types of research related to having the freedom A recent study by Fonseca et al. (1997) of 50 eminent Brazilian scientists in the field of biochemistry and cell biology, indicated that they are highly motivated, found pleasure in their work and able to face challenges effectively. High publication productivity reflects excellence. The eminent scientists have a common trait in that they were all highly productive. The scientists were also interviewed and their CV examined to identify periods of greater and lesse r productivity. The peaks and falls were used as a reference point in the interviews. For each scientist two productivity scores were computed (a) total number of published papers and (b) sum impact factors (IF) of the journals in which the articles are published. The IF of a journal is the average number of citations received in one year by the articles published in that journal in the two previous years. These two scores were plotted along the years of each scientists career. The interviews revealed five groups of factors influencing productivity: (a) human factors related to human relations in the laboratory, the quality of the working team, the relationship of the leaders to the students, the ability to exchange ideas, interact with other scientists, and the rapport among team members; (b) subjective emotional factors related to the ability to face challenges, motivation and pleasure at work.; (c) active material conditions related to facilities, equipment and money to buy ch emicals ; (d) types of research related to having the freedom Academic rank Numerous studies have been done to correlate academic rank with the research productivity. Academic rank was studied by Bailey (1992), Dundar and Lewis (1998), Kyvik and Smeby (1994), Teodorescu (2000) and Vasil (1992). Each found rank to be a significant predictor of research productivity. Ramsden (1994) found seniority of academic rank to be correlated with research performance. Meanwhile Patterson and Barnes 1984; Bentley and Blackburn 1990) indicated that academician in higher rank have more productivity compare with lower rank. Similar result also found by Wanner,Lewis and Gregario (1981). They indicated found that rank has strong relationship with research productivity. Kyvik (1990a) indicated full professor produce more research because they have less teaching load then they can more on the research productivity. . Meanwhile Tien and Blackburn (1996) found slightly different result. Full professor publisher more than other rank of academician but there a no difference between assistance professor and associate professor. However, in contrast, Over (1982) also found rank has no influence. Same result also found by Gregario (1981). Gunne and Stout (1980) also found there is no significant relationship between rank and research productivity. Experience and Tenure Tenure also has been examined in previous study toward research productivity. Tenure is guarantee of their career as an academician and secures their position in the University. A tenured academician will have a more privilege and benefit compared that non tenure academician. This scenario will provide morale boot and secure working environment. Hence, there is no doubt tenure will affect the productivity of academician. Butler and Cantrell (1989) was studied tenure variables among business faculty members and it showed significant correlated with research productivity. Later Radhakrishna et al. (1994) found that tenured faculty members held publishing as significantly more important than non tenured faculty members. Another study was done by Bailey (1992) found that productivity level increase when academician moves from non tenure to tenure academician. However contrast result found by Teodorescu (2000). He found that tenure was not significantly correlated with article productivit y. Similar result also found by Bartlett et al. (2001). He indicated that the number of years a faculty member held a tenure track position did not explain a significant portion in variance for research productivity. Meanwhile experience also was study by Rushton, Murray and Paunonen (1987). They found relationship between publication and experience and also age. The number of publication increase with the number of experience of the profession. The vast experience in research determine the research productivity in India ( Babu and sigh, 1998). Organizational / Departmental Organizational factor also defined as departmental by some researcher. Support from Time spend on research and teaching (64) Austin and Gamson (1983) indicated that extrinsic factors such as teaching load, administrative tasks, reward and opportunity could influence research productivity. Meanwhile clark,corcoran and lewis (1986) -. found that academician who allocated a smaller percentage of their time in teaching had a stronger research orientation. Calligro et al (1991) -. also found a similar result. They found academician who are productive spent more time on research. However Webster (1985) found that there was a little or no positive correlation between research and teaching. Same result found by Feldmen (1987) . Fox (1992). has study of the academic role, time allocation for research and teaching, teaching load and also time administrative. The result indicated that publication productivity was not related to teaching. Other study by Blackburn et al ( 1991) also indicated interest in research need not necessary predict high productivity in research. Discipline difference wood Department size Graduate student supervision Departmental prestige Culmulative advantage Leadership Role of the leader in organization in influencing research productivity and performance have been studies previously. According to Friedrich ( 1985) Friedrich,G.W.(1985). Renewing the commitment to Scholarly.Annual Meeting of the speech communication assocaition) leader can help to create healthy climate for scholarship by setting realistic goal, identify area where they can excel and be a more individual approach when dealing with staff. McKeaachie ( 1983) McKeaachie, ( 1983). Faculty as a renewal resources. In: College faculty: versatile human resources in a period of constraint, study on the fuinction of leader in encouraging research activity. Leader who respected research performance among academic staff provided an environment that encourage research activity. Boice (1988), found the important of leader in encouraging writing through forming discussion group, highlight good writing habit and conduct a research workshop. Barnhill and Linton (1992), indentify how leader can promo te research. They found that promoting a balance between teaching and research, identify the best undergraduate for the staff requirement,ecourange under represented staff to perform, provide clear research goal, encourage team research group, and also identify the need for the research. According to author, leader also should have a leadership criteria such as lead by example,lead pro actively, encourage inter disciplinary research and also research collaboration. The done by Fonseca et al 1997 -.) also found the relationship between leader and research productivity. Beside the environmental factors mentioned above, the leadership of an institution or department leaders are important factors affecting research productivity. Leadership is a relationship between leaders and their constituents and a subtle process of mutual influence that fuses thought, feeling, and action to produce collective effort in the service of the purposes and values of both the leader and the led (Bolman Deal 1991). Kerr (1977) reviewed the literature on leadership and found that leadership plays an important role in research universities because the leadership highlight staff morale and self-esteem. For Gardner (1995), who studied leadership from the perspective of the cognitive psychologist, leaders are persons who, by word and/or personal example, markedly influence the behaviours, thoughts and /or feelings of a significant number of their fellow human beings (p.6). Leadership in academic organizations can be understood as taking different forms depending on how leader s view their institutions. A university can be viewed as a bureaucracy, a collegiums, a political system or an organized anarchy (Chaichanapanich 1998). Generally, leadership has a weak relationship with academic productivity, even when the Chair of the faculty lends moral support or provides monetary backing for the research, because faculty members continue to be more concerned about their teaching, their research or their scholarship. Indeed, it has been observed that faculty staff members valued more highly the assessment of their colleagues and their students than the support of their leadership (Blackburn Lawrence 1995) Colloboration / knowledge sharing Financial Financial element is a important in research productivity. Amount of funding will influence amount of research or knowledge produce. Salisbury (1990), Foncesa et al (1997) found a significant relationship between financial support and research productivity. Wood (1990) also indicated that adequate and continued funding is very important factor in ensuring successful of the research. Warner, Lewis and Gregario (1981) have compare the publication number and amount of grant and they found that amount of grant have resulted in greater productivity or articles. Again, this result shows the positive relationship between fund and productivity. Facilities ( library, electronic support, Library play the important in research. Capabilities of library to provide the resources influenced research productivity. Electronic facilities Schefermeyer and Sewell (1988) indicated that using of email among academician to communicate and seek other for research collaboration have open opportunity to increase research productivity. Almquist (1992) Almquist, E.(1992). Listening to users:case studies in building electronic community.Fox institution annual conference, found that the scientists used IT facilities for different phases of their research especially at the subject identification and also find a similar research or literature. Meanwhile, Bruce (1994)- found that over 80% of Australian academic believed that network access give them benefit in conducting research and 63% believed it can helped increase their publication. Massy and Zemsky (1995). suggested that the availabilitiy of IT facilities provided greater access to the resources and it increase the productivity of research. Huges (1999) investigated the telecommunication environment that support research productivity and found that a networked environment he lped to promote information about research productivity. 2.4 Theories, Framework and Model of Previous Study 2.4.1 Zainab Awang Ngah (2001) Exploratory study to examined the factor that affecting the research publication of academic engineering and scientist from UKM and UM. This study aim to identify problem as well as increase understanding of factor that conducive for a productive academic research environment. The study identifies total number and type of research publication published.Examined the endogenous factor such as personal,home,academic background,attitude,view and problem faced and how these are related to publication productivity. Examianed exogenous factor, academic staff information used and disseminated behaviour, problem associated with publsihng articles or in obtaining library materials. The sample population comprises 125 academic engineering and 311 academic scientis from UKM and UM. Data collection and information about the staff are obtained from questionnaire, university calendar and interview. The results are reported in descriptive statistic and tested for significant and correlation using the chi square for nominal type variables and the spearman rank test. The result generally show that in more cases the correlated are significant related to publication productivity. The significant correlated ( Masuk kan model nya (diagram disini) 2.5 Theoretical Framework Organization Factor Top management Slack Resource Knowledge sharing culture Training Technical infra Knowledge Productivity (Dependent variable) Individual Factor Research motivation Attitude toward research Research skill 2.6 Chapter Summary Conclusion The diversity of factor influencing research productivity is well documented in published literature. However, difference in finding about the relative relationship of research productivity and various variables remained.

Midlife Crisis: Myth? :: essays research papers fc

Midlife Crisis: Myth? Imagine being forty or fifty and asking yourself questions like: What have I done all of my life? Why am I sitting behind a desk? And what am I doing driving a 1994 Grand Am, when I could be driving a BMW z3? Then you come home and your partner says, "Honey, I set up and appointment for you to see Dr. Sherwood." and you reply "What for?" Going through some a midlife transaction is common in men. From having symptoms, then coping with it, and getting professional help. In movies like: "Father of the Bride II† and "American Beauty" going through a midlife crisis is glamorized, although in real life it is very painful and not as fun and not near as funny. But is it all a myth, a made up story? Piotr Oles defines, â€Å"The midlife crisis as†¦significant change in the self and †¦men entering middle age. William Pollack, Ph.D., a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Men at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, states that â€Å"All men go through a midlife transition†¦but only some go through a midlife crisis† (O’Connor). Symptoms usually occur in men between the ages of 40 and 50. After all the children have grown up and left the house to pursue their own live, men feel like they are left behind (O’Connor). Now it is only he and his wife, with feelings that their child may soon be taking care of them. Then it becomes common to wake up in the middle of the night and wonder to yourself, â€Å"Is there any more to life than this† (Adler). Toni Bernay, Ph.D., a Beverly Hills, psychologist concluded: The things that had kept them working and kept the passion going are coming to and end. Their spouses don’t seem as interesting to them as they once did, and they’re facing years where all there is going to be is him and her (Adler). A story in â€Å"Geriatrics† talked about one man’s experiences with midlife crisis and how he, â€Å"gained recent notoriety in the local newspaper when he was arrested for driving under the influence and lost his license† (Samuels). Drinking is another symptom of a midlife crisis or how Gail H. O’Connor put it, â€Å"You become a happy-hour regular†. According to Steven Samuels, â€Å"About one in eight older adults have a problem related to alcohol abuse.

To Know a Fly Essay example -- Vincent G. Dethier To Know a Fly Essays

To Know a Fly The book, To Know a Fly by Vincent G. Dethier, is about a scientist who fell in love with the fly. Professor Dethier isn’t like most scientists who are idolized for their accomplishments and rejected for the lack of ability to communicate with society. He was known for being an outstanding researcher, and he also had the wonderful gift of communication. The fact that he was fascinated by the knowledge that could be obtained from such a simple species, such as the fly, also made him popular with the public. The main focus of the book involves Professor Dethier designing and performing various experiments. Each experiment done by Professor Dethier is very simple, therefore the reader is informed, and as Professor Dethier adds interesting facts about the experiments of the fly the reader can interpret it easier. Professor Dethier begins the book by explaining how science and scientist are often misunderstood. He continues by stating that anyone can be a scientist if they want w ish. However, they must posses certain characteristics such as love for nature, curiosity of life, and a soaring imagination. After convincing the reader that they can understand and appreciate science, Professor Dethier begins to inform the reader about the fly. He begins by defending the fly. Most everyone has a mutual understanding that flies are pests and are often considered to be disease infested. Most people don’t even want to be in the presence of a fly. Moreover, flies aren’t ...

Heart of Darkness Critical Paper Essay

Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, is a work of complexity. â€Å"His stories often represent and suggest more than they say† (Skinner). Conrad gives the novel a perplex side through his tactfully written words. This unique language that Conrad uses gives a sense of duality to many phrases in the novel. The double meanings of much of the language that Conrad uses contribute to a reoccurring aspect of the novel, which is that often times there is far more substance to something than appears on the surface. This theme is played out in the novel through the setting and through the two main characters, Marlow and Mr. Kurtz. The novel takes place right in the heart of Africa, down the long and windy Congo River. The river in the setting is a crucial component of the novel because it brings a sense of darkness. â€Å"Conrad manages to hint at the darkness beyond the senses and to represent the experience of struggling with the impossibility of existential revelation in various ways, in terms of both content and form,† because not only does he describe the river’s topography, but also describes the river as having a mind of its own (Skinner). When describing the river, Conrad writes, â€Å"the long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances†(Conrad). This description of the river creates an image of a vast and gloomy river. However, Conrad’s use of personification gives the river a personality, as if it is vulnerable to the dark surroundings that it’s engorged within. In the novel, Marlow’s spoken words also possess a sense of duality. On the outside, Marlow seems like a composed gentleman, who takes little regard for emotions. He speaks in a matter of fact manner, describing everything that he sees in its purest form. When conveying his thoughts about Kurtz he says ,â€Å"He was just a word for me. I did not see the man in the name any more than you do†(Conrad). Marlow’s description of Kurtz at first seems merely a factual statement, but it means more than that because â€Å"there is what is not said because it is merely left unstated (Skinner). The understated nature of his words suggests that Marlow is struggling to compress everything that he feels about Kurtz into a sentence. Furthermore, when Marlow says, â€Å"I will be loyal to the nightmare of my choice†, the reader obtains two meanings from his words (Conrad). On the exterior, Marlow simply means that he will not betray Mr. Kurtz, but on the interior, he is trying to express that he will not let go of the desire that he had to meet Mr. Kurtz, even though the experience strayed far away from his original expectations. Conrad also uses Mr. Kurtz to showcase his way of writing phrases that contain different depths of meaning. Mr. Kurtz is an individual who unknowingly lost sight of his own self because of the heart of darkness in which he is enwrapped. He is unable to blatantly express how his greed and feelings of superiority over the natives have tarnished his character. Therefore, Conrad gives depth to the words that Kurtz speaks, to allow the reader a glimpse into Kurtz’s heart, without needing to have Kurtz deliver his personal sentiments. Towards the end of the novel when Kurtz cries, â€Å"save me!† he literally is pleading for the salvation of his ivory, but figuratively, it’s a plea for someone to save his soul. â€Å"The Horror! The Horror!† are Mr. Kurtz’s notorious last spoken words. On the surface, these words may appear to be describing the face of death, but it seems plausible that Kurtz’s is instead horrified with himself for the way he has so cruelly treated the natives, and that abominable images of the native’s oppression are flashing before his eyes. The duality in meaning of Conrad’s words not only contributes to the complexity of the novel, but also helps to develop the setting and the characters. Conrad’s â€Å"unsaid dialogue and narrative hint at layers of meaning beyond what is read, and Conrad’s explicit and implicit insistence on mysteries beyond words emphasize the unsayable†(Skinner). These techniques that Conrad uses allows the novel to transcend past a simple narrative.(Singer)

American Correctional Policies

The main focus of the juvenile justice systems has always been rehabilitation of the offender. However, this principle has been criticized by some sociologists prompting research activities on the most appropriate method of dealing with juvenile delinquency. Steiner and Wright (2006) carried out a research to determine the effectiveness of tougher penalties on certain cases of juvenile delinquency. According to their study, Steiner and Wright the more strict penalties introduced in the late 20th century had no impacts on the rate of juvenile delinquency and recidivism.A similar study by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2004) indicated that there is no evidence of the effectiveness of the therapeutic foster care intervention programs in dealing with juvenile delinquency. This program was introduced to assists delinquent youths who are unable to live with their parent. However, the program recommended that young people with chronic deviant behaviors should be put under a fost er parent who is trained to handle such individuals.Although the findings of the two studies are essential in formulation of correctional policies, it is important to note that both studies do not consider the factors that forced the juvenile to commit the crime before looking at the effectiveness of the programs. There is no doubt that every case of juvenile delinquency should be addressed separately if intervention programs have to be effective. Reference Cocozza, J. & Skowyra, K. (2002). â€Å"Youth with mental health disorders: issues and emerging responses. † Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Journal, 7(1), pp 3-13.MMWR (2004) Therapeutic foster care for the prevention of violence: A report on recommendations of the task force on community preventive services, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53 (RR-10). Steiner, B. , Wright, E. (2006). â€Å"Assessing the relative effects of state direct file waiver laws on violent juvenile crime: Deterren ce or irrelevance? † The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. 96(4), pp 1451-1477. Part two: Abstract Policies that are geared towards restoration of justice have been common in the criminal justice systems in the United States.These policies have progressively found their way into the juvenile justice systems in many states. These policies are aimed at balancing the interests of the juvenile offenders and the victims of the offences. There are several studies that have been carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of these programs in the juvenile justice systems. This paper is aimed at examining the restorative justice policies in the juvenile justice systems which has concluded that this approach has been adopted by almost all states in the country in the recent past.Reference Pavelka, S. (2008). â€Å"Restorative Juvenile Justice Legislation And Policy: A National Assessment,† International Journal of Restorative Justice, 4(2) pp 100-118 http://www. restorativ ejustice. org/legislative-assembly/15statutes-cases-regulations-and-recommendations-from-national-regional-and-intergovernmental-bodies/restorative-justice-and-the-law/statutes/restorative-juvenile-justice-legislation-and-policy-a-national-assessement.

High Self-esteem Essay

Review Questions 1. In what areas do children and adolescents define their self-esteem?: In Self Image, and in the environment they live in. 2. What are the characteristics of a person with high self-esteem?: Ambitious, optimistic about life, good communication skills, and they are very psychologically healthy and emotionally stable. 3. What are the characteristics of a person with low self-esteem?: Fail to achieve goals, poor communication skills, Are prone to anxiety, depression, hostility, loneliness, shame, and guilt, and they form unhealthy, destructive relationships with others. 4. What can a parent do, in the first two years of their child’s life, to help the child develop good self-esteem?: The first is a sense of themselves as individuals. The child learns that he exists as an individual in the world, and that his actions have observable consequences in the surrounding environment. The child learns that he has the power to manipulate the world around him—to make things happen. The second important concept a child develops during this time is a sense of trust and love that is built upon a solid bond between the child and his caregivers. 5. What are some things that have a negative effect on a child’s self-esteem?: Their self-image, fitting in, and their parents fighting at home. Critical Thinking Questions 1. Why is it difficult to define self-esteem?: It’s difficult because people don’t always know what the exact definition for the word is. 2. Is success in life a cause of high self-esteem, an effect of high self-esteem, or neither?: In my opinion, I say an effect. I say this because if you have high self-esteem, you will accomplish a lot more. Success takes a lot of work, it’s not easy to be successful now a days. 3. What are some ways that parents can help their children develop good social self-esteem?: They could teach them appropriate vocabulary. They can also start getting their kids into speaking to people in public, if they need it. They could get them to start speaking up for themselves. 4. What are some ways that parents can help their children develop good academic self-esteem?: To help them with their school work. They could also get their child a tutor, or maybe they can let them stay after school and get tutored. They could also have standards, not too high and not too low. It depends on the child’s ability on how well they can do. 5. Children will start to exhibit gender-specific behaviors in early childhood. Boys will tend to be more active and aggressive. Girls, on average, are calmer and more agreeable. Children also start to show a preference for toys and clothing that are traditional for their gender. Why do you this is?: They are starting to get to that point where they are changing. Different feelings and hormones. Maybe something is going on in their environment that they live in. Maybe they’re just starting to grow up.

Beach water

The beaches are considered as important recreational resources. The recreational activities performed at beaches involve a physical contact with water, such as sail-boarding and swimming. There is always a risk of having an accidental injury but apart from that people also face major health problems because of the contamination the beach water. The biggest concern is the microbial contamination by microorganisms such as protozoa viruses and bacteria. The extremely dangerous sewage that comes from urban areas has a number of disease causing organisms in it.Storm drains also contribute to microbial contamination because they sometimes bring the pet waste with them and deposit it into the beaches. Humans are exposed to bacteria and dangerous viruses through the ingestion of the contaminated water which occurs through the entry of water from nose, eyes or ears. Some types of illnesses that are associated with the contamination of the water are some respiratory illnesses that are caused b y the entry of contaminated water into the lungs and Gastro-intestinal disorders; caused by the entry of contaminated water into stomach.There are also some infection associated with the beach water contamination which are minor and are caused through the contact of contaminated water with eyes, nose and ears. Fecal Coli-form bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of animals and are passed out of the body through fecal waste. Fecal waste is present in the sewage and when that poorly treated sewage is drained into the beaches, it contaminates the water. Swimming in the water in which coli-form bacteria is already present, increases the chances for human to develop certain illnesses such as nausea, stomach cramps, hepatitis and typhoid fever.One way to fight with the fecal coli-form bacteria is to wash with soap after swimming in the contaminated water. In order to save people from the contaminated water there was a treaty signed by the United States and Canada, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. It argues that â€Å"recreational waters should be substantially free from bacteria, fungi, and viruses that may produce enteric disorders or eye, ear, nose, throat and skin infections or other human diseases and infections† (EPA, Para. 5). To prevent the recreational water from being contaminated, there are many water quality control programs conducted in every state.Microbial standard exceedances are used to measure the risks associated with the contaminated recreational water but â€Å"due to the limitations in frequency comparison of exceedances it’s been a challenge to evaluate the recreational water quality† (EPA, Para. 9). (NRDC) National Resources Defense Council’s watch dog monitors the quality of beach water and warns the authorities to take actions. â€Å"NRDC identified 131 beaches in 23 states that violated public health standards† (NRDC, Para. 4). The most important challenge that we face is that the water quality standards recommended by EPA are said to be 20 years old.They do not meet today’s health standards because there are many other diseases identified now. There is an annual report by NRDC's annual watchdog, â€Å"Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,† which has called for several improvements in monitoring beach water† (NRDC, Para. 3). Improvement in the treatment of sewage also will help in avoiding the health risks. Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved on 08/22/08 from http://www. great-lakes. net/humanhealth/other/bacteria. html National Resources Defense Council, retrieved on 08/22/08 from http://www. nrdc. org/water/oceans/nttw. asp? gclid=CIer1c-KpJUCFROA1QodGBoJjw

Shakespeare and Robert Browning

Intro Shakespeare and Browning both present the theme of desire through their central characters. Lady Macbeth (and Macbeth) is motivated by the desire for ambition and authority in ‘Macbeth’ whilst in the Browning monologues; the monologists are driven by the desire of power and control in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and revenge in ‘The laboratory’. All of which seem to have fatal conclusions as a result of each of their desires.As the texts were produced over 400years ago, audiences may have found the works of Shakespeare and Browning highly thought-provoking and entertaining whilst contemporary audiences finding the different aspects of desire relatable to modern situations. Lady Macbeth’s need for authority in her famous soliloquy ‘unsex me here’ reflects on the feelings of many women at that time longing for power.Likewise, audiences of the ‘the Laboratory’ are able to empathise with the protagonist’s desire for revenge upon their adulterous lover. In ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, Browning reveals an obsessive and controlling persona who can only satisfy his absolute love for his lover by strangling her, presenting his desire for control over others. Section 1: How do the writers introduce the central characters? LADY MACBETH Lady Macbeth’s introduction to the audience in Act 1, Scene 5 immediately makes it clear of her intentions. ‘Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty’. As this is a soliloquy, it invites the audience in to see her inner thoughts and feeling and her true desire for power. * Her use of imperative verbs, ‘come’ and ‘fill me’ not only notifies the audience of her desire for power, but the lengths she is willing go to achieve it. Lady Macbeths mention of the supernatural shows how desperate she is for her desire as she craves to posses characteristics of a man by calling upon the ‘spirits’ and this possibly confirms the dark affiliation she has to the witches prophecy as she uses commanding language ‘come’ followed by supernatural references ‘spirits’ and only calls upon them. * She says ‘come to me woman’s breast and take my milk for gall’. Stating the physical differences of males and females not only shows the limitations of her desire (she is a woman), but reflects on the position of women at the time because she is pleading to have all her feminine traits emoved to attain her desire. * Likewise, when she says ‘that tend on moral thoughts’ unsex me here’ she is asking the spirits to de-feminise and undo her natural order her as she wants to be emotionless and not feel guilty as she recognises that her desire goes against the moral order thus emphasising her strong feeling of desire and how far she will go. It could also be argued that the fact that women had to act in certain ways in the 16th century, for instance being completely against violence of any sorts, may have spurred on lady Macbeth to rebel and achieve her desire. Also, the reference to ‘direst cruelty; make thick my blood’ further supports her portrayal to the audience as an evil and corrupted character. The use of the semi-colon emphasises the use of the word ‘cruelty’ which is a trait seen to be masculine not feminine * This may have been shocking yet entertaining to the Elizabethan audiences as women at that time weren’t expected to act and think in such a way. * The fact that when we meet her when Macbeth is not present (or any one else) shows her desire for power as she is telling us what she wants THE LABORATORY Similarly, in Robert Browning’s monologue of ‘The laboratory’ the audience are made fully aware of the narrators intentions from the beginning. ‘May gaze thr o’ these faint smokes curling whitely’. The personae describes deadly arsenic fumes as something beautiful which suggests to the reader that she is somewhere where chemical reactions take place- hence the title. * The fact that we are introduced to her in this setting brings a dark atmosphere similar to intro of lady Macbeth * This may portray signs of insanity which questionable throughout the poem. Reference to the ‘devils smithy’ further enhances her desire for revenge as she knows she is doing something bad by going to a devils smithy * ‘Poison to poison her’- reinforces the narrative to kill and the first glimpse to who the revenge is on (‘her) and doesn’t mention the name * It shows how deranged the protagonist's nature has become, who goes so far as to poison her rival in love The use of rhyming quickens the pace of the poem, adding to the woman's increasing excitement as the apothecary grinds up the mixture.Many of Brownin g's poems were written about people with an unusual nature. At first glance, the poem appears to be written as if she were talking to the apothecary, but reading into it shows that she may be thinking to herself as at the start of the poem she tells the man to take his time, but as she thinks about the possibilities and power the poison will bring her she begins to hurry him. Her careless attitude towards her future crime suggests that she may have previously killed and does not care about being found out as she is proud of what she will have done. PORPHYRIA’S LOVER ‘ the rain set early tonight’- tonight is a time indicator and possibly foreshadows something that will happen tonight * Use of pathetic fallacy- weather mirrors feeling felt by the narrator * Irregular rhyme pattern- may show narrators instabilltiy * No stanzas –reflective of the narrators mental state/personality * When obsessed can’t stop talking about something * Build up of tension at the beginning to get to the climax COMPARRISON OF ALL * All start in a sinister gloomy way * Section 2: How do the writers show that desire motivates and drives these characters?LADY MACBETH * Act 1, Scene 7- ‘When you durst do it; then you were a man’ shows Lady Macbeths play on masculinity as she uses the perfect tense ‘were’ highlighting the difference now and before which provokes Macbeth and in turn manipulates him to go through with the execution of Macbeth with will get allow her to attain her desire for power (again shows how far she is willing to go to achieve happiness) * * Strong imagery and emotive lang-passionate * Blank verse instead of prose * Shakespeare uses a metaphor and contrast to show that Lady Macbeth is ruthless.In Act I scene 7, when Macbeth wants to back out of killing Duncan, she tells Macbeth â€Å"I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in my face, / Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, / And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you†. * First, Lady Macbeth uses feminine language, showing she knows what it means to be tender and nurturing with words like â€Å"tender love† and â€Å"milk†. But then, she shocks the audience by using violent language such as â€Å"dashed the brains out†.This is an upsetting image; it makes the audience understand that Lady Macbeth would put a promise before the life of her own child. * Lady Macbeth seems to have no problem with violence of the cruelest kind: violence against a child. What makes Lady Macbeth sound even more ruthless are words like as â€Å"boneless† and â€Å"smiling† because the baby sounds defenseless, yet Lady Macbeth won’t show it mercy. * By having Lady Macbeth talk about committing infanticide, Shakespeare makes her a villain in the eyes of the audience, because in the 1600s, women were seen as soft and nurturing.Behavin g this way would be seen as unnatural and would have shocked Shakespeare’s audience. * This shows how her she is driven by desire because for Lady Macbeth (who portrays a strong personae) to talk about how she knows what I’s like to be a ‘woman’ and be nurturing, which doesn’t happen very often in the play, as a way to control her husband into getting into power shows how driven she is and again how far she’ll go. THE LAB * Browning also presents the reader with a character who is completely ruthless when it comes to fulfilling her desires.Although Lady Macbeth desires power whereas the speaker in â€Å"The Laboratory† desires revenge, they share the same determination to get what they want regardless of the consequence. When talking to the chemist about her plans for revenge the speaker says â€Å"and Elize, with her head, and her breast, and her hands should drop dead! †. Just like the presentation of Lady Macbeth, Browning al so paints a vivid image of death and murder. Worryingly for the reader, Browning strongly suggests the speaker’s enjoyment of the idea of her rival’s death.By repeating the word â€Å"and† it suggests that she is relishing the idea of revenge and also that she has thought about it just as much. Section 3: How do the writers show how desire affects relationships in the text? Section 4: How do the writers show the results/consequences of desire? LADY MACBETH * In the final stages of the play the result of Lady Macbeth’s desire for power becomes clear when she loses her mental stability and starts to re-live the murder she and her husband committed. Whilst in her room she utters the phrase: * ‘Out damned spot! * Out I say! *   The use of the command here clearly shows the fact that Lady Macbeth – a once powerful and desire driven woman – is becoming increasingly unstable. Shakespeare’s use of the repetition of the word out shows how desperate she has become, how she has lost control. The repeated use of the exclamation marks highlights the intensity of her need for her hands to ‘be clean’. The ‘spot’ to which she is referring to is that of the blood of King Duncan, however in this instance the blood is a metaphorical manifestation of her guilt, and one that will never go away.Her need for power has destroyed her; she can no longer escape the consequences of what she has done. In this dialogue Lady Macbeth also alludes to the fact that she herself has been ‘damned’, just like she may never get the spot of blood off of her skin she will never be able to clean her own soul, she will never be able to escape what she has done. Through the use of the word ‘damn’ Shakespeare successfully suggests the idea of hell, one which was key in Lady Macbeth’s initial soliloquy.In this scene many may feel a sense of sympathy for Lady Macbeth, as she is going through a traumatic experience, and yet there is no sign of Macbeth, once again taken over by desire he has abandoned his wife in her time of need. However, this scene may be considered to be appropriate by Shakespearean audiences as Lady Macbeth losing her mental stability is seen as a result of her dealing with aspects of life that are deemed to be ‘not feminine’. Conclusion: present your own ideas about the varying successes of the different writers, evaluating which of the treatments you prefer and why – exemplar to follow * Whilst Shakespeare presents highly compelling characters in the shape of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, both of whom are driven to self-destruction by their strong feelings of desire, it is Browning’s monologist in ‘The Laboratory’ that conjures this desire most convincingly. Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste,/Pound at thy powder, — I am not in haste! ’ Both the language and the form compel the reader to reluc tantly empathise with the persona. We feel drawn into the conspiracy she has arranged with her apothecary, driven by the imperative commands she expresses through the use of alliteration, exclamations and commanding verbs. Moreover, the use of bilabial plosives ‘ paste†¦ pound†¦ owder’ attracts the reader, caught up in the excitement she feels as she anticipates the deadly outcomes of the concoction being created. Of course, she is [in haste]. What is interesting is that all three texts make desire enticing (even though we know that moral boundaries are being challenged and broken). Browning not only shows the corruption that strong feelings of desire can bring but also succeeds in corrupting the reader as we ‘warm’ to her intentions †¦