NCLB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NCLB - Essay Example This essay declares that NCLB will bestow significant benefits to the education system. An inherent feature of the whole program lies in linking every stakeholder in the education system towards a common goal of improving education. Significant reports claim that education standards have been falling in the USA. In spite of exceptional enrollment rates, students have registered low performance even in key areas such as Mathematics and English. Solving such problems requires measurable standards that teachers, students, and the state strive to achieve. The NCLB program, hence, unite all the stakeholders in designing unique policies that work towards a convergent direction. In this sense, it recognizes that achieving a comprehensive education requires the unique efforts of every party. This paper makes a conclusion that the NCLB program recognizes that states and districts possess unique problems and needs in education. In spite of the overall needs of education, the NCLB program recognizes that certain factors differentiate the state of education of one state from the other. For instance, education and income is a critical issue because it determines the nature of education that a student receives. In this sense, a state will have to examine the income groups in its communities and ask for proportionate funding levels. In addition, each state will examine the differentials in terms of the suburban schools and the inner city schools. In the end, it becomes essential to design tests that cater for all the communities in a state.

Political and ideological discourse Essay Example for Free

Political and ideological discourse Essay America is founded upon some deeply disturbing prejudices, which are dangerously implanted in our youth at a young age. The impact is a sick culture, capable of terrible acts of impulse that are inspired by fear and contempt. This is at the core of The Crucible. In many ways, The Crucible, which recounts the awful details of the Salem Witch Trials, still resonates today. The term Witch Hunt is often invoked in modern social, political and ideological discourse to characterize any malicious or unfounded crusade against an innocent party or parties. The narrative of the 1954 Arthur Miller play helps to keep fresh the understanding of that which we are capable of at our worst, our most misguided and our most ignorant. In addition, it cautions against the type of repression which marked the Salem society, elucidating that such unnaturally draconian standards will inevitably cause revolt. Perhaps among the most shocking elements of the play is that which is revealed to the play’s reader in the introduction regarding the extraordinary young age of the girls. Acknowledging them as being barely out of their puberty, this introduction helps to pave the way for the cruel behavior perpetrated by such young aggressors, producing a useful discussion on the cultural impact bore upon our young by a culture that behaves with such virulent fanaticism. This also helps us in our consideration of the realities surrounding the witch trials, with Miller’s telling pairing with some historical notes of interest. These do help us to appreciate the danger tread by Americans in this context and in those modern parallels thereto. To this extent, the shocking detail noted in the introduction relates to the fact that in the years after the witch trials, when the state of Massachusetts had come to fully acknowledge and provide reparations for what had occurred, it did so with precious little remorse. Though it provided a small financial sum to the compensation of the Proctors—with John Proctor already deceased by execution—â€Å"perversely, damages were paid not only to the victims but also to such people as William Good, who was his wife’s accuser, and Abigail Hobbs, a ‘confessed witch’ who became a hostile witness. ’† (viii) In addition to this grotesque distortion of a reconciliation, the statement provided by the Governor accompanying this statement of apology would argue nonetheless that the accusers could be forgiven for their atrocities due to the fact that the time and place in question was â€Å"infested with a horrible Witchcraft. † (vii) This would seem a most unyielding apology. These observations lead to a number of questions concerning the play as a whole. Particularly, the fact of this unrepentence causes us to wonder whether Miller’s political enemies recognized the parallels suggested between McCarthyism and the Witch Trials. A second question wonders whether this play might have been made had not the era of McCarthyism begun to impact artists, authors and entertainers, even in spite of the fact that it was based on events more than 200 years passed. A final question as we enter further discussion on this subject questions whether or not—without a loaded intention—Miller’s analogy between the Witch Trials and the anti-communist loyalty trials of the 1950s. The story is presented with some dramatic elements which do not blunt but tend instead to make more relatable the impact of certain characters. The most prominent of distinctions from history is the set of dramatic liberties taken with regard to personal relationships, such as the affair between Proctor and Abigail, which would be a device intended to move forward themes of personal vindictiveness. Additional distinctions are the characterizations which in many contexts, Miller acknowledges, were intended as ‘composite’ sketches of groups of individuals identified by historical record. His characters were fictionalized for the purpose of economy. An additional detail of importance is that many of the character ages were altered in order to create dramatic tensions and possibilities central to the narrative action but distinct from historical accuracy. Ultimately, none of these distinction detract from the imposition of Miller’s message, which is that the danger present in this age would emerge once again in the era of McCarthyism, and perhaps we might argue, again today in the age of terrorism. Namely, we can see that fear of an unseen villain has bred a blind and irrational wave of paranoia and its attendant behaviors, establishing a society deeply vulnerable to exploitation and mob mentality. 2. Ultimately, it is impossible for this reason of mob mentality to place the blame for the horrific series of events upon any one individual. Though some appear as more insidious than others, and where others still will tend to even demonstrate remorse in eventuality, all individuals in the society may be said to play a hand in the disgrace for which Miller’s play accounts. Indeed, as much as the aggressive pursuit shown by some, it would be the spineless docility of others which would allow so many to lose there lives. Indeed, we may be immediately struck by how fast speculation is turned around in the sequence described by Act I. Here, the manipulative young girls escape culpability for deviant behavior by exploiting the primitive instincts of the townsfolk. Miller’s work seems largely fixated upon the easy and willing susceptibility of the Salem townsfolk to such a ploy. The story utilized fast sequence of narrative action in order to demonstrate the stunning quickness with which the Church moves to respond to allegations, eschewing sensible law enforcement or due process to instead begin a series of completely unfounded arrests. Indeed, the arrival of Hale, the specialist on witchcraft, brings with it a gloomy sense of foreboding that seems to target this man with the onus of blame for that which is to occur. With the sentence of death being the outcome to such proceedings as those brought forth, the reader is moved by the remarkably errant posing of Church authority. The courtroom drama which is used in the Third Act of the play is compelling if a little overstated. Here, the genuine hysteria has set in and the outrageous turnabout between first Mary and John toward Abigail and ultimately, Mary and Abigail toward John demonstrates the greatest problem of the play. It is clear that everybody is on trial, which we may denote is likewise how Miller views it. To his perspective, the town is indeed on trial for its behavior. The carnage and extremity of the outcome is perhaps less surprising therefore than something such as the reversal of Hale in the finally act. Initially, the reader views him as a sinister figure but it is clear by this juncture that the forces governing Salem had leapt far beyond his intent or control. The finality of the play here is unforgiving, as the accused are hanged with no redemption. The theme of intolerance as a crime of which the whole town is guilty is presented largely in the descriptions by Miller, who portrayed the Puritans as living in what â€Å"was a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of fanatics who, nevertheless, were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value. † (4) Miller would describe them as a people who ‘forbade anything resembling a theater or ‘vain enjoyment. ’ We might therefore argue that the theme of intolerance is best exemplified by the impact which it has on the cruel and hateful children, made so by the puritan society. A contrary indication, given by the kindly Rebecca, notes that â€Å"a child’s spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back. † (24) Here, we are given an intuition otherwise absent from Salem, and much to the destruction of its people as it drives the neglected children to become ripe with meanness. Indeed, all are guilty, right down to the children who laughed while others died. Works Cited: Miller, A. (1964) The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin Books.

Assessing The Conflict And Consensus Approaches

Assessing The Conflict And Consensus Approaches Consensus is a concept of society in which the absence of conflict is seen as the equilibrium state of society based on a general or widespread agreement among all members of a particular society. The consensus ideology proposes that society consists of social institutions which are all dependent of each other and are vital for maintaining social order. The consensus theory highlights harmony, integration and stability. Functionalists argue that the main institutional groupings play a tremendous role in determining the culture of society. These, as example include economic, politics, family and kinship, as well as media. Economic growth plays a role as well because it affects the way certain societies think and how they run their everyday lives. The functionalist perspective is rooted in the work of Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and gives the view of society as an organism in which each part functions in a certain way to ensure the stability of the whole. Though society is something which exists on its own it has a structure of parts that maintains it. The parts are institutions like the family or the church, which are useful or functional in some way, but if the institution was no longer functional it would disappear and be replaced like a passing fashion. People involved in these institutions may not be aware of their function, but because the institution exists certain effects follow. Institutions are long lasting so therefore functional. The foundations of functionalism explain how social inequality is necessary to motivate the more talented members of society to train to fulfil the demands of social positions which are functionally more important than others. They list the rank order of positions as religion, government, wealth and technical knowledge and point out that only a limited number of people have the talents which can be turned into the skills needed for these positions. This takes training which means social and financial sacrifices are made, so in order to encourage people to undergo this training, and to endure the demands of the future position itself, they are given certain privileges. This may include access to scarce resources such as property, power and prestige. This access to scarce resources produces stratification but also inequality in the amount of resources allocated to different people. This inequality is both functional and inevitable. Functionalist theories state that education meets the needs of the industrial society as well as the cultural society and has the important role of socialising the individual to fit into, and continue, the social system. Individuals are born into a society that already has an identity of its own and education has the function of passing on shared values and skills. Where functionalism uses consensus, shared norms and values and concepts such as order, harmony, cohesion and integration, Marxism takes a different view. Marx argues that that economic inequality is at the heart of all societies. Conflict is a disagreement or clash between opposing ideas, principles, or people-this can be a covert or overt conflict. The conflict perspective is based on many conflict approaches. In spite of their inconsequential differences, they all have a model of society as a whole and they collectively share the view of the structural approach. Additionally, all perspectives, in some form or another, share the notion that sociological groups have different interests. As a result, they propose that conflicts are always probable since that when different groups advocate their own individual interests, it tends to cause disagreement and in certain situations, resentment. Arguably, the two most prestigious standpoints within the approach are the Marxist and feminist conflict theories. A major difference between functionalism and the conflict perspective is that the conflict approach accentuates the existence of competi ng groups whilst functionalism views groups as being fully cooperative. Conflict theorists emphasise conflict and contradiction whereas consensus theorists maintain that societys institutions work within functional unity. The conflict paradigm (particular Marxists), conversely, holds that society has an infrastructure and a superstructure that work independently. The ideology considers value as being the mechanisms for keeping society together. Conflict theorists reject the assertion and claim that values are imposed by the powerful groups in society. Conflict theory, proposes that conflict, struggle and change are more prevailing within society. Marxism sees human history as a class struggle, with oppressor and oppressed wrestling for control. The dominant class controls and owns the means of production or wealth generation, and the working class in therefore controlled by them. Welfare is a result of the strength of working-class resistance to exploitation, a concession the dominant class must make to maintain social order. Programmes such as welfare and pensions help to legitimise the capitalist system with the working class. Welfare then becomes another vehicle for power and control by the dominant class. Its purpose is to placate rather than empower the poor, and seeks to reduce the individual to a state of dependency on those in power. According to Marxist theory, society has unfolded in a series of ever-progressing and better structures, as defined by their economic development and modes of production, from the primitive communal to slave-based to feudal to capitalist. The final stage was communism. This was predicted to be the best possible means of governance and structure of society, one that would erase inequalities and allow individuals to achieve their full potential and value within their community. Marxism viewed the individual as part of a collective organism, society. Inequalities in society resulted from distinction in classes, not particular individual decisions or behaviours. Conflict was between these classes, and rooted in struggle for power. Marxism assumes the individual can and will contribute to the greater community as much as they are able, and will be motivated by the common good. When society has evolved or elevated itself to this place, inequalities will be dealt with appropriately The problem with broad application of Marxist theory is that individuals do take advantage. As Wes Sharrock 1977 puts it: The conflict view is founded upon the assumption that society may provide extraordinarily good lives for some usually only possible because the great majority are oppressed and degraded. Difference of interest are therefore as important to society as agreements upon riles and values, and most societies are so organised that they not only provide greater benefits for some than for others Social conflict differs from consensus because it is interested in the way unenequal distribution of advantage in a society structures behaviour and is interested in the conflict inherent in such a society. The Marxist perspective concentrates on the differences between groups and concepts such as control, conflict, power, domination and exploitation. This is the theory based on the work of Karl Marx (1818-1833) Marx felt that social class was the main form of inequality and saw only two significant social classes. He maintained that it was capitalist industrialisation that led to this two class society, the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production (e.g. factories) and the proletariat who became the wage labourers (working in the factories). What the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own grave diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable. (Marx and Engels. 1848) Is social stratification socially constructed. Throughout the ages there has always been evidence in stratification and how it is socially moulded into almost everything. It can be seen In families, the workforce, in politics and international from one country to another, male against female, ages from young to the old and from the rich to the poor. It is even seen in the animal kingdom and it appears to be a natural instinctive survival mechanism but one that is unfair. It seems to happen when one or more people having a belief in something which in turn over powers the next therefore creating a layer with a low medium and high for example the class system of the poor and the bourgeoisie It depends on the individuals definition of social stratification however one may understand it as a form of hierarchy which is displayed almost in everything and everywhere we are only free when we are first born from then on in we belong to a class starting within the family union through to a much bigger ranking within local to international society. FOUR SECTIONS : RACE GENDER SEX AND AGE There are two reports which have been commissioned by the government to try and find some evidence of variations in health and illness. These are The Black Report (1980) chaired by Sir Douglas Black and The Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health by Sir Donald Acheson (1998). Firstly, in The Black Report inequalities in human health take a number of distinctive forms. Most attention is given to differences in health as measured over the years between the social (or more strictly occupational) classes. When comparing rates of mortality among men and women in each of the 5 classes. Taking the 2 extremes as a point of comparison it can be seen that for both men and women the risk of death before retirement is two-and-a-half times as great in class 5 (unskilled manua1 workers and their wives), as it is in class 1 (professional men and their wives). One of the most distinctive features of human health in the advanced societies is the gap in life expectancy between men and women. This phenomenon carries important implications for all spheres of social policy but especially health, since old age is a time when demand for health care is at its greatest and the dominant pattern of premature male mortality has added the exacerbating problem of isolation to the situation of elderly women who frequently survive their partners by many years. The imbalance in the ratio of males to females in old age is the cumulative product of health inequalities between the sexes during the whole lifetime. These inequalities are found in every occupational class demonstrating that gender and class exert highly significant and different influences on the quality and duration of life in modern society. Rates of age-specific mortality vary considerably between the regions which make up the United Kingdom. Using mortality as an indicator of health the healthiest part of Britain appears to be the southern belt (below a line drawn across the country from the Wash to the Bristol Channel). This part of the country has not always exhibited the low rates of mortality that are found there today. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the South East of England recorded comparatively high rates of death, while other regions like Wales and the far North had a rather healthier profile. The fluctuation in the distribution of mortality over the years suggests that social (including industrial and occupational) as much as natural factors must be at work in creating the pattern of regional health inequalities. One of the most important dimensions of inequality in contemporary Britain is race. Immigrants to this country from the so-called new Commonwealth, whose ethnic identity is clearly visible in the colour of their skin, are known to experience greater difficulty in finding work and adequate housing (Smith, 1976). Given, for example, these social and economic disabilities it is to be expected that they might also record rather high than average rates of mortality and morbidity. Class differences in mortality are a constant feature of the entire human lifetime. They are found at birth, during the first year of life, in childhood, adolescence and in adult life. In general they are more marked the start of life and in early adulthood. Average life expectancy provides a useful summary of the cumulative impact of these advantages and disadvantages throughout life. A child born to professional parents, if he or she is not socially mobile, can expect to spend over 5 years more as a living person than a child born to an unskilled manual household. At birth and during the first month of life the risk of death in class 5 is double the risk in class 1. When the fortunes of babies born to skilled manual fathers are compared with those who enter the world as the offspring of professional workers the risk of mortality is one and half times as great. From the end of the first month to the end of the first year, class differentials in infant mortality reach a peak of disadvantage. For the death of every one male infant in class 1, we can expect almost 4 deaths in class 5. In adult life, class differences in mortality are found for many different causes. As in childhood the rate of accidental death and infectious disease forms a steep gradient especially among men; moreover an extraordinary variety of causes of deaths such as cancer, heart and respiratory disease also differentiate between the classes. The duration of the human lifetime is one of the best means of approximating the lifelong pattern of health of individuals and whole populations. As we have seen, the risk of premature death in Britain today is systematically related to socioeconomic variables. This association is not new or unusual. Death rates have always been relatively high among the underprivileged and materially deprived sections of communities. Why this should continue to be so in an era characterised by new patterns of disease, increased purchasing power, and state provision of free medical care is more perplexing. In infancy and childhood where the class gradients are steep, the major causes of death are in many ways directly linked to poverty and to environmental risk. In adulthood the relationship between health and class becomes more complex and in old age social and economic deprivation becomes a common experience. Both Cartwright and OBrien (1976) and Buchan and Richardson (1973) have studied GP consultations in depth. Both investigations showed that middle class patients tended to have longer consultations than did working class ones. More problems were discussed at consultations with middle class patients than with working class ones. Cartwright and OBrien also found that middle class patients were, in a sense, able to make better use of the consultation time, as measured by the number of items of information communicated and the number of questions asked. Moreover even though working class patients tended to have been with the same practice for longer, the doctors seemed to have more knowledge of the personal and domestic circumstances of their middle class patients. In an earlier study Cartwright had found that middle class patients were more likely to be visited by their GP when in hospital than were working class patients (Cartwright, 1964). For cultural reasons then, and also because th ere is a tendency for the better doctors to work in middle class areas, the suggestion is that middle class patients receive a better service when they do present themselves than do working class patients. In the case of family planning and maternity services substantial evidence shows that those social groups in greatest need make least use of services and (in the case of antenatal care) are least likely to come early to the notice of the service. Cartwright (1970) found clear class gradients in the proportion of mothers having an antenatal examination, attending a family planning clinic, and discussing birth control with their GP. Unintended pregnancies were more common among working class women. Bone (1973) also found that women from the non-manua1 classes make more use of family planning services than those from the manual classes. This was true both for married and for unmarried women. Similar differences have been found in presentation for post-natal examination (Douglas and Rowntree, 1949) and (by Gordon, 1951) immunisation, ante-natal and post natal supervision and uptake of vitamin foods. The National Child Development Study (1958 birth cohort) found substantial differences in immunisation rates in children aged 7, as well as in attendance at the dentist. Among women, it has been found that those in classes 4 and 5 are much less likely to be screened for cervical cancers even though mortality from this condition is much higher in these classes than in the non-manual classes. In the Acheson report, the findings were much the same as The Black Report. The Acheson Report has also shown that health was improving but more for the higher than lower social classes. Premature mortality, that is death before age 65, is higher among people who are unskilled. If all men in this age group had the same death rates as those in classes I and II, it is estimated that there would have been over 17,000 fewer deaths each year from 1991 to 1993. Deaths from accidents and suicide occur at relatively young ages and each contribute nearly as much to overall years of working life lost as coronary heart disease. Death rates from all three causes are higher among those in the lower social classes, and markedly so among those in class V (Office for National Statistics and Blane Drever 1998). In adulthood, being overweight is a measure of possible ill health, with obesity a risk factor for many chronic diseases. There is a marked social class gradient in obesity which is greater among women than among men. (Colhoun and Prescott-Clarke, 1996), (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1997), (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1998). In 1996, 25 per cent of women in class V were classified as obese compared to 14 per cent of women in class I. Another indicator of poor health is raised blood pressure. There is a clear social class differential among women, with those in higher classes being less likely than those in the manual classes to have hypertension. In 1996, 17 per cent of women in class I and 24 per cent in class V had hypertension. There was no such difference for men where the comparable proportions were 20 per cent and 21 per cent respectively (Prescott-Clarke and Primatesta 1997). Across different ethnic groups, there are very different rates of unemployment. Those from minority ethnic groups have higher rates than the white population. Black men have particularly high unemployment rates as do Pakistani and Bangladeshi women (Office for National Statistics 1998). Between 1982 and 1992, there was a steep increase in the number of households accepted by Local Authorities as homeless. Since then, there has been a decrease of about a quarter. Of the 166,000 households classified as homeless in 1997, over 103,000 were accepted by local authorities to be unintentionally homeless and in priority need. Over half of households accepted by local authorities as homeless had dependent children and a further tenth had a pregnant household member (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions 1997 and 1998). There is a clear social class gradient for both men and women in the proportion who smoke. In 1996, this ranged from 12 per cent of professional men to 41 per cent of men in unskilled manual occupations and from 11 per cent to 36 per cent for women (Office for National Statistics 1998). In spite of the major class differences in dependence on alcohol in men (Meltzer et al 1995), there are very small differences in the reported quantities consumed. This is not the case among women where higher consumption is related to higher social class (Office for National Statistics 1998). People in lower socioeconomic groups tend to eat less fruit and vegetables, and less food which is rich in dietary fibre. As a consequence, they have lower intakes of anti-oxidant and other vitamins, and some minerals, than those in higher socioeconomic groups (Colhoun and Prescott-Clarke 1996), (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1996), (Department of Health 1989), (Gregory et al 1990), (Gregory et al 1995). One aspect of dietary behaviour that affects the health of infants is the incidence of breastfeeding. Six weeks after birth, almost three quarters of babies in class I households are still breastfed. This declines with class to less than one quarter of babies in class V. The differences between classes in rates of breastfeeding at six weeks has narrowed slightly between 1985 and 1995 (Foster et al 1997). Class inequalities in health have been accounted for in a number of different ways. The report of the DHSS Inequalities in Health Working Group The Black Report lists four types of explanation. These are inequality as an artefact, inequality as natural selection, inequality as material deprivation and inequality as cultural deprivation. The artefact explanation argues that inequalities in health are not real but artificial. They are an effect produced in the attempt to measure something which is more complicated than the tools of measurement can appreciate. It is argued that changes in the occupational structure are likely to combine with age to confound any attempt to measure inequality in mortality even at one point in time. It is suggested that the age structure of social class 5 is likely to be biased towards older workers because younger recruits to the labour force will have entered better paid, more skilled occupations, that have expanded since the war. Since the mortality risk increases with the age, this effect is likely to enlarge the rate of social class 5 as a whole. If so, the observed gradient is really caused by the skewed age structure of the unskilled manual class rather than by the poorer health of its members. The most persuasive attempt to explain health inequalities as the outcome of a process natural selection, has been put forward by the statistician, Jon Stern. He argues that those people with better health move up the social class ladder and those with poorer health move down the social class ladder (Stern 1983). Stern defines health as a fixed or genetic property of individuals largely independent of their immediate social and economic environment. His argument rests on the assumption that health itself increases the probability of social mobility and that the class structure permits movement up and down. This means that no matter how deprived the social background, a genetic potentiality for good health will enable a person to overcome material disadvantage and climb out of poverty. Material deprivation means a shortage of the material resources on which healthy human existence depends. This means that health is directly affected by the material circumstances in which people live. In less developed societies (poor housing) its effects may appear in very high death rates from diseases primarily caused by malnutrition and exposure. People in poverty may not be able to afford or access healthy foods to stay healthy or they may become ill more often because of poorly heated homes. Health inequality as cultural deprivation means that the poor have a self destructive culture which leads them to become ill because of the lifestyles and personal habits in which they engage, for example, smoking, alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercise, but these poor health behaviours are also a strategy to cope with the persistent material deprivation they experience. The psycho social explanation suggests that long term chronic stresses are unevenly distributed in society, basically in line with class position (structural inequalities). The impact of stresses depends on how individuals view them, subjectively, and deal with them. This, in turn, depends on the buffering resources we have in terms of personality, social background, location in the social structure, education, financial resources, and the supportiveness of the social environment. The social environment and the social location can generate self efficacy which is a feeling of personal control, mastery over ones life, instrumentalism (opposite concept to fatalism, powerlessness, learned helplessness). Self efficacy is the extent to which individuals see themselves in control of the forces which have a significant influence on their lives. Self efficacy is linked to self esteem, self concept, social support and individuals coping style. In other words, the psycho-social approach forges a link between class position and vulnerability to social stresses. Wilkinson et al (1990) discuss a social cohesion approach and argue that social and power inequalities (i.e. authoritarian hierarchies and non democratic social organisations, and potential status inequalities such as gender and ethnicity) will affect the quality of social relationships. Where inequalities produce anger, frustration, fear insecurity and negative emotion, social relations will suffer. Better health is linked to better social relations, through trust, more security, more social support, more self esteem, self respect, a sense of belonging and less financial and material disadvantage. Thus democratic and participatory styles of social organisation from the family to political organisations have a health enhancing effect. A life course theory regards health as reflecting the patterns of social, psychological and biological advantages and disadvantages experienced by the individual over time. A life course theory of health inequality regards these patterns as being profoundly affected by the position of individuals and families in social and economic structures and hierarchies of status. However, these links themselves depend on the political and cultural environment, which means that there is a need for a life course political economy of health, which examines the ways in which economic and social policies influence the accumulation of material and psycho social risk. The ways in which advantages and disadvantages combine over the life course influence both how long each individual may spend in good health, and also what form of illness they may acquire. In conclusion, there are many inequalities in health and all the findings from The Black Report in 1980 are still around today, which was shown in The Acheson Report. The table below shows the standardised mortality rates (SMRs) for ten equal-sized geographical areas in terms of population (or deciles). SMRs which are greater than 100 indicate higher chances of mortality, all relative to the national average. The table demonstrates a continuing polarisation in mortality rates. People living in the best areas have an improving life expectancy, whilst those in the worst areas face a decline, to such an extent that by 1998, those in the worst areas were twice as likely to die by the age of 65 as those in the best areasgraph showing Standardised mortality ratios for deaths under 65 in Britain by deciles of population, 1950-1998 graph showing Health inequalities in infant mortality (by social class for sole registrations)

David Selznick And Since You Went Away :: essays research papers fc

David Selznick and Since You Went Away "I have a different concept of producing than other producers. Some producers are money men, and others are just lieutenants. For me to produce is to make a picture. As a producer, I can maintain an editorial perspective that I wouldn't have as a director. I consider myself first a creative producer, then a showman and then a businessman. You need all three things to succeed in the business today." -David O. Selznick The film Since You Went Away was released in 1944. This epic film attempted to relate to the American audience that was dealing with the war foreclosing and the flux of soldiers coming home at the time. The Hollywood studios were constantly trying to do their part for the war buy making films about the war in a fairy tale "Hollywood" style. Since You Went Away crossed these boundaries, and the movie audience at the time, positively responded for this reason. The producer and screenwriter of the film knew America craved this portrayal. Critics of the film from this period, applauded it's "realism", but in hindsight studies of the film in the seventies and eighties were a little more critical of the film. David O. Selznick was the man behind the vision of this film and Selznick is best known for film classic's like; Gone With the Wind, (from which the formula of this movie draws heavily from) Rebecca, and King Kong. This film was a special project for Selznick at the time, and it was seen as his contribution to the war effort. The academy awards recognized Selznick's effort and nominated his film for best picture of 1944. David Selznick was known as a one of the great creative producers- along side Walt Disney. A creative producer is usually "a powerful mogul who supervises the production of a film in such exacting detail that he was virtually its artistic creator." (Eyman p. 121) In this period, Selznick's style was remembered best by his epic length movies in which he paid special attention to detail. His films catered to the female market but also had potential to cross over to the male segment. Selznick was "increasingly becoming aware of the commercial value of his name." (Fenster p.36) He decided to repeat the formula that worked well in Gone With the Wind and made a decision to purchase a war novel/diary from Margaret Wilder. Since You Went Away spawned from Wilder's novel, after Selznick spent many hours on developing the screenplay and hiring the right cast. The war film was a popular genre to produce during the war

Personal development Plan Essay

A Personal Development Plan is a useful tool to ensure your skills are up to date. It also gives you the opportunity to identify areas which you find difficult to carry out and which need improving. Please take a moment and reflect on how your training and ‘on job’ experience have developed since joining the company. What training and development activities (including work experience) have you done? What did you learn? Training, development activities Learning outcomes Training for: –Peristeen bowel management Training for-diabetic /insulin management Training for-Tracestronomy /nebulizer Training for-Oxigen saturation/Suction machine Update training To use a several kind of equipments: -cough assistant -splints -oxigen sat. Monitor -suction machine -nebulizer -tilt table search to web for the following subjects: Abuse-Safeguarding Adults Diseases-Brain injury,Celebral Palsy,infections(MRSA,HiV,TBC,Hepatitis) Codes of Practice for SocialCareWorkers DataProtection Person-centered Care Murder of Michael Gilbert Service users rights Pa testimonials -It has need a longer experience with this ,itself the training not enough without experience,That is the best If the client able to instructions me what need to do ,and how. -big responsibility to take a deal and to manage a diabetic client †¦.not just about the insulin ,but about everything,because this disease does bad effects on every way of the client life/health(how cook and often to check ,daily more times their sugar limit) It was the most complicated knowledge for me ,because so much depend on the clients personally needs .And there are to carry out just some minutes my duty if the client is in emergency situation. -It was so useful to repeat my previous knowledge to fresh up what I have  learned before,first of all the handling and moving part of the the training what I have enjoyed†¦etc ,how I can to move somebody if I can not rolling them. -very helpful to keep a health/strong breathing ability ,this is an exercise to the breathing muscles of client -this keeps in correct position the client arms and legs -keep in focus the oxigen limit of client and this does and alarm if this is low,so then the Pa has time to act with this. -keeps clear the client’s airway. – This will helps to breathe deeply and cleans the airways -a good and safe and also a comfortable equipment to stand up and take balance,stimulaing the musc les. What part of your job are you really good at? What gives you greatest pleasure? I have been in more countries and I have worked there as a carer †¦with very different type of clients in different languages ,different lifestyle†¦so in this way I accept everyone easy way I’m flexible and I learn quickly in new situations. I can help in their life my clients to keep them independent as possible,because the little things can takes a lot day to day.I could make it easier to manage their lifestyle and to provide them confident feelings,because they can controll their life. Feedback: (to complete by assessor) What parts of your job do you find difficult? What parts of your job do you want to improve? If somebody is disabled then they have a hard situation in their life ,because their life more complicated like to others. So this situation can lead stressful and impatient personality ,†¦It is not always easy to tolerate.This has been more times when the client was angry,nervious,impatient ..etc or just They had a bad day†¦and a part of the clients has a propensity to deduce it on the Pa†¦. -try to be more accepting and patience -develop the English language and acquire more knowledge in my work Feedback: (to complete by assessor) Why did you decide to complete your Diploma? What goals have you set yourself which can be achieved by the completion of the Diploma? I have 7-8 years experience as a carer but I had no any education about it ,so this is the high time after several years of experience to take some qualification. And also in this way I can improve in my job and I can provide a higher quality care for my client ,and probably I can take more knowledge in wider part of care job. Furthermore Some clients are also to prefer to take a Pa ,Who has a diploma. Please complete at the end of your Qualification Have you achieved the goals you have set yourself by completing your Diploma? Has it improved your practice and how? What is your next goal?

Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions

Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions Extracurricular activities are simply anything you do that is not a high school course or paid employment (but note that paid work experience is of interest to colleges and can substitute for some extracurricular activities). You should define your extracurricular activities in broad terms- many applicants make the mistake of thinking of them solely as school-sponsored groups such as yearbook, band, or football. Not so. Most community and family activities are also extracurricular. What Counts as Extracurricular? The Common Application as well as many individual college applications group together extracurricular activities with community service, volunteer work, family activities, and hobbies. Honors are a separate category since they are a recognition of achievement, not an actual activity. The list below provides some examples of activities that would be considered extracurricular (note that many of the categories below overlap): Arts: Theater, music, dance, painting, photography, creative writing and other creative endeavors. Note that many college applications give you the option of including a sample of your creative work whether that be a video of a performance, a creative writing sample, or a portfolio of art pieces that youve created. Vanessa writes about her fondness for handiwork in her Common Application essay.Church activity: Community outreach, helping the elderly, event planning, community suppers, church-sponsored music and athletic programs, teaching or organizing for summer camps and retreats, missionary work, and any other activity run through the church.Clubs: Chess club, mathletes, mock trial, debate, animà © club, role playing club, language clubs, film club, skateboarding club, diversity/minority groups and so on.Community activity: Community theater, event organizing, festival staff, and many other activities that are organized through the community, not the school.Governance: Student go vernment, student council, prom committee, community youth board (see Sophies essay), advisory boards and so on. These activities can be excellent for demonstrating your leadership potential. Hobbies: Be creative here. Something as seemingly trivial as a love for Rubiks Cube can be transformed into a meaningful extracurricular activity. Also, colleges are interested in your passion whether it be rocketry, model railroads, collecting, blogging, or quilting. These activities show that you have interests outside of the classroom.Media: local television, school radio or television, yearbook staff, school newspaper, literary journal, blogging and online journaling, local newspaper, and any other work that leads to a television show, movie or publication (online or print).Military: Junior ROTC, drill teams, and related activities.Music: Chorus, band (marching, jazz, symphonic, concert, pep...), orchestra, ensembles and solo. These musical groups could be through school, church, the community or your personal group or solo efforts.Sports: Football, baseball, hockey, track, gymnastics, dance, lacrosse, swimming, soccer, skiing, cheerleading and so on. If you are a highly accompli shed athlete, be sure to look into the recruiting practices of your top choice colleges early in the admissions process. Volunteer Work and Community Service: Key Club, Habitat for Humanity, tutoring and mentoring, community fund-raising, Rotary, church outreach, hospital work (candy striping), animal rescue, nursing home work, poll worker, volunteer fire department, creating hiking trails, Adopt-a-Highway, and any other work that helps the world and is not for pay. If youre like many students and hold a job that makes it difficult for you to commit to many extracurricular activities, dont worry. Colleges and understand this challenge, and it wont necessarily work to your disadvantage. There are many reasons why colleges like students who have work experience. For one, youve most likely learned to work as part of a team, and youve proven that you are responsible and trustworthy. Many jobs also develop leadership skills. What Are the Best Extracurricular Activities? Many students ask which of these activities will most impress colleges, and the reality is that any of them can. Your achievements and depth of involvement matter much more than the activity itself. If your extracurricular activities show that you are passionate about something outside of the classroom, youve chosen your activities well. If they show that you are accomplished, all the better. Music, sports, theater, community service... All can create a path to a selective college. So  what are the best extracurricular activities?  The bottom line is that you are better off having depth and leadership in one or two activities than having a superficial smattering of a dozen activities. Put yourself in the shoes of the admissions office: they are looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways. Consequently, the strongest applications show that the applicant is committed to an activity in a meaningful way. Think about what your extracurricular activities say about you. What is it that you are bringing to campus in addition to your academic accomplishments?

American Lion (Panthera Leo Atrox) Facts and Figures

American Lion (Panthera Leo Atrox) Facts and Figures Name: American Lion; also known as Panthera leo atrox Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Period: Pleistocene-Modern (two million-10,000 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to 13 feet long and 1,000 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; lithe build; thick coat of fur About the American Lion (Panthera leo atrox) Contrary to popular belief, the saber-toothed tiger  (more accurately referred to by its genus name, Smilodon) wasnt the only feline apex predator of Pleistocene North America: there was also the American Lion, Panthera leo atrox. If this plus-sized cat was, in fact, a true lion- some paleontologists speculate that it may have been a species of jaguar or tiger- it was the largest of its kind that ever lived, outweighing its contemporary African relatives by hundreds of pounds. Even still, the American lion was no match for Smilodon, a more heavily built predator (only distantly related to the Panthera genus) that employed an entirely different hunting style. On the other hand, the American lion may have been smarter than Smilodon; before the advent of human civilization, thousands of saber-toothed tigers became mired in the La Brea Tar Pits in search of prey, but only a few dozen individuals of Panthera leo atrox met such a fate. Intelligence would have been a valuable trait in the competitive landscape of Pleistocene North America, where the American lion had to out-hunt not only Smilodon but also the dire wolf (Canis dirus) and the giant short-faced bear (Arctodus simus), among other megafauna mammals. Unfortunately, by the end of the last Ice Age, all of these vicious carnivores occupied the same dismal playing field, hunted to extinction by early humans at the same time as climate change and a reduction in their usual prey thinned out their populations. How was the American lion related to another famous big cat of Pleistocene North America, the cave lion? According to a recent analysis of mitochondrial DNA (which is passed on only by females, thus allowing for detailed genealogical studies), the American lion diverged from an isolated family of cave lions, cut off from the rest of the population by glacial activity, about 340,000 years ago. From that point on, the American lion and the cave lion coexisted in different North American territories, pursuing different hunting strategies.

Free Essays on The Big Lebowski

All of the relationships among the elements in the film the Big Lebowski may seem to be enigmatic with each other, but this style of film creates an integrated system of disunity. The Coen brothers demonstrate this style through various motifs through out the film, from the main character's name to what he drinks. The film is a perfect example of a film which has the theme of disunity. In the film the main character Jeffery Lebowski, refers to himself as "the Dude". This element of the story becomes a motif. The Dude is referred to, and refers to himself as the Dude because it represents his personality, which is an easygoing "cool" character. The common Western society slang which is associated with the word dude, is male prostitute. In the scene where the Dude returns home after being arrested in Malibu, he find himself engaging in sexual intercourse at the request of Mod Lebowski. After they finish, Mod explains to the Dude that she was using him to concede a child. Obviously he was not given money in exchange for sexual favours but, the Dude, (much similar to real prostitutes) was used for sex. The Dude is continuously used by his friends and business associates through out the whole film. Although presented as a laidback cool character, the Dude's title is representative of how he is seen by everyone around him. In the film, Bowling is seen as a man's activity, a place where go to compete and get away from the world. In the bowling alley there is never a female present in the shot within any scene. This motif is reinforced during the scene entitled Gutter Balls. In the Dude's trip-out it starts off as a bowling spoof pornographic film, which can also be considered a male thing. It has shots of floating bowling pins and balls rearranged in numerous sexual positions, where the pins represent the male genitalia. Further on in the dream, Mod, who is a strong independent character, is represented by Viking costume she is wearing. Cont... Free Essays on The Big Lebowski Free Essays on The Big Lebowski All of the relationships among the elements in the film the Big Lebowski may seem to be enigmatic with each other, but this style of film creates an integrated system of disunity. The Coen brothers demonstrate this style through various motifs through out the film, from the main character's name to what he drinks. The film is a perfect example of a film which has the theme of disunity. In the film the main character Jeffery Lebowski, refers to himself as "the Dude". This element of the story becomes a motif. The Dude is referred to, and refers to himself as the Dude because it represents his personality, which is an easygoing "cool" character. The common Western society slang which is associated with the word dude, is male prostitute. In the scene where the Dude returns home after being arrested in Malibu, he find himself engaging in sexual intercourse at the request of Mod Lebowski. After they finish, Mod explains to the Dude that she was using him to concede a child. Obviously he was not given money in exchange for sexual favours but, the Dude, (much similar to real prostitutes) was used for sex. The Dude is continuously used by his friends and business associates through out the whole film. Although presented as a laidback cool character, the Dude's title is representative of how he is seen by everyone around him. In the film, Bowling is seen as a man's activity, a place where go to compete and get away from the world. In the bowling alley there is never a female present in the shot within any scene. This motif is reinforced during the scene entitled Gutter Balls. In the Dude's trip-out it starts off as a bowling spoof pornographic film, which can also be considered a male thing. It has shots of floating bowling pins and balls rearranged in numerous sexual positions, where the pins represent the male genitalia. Further on in the dream, Mod, who is a strong independent character, is represented by Viking costume she is wearing. Cont...

School Culture and Climate Management Research Paper

School Culture and Climate Management - Research Paper Example The author of the essay "School Culture and Climate Management" begins with the short introduction of the topic. He tells that upon entering the premises of a school, a visitor may immediately feel a sense of the school’s prevailing social climate. A positive atmosphere should be palpable upon walking through the school premises. Classrooms may be designed differently, but my school maintains a standard by which each classroom teacher adheres to. Several studies have been completed on the topic of classroom climate and how it affects student learning. Wilson et al. (2007) concluded that an effective classroom climate encompasses a warm, child-centered, positive environment in which the teacher exhibits sensitivity to each student’s emotional and instructional needs and structures instruction to encourage student autonomy and self-control. The teacher is enthusiastic and respectful of students and encourages students to pursue their interests. (Douglas, 2008, p. 41) Wilson adds that a well-managed, positive school environment where adults manifest sensitivity and allow autonomy in the students’ learning coupled with evaluative feedback results in the development of positive social behaviors of the people within that school. Therefore, It follows that quality of interpersonal relationships within the school determines the factors that create a school’s culture and climate. Fulfilling relationships flourish in pleasant learning environments, influencing academic achievement. (Van Petegem et al., 2008). A pleasant learning environment brings about well-being among students, which is described as â€Å"a positive emotional state that is the result of harmony between the sum of specific context factors on the one hand and the personal needs and expectations towards the school on the other hand† (Engels, Aelterman, Van Petegem, Schepens, & Deconinck, 2004, p. 11). Dynamic factors such as the nature of students’ experiences in their positive interactions with their teachers are more essential than structural factors. According to Munro (2007), Pianta devised certain questions to explore these dynamics: What do children experience in the school? How do their experiences and interactions affect their learning? How can the quality of interactions and experiences in classrooms be improved through observations and professional development? (p. 46) In the implementation of the school’s mission and the achievement of its vision, the school culture and climate has to be consistent in meeting set expectations. Widespread agreement among researchers prevails that a positive and pleasant environment that emphasizes sensitivity to student needs from caring and supportive teachers and school staff increases the likelihood of student success (Wilson et al., 2007; Douglas, 2008; Van Petegem et al., 2008; Munro, 2007; Black, 2006). Blankstein (2004) identified the six principles that promote student achievement and these reflect the school’s culture and climate: common mission, vision, values and goals; ensuring achievement for all students by establishing systems that provide

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Strategic Management - Essay Example The essay "Strategic Management" describes the strategy actions for satisfying the customers, responding to the constantly changing industry and varying market conditions, or managing each functional piece of business or making the business grow in terms of company size and sales revenues. The strategy of the business has to answer the following questions: where we are now, where we will be in the future, and how will get there. The five strategic management tasks are: develop strategic vision and mission; setting objectives; crafting the strategy; implementing and executing the strategy; evaluating and correcting. It is general knowledge that developing the vision and mission of the business is the first step in strategic management tasks. After coming up with the vision and mission, the next step is to set up the company objectives to be accomplished. The objectives could be to have a bigger market share in its specialty product line or service. Another major objective that the company can come up with is to generate bigger sales and lesser costs and expenses for the near and far away future. Another objective is to open up one hundred branches every year around the world. Another objective is to satisfy customer needs and get new customers. Again, another obvious objective is the enter the territorial waters of the competition and â€Å"beat† them in their own game of marketing by offering better products and prompt services. The third task of strategic management is crafting the strategy. This is the how of management.

Management Information and Communication Systems (MICS) Assignment

Management Information and Communication Systems (MICS) - Assignment Example This is because it helps in the management of resources that is at the disposal of the organisation in such as way that a little resource can be used to achieve several constitute components of the organisational processes. By extension, any organisation that is implementing MICS must be in a position to do things right and in the best approach to achieve needed results. There are times that organisations may be found to be in very good positions to execute IT and e-commerce for themselves. There are other times that doing this for themselves simply do not seem the best way out. In such instance where going about IT and e-commerce does not seem the best way out for an organisation, it tends to resort to the outsourcing of IT and e-commerce. Given the important role that MICS plays in organisation and the fact that it is not always that organisations will be in a position to undertake such IT processes for themselves, the paper seeks to critically discuss reason why organisations outsource IT and e-commerce. IT and e-commerce outsourcing will thus be treated as constitute components of the larger concept of MICS in this paper. To this better, the nature of MICS as a collective concept in organisational management shall be reviewed. This will lead up to an understanding of how MICS helps organisations to improve their management decision making, noting that the outcome of the organisation’s processes is largely dependent on its management decision making (quote). After noting the nature of MICS and how it improves management decision making, the various strategies of MICS in different organisations shall be examined. More particularly, the researcher will be looking into the case of small and medium scale enterpri ses (SMEs) and large multinational companies (MNC). As these different organisations engage in MICS strategies, the factors they consider to yield innovation and some of the key limitations

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress Essay

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress maagment on cortisol responses to acute stress in healthy subjects - Essay Example Psychological stress brings release of cortisol, a stress hormone that maintains physiological and psychological equilibrium. If cortisol is released in embellished magnitude, it brings harmful effects not only on somatic health but also impairs cognitive functioning. It is apparent that stress-induced variations of hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning are implicated in the commencement and upholding of both somatic and psychiatric conditions, these and also comparable arbitrations could be used for anticipation and rehabilitation of these deleterious stress effects. The view is the focus of the article, it is the study carried out to examine the long-term effects of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) training on cortisol stress management in healthy men and women. The article emphasizes the impact of CBSM training to attenuate cortisol stress responses in both men and women. The article presents a sight that there is a slight variation between the sexes in response to the CBSM training. Any change in the execution of HPA axis activity alters the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion and also high plasma cortisol levels (Touitou et al). Various laboratory and environmental stressors are linked to HPA axis response causing upper respiratory tract infection (Cohen et al, 2002) and long-term implications on cardiovascular-related incidences and also type 2 diabetes in men (Rosmond et al , 2003) and also incriminated turned down memory performance in women (Seeman et al,1997 or fractures in men and women (Greendale et al, 1999). Knowing these impacts and their devastating consequences the article throws light on the modulation of cortisol levels by conducting randomized controlled trial study. The study also explains an examination of stability over time and generalizability with regards to gender of endocrine effects of CBSM in healthy individuals. Analysis: The subjects taken in this study were three hundred and fifteen II year psychology students, with due care to reduce individual differences and any external academic stressors. After the primitive screening, selection criterion and questionnaire provided, only 83 subjects were left for the analysis. These participants were randomly selected and assigned in eight groups as per the CBSM group sessions with restricted N=12. Of these groups 1-4 were under the treatment (N=42) and rest 5-8 were categorized as control groups (N=41). The article has the advantage of selecting the participants for both control and treated groups of negligible demographic variables (including age, gender, habitual smoking, use of oral contraceptives and body mass). The treatment was performed for four months and all the subjects underwent a standardized psychological stress test (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST, Kirschbaum et al, 1993). In this study, TSST was performed for treated CBSM group every 2-week period whereas for the controls it is for 4-week period. The article does not imply about the fact that the participant were provided the same kind of

Prmary Education Themed Cross Curricular Topics Essay

Prmary Education Themed Cross Curricular Topics - Essay Example Beyond that, the resemblance is superficial. For example, in using Tropical Rainforest, where motivational speakers tend to be rather general about which attributes can be improved, accounts in terms of deliberate practice are limited to domains of expertise with reproducible superior performance (Ericsson, 1996) The complexity of these acquired mechanisms is consistent with the finding that not even the most "talented" can reach an international level of performance in less than a decade of dedicated practice. In music, the Tropical Rainforest is a great topic because, most certainly in absolute music, this problem does not arise, at least not in the same way. Pure music is not a representation of anything; it does not attempt to represent a person, place or thing. It represents only the specific, concrete, particular values it embodies by virtue of its unique nature (Haydon, 2004). The individual's enjoyment of music, therefore, depends upon his capacity to respond adequately to the specifically musical values embodied in the particular musical composition. It depends upon sensitivity to sound, and especially to sound presented in a tonal rhythmic pattern. In the processes of individual, social, and cultural evolution, the sense of hearing has come to provide a channel for a unique type of enjoyment--the enjoyment of music. The physical laws governing the vibratory motions of pulsating bodies resulting in sounds and the physio-psychological laws governing the response of the organism to these physical "disturbances in the air" known as sounds, have given rise to a remarkable and unique form of art--the art of music. But the enjoyment of music involves more than merely auditory sensation; it involves tactile, kinaesthetic, and somatic responses that reach throughout the whole organism, manifested in glandular changes, bodily movements and attendant emotional reactions (Mowrer, 2000). Because music sounds the way moods or emotions feel, because auditory patterns of sound get translated into patterns of feeling, music becomes a deeply moving art. The National Primary Strategy The level 4 Key Stage 2Strategy of the National Primary Strategy, launched in 2001, was less prescriptive and sought to help teachers understand the implications for good practice, rather than telling them how to 'teach by numbers' (Carnie et al, 1996). Since 2002, there is a new emphasis on innovation, networks, and 'value added' data on school performance. According to the Education Department, the objective of the said strategy is to reform the teaching methods for the primary school and this is called the Excellence and Enjoyment. The term enjoyment is defined as significant in highlighting creativity and assessment for learning (rather than assessment of learning). 'Transformation', rather than simply 'reform', had become the keynote of change, which now included an emphasis on structural change in the way schools are organized (Carnie, 2002). The Education Department had focused its attention to teaching and learning along with the need for system-wide reform. There are Core-Principles that set out the learner-centered method to education that most teachers and researchers would support. The emphasis had now moved to engaging pupils in powerful, social learning experiences in schools where the leadership is focused on teaching and lear

The movie Dead Poets Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The movie Dead Poets Society - Essay Example With his wit and wisdom, Keating inspires his students to pursue individual passions and make their lives matter. (Weir, whole film).This movie highlights four important aspect of social psychology, namely group influence, non-conformity, effects of culture on self-esteem and heroism from disobedience. With the careful and efficient incorporation of the said social psychology aspects, this movie has become one of the most highly rated educational movies. The theory behind group influence as a social construct is that a person's development- mood, behavior and outlook in life- is shaped by the norms and thinking of the groups in which he associates himself. A child who is immersed in a religious family generally tends to be a moralist while one who grew up with criminals tends to be one himself (Hewstone, 143) We can see this factor vividly at work in the film in two different conditions. The first is that of the influence of the school to the young minds of the children and the second is that of the influence of John Keating to the tendencies of his student. The school has always been regarded as a major setting for the personality development of a person. Not only do we learn the machinations of the world we live in, we are also instructed on the prim and proper ways of how to act, think and communicate. With regards to the first scenario, we see Welton Academy structuring its students as academic achievers and outstanding lawyers and doctors. To achieve this, they apply a curriculum devoid of any romantic (i.e. artistic) topics such as poetry and the arts. The school can therefore be seen as the group and its teachers as the influencing members. The students, immersed in such culture of high expectations and strict teaching, develop a preference for realistic ideas and shield one's self from romantic ones. It is apparent that the school leads them to the side of realism (i.e. fact based) rather than romanticism. This preferential system is exhibited by Richard Cameron's signing of the documents incriminating John Keating's who he perceives is going against what the school taught him. On the other hand, we see John Keating influencing the students by introducing them to poetry and the ar

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress Essay

Critical Review Persostent effects of cognitivebrhavioural stress maagment on cortisol responses to acute stress in healthy subjects - Essay Example Psychological stress brings release of cortisol, a stress hormone that maintains physiological and psychological equilibrium. If cortisol is released in embellished magnitude, it brings harmful effects not only on somatic health but also impairs cognitive functioning. It is apparent that stress-induced variations of hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning are implicated in the commencement and upholding of both somatic and psychiatric conditions, these and also comparable arbitrations could be used for anticipation and rehabilitation of these deleterious stress effects. The view is the focus of the article, it is the study carried out to examine the long-term effects of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) training on cortisol stress management in healthy men and women. The article emphasizes the impact of CBSM training to attenuate cortisol stress responses in both men and women. The article presents a sight that there is a slight variation between the sexes in response to the CBSM training. Any change in the execution of HPA axis activity alters the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion and also high plasma cortisol levels (Touitou et al). Various laboratory and environmental stressors are linked to HPA axis response causing upper respiratory tract infection (Cohen et al, 2002) and long-term implications on cardiovascular-related incidences and also type 2 diabetes in men (Rosmond et al , 2003) and also incriminated turned down memory performance in women (Seeman et al,1997 or fractures in men and women (Greendale et al, 1999). Knowing these impacts and their devastating consequences the article throws light on the modulation of cortisol levels by conducting randomized controlled trial study. The study also explains an examination of stability over time and generalizability with regards to gender of endocrine effects of CBSM in healthy individuals. Analysis: The subjects taken in this study were three hundred and fifteen II year psychology students, with due care to reduce individual differences and any external academic stressors. After the primitive screening, selection criterion and questionnaire provided, only 83 subjects were left for the analysis. These participants were randomly selected and assigned in eight groups as per the CBSM group sessions with restricted N=12. Of these groups 1-4 were under the treatment (N=42) and rest 5-8 were categorized as control groups (N=41). The article has the advantage of selecting the participants for both control and treated groups of negligible demographic variables (including age, gender, habitual smoking, use of oral contraceptives and body mass). The treatment was performed for four months and all the subjects underwent a standardized psychological stress test (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST, Kirschbaum et al, 1993). In this study, TSST was performed for treated CBSM group every 2-week period whereas for the controls it is for 4-week period. The article does not imply about the fact that the participant were provided the same kind of

The movie Dead Poets Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The movie Dead Poets Society - Essay Example With his wit and wisdom, Keating inspires his students to pursue individual passions and make their lives matter. (Weir, whole film).This movie highlights four important aspect of social psychology, namely group influence, non-conformity, effects of culture on self-esteem and heroism from disobedience. With the careful and efficient incorporation of the said social psychology aspects, this movie has become one of the most highly rated educational movies. The theory behind group influence as a social construct is that a person's development- mood, behavior and outlook in life- is shaped by the norms and thinking of the groups in which he associates himself. A child who is immersed in a religious family generally tends to be a moralist while one who grew up with criminals tends to be one himself (Hewstone, 143) We can see this factor vividly at work in the film in two different conditions. The first is that of the influence of the school to the young minds of the children and the second is that of the influence of John Keating to the tendencies of his student. The school has always been regarded as a major setting for the personality development of a person. Not only do we learn the machinations of the world we live in, we are also instructed on the prim and proper ways of how to act, think and communicate. With regards to the first scenario, we see Welton Academy structuring its students as academic achievers and outstanding lawyers and doctors. To achieve this, they apply a curriculum devoid of any romantic (i.e. artistic) topics such as poetry and the arts. The school can therefore be seen as the group and its teachers as the influencing members. The students, immersed in such culture of high expectations and strict teaching, develop a preference for realistic ideas and shield one's self from romantic ones. It is apparent that the school leads them to the side of realism (i.e. fact based) rather than romanticism. This preferential system is exhibited by Richard Cameron's signing of the documents incriminating John Keating's who he perceives is going against what the school taught him. On the other hand, we see John Keating influencing the students by introducing them to poetry and the ar

The Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

The Meaning of life Essay What is the meaning of life? is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context What is the purpose of life? Here are some of the many potential answers to this perplexing question. The responses are shown to overlap in many ways but may be grouped into the following categories: Survival and temporal success to live every day like it is your last and to do your best at everything that comes before you to be always satisfied to live, go to school, work, and die to participate in natural human evolution, or to contribute to the gene pool of the human race to advance technological evolution, or to actively develop the future of intelligent life to compete or co-operate with others to destroy others who harm you, or to practice nonviolence and nonresistance to gain and exercise power to leave a legacy, such as a work of art or a book to eat to prepare for death to spend life in the pursuit of happiness, maybe not to obtain it, but to pursue it relentlessly. to produce offspring through sexual reproduction (alike to participating in evolution) to protect and preserve ones kin, clan, or tribe (akin to participating in evolution) to seek freedom, either physically, mentally or financially to observe the ultimate fate of humanity to the furthest possible extent to seek happiness and flourish, experience pleasure or celebrate to survive, including the pursuit of immortality through scientific means to attempt to have many sexual conquests (as in Arthur Schopenhauers will to procreate) to find and take over all free space in this game called life to seek and find beauty to kill or be killed

Contact Lens Case Study Analysis

Contact Lens Case Study Analysis Contact lenses Contact lenses are a suitable substitute for correcting vision in a number of scenarios. There are hundreds of different contact lens types out there in today’s market with the figure growing extensively every year. With the advancement of research and technology, manufactures are always attempting to better their own product lines to suit a variety of needs a person may have, whilst also attempting to 1-up their competitors. The patient we are attempting to fit with lenses has never worn them before so as far as options go, we are open to explore different lens types and materials amounting to 100s of different combinations. She is a nurse who works long shifts in a hospital and desires fulltime CL wear of up to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. To do this, we must assess each aspect of the test and result and cater lens choice to match intended wear time and to also correct her vision for both distance and near. The prescription that we have been presented with is a high myopic prescription so we need to compensate for the change in distance as the contact lens will sit on the cornea and not 12mm away. The compensated contact lens prescription equates to: Soft lenses come in many forms and for this patient, a silicone hydrogel (SiH) lens material would be the one to choose due to its high oxygen transmission (Dk/T) levels, much higher than hydrogel, like the SiH AirOptix Aqua, [Dk 138, 33% water, 8.6 base curve, 14.mm diameter, (AIR OPTIX ® AQUA Contact Lens, no date)] lens vs. the Frequency 55, [Dk 21, 55% water, (Frequency 55 aspheric | CooperVision UK, no date)] hydrogel lens. The Dk/T should be at a level where enough oxygen is passing through to the cornea, avoiding hypoxic conditions and preventing neovascularisation and oedema of the cornea which can lead to permanent corneal damage. SiH lenses however are not as comfortable as regular hydrogel materials due to the rubbery nature of the lens, and also the lenses hold less moisture compared to regular hydrogel. Silicone is not a wettable material so corneal hydration is an issue. (Sweeney, 2004, pp. 3 – 3). Manufacturers combat this by incorporating technology into the lens such as AquaGen found in Clarity 1 day toric [Dk 57, Water 56%, 8.6mm base curve, 14.3mm diameter (SAUFLON, no date)] .This allows the lens to stay hydrated and increase overall comfort wear-time, something extremely important for this nurse. Soft lenses drape over the cornea and range between 13.8mm-14.5mm sizes in order to cater for the patient’s measurements. A well fitted soft lens will ensure that the lens has corneal coverage in all directions of gaze. The lens should have movement of at least 1/4mm when blinking, not more because of the variable vision it will cause, or less as it will cause discomfort and should also allow adequate exchange of tears behind the lens to allow debris removal (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 227-227). Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are much more complex to fit than soft lenses They are tailor made to the patient’s prescription and measurements such as horizontal iris diameter (HVID) and pupil size. RGPs are smaller than soft lenses and smaller in diameter than the cornea itself, with diameters ranging from 8mm to 11mm. RGPs float on the tear film and can create a lens made out of tears. (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 137 – 139) Practitioners need to take this tear lens into account as it can negate the need for toric lenses or require prescription adjustments through over-refraction (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 137 – 139). RGPs offer superior clarity than their softer counterparts and are much more durable and longer lasting, however are mostly overlooked in modern times (outside of therapeutics) due to the patient’s impatience of adapting to the initial uncomfortable fitting. RGPs are also easier to lose as they can pop out of the eye much easier and are more difficult to completely cleanse, something important for this nurse considering her working environment. Assessing her slit-lamp examination results such as her tear break up time (TBUT) and tear prism, I would be looking at a lens that plentiful hydration to the cornea. This is because her TBUT of less than 10 seconds at 7 seconds and her tear prism of 0.2 mm indicate that she suffers from dry eyes (Dryeyesmedical, no date). Having dry eyes and not addressing the issue will result in significantly reduced wear time due to great increase in discomfort. High water content lenses; whilst more comfortable than most other lenses at first, deteriorate in comfort as the day progresses due to evaporation (Efron, 2012, pp. 87 – 87). These lenses then proceed to draw water from the next available source being the tear film through osmosis will cause discomfort for this nurse as she does suffer from dry eyes, reducing wear time considerably. Her TBUT and tear prism will influence the lens choice as she does intend full time lens wear, such as a SiH lens like the Acuvue Oasys toric lens [Dk 147, Water 38%, 8.4mm base curve, 14.3mm diameter, (JJvisioncare, no date)] or a RGP lens. The astigmatism present in her prescription will necessitate toric lenses which allow practitioners to correct astigmatism. Most popular toric lenses available on the market such as the Biofinity toric lens corrects astigmatism only up to a maximum of -2.25DC and the axis is only correctable to the nearest 10 ° meaning that contact lens practitioners must sometimes compromise the vision slightly when the prescription is unavailable in exact power and axis specifications such as this nurse (Ruben and editor., 1978, pp. 212 – 213), where an axis of 180 ° would need to be given for both lenses. An ideal lens for this nurse such as the Clarity 1day toric employs prism ballast which places 1-1.5Δ of base down prism at the base of the lens for stability. Stability of the lens reduces lens rotation and ensures toric lenses stay on axis. This does increase lens thickness and causes a reduction of Dk/T at the base of the lens, increasing risk of hypoxia at the zone (Efron, 2012, pp. 221 – 221). Acuvue Oasys toric lenses employ peri ballast aka accelerated stabilisation designs which have 4 stability zones. This design is claimed to provide more rapid settling on the cornea; within 1 minute, and achieve correct orientation within 5 ° of the anticipated position in 90% of cases (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 266 – 266) Prism Peri ballast designs (Methods of Stabilisation | Optometry by Catherine Care, no date) RGP lenses would be a serious candidate due to her corneal astigmatism (K) readings gained from the keratometer. Her measurements gained were: RE: [emailprotected] [emailprotected] LE: [emailprotected] [emailprotected] Every 0.05 of difference between the 2 readings gained by each eye corresponds to 0.25DC, so comparing her corneal astigmatism to prescription, we can deduce that the difference equates to -0.75DC in her right eye and -1.25DC in her left eye. This means that when the lens is fitted on the flattest K, the difference between the K readings will create a negative powered tear lens that will correct the astigmatism completely in both eyes for his nurse, negating the need for toric lenses (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 137 – 139). Multifocal contact lenses are an excellent way to correct presbyopia and exist both in soft and hard lens designs. Simultaneous designs such as concentric ring multifocals (MF) are fairly common such as the Oasys for presbyopia lens, [Dk 147, Water 38%, 8.4mm base curve, 14.3mm diameter, (JJvisioncare, no date)] which provides both distance and near vision in one lens. They do this based on pupil size and often are split up between centre distance (CD) lenses for the dominant eye in most cases and centre near (CN) lenses for the other eye. Depending on the level of illumination, a certain working distance will be favoured over the other as the concentric rings are positioned at intervals which the pupil size will coincide with. This MF design does increase the amount of glare experienced by the patient due to the rings and can also decrease contrast sensitivity due to superimposed retinal image sizes if CD and CN are given (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 277 – 282). I would not recommend a MF soft lens for this patient as it will not correct her astigmatism. Daily MF toric lenses do not currently exist, however monthly soft MF toric lenses do exist with one lens type being the Proclear multifocal, a hydrogel lens with low Dk and high water content [Dk 42, 62% water content, (Coopervision, no date)] something definitely less than ideal for our patient’s desired wear schedule. Bifocal RGP lenses exist providing excellent distance and near vision and use the lenses movement on the cornea. The lens moves up as the eye rotates down, bringing the segment into the pupil’s path and allowing the patient to read. As the eye rotates back up, the lens moves down and the segment moves out of the pupils path and distance vision is restored. (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 277 – 282) RGP bifocals such as the Boston Multivison lens would be an excellent choice for this patient if she were to adapt to them due to correcting astigmatism through the tear lens, allowing her to see distance and reading in one package and allowing plenty of oxygen to pass through the lens. Another successful form of CL correction for presbyopia is monovision (MV), in which one eye is optimally corrected for distance acuity and the other is corrected for near vision (Weissman, 2006, pp. 20 – 20). MV does not compromise lens fitting options and is a highly versatile option and is the least complicated method of dealing with. The distance prescription would be worn in the dominant eye and the reading prescription would be worn in the non-dominant eye, with the brain suppressing images from one eye depending on the working distance. The issue with MV however is that stereopsis is lost as binocular vision is not being utilised. This can be an issue for this nurse if she is required to carry out tasks that require accurate judgement of depth like administering an injection to a patient or driving. If the concept is thoroughly explained initially, there is a much higher chance of acceptance of MV and seeing that she hasn’t worn CLs before, she is very likely to adapt. (Gasson and Morris, 2010, pp. 277 – 282) The other alternative to this would be just to correct her distance prescription with contact lenses and to give her a separate pair of +1.75DS reading spectacles which although a viable solution, can be inconvenient for her and defeats the purpose of replacing glasses with full time CL wear. Some special advice for this patient would include managing her grade 1 blepharitis, which in its current state will not impact lens choice or length of wear if managed correctly. I would advise her to apply hot compresses to her lids and recommend a gel like Blephagel in order to accelerate debris clearance. I would advise her against using baby shampoo which is a surfactant, as it will break lipids in her tear film and will further detriment her dry eyes. I would advise her to administer artificial tears into her eyes which are CL compatible in order to maintain extended comfort all day. I would advise her to thoroughly clean her lenses daily if choosing a non daily lens by rubbing and rinsing in preservative free multipurpose solution, or alternatively recommend peroxide solution and let the lenses fully be cleansed without the need to rub and rinse. My overall recommendation after all things considered would be to fit this patient with the soft bi-monthly Acuvue Oasys toric lens with HydraClear technology to permanently lock a high volume of wetting agent inside the contact lens (JJvisioncare, no date). I would utilise monovision with distance dominance to correct for presbyopia, thoroughly explaining to her the mechanics of monovision and what to expect, as not to be overwhelmed by loss of stereopsis and to increase the overall likelihood of acceptance. I’d also tell her to take precaution if driving. My reasoning for this is heavily based off her wearing schedule in tandem with her dry eyes and her working environment. In order to achieve the wear schedule that she desires, it is extremely important that the lens has a high Dk/T lens in order to prevent hypoxic conditions and a high wettability in order to maintain corneal hydration, minimising discomfort and thus allowing said wear schedule taking into account her dry eyes. She is a nurse so automatically this puts her at a higher risk of infection, hence a lens more frequently replaced would be ideal to prevent deposit build up from affecting her too much and overall decrease the risk of infection. I would recommend her the peroxide solution to further clean the lenses and to decrease the risk of infection and to apply artificial tears for extra comfort. 2199 words Bibliography AIR OPTIX ® AQUA Contact Lens(no date) Available at: http://www.airoptix.com/contact-lenses/aqua.shtml (Accessed: 28 April 2015) CooperVision (no date)Proclear multifocal toric. Available at: http://coopervision.com/practitioner/our-products/proclear-family/proclear-multifocal-toric (Accessed: 25 April 2015) Efron, N. (2012) Contact lens complications. Third edn. Edinburgh: Saunders (W.B.) Co Frequency 55 aspheric | CooperVision UK(no date) Available at: http://coopervision.co.uk/contact-lenses/frequency-55-aspheric (Accessed: 28 April 2015) Gasson, A. and Morris, J. (2010) The contact lens manual: a practical guide to fitting. Edinburgh: Elsevier Health Sciences JJvisioncare (no date)ACUVUE ® OASYS ® for ASTIGMATISM. Available at: https://www.jnjvisioncare.co.uk/contact-lenses/all-acuvue-brand-contact-lenses/toric/acuvue-oasys-for-astigmatism (Accessed: 25 April 2015) JJvisioncare (no date)ACUVUE ® OASYS ® for PRESBYOPIA | Johnson and Johnson Vision Care. Available at: https://www.jnjvisioncare.co.uk/contact-lenses/all-acuvue-brand-contact-lenses/multifocal/acuvue-oasys-for-presbyopia (Accessed: 25 April 2015) MEDICAL, D. E. (no date) Diagnostic tests. Available at: http://www.dryeyesmedical.com/diagnosis/diagnostic-tests.html (Accessed: 25 April 2015) Methods of Stabilisation | Optometry by Catherine Care (no date) Available at: http://optometry.catherinecaregroup.com/method-of-stabilisation/ (Accessed: 29 April 2015) Ruben, M. and editor. (1978) Soft contact lenses: clinical and applied technology. New York: John Wiley SAUFLON (no date)Clariti ® 1day toric. Available at: http://www.sauflon.co.uk/eye-care-professionals/products/clariti-1day-toric (Accessed: 25 April 2015) Sweeney, D. F. (2004) Silicone hydrogels: continuous-wear contact lenses. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Weissman, B. A. (2006) OPTOMETRIC CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE CARE OF THE CONTACT LENS PATIENT. 2nd edn. St. Louis, MO: American Optometric Association

Yates :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The article that I chose is one from TIME magazine entitled â€Å"The Yates Odyssey†. It tells the story of the tragic murder of five children by their 37 year old mother, Andrea Yates. The article traces her mental history throughout the years of the marriage and even before the marriage. The article notes that one of the reasons that she even initiated a relationship with her husband Rusty is because she was feeling down about a recent break up and â€Å"she got to a point where she needed companionship.† Reporters from TIME did an in depth investigation into the life and mind of Andrea Yates in an attempt to reveal the truths about one of the most appalling and disturbing murder cases of our time. Reporters spoke with Rusty Yates as well as doing interviews with family, friends and various doctors that cared for Andrea in the past. It talks about the various treatment methods that were used in her treatment, which will be a main focus in this rep ort.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two articles, one from a publication called Patient Care and the other from The Journal of the American Medical Association, mainly speak along the lines of diagnosis and treatment for the depression that Andrea experienced prior to her final breakdown on the fateful day of June 20, 2001. They both state the fact that depression in women occurs at a rate that is about twice that of men. This is partly due to the fact that women seem to be more open when it comes to talking about their emotions, although temporary factors such as menstrual cycle can play a large role in these emotions. They also note that depression as a result of pregnancy is a very common occurrence, which is relevant because Andrea was pregnant a total of six times, one of which resulted in a miscarriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the media’s coverage of this event and its roots seemed to be very in depth, a look into the studies on the topic of depression show that there are a few aspects that were neglected in the report. One of the major facets of the case that I feel was not discussed in enough detail was that of the treatment, or lack of. The media noted several occasions in which Andrea was given medication in order to control her depression. Some of these medications such as Zoloft and Haldol, which are antidepressants that induced positive changes in her personality and demeanor, were given periodically to Andrea.

Knowledge and Attitudes of A Healthy Lifestyle :: components of a healthy lifestyle

The components of a healthy lifestyle include many things. A few examples of these components are eating right, exercising regularly, and keeping your mind calm and content. Eating right means staying on a healthy diet. This does not mean that you cannot eat sweets or fatty foods, it just means that you should constantly keep in mind how a certain food will affect your body. One wants to always remain in control, do not gorge yourself and then skip a few meals to make up for it. Always keep things in proportion, such as maybe eating a light healthy breakfast and lunch and then allowing yourself a slightly heavier food for dinner or for snack. Remember, this does not mean that you must become a health-food nut it is simply a reminder that you should exercise some control over your food intake. Exercising regularly is another very important component to a healthy lifestyle. You should exercise a minimum of 3 days a week for a minimum of about 20 min. This does not mean that you have to impose a strict regiment of exercise into your daily schedule. An easy way to attain a nice amount of physical activity would be to begin going for power-walks or jogs with your pet or your neighborhood friends. It is also very good to stretch before you begin any kind of strenuous physical activity. Not only does it result in you being able to do more than you would without the stretching, it also enables you to gain more out of your workouts. One could also take up a sport such as tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, swim, or track. All of these and a multitude of others would greatly help you along on your path to a healthy lifestyle. If you are unsure of how to initiate yourself into one of these sports you could join a team at your local community center or simply organize a group of friends and play at your neighborhood park. Remember: Just because it is a sport does not mean that you have to be on an official team to be allowed to play it. These sports help you maintain a healthy lifestyle because when many people are playing them they are having fun, and thus do not think of it as actually â€Å"working out†. Sports also increases the amusement of exercising because you usually do them with a group of friends, which makes you not concentrate entirely on the exertion your body is going through.

Lupu Bridge

There are five phases in constructing the Lupu Bridge. First is the foundations. When we talk about foundation it is the lower part that carry all the loads of the structures.The condition of the ground on either side of the Huangpu River are not appropriate for the large thrusts made by an arch bridge. Even though its arch is tied, and the use of reducing the forces transferred to the foundations, its total vertical force is still too much. And also the result of the arch being tied is that the parts of the foundations should be able to remain strong against the force. Since Lupu is located in Shanghai, and the fact that it is located near a river, it has soft soil. Therefore the most suitable option is piled foundations for that reason. Its foundations is composed of 118, 900mm diameter steel tubes ,and each pile is about 65m in length.The larger surface area of the piles and long length mean that they could be friction rather than bearing piles. This is assuming that the soil consists of clay nearer the surface moving into stiffer clay then sand lower down. The pier cap of the main span foundation is 3.5m thick and the one that connect the caps at about 51m centres are the crossbeams.. This connection between the two pier caps will help to somewhat relieve the stresses in the soil in the horizontal direction and reduce the amount of deflection incurred. By the use of 700mm diameter soil-cement stirring piles, the strength of the foundation was strengthened to help resist the horizontal force and limit the displacement due to this force. Each of these stirring piles is connected to each other to improve the integrity of the system. During construction, the foundations have a large number and stirring piles addtion due to working loads of the bridge and also due to the loads imparted on the foundations. Above each abutment the large temporary tower was built during construction. Because of that there will probably be the largest vertical force they will feel and these will impart very large vertical forces into the foundations. With the use of horizontal force impart by the inclined arches, the abutment and foundations must be strengthened in the horizontal. At an inclination similar to arches the abutment would have a high level of prestress in the concrete section and there would also be a piles coming from the abutment.