Crime and crime prevention

With the economic climate in the state that it's in, unemployment levels are extremely mean people are struggling to afford the exceedingly high cost of living resulting in the increase of crime rates throughout the country. Thanks to this crime prevention methods have been improved by many new technological devices e.g. databases, CCTV, fingerprinting and speed cameras. DNA database The DNA database can help police investigators link individuals to certain crime sense, this can help add to the evidence against a suspect. People leave their finger prints everywhere, therefore this is why the DNA database is one of the most reliable and trust worthy forms of evidence, also this is one of the most commonly used methods throughout the police force. By the use of this technology it has helped many ‘cold cases' be resolved, because this technology wasn't available 15 years ago as it's still a relatively new method of gaining evidence. The database has raised many people awareness of the police and made them realise that it might not be as simple as they believed to commit a crime anymore as there are many different and affective ways of finding the ones reasonable. Because the database holds over a million individual fingerprints, this can result in the process being slow as it has to search through each individual file trying to make a confirmed match. Overall the concept of the DNA database with the technology to scan fingerprints into system where they can be matched to previous crimes and individuals is a great asset to the police helping solve many crimes. CCTV Because of the increase in crime and shop lifting within the 20th century along with the new revolutionary technology, most stores have covalence systems fitted. This makes people scared, and they decide that they don't want to steal anything as they know they will get caught. CCTV is an easy way to keep people from stealing things however it is also very useful when it comes to catching people that have committed the crime. Many smaller businesses would have problems affording a full CCTV set up, to buy a full system with 2 cameras not including insulation would set you back anywhere between à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300 and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500. Many people dislike the idea of CCTV cameras watching our every move in town centres and cities; they feel as it's an intrusion to their privacy. According to statistics, the average citizen is caught on CCTV cameras 300 times a day. Since 2002 the use of CCTV has increased and the crime prevention rate been dramatically improved. A report by the House of Commons in July 2010 states ‘The use of closed circuit television cameras for the purposes of tackling crime has greatly increased over the last decade'. With the use of around 4.2million CCTV cameras in the UK the number of crimes has been decreased by 16%. The most affected area by the cameras is public car parks, by introducing the cameras crime rates have decreased by 51%. By having individuals monitoring the CCTV forages constantly, they are able to see whether or not police are needed and can use judgment to see potential trouble before it happens. In my opinion CCTV has changed lives of many people for the better, as just having the CCTV cameras fitted is enough to put many people off from committing crimes. Also people that use private CCTV cameras benefit as they act also as a deterrent, but if a crime is committed there is a much higher chance of catching the people responsible. Speed Cameras Speed cameras are a great way of controlling the speed of traffic and keeping road users safe, if theses speed are not followed correctly by drivers they are at the risk of receiving a punishment ranging from 3 points and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½60 fine to disqualification to driving and a fine of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,500. There are 8 different types of speed cameras that operate in the UK, 7 of them check you speed against the legal speed and then take a photo of your car so they have you registration details to identify the driver at fault. There is one different type of camera call an average speed camera, this works on a different principle, unlike traditional speed cameras it is no use breaking when you see one and then speeding up, as the name suggests they work out the average speed between 2 points. Speed cameras develop and now they can check whether you're insured, whether you're wearing your seat belt, whether you're too close to the car in front. And all of these things are checked thanks to only one picture being taken. The police work is a lot more effective with the use of all the technology, and it is a lot harder to commit a crime without being caught due to the fact you are almost always been watched and leaving your DNA where ever you go. Thanks to all the above technology everyone's lives are a lot safer.

Creative Spark Talk Analysis Essay

Creativity is a subject that is very disputable amongst psychologists. Psychologists have argued on a definition for the word creativity for many years now. Regardless of what most psychologists chose to think now, most believe that it is a creative act no matter big or small that is unusual and most likely become very useful to society. The video I watched was by John Bohannon and dancers from the Black Label Movement. The name of the video is tilted â€Å"Dance vs. PowerPoint†, a modest proposal and was filmed at TEDxBrussels, which was also posted in November 2011. John explains in this video how one of his friends tried to tell him about a science experiment and just simply couldn’t. His friend finally explains what the experiment was about to John, and then he tells his friend that â€Å"Maybe next time if you had dancers to try to better explain it will be much easier. He then tells his friend that numerous scientists have started using dancers to describe many d ifferent scientific things simply because it is more sufficient. Dancing PHD is the group of scientists that have started using dancers to explain various things. He starts to explains why it would be more productive to use dancers and instead of PowerPoint presentations. John then gives an explanation on how it is a waste of cash, eventually getting rid of PowerPoint and replacing them with dancers. John even expresses that by using this method even the government could better explain things, therefore making it more understandable to our fellow Americans. Such as things like why are we invading other countries? The talk that Mr. John Bohannon describes does prove a valid point and it does throw a light on some of the stages of creativity. He has done his proper research and makes it very clear on why his solution to PowerPoint could be very productive. John showing more creativity thinking beyond the box, he even has some dancers performing while he is talking so that he quickly proves his point. Curiosity and imagination were used to determine a resolution because dancers would’ve seemed incredible before seeing the actual presentation. Mr. Bohannon was obviously eager to know and see how dancers worked and once seeing it all in motion he ha d a better interpretation towards it. Without his imagination, and thoughts of how dancers and different situations could be put together John would’ve never come up with something as this genius idea. He definitely had to put in a lot of effort, plenty of time and eventually will have to put his ideas on paper to see it active. Sometimes the mind can be very tricky which can make it very hard to put thoughts onto something concrete but once has it will be all worth it. Sharing with the world a different view of things benefits everyone and there will be many key facts from it. From my personal experience PowerPoint’s are easy but can definitely end up being very boring. Even when I was in the military I have had to sit through plenty of them and that got old very fast. Now attending College I also had to put them together and present them. Personally I think the dancers could work better to describe a certain subject or topic but not all the time. Don’t get me wrong some topics should just be left as power points but using dancers on some matters or discussions may be easier to explain. Using dancers could truly benefit in society as a unit then kids in elementary co uld learn easier and this would allow them to use their curiosity and imagination more often. Without having creative minds surrounding us continuously thinking, we would not be the society we are today. We might even live in a different country or the country we do live would’nt have developed the way it did. Numerous people minimize their thinking skills and say no to thinking more than they claim they need too. Each and every person is one of a kind and if they share their thoughts and ideas they could potentially benefit our society as a unit. Doing the least just to get by and not continuously thinking of better and simple ideas only hurts yourself and you are minimized to what you can accomplish. Reference Bohannon, J. (2011, November). Dance Vs. Powerpoint, a modest proposal. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/playlists/11/the_creative_spark

Auntie Mame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Auntie Mame - Essay Example Auntie Mame does not hide her lifestyle from Patrick, and she takes care of him with as much honesty and assurance, as she possibly can. Mame is appointed to raise Patrick by her brother as the legal guardian, but when Patrick arrives at her house, she is hosting a party for other people. She feels sorry about that, and she asks Norah, Patrick’s nanny, â€Å"But why didn’t you tell me you were coming today? I’d never have been giving this party† (10). After Auntie Mame laments on her mistake, she happily embraces and kisses him, giving him the reassurance that he is safe. Auntie Mame is also very proud to have Patrick around, as she goes around and introduces him to her guests. Her pride is apparent from her statement that â€Å"This is my brother’s son and now he’s going to be my little boy† (13). After Mame welcomes Patrick into her home, she apologizes for her mistake and promises him that they will talk more the following day. This relationship is an exemplary example of the importance of honesty, acceptance and assurance to a child. Mame does not want to hide anything from Patrick, and she readily admits that she has made a mistake for forgetting about his arrival and hosting a party. Her behavior also provides him with comfort and makes him feel cared for and safe. Auntie Mame and Patrick not only share a child-parent relationship, but also a youngster-mentor bond. For instance, Patrick looks up to her aunt to learn the difficult words that she uses in her conversations with other people. When Mame finds out that Patrick does not comprehend her words most of the time, she is happy to have the chance to teach him or engage in â€Å"molding a little new life† (19). She instructs Patrick to write all the words that he does not understand for later explanation. Patrick seems very excited about this learning process because he â€Å"immediately wrote down six new words which Auntie Mame said to scratch o ut and forget† (19). Patrick’s father stated in his will that he would like him to be sent to â€Å"conservative schools†, but Mame thinks that the schools are â€Å"dull†, â€Å"tiresome† and â€Å"tedious†, and she wants him to go to her friend’s new school since it is â€Å" Coeducational and completely revolutionary and all classes are held in the nude under ultraviolet rays† (20). Many parents or adult guardians give their children a strict education and make it an obligatory and tiresome process, but Mame tries to make education a fun and engaging process. This not only promotes Patrick’s willingness to learn new information, but it also increases his curiosity in learning about life’s experiences. Even though Mame faces many difficulties especially in regard to her financial problems, she does not give up taking care of Patrick. For instance, during the Great Depression, Mame’s investments fail, and s he can only have â€Å"two hundred dollars a month†, so she has to go to work in order to â€Å"keep Patrick in that wretched St. Boniface school† (40). Mame finds and engages in many jobs during this period, but none of them lasts long. For example, Mame becomes a copywriter at Vanity Fair and is fired due to inaccurate writing; she also works as a reader, but she loses the manuscript and gets fired. Mame keeps working and finding jobs to sustain her family until she meets and falls in love with Beau Burnside, who is a

Asssignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asssignment - Essay Example For example, food, air, and water are physiological needs. One needs to have these essentials of life in order to survive. Only after one remains alive can one struggle to be safe. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is suitable to be used mostly because all human needs can generally be placed in one of the five basic needs’ levels identified by Maslow. The best part of this theory is that it explains that if an employee is not displaying best performance, there can be certain underlying factors that may not necessarily be directly related to the workplace that need to be addressed first. Another very good feature of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is that it places the five needs in different levels, each having its own level of importance. This helps the management streamline its efforts to address workers’ needs according to their priority as suggested by the pyramid. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs guides management on how to reward individual employees depending upon which level of need different employees find unmet and are motivated

Entrepreneur and New Product Development - Case Study Analysis Essay

Entrepreneur and New Product Development - Case Study Analysis - Essay Example Many entrepreneurs have benefited from exceptional product design and expert financial and legal advice, built a stable and profitable business that can succeed in any business environment but have failed due to wrong planning of the time to may be launching the new product in the market. Many spend much time and emphasis in the plan on the strength of the management team they have recruited, the attractive financials and how wonderful the product or service is, than on how to use the strategy to enter the market and continue to penetrate the market over time. Most find themselves trapped in financial, personal and social tensions. With the advent of technology, the world has turned more global and is fast becoming a global village. Entrepreneurs too are not left out as most Australian companies are increasingly investing abroad. Their faith abroad is often very uncertain as they do not know the exact conditions and competitors they will meet, what patterns are customer demands and many issues. Normally, investing abroad has constrains due to the uncertain market. These problems are usually at different levels such as political environment, socio-economic environment, demographic environment, legal environment, and economic environment. 2.1. Political environment: Investing in a politically unstable environment is often hard to determine what may happen to the business. May be the image of the leader in power may be a stumbling block to your business as the image of the goods and services you produce may be looked at differently. Even on the domestic market of the country may be a particular problem. Take the simple case of Santa Teresa investing in Venezuela. Going by the words of the writer, supporters of Chavez should have thought that Mr. Vollmers was just the kind of person they see in their president. This situation may lead to tensions between customers and even lost of market position to competitors. Like

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - Essay Example This sort of anticipation has led to the further fall in oil prices. Another issue that the researcher discusses is that of the fluctuating exchange rates that has in turn caused variability in interest rates. The main aim of the research is to analyse the various issues faced by the global economy and how has the economy dealt with the challenges. The research allows the researcher to study the various economic issues across the globe and the main reasons behind such issues and derive a solution to overcome these issues. The crude oil prices in the economy have experienced a recent decline which had serious impacts on the economy. The global demand and supply conditions for the crude oil has led to the possible decline in crude oil prices (Fornari, et al., 2002). Prices are expected to change rapidly based on the anticipation of the researchers before the actual change. Expectation for the global oil demands have been anticipated downwards in the economy and the growth in oil prices was expected to be much lower in the economy (Jimenez-Rodriguez and Sanchez, 2005). Further, the intensity of the rise in oil prices have become half of what it was during the previous years. It had resulted in declining oil intensity and the energy efficiency of the oil prices. The researcher has found that Saudi Arabia has reduced OPEC’s oil supply and the prices were stabilized (Jimenez-Rodriguez and Sanchez, 2005). The oil price fluctuations and the inflation rates have a positive correlation in the economy (Kim and Roubini, 2000). High inflation led to high rise in oil prices within the economy and it had an impact on the oil producing companies as there was a very low demand for crude oil. The low demand was due to rise in price for crude oil. As a result, there was excess supply of crude oil in the economy and gradually the prices fell in the later years. Rise in oil prices has led to lower output production in the

Life-Altering Medical Breakthroughs on the Horizon Essay - 3

Life-Altering Medical Breakthroughs on the Horizon - Essay Example Blind people expect to have seeing ability restored. Scientists have tested and investigated microchip implants, which aid patients regain sight. Scientists are creating deep brain implants and unique glasses, which can bright sight to blind, (Barrie 1). Regenerative medication enables scientists to create organs and supplant impaired one. Researchers make substitute organs in the artificially. Presently, they have formed bladder and fixed into people. Tissue engineering utilizes both synthetic and natural material to grow body parts such as skin cells, bone marrow, cartilage among other. These technological breakthroughs provide extensive improvements for various patients and extensively reduce the cost of medication. Engineered organ replacement will outdo the hazards and challenges related to donor organs and reduce medical cost, (Reginald 1). For people who have suffered brain disease, Alzheimer or related neurological condition, the breakthroughs in neural advancements provide e xtensive hope for quality life. Similarly, microchip technology necessitates this advancement. Microchip or fiber optic wire use to bridge the affected brain parts provides a hope to cure various neurological diseases. Advancement in microchip use to bridge neural routes brings hopes to the anticipated brain use expansion for people, (Dick 1). Medical breakthroughs will allow generic condition eradication. For instance, with the human genome project completion, scientists have extensive knowledge of the genetic structure and it impacts on people. Currently, researchers can create certain gene or disease medicines utilizing DNA therapy to prevent patients against fatal diseases. It is predicted that genetic engineering will help prevent fatal conditions such cancer. Similarly, it will aid increase predicted lifespan to more than hundred years and create disease-free life.

Introduction to management enquiry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to management enquiry - Essay Example Although there are no large-scale changes taking place practically. Just three universities are going to charge less than maximum. Many standard universities still feel that teaching undergraduates is not profitable. The other reason universities hesitate to accept that all institutions and degrees are of equal standard, they fear that their credibility may get damaged. Thus one can feel relieved that just few institutions are going to adopt the new system. Bradford University is planning to give scholarship to computer science students, and the number of students would be reduced on the basis of grades. Poorly performing students would have to choose less important courses. The standard universities are still stuck up in managing the cost of teaching undergraduates. Yet the most acceptable way is to use research money and get finances from over seas students. The result is universities are planning to accommodate more foreigners by reducing the number of home students. This implementation of new system would be difficult because of low cap on fees. Expansion of popular courses would also be an option when extra students are taught at lower expenses. Universities should recruit right number of students because drastic increase or decrease would be unprofitable for them. If the university increases the number then it would lose government funding and also it would be fined. Let us see how it goes. The government 's target of bringing 50% of youngsters to universities by 2010 will not be achieved too. The government must have to ignore those universities that are expanding popular courses if the planned number is to be achieved. The implementation of this new system may bring some ridiculous situation to the over all scenario of the whole education system. It may look like chain of super store offering various incentives for their clearance sale or for increasing the revenues. It seems that all these binding conditions will not be successful, it will make universities like half-markets and it would be very difficult to manage. Critique The article paints a very bleak picture of the whole scenario. Although it contains some valid points but still there are some positive aspects of the Education bill 2004. The authority gained by universities for fixing tuition fees up to 3000 would give a much-needed fiscal width to universities. It is true that government funding has dropped but the gap created by this reduction could be fulfilled by the increase in the fee. It is also correct that the gap was financed from research and maintenance funds, but it had slowed down much needed research work. That retarded research will also get a boost from the income gained by the universities by increasing the tuition fee. The writer admits this fact that the students are real beneficiaries and they should pay more, so the academics may also get reasonable ruminations. The fear of rise elitism indicated by writer can be ignored keeping in view other benefits of this new system. Baroness Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK said that the passage of this bill was essential, in her view, for the future health and strength of universities. She

The Success of Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder Essay Example for Free

The Success of Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder Essay With the increased dependence on others because of the boom in societies’ populations, social skills are becoming more of a necessity in the normal functioning of individuals. Behaviors which obstruct the normal functioning of individuals in social situations are therefore a growing cause of concern. One such behavior is the psychological disorder, social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by a persistent fear of negative evaluation from others in social situations to which the individual is exposed (Stein, 2006). Because of this increase in fear of experiencing humiliation, there is an observed pattern of irregular functioning as well as clinically diagnosed distress in the individual (Stein, 2006). This therefore stops the suffering individual from relating to others in regular social situations. Furthermore, the distress resulting from the fear incapacitates the individual from other day-to-day patterns of behavior. Social anxiety disorder manifests during early stages of human development and has been found to be one of the most prevalent mental disorders (Stein, 2006). Because of this, an increase in concern has been raised for the treatment of the disorder, especially because the nature of the disorder prevents individuals from seeking treatment of the same. This paper will deal with two therapies used in treating social anxiety disorder. The treatment procedures offered by cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy, the use of medicine in treatments. This will be done by reviewing several articles written by experts studying methods of treating the symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Also the effectiveness of the different treatment procedures in helping clients will be discussed. By the end of this paper a clearer picture will have been made of the research methods utilized in studying social anxiety disorder, the treatments suggested, and the effectiveness of such treatments. The Importance of Working Alliance Hayes, Hopes, VanDyke, and Heimberg (2007) conducted a study regarding the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy in addressing the concerns of patients suffering from social anxiety disorder. One of the processes of cognitive-behavior therapy involves the firm establishment of an interpersonal relationship between the client and therapist. This relationship is known as the working alliance. Working alliance goes beyond forming a bond and involves the foundation of an agreement between the client and therapist regarding the tasks and goals of the therapy proceedings (Hayes et al., 2007). In their research study, Hayes et al. (2007) studied the role that working alliance played in having treatments result in effective treatments. The research was conducted through first assessing that the patients were seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder and that no other therapist was being consulted (Hayes et al., 2007). Participants were then asked to rate the level of distress they felt before entering the therapy. After the session, participants and third-person observers rated the perceived level of working alliance as well as the degree of helpfulness of the session (Hayes et al., 2007). Only the first session was studied by the researchers as they believed this first session was important in knowing if the client would come back or not. This may have limited the results as the researchers couldn’t make sure if the long-term effectiveness of the treatment is because of working alliance or because of other reasons. The research ended with the finding that high levels of working alliance didn’t lower the reported level of depression of the clients (Hayes et al., 2007). However, the treatment did get positive reports as to helpfulness. Those participants who reported moderate levels of working alliance showed decreases in depression (Hayes et al., 2007). In fact, those who reported before the session the highest levels of depression and showed the greatest decrease in depression after the session were those who reported average working alliance levels (Hayes et al., 2007). The research raises the question whether or not an entirely open relationship with therapists would help change the non-helpful social behavior of participants. Also, the research does not clearly point out whether it is the process which clients say is helpful or if it’s working alliance. More than anything, this study points out the need to study more the processes of cognitive-behavior therapy so that it will be understood what particular process helps social anxiety disorder patients. The Efficacy of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy A research study conducted through the review of relevant past research was conducted by Zaider and Heimberg (2003). Past research was tapped through the use of literature searches, reference lists and research databases (Zaider Heimberg, 2003). This provided the researchers with a long list of research papers to review – more than 100 papers were found but only 80 were accepted based on relevance. This method serves to summarize research conducted over the last fifteen years, making clear the contribution of each individual research conducted. But the study is limited because of the method used. Data still needs to be collected by studying the conclusions and proposals of this review of past literature. The studies reviewed also reflected several treatment procedures used in cognitive-behavior therapy. To name some of these treatments: relaxation training, social skills training, exposure, cognitive-restructuring techniques, and combined exposure and cognitive restructuring (Zaider Heimberg, 2003). However, the general conclusion that could be made was that the treatments were most efficient when applied together. The exact combination of treatments that would give the best results was not made clear though. But the research did conclude that the use of cognitive-behavior therapy greatly improves social performance fears (Zaider Heimberg, 2003). Moreover, the therapy resulted in the improvement of social skills and feelings of depression associated with the disorder (Zaider Heimberg, 2003). The research reflects that cognitive-behavior therapy is quick to answer the needs of social anxiety disorder. But it doesn’t answer the question of which aspect of the therapy directly contributes to the improvement. With the many treatments that may be used in cognitive-behavior therapy it is vague which one results in the best stage of improvement. There is also no explanation regarding the concepts used in this theory which help patients overcome their disability. Comparison between Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Pharmacological Interventions A handout for clinical practice guidelines (Paris, 2006) further discussed the efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy in treating social anxiety disorder. The goal was to determine methods of improving the helpfulness of the therapy. This was done through a comparison of the data obtained from past researchers treating social anxiety disorder with three different treatments: cognitive-behavior therapy alone, cognitive-behavior therapy combined with prescribed medications, and pharmacology alone (Paris, 2006). However, this comparison method doesn’t control for certain conditions which might not be present in all studies. This would leave room for error in the data obtained and not make the conclusions objective and reliable. The research also enumerates the treatments applied in cognitive-behavior therapy. The list is similar to the list provided by Zaider and Heimberg (2003), as discussed earlier, except for the deletion of relaxation training and the addition of education and emotion-regulation approaches (Paris, 2006). When the researchers compared the effectiveness of the three above-mentioned conditions, no significant were noted. Therefore there were no added benefits to the use of the therapies in combination as compared to applying them separately. However, the findings did show that after stopping treatment, improvements made through cognitive-behavior therapy lasted longer than those in pharmacotherapy (Paris, 2006). Such findings raise the question as to why cognitive-behavior therapies are not the default treatment for social anxiety disorder. Combined Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Pharmacotherapy As has been said in the previous study, there have been little to no proof showing the benefits of combining cognitive-behavior therapy with pharmocological treatments. However, medications have been found to lead to faster relief than cognitive-behavior therapy which takes a long and slow process (Rodebaugh Heimberg, 2005). On the other hand, medications have been associated with higher possibilities of relapse while cognitive-behavior therapy has shown low cases of relapse (Rodebaugh Heimberg, 2005). This accounts for the potential of exploring options for a combined treatments therapy. The possibility was studied through a review of current and recent research concerning combination treatments. But this review method fails to give a thorough control for factors which may affect the studied result along with the studied factors. There is no certainty of direct compatibility between studies. The review of the current state of knowledge served to show that some experiments had resulted in the growth of improvement effects through the combination of the two therapies (Rodebaugh Heimberg, 2005). However, this progress was observed only in the short-term effect of the therapy and no data is yet present as to the long-term benefits provided by combined treatments. It has further been found that clients who go through therapy may think that real-life practice situations as safe only when under medication. But when medication is stopped, the fear may return. This shows in truth, little improvement is made in the therapy sessions. This research brings about more questions for future research than it does provide answers. Of particular focus for future research would be the long-term rise in improvements through the early prescription of medication to a client and the delayed start of psychotherapy. Given that the effectiveness of therapy undergone while under medication may only be observed after the stop of such medication, therapy must extend after medication has been stopped. This picture gives a probable combination treatment set up. Pharmacological Treatments of Social Anxiety Disorder Stein (2006) presented his study considering the effect of clinical practices combined with advancements in medical research. This was done through the review of current clinical guidelines. The effects of known medications when applied to individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder were also considered. This method serves to provide a clear picture of the role of pharmacology in the clinical setting. It also identifies the most effective medicine to prescribe to a client asking for help for social anxiety disorder. Unlike other studies which only find basis on the helpfulness of particular pharmaceutical products in combating disorders, this method, evidence-based treatment, looks at clinical data in order to identify the best medication may be given to a client (Stein, 2006). The study reported that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors were the primary pharmacological treatments recommended for manifesting social anxiety disorder (Stein, 2006). It was explained that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors serve as effective short- and long-term treatments for social anxiety disorder. This treatment has been found to be superior to other medications available for social anxiety disorder. However, the occurrence of relapse was common in cases where treatments were not continued. It is therefore best to give long-term treatment for maximum improvement of the patient. Long- term treatment would also decrease the frequency of relapse. Instead of concluding that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors alone should be used for treatment, this research only encourages more research. Although the best possible medication has been identified, the contribution of other known medications has not been forgotten. Stein leaves open the possibility of creating new medicines for the treatment of social anxiety disorder with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as the main ingredient. Summary of Research Material Reviewed To summarize the research findings discussed above, the only successful psychotherapy so far applied to social anxiety disorder is cognitive-behavior therapy. This may be because of the close working alliance between the client and therapist as well as the real life experimentation which acts as practice for the client. This treatment has been found to have more long-lasting improvements than pharmacological treatments. However, on the basis of quality of improvements observed, no significant difference has been found between cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments. It is theorized though that the best improvement environment might be achieved through the combination of the two treatments. However, there is little evidence collected to support such a theory. It should also be noted that the most effective medication, on the basis of evidence from clinical records, has been identified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. But the combination of this medication with others has not been considered or studied yet. Even though the research findings have not pinpointed the specific predictors of improvement in clients’ conditions, it has been shown that indeed social anxiety disorder may be treated. In fact the challenge for researchers is to make treatment conditions better in order to maximize the improvements already offered by current therapies. Reflection on Research Findings The research has served to the existing state of research clear. From the conclusions of the researchers it can be seen that successful treatments of social anxiety disorder have been achieved. However, the reliability of medication as a treatment for this disorder remains uncertain. Medication gives quick relief of the symptoms of social anxiety disorder. However, when taking medicine is stopped, relapse is not only likely, it is sure to follow. On the other hand, cognitive-behavior therapy offers a more stable process of improvement with fewer chances of relapse. Although this therapy takes longer in showing improvement, the wide variety of treatments it offers allows for the specialization of client-therapy interactions based on the specific concerns and situation of individual clients. This allows for a stronger foundation of change. This would improve interaction even outside the clinical setting. This is quite different from the role of medication which is only to prevent the manifestation of symptoms without addressing the cause of the actual behavior being treated. Although a combination treatment is hoped for, it should be remembered that medication might only bring about a false sense of reliance. Medication should therefore not be regarded as the primary intervention mechanism. It’s psychotherapy which empowers the individual to face different social situations. Cognitive-behavioral therapy gives the patient the ability to develop coping mechanisms which he or she will learn to apply in many different social interactions that may come his or her way. References Hayes, S.A., Hope, D.A., VanDyke, M.M., and Heimberg, R.G. (2007). Working Alliance for Clients with Social Anxiety Disorder: Relationship with Session Helpfulness and Within-Session Habituation, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 36(1), 34-42. Paris, J. (2006). Social Anxiety Disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(2), 35S-41S. Rodebaugh, T.L. and Heimberg, G.T. (2005). Combined Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 19(4), 331-345. Stein, D.J. (2006). Evidence-based treatment for social anxiety disorder. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 10(1), 16-21. Zaider, T.I. and Heimberg, R.G. (2003). Non-pharmacologic treatments for social anxiety disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 108(417), 72-84.

Research paper on carnival Essay Example for Free

Research paper on carnival Essay Mardi gras Just the name Mardi gras conjures up images of drunken, bead-wearing revelers dancing through the streets of New Orleans. But how, and when, did this huge mid-winter party get started? Heres a look at the history of Mardi gras throughout the ages and across the nations. Herman states, Historians tell us that the ancient Romans probably kicked off the Mardi gras celebrations. (pg. 115)Their mid-February festival known as Lupercalia honored the god Lupercus, alternately known as the god of fertility and the god of agriculture and pastoral shepherds. In either case, his party definitely had Mardi Gras-like qualities, including days of feasting and drinking. And a little enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, probably, too in fact, the term Carnival, often synonymous with Mardi gras, is derived from the Latin expression meaning farewell to the flesh. Like most of the ancient Roman and Greek festivals, Lupercalia was adopted and adapted by the Church as a way of subtly converting the local pagans to Christianity. The carnival-like celebration of Lupercalia thus morphed into a last fling before the beginning of the Lenten period. Lent refers to the 40 days of pertinence and purification celebrated between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. During Lent, the religiously faithful refrain from a number of indulgences of the flesh, including eating meat. (pg. 220) What began as a Roman-based celebration quickly spread across the European continent. By medieval times, lords were hosting carnivals prior to Lent in honor of the conscription of their new knights. Each region and country celebrated their own traditions, but all were indulgent. [pic] In France, this period of revelry before Lent was especially raucous. In fact, the term Mardi gras is a French expression meaning Fat Tuesday likely referring to the indulgent nature of the pre-Lenten celebration. The name may have been more than just allegorical, however. Ancient pagans often marked their fertility ritual by parading a fattened ox through the town before sacrificing it. (lent pg. 101) It was also the French who brought the celebration to America. Many historians believe the party crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1699, on the ship of a French explorer named Sieur dIber ville. The Frenchman landed in what is today Louisiana, just south of New Orleans, the heart of Americas modern-day Mardi Gras celebrations. In fact, his landing is believed to have coincided with the French celebration of Mardi gras, explaining his choice of name for his point of entry: Point du Mardi Gras. However, dispute the dIberville connection, contending that it was the early French settlers to Louisiana who introduced Mardi gras to America. Regardless of the precise origin, Mardi gras can clearly be attributed to a Franco-influence. By the mid 1820s, Mardi gras was firmly rooted in the New Orleans culture. Lent later states that Today, the citys celebrations are considered one of Americas biggest parties, with towns and cities throughout the Gulf Coast Region getting in on the fun. (112) Zulu (krewe of Mardi gras) Early in 1909, a group of laborers who had organized a club named The Tramps, went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy performed by the Smart Set. The comedy included a skit entitled, There Never Was and Never Will Be a King like Me, about the Zulu Tribe. (herman pg. 201) The earliest signs of organization came from the fact that the majority of these men belonged to a Benevolent Aid Society. Benevolent Societies were the first forms of insurance in the Black community where, for a small amount of dues, members received financial help when sick or financial aid when burying deceased members. Conversations and interviews with older members also indicate that in that era the city was divided into wards and each ward had its own group or Club. The Tramps were one such group. After seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place (a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of Perdido Street), and emerged as Zulus. (pg 210). According to herman, This group was probably made up of members from the Tramps, the Benevolent Aid Society and other ward-based groups. While the Group marched in Mardi gras as early as 1901, their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants, and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume of lard can crown and banana stalk scepter has been well documented. The Kings following William Story, (William Crawford 1910, Peter Williams 1912, and Henry Harris 1914), were similarly attired. (pg. 214). 1915 heralded the first use of floats, constructed on a spring wagon, using dry good boxes. The float was decorated with palmetto leaves and moss and carried four Dukes along with the King. That humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu parade today. On September 20, 1916, in the notorial office of Gabriel Fernandez, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club were incorporated. Twenty-t wo of the organizations officers and members signed the first official document. The Geddes and Moss Funeral Home, located on Washington Avenue, played an integral part in Zulus beginning, and have continued to do so throughout the years. The first official toast of King Zulu and his Queen is held at this establishment each year. Zulus were not without their controversies, either. In the 1960s during the height of Black awareness, it was unpopular to be a Zulu. Dressing in a grass skirt and donning a black face were seen as being demeaning. Large numbers of black organizations protested against the Zulu organization, and its membership dwindled to approximately 16 men. James Russell, a long-time member, served as president in this period, and is credited with holding the organization together and slowly bringing Zulu back to the forefront. (pg. 220) In 1968, Zulus route took them on two major streets; namely, St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, for the first time in the modern era to see the Zulu parade, you had to travel the so-called back streets of the Black neighborhoods. The segregation laws of this period contributed to this, and Zulu tradition also played a part. In those days, neighborhood bars sponsored certain floats and, consequently, the floats were obligated to pass those bars. Passing meant stopping, as the bars advertised that the Zulus will stop here! Once stopped at a sponsoring bar, it was often difficult to get the riders out of the establishment, so the other floats took off in different directions to fulfill their obligations. Zulu has grown tremendously over the years. This continual growth is credited to the members for their love, loyalty and dedication to this organization. In 1978, the organization opened its doors to their new home, a two-story frame building houses a lounge downstairs for members and guests to enjoy themselves. Of all the throws to rain down from the many floats in the parades during carnival, the Zulu coconut or Golden Nugget is the most sought after. The earliest reference to the coconut appears to be about 1910 when the coconuts were given from the floats in their natural hairy state. Some years later there is a reference to Lloyd Lucus, the sign painter, scraping and painting the coconuts. This was the forerunner to the beautifully decorated coconuts we see today. (pg. 229) With the proliferation of lawsuits from people alleging injury from thrown coconuts, the organization was unable to get insurance coverage in 1987. So that year, the honored tradition was suspended. After much lobbying, the Louisiana Legislature passed SB188, aptly dubbed the Coconut Bill, which excluded the coconut from liability for alleged injuries arising from the coconuts handed from the floats. On July 8, 1988, then-governor Edwards signed the bill into law. (pg. 233) Carnival in the Caribbean Hundreds of years ago followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale-which means to put away meat. (internet site: â€Å"caribbean carnival†)As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous. The practice spread to France, Spain and Portugal. As these Catholic countries began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating Carnival. In many parts of the world, where Catholic Europeans set up colonies and entered into slave trade, carnival took root. Today Carnival celebrations are found throughout the Caribbean. Traditions of the cultures have come together and especially African dance and music traditions transformed the early European carnival traditions in the Americas. Important to the Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. These traditions were believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems and chill out angry spirits. Caribbean carnival traditions also borrow from the African culture the tradition of creating pieces of sculpture, masks and costumes. For the Caribbean people carnival became an important way to express their rich cultural traditions. It takes many months of coming up with a theme or overall concept and developing costumes for the dancers. Lots of creativity, energy and patience is put into work such as welding, painting, sewing, gluing, applying feathers, sequins and glitter. Carnival groups, entertained by music orchestras, parade and dance wearing costumes depicting a common theme. When Carnival first began it was celebrated from December 26 until Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Nowadays Carnival festivities and activities are being held year-round in the Caribbean. The dates on which Carnival celebrations such as; music competitions, festivals, concerts, street jump-ups, beauty pageants, balls, parades etc. take place may vary from country to country, from island to island. For days, sometimes weeks, the people of the Caribbean express themselves socially and artistically and sheer joy with visitors from all over the world. (internet sit â€Å"Caribbean carnival†)Everyone, including the spectators, is part of the celebrations. Antigua and Bermuda The festivities reveal the many influences that formed the Antiguan society, cultural, social and political. Over the years cultural elements from countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Holland, Colombia and the United States have slipped into the Antiguan community and blended with and into the unique world famous carnival celebration with its typical characteristics of creativity and rhythm, dance happiness, Flamboyant costumes, Beauty pageants, Talent shows, and Great music. All these and more define a fantastic celebration of happiness that is the Antigua Carnival. In retrospect, the Antigua Carnival dates back in August 1 of 1834 when slavery was entirely abolished. In 1666, it was ravaged by French inhabitants but was soon conquered by the British and was formally restored to them by the Treaty of Breda. It all started when the local natives immediately went to the streets to express their joyful celebration of freedom. As the years passed by, it continued not until in 1957 where it was declared an official Antigua Carnival. (oduber pg. 97) Since then, the Antigua Carnival has developed into ten days packed with revelry in a glitzy manner of dance to the beat of the Calypso. It includes marches, jump-ups and shows which always took place around the last week of July up to the first week of August. The Antigua Carnival is undeniably the best time for tourists to immerse with the culture of this Caribbean island. If you head to the city, you are fortunate to witness the Pan Ban, a steel orchestra, practicing for the event.(oduber pg. 99) They go by troupes as they set up a Mas Camp, a base where their intricate wardrobes are made. It is also the starting point as they walk to the metropolis to open the Antigua Carnival. The lively event culminates by a massive road party called J’ouvert, which means â€Å"day break†. Everybody is literally on their feet as they sway to the beat of the dr ums from the young night until the middle morning. Barbados (Crop over) Masquerading was an old African tradition, where they paraded in masks and costumes through the villages to bring good luck and to remove evil spirits. Originally materials for costumes were natural things such as; grass, beads, bones, etc. Head-pieces and Masks were made of feathers to symbolize that people can spiritually rise above anything. Most European colonies within the Caribbean who were part of the slave trade have Carnival or Carnival-like celebrations. (praiser pg. 23)Now in large countries like USA, Canada and England, where they are Caribbean communities you will find Carnival celebrations. The History of Crop Over The end of the sugar cane harvest, or Crop Over as it is almost always referred to, has long been the occasion for celebration. In what seems to be the earliest reference to the Crop Over festival, we find the manager of Newton Plantation writing in 1788 to the estates owner in England, telling him that he had held a dinner and sober dance for the slaves, saying: twas a celebration of Harvest Time after the crop. (housman pg. 304) Many aspects of plantation life in Barbados carried on unchanged after the end of slavery, and the Crop Over festival likewise continued. Never the less there must have been an important difference in the way in which the festival was perceived. Before emancipation, the planter had no choice but to support his slaves, well or badly as the case might have been, all year round. After 1838, for most people Crop Over meant not just the end of a period of hard work, but also the beginning of a period of less work and lower wages. For many the interval between tw o crops would indeed have been hard times, and the symbol of these, perhaps not invented until after Emancipation, was the figure of a man stuffed with trash (the dried leaves of the sugar cane plant) which was known as Mr. Harding. (pg. 311) Mr. Harding was formally introduced to the manager of the plantation, and, according to some accounts, later burnt as part of the celebrations which must have had a tinge of desperation to them as people strove to enjoy themselves while they could. The festival was apparently fairly common at the beginning of the present century, by which time the name Crop Over seems to have ousted that of Harvest Time. A procession of carts would bring the last canes to the plantation yard, the draught animals being decorated with flamboyant, frangipani and other flowers, whilst brightly colored kerchiefs would be tied like flags to the canes. The laborers would parade around the yard, and it was at this point that that they would introduce Mr. Harding to the manager, after which they would adjourn for a dance, for the manager or the owner of the estate would normally contribute some salt meat and rum. Even by 1940 Crop Over was being described as a custom which has very nearly died out, according to Housman (pg. 316), and the continuing decline of sugar and the growing availability of other sources of employment had put an end to much of traditional plantation life. The modern Crop Over, revived by the Board of Tourism in 1974 and now administered by the National Cultural Foundation, pays tribute to the fact that sugar is still important in Barbados and the immense influence which it has had on our history. The present day festival is very different from the old time Crop Over, but it continues as a tradition by offering a thrilling celebration of many aspects of Bajan Culture, old and new. CROP-OVER CARNIVAL Crop-over has become the centerpiece of Barbados culture, a process enriched by much history, a savvy visitor promotional sense, and the great nearby pre-Lenten Carnival of Trinidad Tobago. Conga-line from April 22 May 01 begins with the longest Conga line in the Caribbean and features a series of concerts at the Malibu Conga line Village. May 1 is the finale, where bands, floats and Carnival goers take part in the May Day Parade, The Caribbeans largest summer Carnival begins on the first Saturday with the Decorated cart and float opening and Gala crop-over opening. (praiser pg.31) This parade begins at Bridgetown Independence Square in the early afternoon and finishes at the National Stadium. Here, the opening ceremony takes place with the ceremonial delivery of the last canes and the crowning of the king and queen of the festival followed by an excellent night of entertainment and socializing. The festival, revived in 1974 following a 30-year hiatus, continues to grow and evolve with the culture. Unlike most Carnivals whose roots are in spring, Crop-over is a harvest festival dating back centuries to the end of the sugar cane season. The end to all the grueling and arduous work was marked by the final delivery of canes to the mill. Surely a cause for song, dance and general jubilation, as such, the workers would begin the festivities by boisterously telling each other CROP OVER. Folk Concerts celebrating the emancipation from slavery are popular events during the Carnival season the last Carnival weekend features the most important Carnival events. On Friday, there will be the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals at the National Stadium. The next night in the wee hours of Sunday morn, the Fore-Day morning jump-up will go down from 2am till dawn. Before this special event is the steelpan competition. Cohobblopot is a huge carnival-like show where the most popular calypsonians and bands perform on Carnival Sunday night. The Calypso Contest is one of the worlds best even though it features primarily local talent. Before the best singer/songwriters of the season are chosen, the talent will perform their new compositions at many venues or tents. These tents, with names like Super Gladiators, Conquerors, House of Soca, Pioneers and Stray Cats, play an important role in deciding who will win the title of Party Monarch, Road March Monarch and the Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch. The King and Queen of the bands competition is also an important part of the Cohobblopot Sunday show. Get tickets in advance since the National Stadium can sell out, particularly with all the talk about not allowing it to be broadcast on free TV. (pg. 37) All this buildup makes for a memorable Grand Finale, or as they say at Barbados Crop-over, the Grand Kadooment. Here, over two dozen large costumed bands will go dancing down de road inviting everyone to jump up with them as they make their way to the ocean surf. (pg. 42) Tuk: Indigenous to Barbados, its a combination of African and British military rhythms with the musicians dressed in minstrel like costumes creating music from kettledrums, bass drums and whistles. They play sounds like marching band music, old-time waltzes and almost always end with an African beat. According to praier, This is a great spectacle to see. ( pg. 51) The musicians are as serious about their music as any steelband man. Although a part of the old era, it is still very alive and a part of the modern day celebrations with completions staged during Crop Over. Calypso Soca: Although calypso is indigenous to Trinidad, it now holds a very prominent place in the Crop over Celebration. Like Trinidad Carnival, it has all the trimmings, the Tents, parties, semi-finals judging and then to the Calypso Monarch finals, which take place just before Grand Kadooment. The Bajan artistes are holding their own with this art form and have even created new forms like Ringband and Ragga-soca, a definite invention of the Bajan calypsonians. (pg. 55) Steelband: Borrowed from Trinidad, the Bajans have taken it, and now the popularity and growth of the steelband in Barbados is phenomenal, states praiser. (pg. 68) with every year seeing the improvement of the sound and quality of the music to the extent that steelband has now taken a place on the curriculum of many of the schools on the island. Grand Kadooment: The grand finale, a parade of the costumed bands for the final competition for Designer of the Year Crown. The revelers are dressed in elaborate costumes depicting various themes dancing to music playing from the most popular bandstands, with disc jockeys winding their way down to Spring Garden where they would be judged for this coveted crown. (pg. 73) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (â€Å"vincy mas†) History Hugh Ragguette, a name that is synonymous with Carnival in St. Vincent explained to The Vincentian that the historic roots of Carnival lie in deep antiquity: since at the dawn of history, man celebrated several festivals of which Carnival was one. The Kalinagos and other indigenous peoples who inhabited St. Vincent had their festivals. With the introduction of slavery, the Africans with their varying cultures and rich variety added to those expressions. Although the practice of wearing mas' came from Africa and was subsequently adopted by the Greek and Romans, it was actually the French who celebrated carnival in the Caribbean as the highlight of the year. After the British supplanted the French, the practice continued. The wearing of Mas in carnival was introduced by the Pope in Rome in 1494 and then spread throughout Europe. (Sutty pg. 37) Naturally, the slaves participated in these festivals at a different level. â€Å"The slaves would have noted and participated in the festival, albeit at a different level. Naturally, they were not invited to the mas balls and dances.† stated however, when chattel slavery ended, the freed slaves embraced carnival and turned it into a callaloo pot, adding elements of the respective cultures.(pg 38) They took to the streets and displayed the theatrical spectacle they had created and to vent their subdued creative abilities. These street marches took place on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Unable to chain the hands and feet of the slaves any longer, in 1892, he related, the colonial Governor banned the festival claiming that the revellers were lashing out at each other and observers with whips. Ragguette held another opinion, â€Å"The main reason was to suppress the people’s culture and their peculiar African expressions. The coloniser could not understand these expressions and wanted to stifle them.† The fire that burnt within slavery was reduced to mere embers and in 1879, fuelled by the unchainable African spirit it le apt into flames again. In 1899, the people decided that come what may, ban or no ban, which they were going to celebrate. They began the celebrations as early as the Friday preceding Ash Wednesday. As a result, the colonisers brought out what was termed the armed might of the Empire. (pg 44) The people resisted and a riot broke out, writing the Carnival Riots of the 11th and 12th February into this country’s history books. From then on, Carnival has been a part of St.Vincent’s culture. Four years later, carnival fever spread to Trinidad in the south where the festival had been banned resulting in the Comboule Riots. throughout the years people have built on and experimented with the components of Carnival; to the extent Trinidadians have invented a musical instrument in the form of the steel pan to provide accompanying music to its calypso. ( pg. 47). By 1973, it was virtually impossible to hold all the Carnival shows during the Wednesday and Tuesday period. â€Å"Our pan, our calypso, and particularly our Mas has reached a level of development that it needed to spread its wings outside the Catholic Christian Carnival to a more embracing festival,† Ragguette commented. (pg. 49) Since the festival was held so soon after Christmas and the length of time available for shows coupled with the fact the Trinidad and Tobago, whom Ragguette stated â€Å"had run away with title of king of Carnival in the world and boasted of having the greatest show on earth,† held its Carnival around the same time, it was necessary to move the festival to another season. The June-July period was decided as most suitable. (pg. 50) With more time to work, the CDC wanted to introduce a Caribbean component into its programme. Antigua and Barbuda already had a Caribbean Calypso Competition and the organisation could not get beyond the logistics of a Caribbean Pan or King and Queen of the Bands competition. sutty explained that it was felt that a show should be organised to showcase â€Å"the beauty and profound intelligence of our Caribbean women†. (pg. 53). This resulted in the birth of Miss Caribbean Carnival Miss Carnival. Trinidad Carnivals principal components are calypso, steelpan and playing mas (masquerade). In the historic capital City of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, these elements are harmoniously structured to form a five day ritual pageant beginning with the King Queen Contest (Friday), Panorama (Saturday), Dimanche Gras (Sunday), JOuvert (Monday) and the Parade of the Bands (Tuesday). (green pg 57) These main events and countless others build to an unforgettable epiphany of beauty and stunning display of the irrepressible human spirit before concluding and allowing the quiet first day of Lent and reflection known as Ash Wednesday to be admitted to consciousness. [pic]The genesis of this worlds greatest Carnival has been attributed to the many cultures of Trinidad and their interaction. While the African influence is predominant, the Carnival carries an overriding theme of unity, a central part of this unique cultures mythology. Trinidads namesake, the holy Trinity is blessed as the unifying principle. This is the countrys well known motto, resting at the base of the ubiquitous and striking TT Coat of Arms reads, Together we Aspire, Together we achieve. (pg 59).Yet the wisdom lies in paradox for there is no Carnival with more intense competition than Trinidads. [pic]Today Trinidads model for public celebration is the most widely imitated festival art form in the world. Many Trinidadian Carnival artists are able to work year round performing throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. J’ouvert Jab Jab The name of this mas is derived from the French patois for Diable Diable. It is pretty devil mas. The costume consists of a Kandal or satin knickers, and satin shirt with points of cloth at the waist, from which bells hang. On the chest, there is a shaped cloth panel which is decorated with swansdown, rhinestones and mirrors. Stockings and alpagatas are worn on the feet, while the headdress consists of a hood with stuffed cloth horns. The costume can come in alternating colors and be divided into front and back panels. (pg 61) The Jab Jab has a thick whip of plaited hemp which he swings and cracks threateningly. These whips can reduce the costumes of other Jab Jabs to threads. It is not to be confused with Jab Molassie. JAB MOLASSIE Jab is the French patois for Diable (Devil), and Molassie is the French patois for Mà ©lasse (Molasses). (pg 62)The Jab Molassie is one of several varieties of devil mas played in Trinidad and Tobago carnival. The costume consists of short pants or pants cut off at the knee, and a mask and horns. The jab malassie would carry chains, and wear locks and keys around his waist, and carry a pitch fork. He may smear his body with grease, tar, mud or colored dyes (red, green or blue). The jab molassie wines or gyrates to a rhythmic beat that is played on tins or pans by his imps. While some of his imps supply the music, others hold his chain, seemingly restraining him as he pulls against them in his wild dance. The differences among the various forms of devil mas were once distinct, but have become blurred over time. Trinidads carnival is a gorgeous paradigm of how carnival can connect the entire world. In this Trinidad little nation, the lifestyle and customs of various cultures come collectively for a short five days every year, the entire country stops thinking about their dissimilarities to celebrate life! Similar to many other countries under colonial rule, the history of Native Americans and African people in Trinidad is atrocious and a sad story. At different times England and Spain both maintained Trinidad as their colonies. Around 1785, Carnival was introduced to Trinidad. The French settlers started to arrive. The custom caught on rapidly, and fancy balls were held where the rich planters pretend masks, and beautiful dresses, wigs, and dance the whole night. The employ of masks had particular meaning for the slaves, as for several African peoples, masking is usually used in their rituals for the dead. Evidently banned from the masked balls of the French, the slaves would grasp their own tiny carnivals in their gardens — using their folklore and own rituals. However they also imitate their masters’ manners at the masked balls. Carnival has turned out to be a way to convey their authority as individuals for African people, and also for their rich cultural traditions. (pg. 102) The slavery was eradicated after 1838, the Africans were freed and started to host their individual carnival celebrations in Trinidad streets. This carnival developed progressively and sophisticated and rapidly became trendier than the balls. Nowadays, Trinidad carnival is like a mirror that reflects the faces the many immigrant nations from Africa, India, China and Europe. Carnival is such a significant aspect of life in Trinidad, as many schools trust that funding/ sponsoring a carnival band is a way to train youngsters about their culture and roots. According to green, Hundreds of schools and community organizations contribute in Trinidad’s Kiddies Carnival. In this fashion, communities’ works as one to build up strong friendships and good respect for the various cultures that make up Trinidad. (pg. 59) Bibliography â€Å"Caribbean carnival† Caribseek.comhttp://www.caribseek.com/adventure_and_entertainment/carnivals/caribbean-carnival.shtml. â€Å"Carnival in Trinidad.† Mustard.org.early 1985 carnival in Trinidad†¦evolution and symbolic menaing.21 February 2008 http://www.mustard.org.uk/articles/trinidad.htm. Cowley, John. Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making. Trinidad: Macmillan Caribbean May 4, 1988 Green, Garth L. Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival. Massasetucheuts: Harper smith, 2005 Herman, Wouk. Don’t stop the carnival. USA: Doubleday, 1965 Housman, Gerald â€Å"The kebra nagast: the lost bible of Rastafarian wisdom and faith from Ethiopia and Jamaica.† (July 1979): 299-671 Lent, A John. Caribbean popular culture. Michigan: bowling green state university popular press, 2006. Pariser, Harry S. Explore Barbados. Manatee Press: 3 edition October 2007 Razak, Victoria M. Carnival in Antigua. Boston: Cenda Pub; 1 edition May 1, 1998 Riggio, Milla Co. Carnival: Culture in Action The Trinidad Experience (Worlds of Performance). Routt ledge: Pablo Delano, 2004: Sutty, Lesley. St Vincent and the Grenadines. Caribbean: 2 edition September 2002 Oduber, Vanja. Antigua carnival. New York: Chauvenheid Graphic Group 1996

History Of Corporal Punishment

History Of Corporal Punishment Corporal or bodily punishment is the deliberate use of force anticipated to cause pain or harm for correction, discipline, changing bad behavior or in sole faith of bringing up the child. This physical harm can be caused by hitting, whipping, beheading, stoning, Cutting off limbs, burning and many other different means. The phrase usually refers to systematically striking the suspect with an implement, whether in legal, family or educational settings. Most of the times the imposed judgment tends to inflict a manner of bodily pain upon the suspects without killing them. Since medieval times, corporal punishment was commonly used in areas that did not warrant capital punishment, exile or banishment. Most opponents of these punishments are greatly concerned of the widespread practice and the brutality with which this technique is repeatedly inflicted. Corporal punishment is also used to mean a wide range of punishments moving from forced labor, amputation and torture. This punishment co mes in a wide variety of names, some of which are generic and others shows the extent of punishment and severity of injuries sustained. These names include spanking, caning, swatting and paddling. In this paper, the mentioned terms are literally used to mean a general term for corporal punishment (Key Events in the Debate over Corporal Punishment, 2006). The gradual growth of humanitarian ideals has led to abandonment of this practice, and today in the west it has entirely been replaced with life imprisonment and penalties. Bodily harm or corporal punishment continues to be practiced in correctional facilities of many countries. In some Middle East and Asian countries, amputation and beheading remain prescribed punishments. This vice is currently prohibited by several international human rights conventions. Over years, governments and parents have deliberately and lovingly administered corporal punishment with true desire of producing individuals who are democratic and peace loving. In this paper I would like to discuss the influence brought about corporal punishment, how it originated, and effects it has on the victims (Who decides whats right History of Corporal Punishment Historically, physical punishment was generally used in the early times of Moses, in laws of Sparta, Troy, Athens, and many other Greek states. It was also practiced in medieval Christian church traditions especially in Judaism. Currently its practiced in many countries of the world and remains in the judicial systems of some European communities. Even if the history of corporal punishment is not certain, the barbaric practice was confirmed as early as the 11th century in ancient Israel and it was definitely practiced in conventional civilizations used by Egypt, Troy, Sparta, Rome and Greek. In those times, the punishment was mainly focused on legal and educational settings. In early Europe, corporal punishment was promoted by manners of the early church in the respect to the human body. Since the judicial and education setting were attached to the church, this had a drastic influence on the implementation of corporal punishment. Nonetheless, corporal punishment in those medieval tim es was criticized by Archbishop of Canterbury, philosophers like john Locke and catholic priests (Who decides whats right, 2001). From the late 15th century, new developments in corporal punishment started to emerge. Legal sentences turned into open spectacles, where suspects were punished openly to deter others from committing related offences. In early 18th century, the whole idea of corporal punishment was attacked from various quarters and it was seen as ineffective method of correcting bad behaviors. Most people argued in unison that punishment of any kind should focus on correction and not retribution. The end effects of these ideas led to slight decline in the use of corporal punishment. In England the use of legal corporal punishment reduced in early 20th century and it was finally eradicated altogether in June 1948.Even if the practice of corporal punishment as been eradicated in most countries, in some Asian and Middle East countries it is still preserved as a judicial sanction (Corporal Punishment Abroad, 1999). Corporal Punishment in Modern society. In the modern society, corporal punishment stands out as ordinary method of disciplining and dealing with criminals and unruly children. Even though it has been banned in some European countries and states, most judicial systems allows people to be disciplined whenever they commit unwarranted crimes and when a reasonable distinction between the punishment and abuse is accessed. Physical or corporal punishment is distinguished from other punishments in that the damages are inflicted on somebodys body. It generally occurs as a technique of physical punishment for crimes and as a way to discipline bad behavior in the modern society, corporal punishment is widespread and its mainly divided into three unique classes: Domestic corporal punishment-found within family settings and mostly involves women and children being punished by spouses, guardians, parents or family members. Educational corporal punishment-found in educational settings and involves punishments of students within schools by teachers and school management. Judicial or legal corporal punishment-generally involves a criminal sentence brought about by the court of law and directly related to prison physical punishment. Domestic corporal punishment found within family settings is generally done under the phrase spare the rod and spoil the child. It involves slapping, whipping or spanking the child. In most European countries, domestic physical punishments its outlawed while in most African countries and some states of the United States of America are legal. Educational corporal punishment found in educational settings involves punishments of students within schools by teachers and school administrators. Students here are punished for misbehaviors or abuse of school rules and regulations. Students are either slapped or whipped in some cases, or paddled. Corporal punishment used to be common in education settings in many parts of the globe, but in modern years it has been banned in virtually all of European countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and other small countries. In some parts of Africa and Asia it remains prevalent. Analytically, corporal punishment is most rampant among male stud ents compared to the female students and its more severe to males. Judicial or legal corporal punishment involves prescribed application of caning, whipping and strapping as an order from the courts. These punishments are common in African, Asian and Middle East countries. Most of countries with Islamic sharia laws employ ranges of these corporal punishments. As mentioned above, there are three settings in which corporal punishment is administered. Our focus in this paper will be in the judicial system and educational system. These settings commonly share similar unique characteristics that set them aside from other types of corporal punishment. Under extreme circumstances, Corporal Punishment is an effective method of punishing many people. It is a very adequate technique of keeping lots of the populace under control. It is mostly used as a caution to show the nation the penalty behind some of the dealings that certain citizens choose to execute. Is Corporal Punishment Abuse or Discipline? Antagonists of corporal punishment are precisely critical of its extensive practice and the brutality with which it is imposed. In many ways, corporal punishment can be referred as a gross abuse of fundamental human rights. Many people argue that its a good way of discouraging bad behaviors and crimes in the society but proportionally, the damage inflicted on somebodys body is not relative to crime committed. Its at times impossible for people to balance the concept of abuse and discipline. The subject of the use of corporal punishment in the society appears to be extremely contentious, with extremists analyzing both concepts of the continuum. Both abuse and discipline have a reasonable distinction and a good correction method can turn to abuse when overdone. When discipline results to bodily harm or affect the emotional level of a child or citizens, then it escalates into battering which is abuse. Obviously there are occasions of general abuse and of offensive bodily punishment. Thi s claim is inadequate to show even a connection between corporal punishment and abuse. Scientific research into probable connections between abuse and corporal punishment has not been conclusive so far. The fact that judicial corporal punishments cause bodily harm, it does not demand that punishment should never be imposed by anybody. If it has such power, then the system should not be blamed if individual supposed to administer the punishment exceeds their powers. Its critical and very difficult if we try to condemn the offensive but not, the nonoffensive use of corporal punishment. For this technique to be valued and respected, it should follow the due course of the law, it should bring bodily pain without injury, it should not discriminate people in terms of gender and religion and there should be appropriate timing when administering the punishment so that the victim would be emotionally prepared. Delayed punishment allows the due process of law to be followed regardless of the legal term justice delayed is justice denied (Key Events in the Debate over Corporal Punishment, 2006). Corporal punishment in individual countries Corporal punishment is established many countries of the world and its practiced with intention of punishing those affiliates of society who have committed atrocious crimes against fellow citizens and laws of the land. In some times its used to give families of victims a sense of tranquility. Various types of corporal penalty subsist around the globe and in mostly related to the religion and social cultures of the nation. In Afghanistan- corporal punishment was widespread during the Taliban reign from 1996 to 2002.Being an Islamic state, the sharia laws ordered punishments notably to all criminal offences. Flogging is the most widely used punishment here and are generally intended to be embarrassing rather than painful. Literally, at the moment the Whole criminal and Justice System of Afghanistan seems to be rotten and most of these punishments are being performed without proper legal proceedings. Apart from the courts, teachers are also attempting to affirm their power over students by punishing them. This is widespread across the country and most of the times leave students badly injured. Reports of students being caned, slapped, punched and kicked as now become a daily routine. The current government claims its trying to curb the vice but this has not been forthcoming as many reporters still publish stories of students being hospitalized from injuries sustained in schools. In addition to floggings, Saudi Arabia on its part uses cutting off limbs, stoning and mutilations of body parts as a technique of corporal punishment. In normal circumstances such punishment are highly contentious and beastly. In early years corporal punishment involved caning, slapping and flogging. But of late physical punishment like mutilations have been introduced via the sharia laws. Most British colonies like Botswana, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Tanzania also employ judicial whippings and caning for a variety of offences. These punishments are more serious in Islamic countries like the ones mentioned above and others that practice Islamic sharia laws. Other countries that have practiced judicial corporal punishments include Germany, Korea, Sweden, China, state of Delaware in United States of America, Burma and Vietnam. According to research, currently most industrialized countries have barred corporal punishment in their society. Some countries have gone a step further in outlawing any form of bodily harm by state organs, including the judicial system. Global Convention on Human Rights has made a treaty that force member countries to protect criminals and other groups from physical attack and abuses coming as a result of corporal punishments (Who decides whats right,2001). Pros and cons of corporal punishment In most cases, individuals who oppose corporal punishment do so on sole foundation of single unwarranted arguments. Usually they claim many reasons to support their beliefs. Most of the times they do not support their arguments on a particular theory or philosophy. Previously, many People in the world thought that the best and cheap way to punish criminals was use of physical force. This technique is meant to infringe pain to someone by flogging, whipping, caning, hitting or beating them. The most important reason of corporal punishment is to reprimand someone for committing crime and to educate people to learn from their previous mistakes. In general, corporal punishment has its pros and cons. Its supporters claim it offers advantages over other punishments in that it is fast to implement, cheap and discourages rowdiness experienced in some judicial systems. Advocates of this punishment also argue its cost effective in that it reduces prison congestion hence promote development of t he prison facilities. This approach promotes easier reincorporation of the suspected criminals back into the society since they are not imprisoned and most of the times the infringed wounds heals. There are greater chances of avoiding such crimes and less recidivism. Supporters of the corporal punishment in children, whilst accepting corporal punishment results to child abuse, most of them claim when properly managed it can be a the most successful technique of disciplining unruly children (Corporal Punishment Cessation ,1999). Research by Harvard university shows that most American families support minimal application of corporal punishment. Use of corporal punishment makes people appreciate social norms and understand doing something wrong result in one getting hurt (pain) and suffering. As many citizens know the consequence of disobedience the less the crimes there would be. This punishment has numerous unfavorable psychological effects like depression, anxiety, is degrading, rig idity, teaches the wrong lesson, and stems up sexual deviance. Opponents of this punishment claim that any form of bodily harm or violence is definitively abusive. corporal punishment result to lack of trust to those in authority and makes one hate the systems and organs infringing those pains (Applied psychology,1978). People who are bodily disciplined are most likely to grow up appreciative of it and using it to resolve interpersonal conflicts.In term of domestic and school corporal punishment, it leads to obliteration of trust bonds and finally makes a child grow shy, violent bitter and insecure. These abuses and beatings lower their self-esteem, and promote aggression and fury without reducing bad behaviors the ones the child was being punished for. Some antagonists of corporal punishment argues that this method is not effective in eliminating crime and unruly behaviors in that it does not deter those punished from repeating similar crimes and mistakes. Unjust corporal punishment can be prevented by providing systems that safeguards the rights of this people. To be effective, there could be restrictions on the crimes for which the suspects can be punished, the materials used to inflict the punishment, the severity of the strokes and the site in the body where the punishment would be performed. Punishment within schools and families are less easily monitored, so proper preventative measures should be taken to avoid injuries. In some instances external monitoring is effective to counter check if one is doing it right or wrong (Davenport, 2003). Conclusion In my own opinion, I dont support the use of corporal punishment even if this paper has proved it not always immoral to administer one. Corporal punishment is a horrible practice, even if justified; it should not be cheerfully embraced. Other effective methods can be coined to treat bad behavior and crime in the society as an option to corporal punishment. Currently, corporal or physical punishment has been outlawed in the majority of the global states since many people who administer them abuse it. After bad legal battles arise, the governments systems are put into disrepute. In my conclusion I can comfortably say there are many other ways of dealing with criminals and unruly children and corporal punishment is not one of them.

Weaponry: A History :: essays research papers

Weaponry: A History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the most destructive power in history? Is it a rocket torpedo that shoots straight to the surface from a submarine, flies through the air toward an enemy sub, and then dives at its target? Is it the electrically powered machine gun that spews out 110 rounds per second to obliterate its opponent completely? Maybe it’s an intercontinental ballistic missile armed with nuclear warheads, capable of killing hundreds of thousands with a single atomic bomb. Then again, is it the tank with thermal-imaging sight that senses an enemy vehicle’s heat so it can see—and kill—even it total darkness?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Actually, it is none of these. One must go all the way back to the beginning of weapons development, when humans first figured out that certain tools made warfare a lot more effective. A person’s arm, for example, could not throw a stone or stick very far, so people devised slings and sharp tips to let their projectiles travel farther, faster and land harder. Iron-tipped spears, javelins and swords came into existence when humans learned to use and shape metals thousands of years ago. Other early warfare devices included bows and arrows, catapults , and with the domestication of the horse, the horse-driven chariot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  None of these primitive weapons seem to answer the above question, so skip ahead to the transport of gunpowder from China to Europe in the thirteenth century. With the introduction of gunpowder, the armor of the famed â€Å"knights in shining armor† gradually became useless against the penetration of ammunition shot from a harquebus, musket, or cannon . By the fourteenth century, most European armies used gunpowder, rockets and other explosives in warfare. Yet the art of war was revolutionized again by the revolver and the automatic firearm in the nineteenth century.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first major war to use the rapid-fire guns was WWI. New contraptions were needed to protect the soldiers, now huddled in trenches, unable to move, let alone fight. Enter the tank. Infantry could now be on the offensive. Progress in the building of warships led to stronger, more lethal submarines that fired torpedoes from beneath the waves. Torpedo-boat â€Å"destroyers† were then created to combat the submarines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Germany’s defeat in WWI led to its development of ballistic missiles, one of the inventions that reformed warfare again. Advances in automatic weapons and aviation were the latest innovations on the battlefront. However, it was the deadliest weapon ever created- the atomic bomb- that decided and ended the war once and for all.

Red Badge of Courage - The Power of Fear Exposed Essay -- The Red Badg

Power of Fear Exposed in The Red Badge of Courage The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a book based on a young soldier’s engagement in the Civil War. The psychological conflict that he faces throughout the story is both internal and external. The battles are fought in the reader’s face to show the young soldiers' conflict with himself, other soldiers, and the battle itself. With Stephen Crane’s amazing power of description, the reader becomes engulfed in the battle at hand and feels that the conflicts of the soldiers are becoming his own. The main topic of the book is fear, and how it would affect a young man in a bloody war such as the Civil War. The war becomes the young soldiers worst nightmare, which gives him conflicting thoughts, emotions and fears. The young character soon realizes, as all of these things affect him emotionally and physically, that the war is very different from what he had hoped it was going to be.   Although the soldier becomes nervous and even runs away at the Battle of Chancellorsville, he eventually returns to find that he and his fellow soldiers have grown. They had learned more about themselves then they had ever believed possible. The young soldier becomes a man with plenty of courage by the end of this book. When we first meet Henry with his regiment, the 304th New York, he is bored and even lonesome, wishing to return to the farm. As time passes at the camp, Henry begins to realize that being a hero in the war may not be as easy as he had once dreamed. The inner conflict begins with Henry wondering about how he will react when the battle begins. He wonders whether he will run like a chicken, or stay a fight bravely. In the first battle Henry fights bravely, but as time goe... ...en Crane also uses his powerful descriptions in the parts of the book where the character is fighting battles. He puts the reader in the face of the enemy and describes to them every last detail, making the reader know what every detail was like. If Crane had made the battles any less dramatic, the reader would have had a hard time following what Henry was having an emotional conflict about. Since Crane put you right there in the battle, you also felt the way that Henry felt. Stephen Crane used the young soldiers inner and outer battles to give the reader a true idea of what the Civil War must have been like. The reader will visualize the battles, smell the gunpowder, hear the guns, and sense everything else that happens throughout the book due to Crane’s use of description. The reader even begins to feel and sympathize with Henry’s emotions and feelings.   

No Time to Think Essay

This week we were asked to analyse the following papers and a TED Talk presentation reflecting on how the accelerating pace of life and the distractions/noise in form of new means of communication are affecting our concentration and vanishing our â€Å"sanctuary† where we can dedicate time for thoughtful reflections. * â€Å"No time to think: Reflections on information technology and contemplative scholarship†, David M. Levy. (2007) * â€Å"Speed and the Unsettling of Knowledge in the Digital University†, Ray Land, (2011). TED Talk â€Å"5 ways to listen better†, Julian Treasure, (2011) Distractions serve anything but the knowledge It is true that today’s digitisation and networking tools speed up the pace of our communicative exchanges. In the other hand, these increasingly attractive tools are stealing our time and helping to distract us. These distractions serve anything but the knowledge because seriously limit our ability to focus and attention (and hence learning). Nowadays many people believe that reading an entire book is less attractive than commenting on their friends’ photos on Facebook or, open multiple tabs in a browser and quickly discover everything that is happening. It is precisely the possibility to access an incredible amount of information through the current digital technologies and encounter endless possibilities of knowledge that challenges our inability to build mental representations. Given the monumental supply of information obtained through the mass media, especially the Internet, the individual focuses his attention by very few moments in the data exposed on computer screens as they navigate through new links. However, the quality of these connections often contrasts with the amount of information, which are hardly assimilated because there is no time or effort to establish relations between concepts and thus, creating new meanings. As a result, individuals have habitual concentration difficulties, especially when â€Å"connect† with other people and at the same time read information in various news sites. It is not by chance the use of terms such as â€Å"connect†, â€Å"Liked† and â€Å"off† to describe relationships between people. It is as if the email’s boxes or the tweets call us all the time so that messages must be read and answered immediately. The schools adopting the digital education model have already evidenced these concentration problems. The use of new technologies in the classroom econfigures everyday identities of their teachers and students and thus, their own teaching practice in the presence of the students’ limitless access to information through the Internet. I believe that the teachers, as the digital immigrants, and students, as the digital natives, are overwhelmed with the emancipatory potential of the Internet that in somehow they are experienc ing a sense of loss as pointed out Ray Land: â€Å"Paradoxically this may be experienced as a sense of loss as an earlier, more secure stance of familiar knowing has to be abandoned as new and unfamiliar knowledge is encountered†. The temporary downside of this digital turn is a viral pact of mediocrity, through which teachers and students pretend to teach and learn, to the extent that the contents of academic papers are copied and pasted in the text with less and less reasoning being developed. New teachers adapted to this modus operandi disregard ethical issues and do not refute the information that the student presents through consultation online. Improving concentration in the digital environment Considering the above scenario, I believe that we need to re-think our strategy to overcome distraction and increase our capacity to learn in digital environments. As David M. Levy mentioned: â€Å"It might well be possible to begin to explore different modes of thinking – routine and creative modes, as well as obsessive mind chatter – not only to develop more nuanced and refined understandings of these processes but to understand how to encourage or discourage them†. The starting point could be the understanding of the mechanisms of human attention, decode how it works and even how to develop it. I personally think that concentration is not innate to the human being, but a skill that can be taught throughout life and can always be improved. Recently I read an intriguing book called â€Å"The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force† (Jeffrey M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley, 2003) about the brain plasticity, which is the neurons’ ability to redistribute according to need and training. The conclusions regarding the brain’s ability to rewire itself and the idea that meditation may be driving neuroplastic changes are quite inspiring in the book. For J. Schwartz and S. Begley, the best way to ensure attention is to choose challenging activities. If the task is so hard that we almost cannot do it, will certainly require more focus. However, it is not always clear that we like or feel challenged by everything that we need to do. Sometimes the work is simply annoying, but still needs to be done. In these cases, the trick is to turn it into a kind of game, focusing on one phase at a time. Overcome steps, one by one, can leave the whole process more attractive. Something like the â€Å"gamification† strategies, i. e. points and titles that some programs or applications give each task is accomplished. Being totally concentrated has to do with the state of â€Å"flow† discussed in the week 4 of the IDLE course. The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi tried to understand the phenomenon by calculating the amount of information that our neural networks are capable of absorbing. He reached a number: only 110bps (bits per second). Listening to someone talking, for example, requires the processing of 40bps. That means, there are 70bps left in to use for distractions around. So we can scribble on paper or think in others to-dos while listening to the conversation. Using the 110bps in an activity would be the equivalent of what Csikszentmihalyi calls â€Å"flow† that state of absolute concentration that makes us not even notice the time passing. Finally, the schools should debate more about the negative effects of distraction, the importance of the â€Å"white space† (or the sanctuary as we call at IDLE, the creation of physical spaces or times on the calendar for uninterrupted, unwired thinking and connection) and encourage students to apply basic practices to promote personal â€Å"white space†. These practices include: create a student routine, make lists with the priorities of the day, learn to organize time and to collect relevant study materials, learn to book time to solve everything else outside of the studies (a good way to fend off distractions is to take them out of our heads) and learn to absorb and to reflect on what has been collected.