Vygotsky s Theory Of Cognitive Development - 1149 Words

Piaget and Vygotsky are two well-known individuals in the history of psychology. The two psychologists held different beliefs regarding Cognitive Development in children. According to the text, â€Å"Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that a child’s intellect, or cognitive ability, progress through four distinct stages† (Pg. 25). The stages are Sensorimotor Stage, Preoperational Stage, Concrete Operational Stage, and Formal Operational Stage. Piaget found that each stage occurs as a child ages. He also suggested that child cannot skip a stage. According to the text, Vygotsky’s concepts on cognitive development is based on two ideas (Pg. 33). Vygotsky believed that development occurred through â€Å"sign systems†. Sign systems are†¦show more content†¦Certain people seem to be untrustworthy to him, including his father. At times, the child does not accept being with different individuals well. I think it’s because he do es not associate with that individual often. The child has a strong sense of trust with his mother because she satisfies the child’s needs. The text stated, â€Å"The mother, or maternal figure, is usually the first important person in the child’s world. She is the one who must satisfy the infant’s need for food and affection† (Pg. 46.) I would think the child’s psychosocial development is negative due to him rejecting most people. †¢ Stage 2: Autonomy versus Doubt: According to text, â€Å"the child’s desire for power and independence clash with the wishes of the parent† (Pg. 46). Stage two occurs during the age range of 18 months to 3 years. While talking to a friend, his son refused to drink water. Apparently, the child drunk milk and became constipated. He couldn’t properly use the restroom and became frustrated. His mother and father told him drinking water would help. However, the child refused. It seems that the child became more frustrated with the parents’ wishes because he wanted to use the restroom without their help. I would think the child’s psychosocial development is positive due to his urge to be independent. †¢ Stage 3: Initiative versus Guilt: My mother has a friend whose son is currently in stage three. He’s very aggressive and vigorous towards his environment. Once, IShow MoreRelatedVygotsky s Theory Of Cognitive Development917 Words   |  4 Pages Hoy and Margetts (2012) demonstrate that cognitive development is much more than the addition of new facts and ideas to an existing store of information - maturation, activity and social transmission influence cognitive development. One very respected researcher of cognitive development and, in particular, sociocultural effects on such development, was Lev Vygotsky, whose original Russian journal articles are now available in English. Vygotsky’s theory revolves around peer-mediated learning, andRead MoreVygotsky s Theory On Cognitive Development Essay733 Words   |  3 Pages â…“ of a page on vygotsky Lev Semionovich Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist and constructivist learning theorist who was known for arguing against the theories of psychologist Jean Piaget. Piaget believed that in order for any learning to occur there had to development within the individual first, but Vygotsky argued the contrary. He argued that in order for development to occur, the individual would first have to have learning take place through instruction and example in a given appropriate environmentRead MoreVygotsky And Vygotsky s Theory Of Cognitive Development Of Thought And Language Essay1060 Words   |  5 PagesAilà ­n Florencia Thought and Language: independent processes. With the passing of time, the development of thought and language has been the object of study for psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. The former drastically influenced the study of thought and speech with his theory of cognitive development and his clinical method. The latter also made his contribution with his sociocultural theory. Although language and thought may be analysed as associate one to the other, both of themRead MoreVygotsky s Theory Of Cognitive Development1365 Words   |  6 PagesVygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development the Biopsychosocial Framework In researching various development theories, one of those that stand out is cognitive development theory. Cognitive development theory studies â€Å"how people think and how thinking changes over time† (Kail Cavanaugh, 14). One of the leading theorists in this area was Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. He was one of the first theorists to consider the sociocultural influences on a child’s development. His research allowedRead MoreComparing Piaget And Vygotsky s Theory Of Cognitive Development813 Words   |  4 Pagesand Lev Vygotsky are considered to be very prominent figures in the area of cognitive development. Both of these men considered themselves a constructivist, which entails a viewpoint that is concerned with the nature of knowledge. In their lifetime, both of them made contributions in the area of education and even after death, their theories still influence teaching methods. The purpose of this paper is to show some similarities as well as differences in the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky and whatRead MorePiaget And Vygotsky s Cognitive Development Theory1114 Words   |  5 PagesWhen you think about cognitive development, you cannot help but to think about two specific contributors to this area of study, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. First, let us discuss what exactly is cognitive development. Cognitive development is the process of how thought is constructed. This includes language learning, problem solving, reasoning, decision-making, as well as any other mental abilities. Cognitive development begins in childhood and continues to develop all the way through adulthoodRead MoreVygotsky s Concepts Of Cognitive Development Theory2311 Words   |  10 Pagesthen, that I did want to end up like them. I also remember thinking that if I had any children that I would do my best not to expose them to the same environment I was exposed to when I was growing up. According to Vygotsky’s concepts of cognitive development theory, my interactions with others in my neighborhood caused me to alter my environment which guided me, regulate me and redefined who I am now. So to answer the question, why did I not end up like some of my friends? I don’t know. I think thatRead MoreJean Piaget And Vygotsky s Theory On Children s Cognitive Development1507 Words   |  7 PagesJean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, have shared their knowledge on children’s cognitive development. Both psychologists had their own vision of what stimulates and helps a child grow. Jean Piaget s theory was shaped through the thinking and understanding of how knowledge is built through a series of four stages; preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational and concrete operational. He believed that the development was with the child themselves. On the contrary, Lev Vygotsky s theory is shaped throughRead MorePiaget s Eight Stages Of Development And Vygotsky s Theory On Cognitive Development Essay2193 Words   |  9 Pagesthrough life has helped me to understand that everything that happens is just apart of life. Two theories that I would like to focus on that I believe have had the biggest impact in my life are, Erikson’s eight stages of development and Vygotsky’s theory on cognitive development. Erikson’s theory is based off of 8 stages ranging from ages â€Å"zero† (birth); where we learn to either trust our caregiver(s) or we develop mistrust where we may become suspicious or anxious. Up until death, where we end withRead MoreVygotsky And Piaget s Theory Of Cognitive Development Innate Or Learned?1241 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Vygotsky and Piaget Jayne Enneking Northcentral University Comparing Vygotsky and Piaget Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Is cognitive development innate or learned? These are two age old questions that have been discusssed extensively. The purpose of this paper is to offer insight into the answer of the latter by briefly comparing and contrasting Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theories. Both psychologists’ theories will be outlined, as will the similarities

A Stereotypical Representation Of Females During Victorian...

Daphne Du Maurier and Charlotte Brontà « present their narrators as a stereotypical representation of females during Victorian period. Throughout history the archetypes of the heroine have vastly changed from being dependant victims to independent strong females. Jane Eyre and the narrator are both oppressed by patriarchy, where men were the makers and enforcers of social and political rules. The unnamed narrator and Jane could be seen as a microcosm of their respective societies, as females were demarcated as â€Å"timid†, â€Å"dependent† (AQA Critical Anthology) unlike males who were physically and mentally strong. Both Brontà « and Du Maurier instantly evoke sympathy for the characters by representing them as weak, indecisive and timid through;†¦show more content†¦Du Maurier uses the Rebecca to subvert from the norm in terms of gender expectations. It is only after Maxim tells the narrator the truth does she feel comfortable and confident with the tit le of being Maxim’s wife and to implement authority on Manderley. Unlike Du Maurier, Brontà « presents Jane Eyre as a timid, little thing having no clear identity. Contrasting to the narrator, Jane Eyre is not overwhelmed by the fact she is not as beautiful as others or by the difficulties she is presented with. All the power emboldens her personality from which she learns how to live and how to be strong. Jane Eyre creates a new image for women as she represents those middle-class working women who were struggling for recognition of their basic rights and equality. Brontà « provided the narrator with the name â€Å"Jane† which has contradictory meanings. The name â€Å"Jane† is an old name meaning is wonderful. It is often associated with strong and powerful women however, it is seen a morbid and simple name associated with timid victims. For a vulnerable and short one-syllable name, the name provides the character with the correct balance of victimisation compared to assertion. It is thought that people with the name Jane have a deep inner desire for a stable family life which she described to be â€Å"restrained and simplified, it sounded more credible. Jane dreams of anShow MoreRelatedComparing Vampire And The Vampire Diaries1660 Words   |  7 Pageswithout Dracula. Without Bram Stoker’s novel, there would be no stereotypical vampires that capture the culture’s conscious. Aside from telling a story on vampires, Dracula also explores ideals about the women of the time in which it was written, which is the Victorian Era. Throughout the Victorian period, one of the predominant concerns was the role of women and the place they fill in their society. Dracula is one of many Victorian novels that explore the varying roles women filled. Two of the charactersRead MoreWomen During The Nineteenth Century1562 Words   |  7 PagesWomen both in Europe and America during the nineteenth century were living in a society that was characterised by gender inequality (Wwnorton.com, 2015). In the early periods of the century, women were expected to remain passive and subservient to the male counterparts. They were denied many of the legal, social, or even political rights, which in the modern world we consider as a right (Wwnorton.com, 2015). Thus, generally speaking women who belonged to the middle and upper classes remained home;Read MoreWomen s Rights During The 19th Century1606 Words   |  7 Pages watching over the house, cooking, and cleaning. They were property of their husbands. During their equal rights re volution, women pursued careers like doctors or lawyers and fulfilling their sexual desires for purposes other than bearing children. As today’s society may never know the struggles and misfortunes during the Victorian era, Dracula leaves a time capsule behind to elaborate on the realities during such a prominent generation (Podonsky). Considering this given criteria, a new woman comesRead MoreShort Story : Seduced By Oranges 1377 Words   |  6 PagesPark to 46 Gordon Square in London’s Bloomsbury district. It was at 46 Gordon Square that a new way of life and art would begin for the young artist at the age of twenty-five. Describing Bell’s abandonment of their childhood home and her role as a Victorian â€Å"mistress of the house,† her sister Virginia wrote: â€Å"She had sold, she had burnt; she had sorted; she had torn up. Sometimes I believe she had actually to get men with hammers to batter down- so wedged into each other had the walls and the c abinetsRead MoreFemale And Female Gender Roles3513 Words   |  15 PagesLiterature throughout history has displayed to us the evolution of the male and female gender roles in society. Women have been described as ‘the angel in the house,’ whilst men are typified as dominant and prevailing in comparison to women. The gothic genre in literature is used to personify and exaggerate these stereotypes, by using gothic motifs such as dream sequences and themes such as horror and terror. Not only does the gothic exaggerate the stereotypes, but it also allows them to be contravenedRead MoreWomen s Representation Of Women1438 Words   |  6 Pagesand economic equality for both women and men. During the period between 19th and the early 20th century, several noted feminist writers examined women’s role in the patriarchal society then further reflected their philosophy of life and aided in an identification of women. The era coincides with the modernist literature, as man y authors deciphered feminism and its attributes in their literary work. It is understood that women are deemed as stereotypical beings, which are assigned roles and are perceivedRead MoreFeminist Critique Of Simon De Bevour s The Second Sex1398 Words   |  6 Pagesthe biological body called women; while, gender‘ came to be widely recognized as social, cultural and historical construction of the said biological body. Thus, sex‘ and gender‘ began to be equated respectively with what we commonly understand to be female‘ and feminine‘. In a nutshell, all the roles and behaviour, being the social constructions based on the biological category of women, have been incorporated within the purview of the term gender‘. Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named DesireRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Alice s Adventures 1773 Words   |  8 Pagesorder to enhance Carroll’s tale. The plot of â€Å"Alice in Wonderland† still follows Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) as the protagonist but focuses on her later years as it attempts to incorporate film and book. Alice in Wonderland takes place in Victorian England a time where a youthful woman’s career was to be innocent, virtuous and ignorant of intellectual opinion. Alice, at the prime age of 19, is expected to accept the son of Lord Ascot, Hamish to be her husband. Alice’s life is such as beingRead MoreCharacteristics Of Kate Chopin Contributions To Regionalism771 Words   |  4 Pagesto the reunification of the country after the civil war. It was also said to rebuild our nation identity toward the end of the 19th century. During Kate Chopin lifetime she had remained invisible in the field of literary and was not discovered until after her death in the early 1900’s. Chopin centered most of her work around repression of women in Victorian America. ‘Local colorist’s â₠¬Ëœauthor’s, like Chopin, were once thought to write in a derogatory tone until recent attempts to reappraise it, emphasizingRead MoreThe Colonial Implications in Jane Eyre and Great Expectations3008 Words   |  13 Pagesthat imperialism, understood as Englands social mission, was a crucial part of the cultural representation of England to the English. (Spivak, 1985, p, 12) Can these claims of Spivak be applied to Charles Dickens Great Expectations and Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre and to what extent do these novelists draw from the colonial discourse in their representation of the `non- Western world? The Victorian novel has performed an important service in Eurocentric epistemologies and colonial ideologies

Prose Fiction Essay Example For Students

Prose Fiction Essay Write an essay in which you explore how Cormier has attempted to shape your response to terrorism in After the First Death. One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. This quote allows us to view the topic of terrorism from a much broader perspective. The word terrorist has negative implications whereas a freedom fighter is viewed as a hero. Robert Cormier attempts to shape my response to terrorism by maintaining a balanced understanding between the opposite sides and presenting terrorist activities from multiple perspectives. Prior to reading the novel, my response to terrorism had never included the terrorists point of view, nor had I ever bothered to take an interest in their history, or the reasons for their radical actions. I was always prone to see things from the victims point of view, and firmly believed that all terrorists were fanatics who had very low standards of morality, and no respect for the law. This is because terrorism is presented to us by the media which is limited in its reach and restricted to a few minutes on television, or limited coverage of the footage in the newspaper. However, Cormier does the opposite by presenting the reader with the details of the hijacking event from both the victims and the terrorists point of view, fully informing us of the kind of lives the terrorists have led, the origins and development of their organization. Because of Cormiers careful attention to selection of detail, he informs the reader of the terrorists private thoughts, their reasons for being and even exposing the kind and caring side of their nature. The readers are encouraged to view them as human beings, no different to us. The character Miro, although a terrorist, is presented by Cormier as being as a normal human being with human emotions such as anger, fear and frustration, and their by no different to the rest of us. Because the writer reveals his gloomy background and depressing childhood, the reader is made to understand the reasons for him being drawn into the lifestyle of a terrorist. Cormier reveals through characters such as General Marchand, that the good guys are not necessarily what they appear to be, and in fact, are capable of morally wrong behaviour no different from a terrorist. The leader of Inner Delta, General Marchand, who is supposed to be the hero in the story, is eventually exposed as a sick man, who manipulates and sacrifices his own son in order to simply further his career. By placing his sons life in extreme danger and allowing him to fall into the hands of the ruthless terrorists, Cormier reveals his brutality. The author cleverly reveals General Marchand, Miro and Artkin to be of similar kind, in their aims and ambitions Cormier not only presents the terrorists as angry, depraved lunatics, but also in the case of Miro, through his characterization, presents a likeable, obedient and caring young person. His human side is shown best when he interacts with Kate, as he always feels upset with himself after having a conversation because he has let his guard down. We see that when Miro starts talking about subjects which has no resemblance to terrorism, such as the famous singer Elvis Presley, we no longer see him as a terrorist and instead, just an ordinary individual. Cormier shows more human behaviour from Miro by exposing his shyness when Kate complements him. By displaying his human emotions and behaviour, Cormier attempts to sway the reader that there is no need to classify him as a terrorist because in fact, he is very similar to us. Cormier presents some of the terrorists in the novel of having some form of relationship, and in this manner, we are able to relate to the characters and feel less hatred towards them. The strong connection between Miro and Artkin is evident from the early chapters. .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .postImageUrl , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:hover , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:visited , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:active { border:0!important; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:active , .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8 .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc2791c1979701f01d07d2d21498d67b8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The poet Edna Vincent Millay EssayThey almost share the typical father and son relationship, where the son (Miro) shows a great deal of respect and obedience towards the father (Artkin). It seems a part of Miros motivation for his terroristic activities is to impress his father-like role model, Artkin. Another type of relationship is the powerful connection between Miro and his older brother, Aniel. Cormier displays Miros strong compassion for Aniel and emphasizes his importance in his life. This affected me in such a way that I felt very drawn into the characters because such relationships are apparent in my life, and allowed me to see them as real human beings rather than terrorists. Clearly, Cormiers attempt to shape my response to terrorism in After the First Death has resulted in me forming an opinion of terrorism in a way that took me by complete surprise. Previously, my black and white approach to terrorism has changed as a result of reading the novel. I now have a much more balanced approach and no longer view terrorists as immoral fanatics and instead, see them as human beings no different to us.

Leader Research Paper Sir Richard Branson

Introduction Strong leadership is necessary if an organization is to achieve its goal of higher performance and increased productivity. For this reason, effective leadership is rightfully regarded as a critical factor in the success of all organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Research Paper: Sir Richard Branson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There exist many leadership styles and their effectiveness depends on the particular business environment as well as the personal traits and values of the individual leader (Bartlett Goshal, 2000). One individual who has emerged as a successful leader is the Virgin group’s CEO, Richard Branson. He has built himself a reputation by being a successful entrepreneur who has founded many profitable groups of companies. This paper will set out to review the leadership styles used by Branson. Specifically, the paper will analyze his dominant leadership sty les and cite specific behaviors that have been critical to the success of Branson. Specific behavior by Branson that would ensure a student’s future life success will be highlighted. A review of behaviors from Branson that leaders should avoid will also be made. A brief biography on Richard Branson Richard Branson is an English business entrepreneur who is most renowned for founding the Virgin Group of companies. He was born in 1950 and although an underachiever in school, he had great practical intelligence and possessed numerous creative abilities. Richard Branson began his business career while studying at Stowe, an exclusive private boy’s school. His first venture which was a magazine called â€Å"Student† which became a success.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This motivated Branson to abandon school and pursue his business interests in 1968. His ma gazine attracted significant readership due to its elective style and its venture into subjects that were not addressed by the well established magazines. The next venture undertaken by Branson was mail order records and this venture was chosen since it required no up-front investment and no working capital which made it ideal for Branson who had little money at his disposal. The name â€Å"Virgin Records† was chosen for this commercial entity. The success of the retail store led to expansion into record publishing with great financial success for the company. A fundamental notion held by Branson is that â€Å"small is beautiful† and as such, when a unit grows too large it is split apart. Virgin Atlantic Airways which is Branson’s grand jewel was founded in 1984 following a proposal by a Californian lawyer for Branson to start an intercontinental cut-price airline. Unlike the previous ventures, the airline business required a lot of capital and by 1985, the fina ncial needs of the airline were creating a cash squeeze for Virgin (Kets de Vries, 1998). This led to the Virgin Group going public so as to gain the needed capital. However, Branson was unhappy with the public status of his company and in 1987; he bought out external shareholders and therefore made Virgin a private company again.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Research Paper: Sir Richard Branson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By the early 1990s, the airline had become the centerpiece of Branson’s interests and the capital needs of the airline made it necessary for him to acquire more capital. The capital was to be acquired by selective divestment. Specifically, Branson sold Virgin Music (which was his most profitable business) for close to $1 billion and then used the money to support new business ventures and also to expand the airline. Virgin Atlantic gained a competitive edge over the more e stablished airlines because of its reduced prices and the superior and innovative customer services. Kets de Vries (1998) notes that the airline was able to offer its business class travelers amenities that exceeded those offered to first class passengers by its competitors therefore making it appealing to many travelers. Virgin airline showed innovation in customer service and for this, the airline has won numerous awards and experienced significant success on the global market. Even so, the Airline has had to constantly compete with major airlines most notably of which are British Airways. The company has relied on Branson’s innovativeness to remain profitable in the tough airline industry and therefore defend its strategic position.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Branson’s Dominant Leadership Style Transformational Leader Richard Branson engages in transformational leadership where the leader â€Å"looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower† (Burns 1978, p.173). The most distinctive attribute of transformational leaders is that they demonstrate significant consideration of follower’s needs. Branson strongly believes in the importance of his staff as is elaborated by his maxim â€Å"staff first, customers second, and shareholders third†. Kets de Vries (1998) reveals that Branson strongly believes in this concept and to him, people are the greatest asset that his business empire has. In an interview with CNBC Business (2007), Branson reveals that his leadership approach entails motivating people and looking for the best in them while at the same time keeping criticism at a minimal. Branson demonstrates his transformational style by granting hi s employees opportunities to exhibit great personal and professional growth. For example, when a company becomes too big, he splits it up and promotes the assistant managers of the original company into becoming heads of the new company. All employees are therefore motivated to set aside their own self-interest and work collectively to achieve organizational goals since this will help them to achieve even higher goals (London, 2002). Such a policy gives employees an opportunity to experience professional growth and it also makes the employees work harder in the hope that they will get the opportunity to be promoted or even head their own company. Branson expects his followers to achieve more than their initial personal goals and empowers them to be successful. When speaking about his staff, Branson states that â€Å"Virgin staff are not mere hired hands; they are not managerial pawns in some gigantic chess game. They are entrepreneurs in their own right† (Dearlove, 2010, p.10 4).considering the current economic environment, his statement addresses one of the most fundamental issues, which is success. A common goal which Branson has set for his employees is that they should aim to expand into bigger markets and gain higher loyalty among customers. Dearlove (2010) reveals that these goals are well articulated to all employees and everybody involved is expected to provide the best services to the customers and look for opportunities to expand the business. This approach works and Virgin workers are constantly coming up with proposals which Branson reviews and then follows up on if they have merit. Charismatic Leader Branson has also set himself apart as a charismatic leader. Kunstler (2008) suggests that Branson has been successful in his role as the figurehead of Virgin group, that he has grown to be more important than the brand itself. This thought is further supported by Dearlove (2010) who declares that a charismatic leader should have ample ability to sell a vision of trust, tranquilly and dedication to a prescribed cause to all employees. Through his character, Branson has not only proved to his employees that integrity and dedication lead to success, but also, a sense of belonging and purpose. Such, virtues promote commitment, all the while propelling the belief that as employees, people have it in them to make a significant difference. A charismatic leader creates an environment that is conducive for the followers to exercise creativity and take some risks without fear of consequences. Branson encourages his staff to be innovative and creativity is rewarded in the organization, which makes the employees more likely to innovate and try new approaches. The business consultant Don Cruickshank deduced that Virgin is structured around its energetic chairman whose enthusiasm has led to the continued success of the company (Dearlove, 2010). Branson is charismatic since he shows a lot of enthusiasm and self-confidence which makes it possible for him to influence his followers. He is therefore able to motivate his followers to do more than they normally do and make personal sacrifices for the good of the organization. The charismatic leaders is also a visionary who is willing to take risks in order to achieve his vision while at the same time remaining sensitive to how the vision meets followers needs. The success of Virgin Airlines and Virgin mobile is largely attributed to the charisma exuded by Richard Branson. Dyck and Neubert (2008) assert that Branson used his power of personality and ability to communicate a compelling vision in order to lead his followers to take risks and achieve great success in the airline and wireless industries. Branson is the reason why Virgin is one of the world’s most recognized brands. It is as a result of his charisma that he is able to attract investors who supply the majority of the capital for his new ventures. Dearlove (2010) admits that over the years, Bransonâ€⠄¢s personal reputation has been the most effective tool of recruiting the best staff for Virgin group. He states that many of the company’s most able managers were drawn by what they had seen and heard about the way Branson runs his business. Branson is really good at motivating others and passing on his confidence and belief that every new project will succeed and by doing this, he acts as a catalyst for the development and success of new business ventures. When he set up Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Branson was going head to head with big airlines such as British Airways which held a huge market share (Kets de Vries, 1998). However, he was able to convince his staff that they could compete favorably against these giants and emerge victorious. Based on his personal convictions that they would succeed, he was able to inspire his followers to work hard and realize his high expectations. Specific Behavior that is Important to Branson’s Success Branson is well known for his risk taking attitude and his believe that one can succeed even in the face of numerous odds. This quality has been the reason behind the numerous success experienced by the Virgin group. One of the riskiest business ventures Branson undertook was by entering into the railway business in the late 1990s. He took over some segments of Britain’s railway network which was old and inefficient. By making use of technological advances, Branson was able to increase the efficiency of the railway network and hence make the railway more appealing to customers. While Virgin Trains has not achieved the monumental success that Virgin Atlantic has, it has made some progress in spite of the negative outcomes that many analysts predicted (Dearlove, 2010). The visibility of Virgin Group’s products is greatly enhanced by Branson’s genius at promoting his company. He does this through daring personal exploits which help him to get the attention of extensive media coverage. For exam ple, Shavinina (2006) records that Branson has broken a number of world records by crossing the Atlantic in a hot air balloon and also by boat. His latest exploit has been in successfully kite-surfing across the English Channel and therefore becoming the oldest person to do so. His flamboyant nature also generates a lot of free publicity for his companies. For example, to avoid incurring the huge costs required to advertise the new airline in the mainstream media in 1984, Branson appeared in a World War 1 flying outfit to celebrate the first flight of the newly formed Virgin Atlantic. Branson takes advantage of investment opportunities even when the competition seems high. He has also shown that one should not be intimidated by the bigger players in the market and he has proved that one can succeed â€Å"despite the odds†. For example, Branson has launched products such as Virgin Cola in a market that is dominated by the two major soft drink giants; Coca Cola and Pepsi (Dearl ove, 2010). Another behavior that has led to Branson’s success is that he always stays in touch with Virgin customers and employees. He is therefore aware of their perception of the current commodities offered by Virgin and can gain valuable information on new needs. Sosik and Dinger (2007) state that Branson spends significant amount of time looking into complaints made by customers as well as reading and responding to suggestions made by his employees. Which behavior described, would ensure student’s future life success? Branson emphasizes on the importance of innovation among his followers. This is a behavior that can be beneficial in my future since for an organization to survive in today’s business environment, one has to expand the horizon beyond personal goals and focus more on progression, which can only be accomplished by innovation (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007). A leader should therefore foster creativity and innovation among his followers instead o f having followers who only follow orders. Branson’s view in this case is indicative of a dominant leadership style, which demands for strategic empowerment in a bid to improve self-worth among employees. Branson also demonstrates concern for the welfare of his employees and he constantly states that they are the most important asset of the organization. Alimo-Metcalfe ALban-Metcalfe (2001) reveal that the transformational leader gives priority to his follower’s needs which leads to the followers having a lot of respect and admiration for their leader. Delegation is another behavior by Branson that can ensure a student’s future life success. Branson takes a back seat in the running of Virgin and lets his employees engage in the day to day running of the company with little interruption. He declares that he finds the most talented people and then gives them the space to do their job. Virgin Atlantic Airways is the exception in Branson’s hands off approach and he devotes a lot of time and attention to the airline. Dearlove (2010) states that such an approach is necessary when one is heading as many companies as Branson does since it would be unrealistic for him to involve himself in the operations of all the companies. As a student, I would want to emulate this behavior by entrusting some tasks to my followers. An effective leader should be skilled at allocating tasks and responsibilities to different followers based on their strengths. In some instances, delegation will require more than simply giving up some of the responsibilities; it may entail relinquishing of power to others. Behaviors from Richard Branson that leaders should avoid A behavior from Branson that leaders should avoid is taking too much risk in a bid to achieve goals and assuming that positive attitude and enthusiasm will lead to success. Dearlove (2010) notes that Branson rarely makes use of market research when taking up a venture; instead, he relies on his insti ncts as to what the customers want. He believes in risking it all to achieve his goals and maintains a positive attitude to each project he undertakes (Dyck Neubert, 2008) state that. Branson is known for making major risks in a bid to achieve his goals. This risk taking has led to some significant failures by Branson. For example, a number of his online retailing companies that were established during the dot.com bubble were failures making it necessary for the ventures to be abandoned. His venture in vodka and computers were also failures. While the Virgin Group of companies can afford to make a few unsuccessful ventures without dire repercussions, most leaders do not have the same luxury and one failure may break the company. Leaders should therefore avoid unnecessary risks in order to ensure the survivability and future success of their organizations. Branson has a reputation of acting at record-breaking speed when a new opportunity presents itself. He disregards bureaucracy an d does not use time consulting with middle managers about the feasibility of his latest ideas. This impulsive approach to new ventures may be detrimental to the well being of a small or middle sized organization. Another behavior that leaders should avoid is overemphasizing personal charisma. As it is, Virgin is heavily reliant on Branson as the charismatic leader. Branson has grown to be more important than the brand and there is concern as to the future of the group since it will be very hard to find a worthwhile successor to him. Den Hartog et al. (1999) warn that charismatic leaders may have a negative impact on the future of a company as is the case with Virgin. Leaders should therefore ensure that they put they do not jeopardize the future prospects of the company. Conclusion This paper set out to review the Branson’s dominant leadership styles and access the manner in which his behavior can ensure a student’s future life success. It has been noted that Branson b egan utilizing his entrepreneurial capabilities at the early age of 17 and has continued to develop many companies with great success. The paper has noted that Branson’s dominant leadership styles are transformational and charismatic. It has been articulated that Branson creates a challenging and exciting environment in which his followers can exercise their creativity and innovation instead of following him blindly wherever he leaders. The paper has also underscored the fact that creativity is a major driving force behind all operations by Branson and he seeks to impart the same spirit to his followers. The empowering attitude that Branson emphasizes leads to greater performance being obtained from his staff and this causes the organization to excel. This paper has come out with a number of lessons that can be learnt from Branson’s leadership styles. By putting these lessons into practice, one can become an effective leader and therefore become an asset to the organiz ation. References Alimo-Metcalfe, B. ALban-Metcalfe, R. (2001). The Development of a new transformational Leadership questionnaire. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74, 1-27, 2001. Bartlett, C.A. Goshal, S. (2000). Going global lesson from late movers. Harvard Business Review 78 (2):132-142. CNBC Business (2007). Richard Branson: Simon Hobbs meets the Virgin Group founder. Web. Dearlove, D. (2010). The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World’s Greatest Brand Builder. NY: John Wiley Sons. Den Hartog, D. N., House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Ruiz-Quintanilla, S. A., Dorfman, P.W., Abdalla, I. A., et al. (1999). Culture specific and cross-culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/transformational leadership universally endorsed? Leadership Quarterly, 10(1), 219-256. Dyck, B. Neubert, M. (2008). Management: Current Practices and New Directions. Boston: Cengage Learning. K atsioloudes, M.I. Hadjidakis, S. (2007) International business: a global perspective, NY: Butterworth-Heinemann. Kets de Vries, M. F. R. (1998). Charisma in action: The transformational abilities of Virgin’s Richard Branson and AAB’s Percy Barnevik. Organizational Dynamics, 26 (2), 6-21. Kunstler, B. (2008). Leadership in the Era of the Human Singularity: New Demands, New Skills, New Response. The Proteus Monograph Series, 2(4), 1-93. London, M. (2002). Leadership Development: Paths to Self-Insight and Professional Growth. NY: Routledge. Shavinina, L. V. (2006). Micro-social factors in the development of entrepreneurial giftedness: the case of Richard Branson, High Ability Studies, 17 (2), 225–235. Sosik, J.J. Dinger, S.L. (2007). Relationships between leadership style and vision content: The moderating role of need for social approval, self-monitoring, and need for social power. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(1), 134–153. This essay on Leader Research Paper: Sir Richard Branson was written and submitted by user Cloud 9 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Law of Hospitality in Odyssey essays

Law of Hospitality in Odyssey essays The Importance of the Law of Hospitality in Homers The Odyssey The Law of Hospitality is an unwritten law in which a host cannot refuse a guest, whether it is a weary traveler, a nobleman, or a beggar. This law is not widely used today, if at all, but in the time of Homers The Odyssey, this was considered a moral and ethical code. However, there were certain standards that were to be upheld in this agreement. The host could not refuse a guest or make him leave; at the same time, a guest could not mistreat or behave in an otherwise unacceptable way toward the others in the hosts house. In the same respect, a guest could not overstay his welcome in the hosts home. In The Odyssey, this guest-host relationship was shown in all of its forms throughout the book. There are three basic forms that the Law of Hospitality can be expressed in. Both the guest and host can benefit, or be unaffected by the visit. Another common situation that can result from a guest-host relationship is that the houseguest can affect the host in a bad way. Also, contrarily, the host can affect the guest in a bad way. All of these situations were present in The Odyssey in many forms. The Law of Hospitality is shown in what some may see as an unusual pair; a person of low status accepts a person of equal if not higher status. Eumaeus is the swineherd who used to work for Odysseus; who has remained loyal to him in his absence. When Odysseus, (disguised as a beggar) comes to his humble home, Eumaeus accepts him, regardless of the fact that he is of lesser status. Eumaeus treats him with the same respect as he would any person. When Eumaeus sees Odysseys disguised as the beggar, just barley surviving his dogs, he doesnt even give him a chance to speak before saying, Come to the cabin. Youre a wanderer to. You must eat something, drink some wine, and tell me where you are from and the hard times youve...

Energy and its use essays

Energy and its use essays There are many energy forms that are in use in the world today. One form of energy we use is carbon. Carbon is used to form fossil fuels after it is burned as a compound. Using carbon compounds to create fossil fuels do have a down side though. They cause the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Can you believe substances that are found in and on the earth can actually cause damage to it? Well, get used to it because that is a common result of many forms of energy used today. Carbon not only harms the atmosphere, it is contributing to global warming. Maybe using carbon in the future wont be such a hot idea. Other than carbon, hydrogen is also used as a form of energy. Hydrogen is in great abundance, and fuel bases already exist to power city buses, homes, and remote hospitals. Solar and wind also take a part in our use of hydrogen. They are said to be run off hydrogen. Did you know that 1000,000,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of energy are sent to the earth each hour? Wow, thats a ton of energy! This solar radiation can heat water, houses, and can even create electricity. Hydrogen is also used in a different way. Two percent of the energy from the sun is converted into wind energy. Does that spark a match in your memory? Wind energy, created in some ways by windmills, is part of the hydrogen economy. This method has been successful for the past 1000 years, not to mention an extremely clean method. As everyone should know, all forms of energy on earth can be tied back to the sun, one way or another. In the case of the hydrogen economy, the trick is to get rid of the indirect ways to the power of hydrogen. The closest you can get to actual hydrogen power, the purer and cleaner it becomes. There is a slight problem though. No hydrogen infrastructure has really been created. Carbon is also having issues with forming its infrastructure. Iceland, on the other hand, doesnt h ...

Case Study eassy on Weight Watcher INC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study eassy on Weight Watcher INC - Essay Example The main competitors of Weight Watcher are Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig and eDiets. According to the report the weight management industry came to light in the late 1990s., from 2006 onwards there is a promising upwards trend in the world diet control market. Generally there are two distinct kinds of strategies associated with the diet control industry, one is the strategy for long term growth of the organization and the second one is retention of the customer base to maintain their involvement . During the span of last 20 years, there is a continuous trend of the growth in the population. With the growing trend of population obesity as well as overweight also increased during this time span. The importance of the physical exercise , awareness of health benefit , loosing weight all these parameters now have a huge demand in the world population. So along with the time, the weight management industry is also growing along with the time. But in the recent time, there are also some negative impact in the weight management industry. According to the report, the industry rose to $ 59.7 billion in the year 2009 which was only about 2% growth YOY. But it was failing to close in with historical 6% growth rate. (Taber et.al, 2010, p. 8). There are also different challenges associated with the growth of weight watchers. Being one of the leading organizations in the market it is now facing a tough competition from others, moreover it is also facing a challenge to develop a forward focus diet plan for the 21st century. According to this report, during the year 2011, Weight Watchers tried to represent themselves in the markets of USA and abroad. Their focus also shifted from women centric to cover all the gender across the society, launching new and innovated diet program to capture the market potential. General Factors and Industry Environments that Affect Weight Watcher’s Choice of Strategy The weight Watcher’s business strategy is based on different parameters like the any top organization. Being a top performing company in this sector their strategy was also very up to date and for a long span of time they remain the sole dominant force in this field. To decide on the strategy, they rely on following points. They believe in giving to the customer what they want not what they need, they have designed their strategy based on marketing the feelings of loosing weight not the product. Different factors like creating exclusive products for different age groups, different weight groups. At the very beginning the main focus of the organization was to target the women to reduce and maintain their weight as the obesity was one of the key disease in the country. To reach up to the maximum number of people, they have designed online course material as well as several live campaigns in different places to ensure that they can reach up to the every corner of the society for every class. General factors which are associated with their strategy are like giving their customer what they want in a scientific and standard way so that customer remains interested in their services. Their customer centric approach increased the customer base drastically. The general factors and the environment related to the strategy of the organization is governed by porter’s five force model. Hill and Jones (2010), in their analysis mentioned Porter’

Al-jazeera channel in the Arab World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Al-jazeera channel in the Arab World - Essay Example The change process within the Arab media scenario mainly began with the launch of Aljazeera that Aljazeera was launched by the government of Qatar in 1996. Aljazeera gave new dimensions to the Arab news sphere and for the first time the world community witnessed the broadcasting of free expression of thoughts and media courage through any Arab country channel. After the launch of many satellite channels the competition was already became very tough for the government controlled Arab channels after which the Arab countries had to bring some level of liberalization and freedom to their media policies to enable their channel compete the other satellite channels (Nawawy and Iskandar 14). Aljazeera attained the attention of the people in very short time span working with the lotto of "the opinion and the other opinion". Initially it was a six hour daily news program that was soon expanded to 24 hour news coverage and programs and several separate channels were also initiated by the network like Al Jazeera Live, Al Jazeera Sports etc. (Zayani 98) According to the estimated, ten million people view Aljazeera daily (Lynch 5). Despite the popularity of al Jazeera it has been condemn and criticized on the charges of giving voice to the dangerous and inflammatory views. It openly broadcasted the messages of many leaders of militant groups in different countries that mostly expressed their messages against the western powers (Nawawy and Iskandar 14). Aljazeera proved to be the first example of freedom of press granted to media in the Arab world. though currently Aljazeera has somewhat lost his grounds in appealing the viewers but till last few years it was the main symbol of freedom of media in the Arab world and one could not overlook the strong influence on Aljazeera upon the Arab media scene. Many of the news programs and talks shows broadcasted at the Aljazeera remained the centre of attention of the people for several years as people widely viewed this

Road and Drivers Essay Example for Free

Road and Drivers Essay Traffic accidents are big problem for megacities. Traffic accidents are caused by people, lack of traffic signs, problems of infrastructure Especially people should be aware of distractions that cause most common traffic accident. Because most common traffic accidents are caused by distractions. In megacities like Istanbul people don’t care traffic rules. They just use the car for their needs and when people are using car they don’t give enough attention. Because of this situation traffic accidents are increasing day by day. How can people reduce traffic accidents? They can reduce it first stay alert and pay attention the second don’t speed. Firstly the drivers in megacities should be stay alert and pay attention. When people are driving cars they mustn’t use their phones and they don’t distract themselves. Because most common traffic accidents are caused by distraction. For instance while driving car, answering a phone can be difficult and it can make distraction. People who is talking with the phone they lose their attention and they give all of their attention to the caller. While drivers are speaking with the phone, they can have an accident because they lose their attention to the other drivers and also roads. Drivers have be focus on the road which could also cause an accident if drivers are not careful. Using phone is really problem for drivers. They can also lose their attention with changing the music. For example while drivers using car sometimes they want to change the music and they look at the radio while they are searching music they don’t look at the road for a second and they lose their attention to the road and this can cause an accident. While people using car they have to focus on their road, they mustn’t use their phone and don’t struggle with the music Ä ±f they don’t want to have an accident. Secondly traffic volume is really important for megacities. If the roads are empty some drivers wants to make a speed and compete the other drivers. It can also make an accident. For example when the roads are empty, generally drivers want to make a speed. They don’t care the rules and they find one driver who makes speed at that moment and start to compete. It is really dangerous for them and also the other drivers because while they are competing they can make sudden changes on the road and lose the other  drivers attention and they can cause an accident. Also when they are competing if the drivers make a small mistake, they have an accident and because of speed they can die. Speed is a big issue in megacities. There has some rules for speed and every driver has to obey them like that people can reduce the traffic accidents. To sum up traffic accident is a big issue for megacities if there is an accident on the roads, roads can lock suddenly and occur some problem. If people want to reduce traffic accident they have to give their attention to the road not the other this that makes them disturb. They mustn’t talk with the phone while they are driving cars. Speed is the important for reduce traffic accidents. Every city has a certain rules and people have to obey rules for reducing traffic accidents. If people want to continue their lives, they give more attention to the rules.

Violence Against Women In Music Essay -- Feminism Feminist Women Criti

Violence Against Women In Music    Particularly distressing in today's society is the level of dysfunctional relationships. Values considered outdated and baseless, such as mutual respect, consideration for another person's feelings, and common courtesy, are becoming extinct human customs. Especially troubling are the violent misogynous messages infused in hard-core rock and rap music and their negative effects on today's youth.    Healthy relationships of mutual love, respect, and compromise between men and women of all races and social classes are instrumental to a sane and stable society. Respect and reverence for mother, sister, wife, and daughter as the nurtures of civilization are key to our survival as a species. Many youth today approach their relationships with the opposite sex, mimicking the attitudes of the rock or rap entertainer.    As a musician, I can appreciate all forms of music as legitimate vehicles of artistic expression, not simply attaching aesthetic value to what I prefer. True art forms should express the ugly as well as the beautiful in human expression. However, if the art form explicitly expresses a message of debasement, hatred, or violence without just cause, then I question the validity of the message. A counter argument might claim that violent messages expressed through music are just a reflection of conditions that already exist. Violence directed towards women is an option that misdirects the causes from where true powerlessness derive... ...ent and sales of its product. Can the same standards of scrutiny be applied to any industry that promotes poor mental health? For the sake of entertainment, we have allowed ourselves to cross the line and permit the debasement of women and the promulgation of violence against them to become the norm. Parents, community leaders, educators, and entertainers must work together to demand maintaining the dignity of all persons addressed lyrically through music. The quality of intent should be carefully scrutinized in music especially targeted towards adolescents. If the intent is to debase, devalue, depreciate or diminish another human being or to create an atmosphere of senseless violence, we have a moral obligation not to support its marketing.   

Application to Clinical Psychology Paper Essay

Introduction ~ Deme Science with all its marvels and wonders continues to press forward making extraordinary breakthroughs. Psychology plays a key role in many of sciences steps forward, each branch of psychology focusing on a specific techniques and theories. In the document the center of attention is surrounding the application of clinical psychology, this branch of psychology is unique as it all realms of an individual’s issue. Specifically speaking, anxiety is the psychological disorder that is under review through the processes of a clinical psychologist, thus concentrating on the biological, psychological and social factors of the disorder. Discussion of what routes of treatment is best for this particular disorder, what outside sources (friends, family , and co-workers) might be involved in the treatment plan, and how would this plan be presented to individual. All of these explorations and others will be answered as we journey into the application of a clinical psychologist such as the ca se of Little Albert. Brief Overview of Little Albert ~ Patricia The case of little Albert was an experiment that was conducted by behaviorist John B. Watson who carried one of the most influential psychology studies out in 1920, which is also known as the Father of Behaviorism. The Little Albert experiment was also conducted by a graduate student Rosalie Rayner, who accompanied John B. Watson during the demonstration, which took place around Little Albert ninth month of growth. During the case of Little Albert, Watson, and Rayner often expose the child to several series of various stimuli to see the reaction of the child. In the experiment, Watson and Rayner would bring out different objects toward Albert to see if he would have any anxiety toward a white rat (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). Although, Watson, and Rayner were both interested in the study of Little Albert, they both were reward a grant to study reflexes, and instinct in  infants. During Watson’s experiment, he exposed Little Albert to white lab rat to see if the child wou ld react to the lab rat in fear. The next time Albert was exposed to the rat, Watson made distressing loud noise while hitting a steal bar with a hammer creating how emotional response could be conditioned or learned. At first response the child seem to become frighten by the loud noise, however, at second response the child began to cry after repeatedly hearing the loud noise (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). While the experiment took place, Little Albert was soon introduced to a white rat combine with a series of other stimuli, which included a rabbit, burning news paper, and a mask. During this process of experimentation, every time Little Albert was shown the white rat pairing with the loud noise, he would begin to cry. The instant the rat was shown to Albert the second or third time, he would began to cry at the sight of the rat alone. Watson wanted to determine if Little Albert would become fearful as a loud sound of the hammer would create a distressing noise near the child that present how classical conditio ning can be use to condition, and emotional response (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). However, Albert fear of the white rat was not the only conditioning, but he was introduce to a wide variety of similar objects as well, such as a white rabbit, Raynor’s furry white coat, and a mask that symbolize Santa’s white beard. Watson had conditioned a fear response in Little Albert during this process to see if the same response of fear would transfer to other objects. During his experiment, Watson discover that Little Albert f ear did in fact extend to other furry animals, and objects, however, before Watson could remove any of signs of phobia, Albert’s mother remove him from the hospital (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009). Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors ~ Kimberly According to most research that has been done on the case of Little Albert, it does not seem that there are many biological factors that affect the case. According to Web MD (2012), a mental illness caused by a biological factor includes an abnormal balance of special chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. It can also be genetics, brain defects, or even prenatal damage (2012). Little Albert seemed to be normal in that sense to most. However, evidence collected by several researchers say that Little Albert was not a healthy and normal infant as Watson had described (Beck, Fridlund,  Goldie, Irons, 2012). Analysis of the film of little Albert suggests that Little Albert had substantial behavioral and neurological deficits (2012). It was suggested that in these films Little Albert’s unresponsive nature was like that of severely mentally challenged child (2012). So while some may think biological factors played no part, they actually may have. Psychological factors play a huge role in the case of Little Albert. Psychological factors can include psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse (WebMD, 2012). While Little Albert was not physically or sexually abused, he was in a sense emotionally abused. He was purposely conditioned to be scared of first a noise and then of a rat and the noise. Anytime he saw a rat or anything that resembled a furry object he was scared. He was taken away from the hospital before the conditioning could be reversed. This is something that was a trauma to him and therefore the reason why psychological factors play a huge role in his case. Social factors also played a role in the case of Little Albert. The main social factor that sticks out in this case is that of family. Little Albert’s mother allowed him to be in the hospital and have these experiments to take place. With that being said, she is at fault for Little Albert having the phobia that he did. His mother also took him from the hospital before there was any chance to remove the phobia (Meyer, 2009). Intervention of Little Albert~ Jeffery Since there is no evidence of any biological factors that were evident in the case of Little Albert, then there is no way to implement any biological interventions for him. But we can see that psychological factors played a significant role in his anxiety and as such Cognitive –Behavioral Treatment could be effective in helping him overcome his disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) of various Anxiety disorders is based on the presumption that the disorder is a result of constant perceptions that there is a need to be afraid of a particular object or item, which then results in the an increase in maladaptive and habitual interactions among cognitive, behavioral, and physiological response systems. Maladaptive cognitive  responses include a pre-attentive bias to threat cues (Mathews, 1990), negatively valenced images and worrisome thinking (Borkovec & Inz, 1990), and cognitive avoidance of some aspects of anxious experience (Borkovec, Shadick, & Hopkins, 1991). Maladapt ive behavioral responses include subtle behavioral avoidance (Butler, Fennel, Robson, & Gelder, 1991) and slowed decision-making (Metzger et al., 1990). In the case of Little Albert he was definitely conditioned to be afraid of rats and certain noises which then led to fear and anxiety over anything that reminded of these objects. In treating a person for anxiety the therapist would build a relationship with the patient thus instilling trust and alleviating a certain amount of fear and anxiety at the beginning. As this trust increases the therapist would teach the patient to the idea of self awareness, where the client begins to recognize subtle changes in their anxiety levels and recognize what is triggering this anxiety. Such things as poor thinking, external cues, physiological activity, and then as they recognize these cues implement newly learned intervention techniques to help lower their anxiety levels. This form of treatment then focuses on both the psychological and social factors that the individual must learn to deal with. Since it was the mother that was responsible for these tests being done on Little Albert and then pul ling him out of treatment before any therapy to correct the anxiety was able to be performed, Family Systems intervention could also be beneficial to helping them deal with his anxieties. This systems intervention approach is different than other approaches in that it includes the family unit in the counseling and treatment sessions. So in a case such as little Albert, both he and his mother would be in the treatment program. This treatment then helps the individual understand how their disorder is impacting others and helps the family understand what trigger points are and how to recognize them so they can help their loved overcome the disorder. As these sessions continue the past is explored as to what may be the cause of their anxiety and how they have impacted each section of the family and how each family can contribute to helping overcome the disorder. In the case of Little Albert the Therapist would help them to focus on the psychological causes and the social causes of this disorder and to learn new thought processes and support systems to correct his way of thinking. Conclusion ~Deme In closing, our case study â€Å"Little Albert† who had been subjected to classical conditioning using a stimulus to promote a certain behavior – fear and anxiety. In the practice of clinical psychology is imperative to get all parties involved for successful treatment. The approach of intervention is sensitive and clinical psychologist makes every effort to move forward with hopes of the case study not relapsing. In the case of treating Little Albert and the treatment for his fears and anxiety through the application of clinical psychology, however, no real conclusion for this case study was ever provided; therefore, we can only suggest the steps of the clinical psychologist according to the specific structure for treating individuals. References: Craske, M.G., Barlow, D.H., & O’Leary, T. (1992). Mastery of your anxiety and worry. Albany, NY: Graywind Publications Incorporated. Fridlund, A.J., Beck, H.P., Goldie, W.D, & Irons, G. (2012, January23). LITTLE ALBERT: A Neurologically Impaired Child. History of Psychology. Advanced online publication. doi:10.1037/a0026720 Goldfried, M.R. & Davison, G.C. (1969). Clinical behavior therapy. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Inc. Meyer, R. G., Chapman, L. K., & Weaver, C. M. (2009). Case studies in abnormal behavior (8thed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education/Allyn & Bacon. WebMD. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/mental-health- causes-mental-illness

Horace “Adversity” Discussion Board

Discussion Board Essay #1 â€Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,† by Roman poet, Horace. His statement implies that only misfortune may bring forth greatness. Ruin reveals true genius, in clover conceals it. The quote, â€Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,† by Roman poet, Horace, wouldn’t mean much to me if it wasn’t so utterly true.Everyone faces some sort of adversity throughout their lifetime. Adversities or obstacles agreeably involve weighing one’s options and then deciding what to do. The decisions we make shape who we are. So consequently adversity plays a crucial role in developing a person’s character. In Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Rodriguez is left feeling socially disadvantaged from his inability to speak English. He also had Mexican immigrants as a child which coupled wi th all his other â€Å"disadvantages† led him to be studious.He became distant from his family and chose to become a student: looking towards teachers for role models. Without this disadvantage/ adversity, he wouldn’t have realized his true potential as a student and writer. How we handle adversity is what matters†¦ Take a common scenario, therapy for example, in consideration when viewing adversity. In almost all situations the psychologist will let you pour out all your emotions and troubles (adversity).He or she will then ask you how you feel and offer words of wisdom. Then you’ll make your decision. The psychologist will usher concepts of â€Å"taking responsibility† and action. Whether or not someone heeds this advice is up to the person and the path taken will always shape someone’s character. When facing adversity I would try to be optimistic, opting never to quit. I know the challenges of my life have made me who I am today and it has brought out a lot of my talents.If I had more smothering, wealthy parents, â€Å"prosperous circumstances†, I wouldn’t have been even remotely near the person that I am today†¦ The fact that I felt distant from my family at a young age caused me to be more independent (in school). I practically forced myself to learn, looking up to teachers as role models. In turn, I absorbed the merits my teachers valued. Because of them I always try my best and put quality over quantity. The extra attention to quality I gained has caused me to think more creatively and become more in tune with my artistic side. Word Count: 409

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221;

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221; Music exists in every culture, without exception. One can say that music is innate to humans, and to summarize the whole history of music in the space of one essay is not an easy feat. Therefore, this paper will provide a brief overview of how music developed throughout the ages. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss prehistoric music, ancient music, the biblical period, and early music, which are all formal names for the first four periods of music’s history. Prehistoric music All music under this category comes from prehistoric times (preliterate). Mostly theories account for what we assume happened during this period. It is often assumed that the first instrument was the human voice itself. This has been suspected since Darwin’s time. After the human voice, there are many different ideas about what musical instruments were played. However, findings of flutes made in Paleolithic times is an often-cited example of one of the earliest instruments (â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany†). In addition, clapping and making drums by covering pits with animal skins are also notable theories about the first musical instruments. From the earliest beginnings of its history, music was used for various reasons: spiritual practices, entertainment, courtship, ceremonies, and more (â€Å"Prehistoric Music†). Ancient music As soon as writing appeared, it is said the prehistoric age ended. With the invention of writing came the first-recorded songs. The oldest written song to date is about 3400 years old from Syria, recorded in cuneiform. The initial instance of polyphony shows up in many ancient texts (such as Aristotle’s books). With writing coming into being, many new instruments were introduced, such as the bagpipe, double pipes, intricate flutes, and several types of stringed instruments. Popular examples of ancient music represented in literature are found in India, with the Vedas mentioning music in various places. One of the most ancient stringed instruments is the veena from India, and it is even stated as a divine instrument played by goddess Saraswati (Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey). Another ancient musical tradition comes from Iran. All the way back to the Elamite Empire (2500–644 BC) in prehistory, Iran has had sophisticated musical instruments and compositions. In addition, ancient Greece put a lot of importance on music within their theaters, temples, and places for celebration. Almost everyone in ancient Greece knew how to play musical instruments (â€Å"Greek Traditional Music†). Biblical period The hebrews feature strongly in this period. Literature by the Hebrews is plentiful in references to music and their cultivation of it. It is said that the time of Solomon, David, and Samuel was the golden age of music for the children of Israel. This period features the first time music was methodically taught in schools. From these institutions came professional singers and instrumentalists. Their music and musical education went on to influence the Greeks and Romans, and forever changed how religious compositions are played (â€Å"A Theatre Before the World†). Early music This period mostly concentrates on the European classical traditions after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. It comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600). Early music had a multitude of styles, traditions, instruments, and purposes. This is when music became highly integral in societies, and when sophisticated systems of performing music came about, such as the ancestors of the symphony. With more and more trade, musical styles intermixed. The individuality of music by region became less distinct. All in all, it was music’s most explosive time since the first instruments were made (â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction†). In looking back, we can see that music developed gradually throughout the ages. Starting from flutes, the human voice, clapping, and animal-skin drums, stringed instruments eventually came, along with pipes, and more intricate things for producing music. India, Iran, Greece, and the Hebrews led the earliest revolutions in music. By the time of the fall of Roman Empire, music began to grow even more sophisticated, with complex, long compositions, and large groups of instruments being played together in what was to become the symphony. Music continues to expand its limitations, and seems to be on a road of infinite discovery and innovation. â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany.† ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 25 June 2009, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624213346.htm. â€Å"Prehistoric Music.† Copernicus Science Centre, www.kopernik.org.pl/en/exhibitions/archiwum-wystaw/wszystko-gra/muzyka-prehistoryczna/. Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey. The Dances of India: a General Survey and Dancers Guide. Tricolour Books, 1989. â€Å"Greek Traditional Music.† Greek Music Information Center, www.musicportal.gr/greek_traditional_music/?lang=en. â€Å"A Theatre Before the World.† The Journal of Religion and Theatre, web.archive.org/web/20061004134128/rtjournal.org/vol_5/no_1/krahenbuhl.html. â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction.† Google Books, Google, books.google.co.uk/books?id=eAAC072TMBAClpg=PP1dq=what is early musicpg=PA1#v=onepageqf=false.

The History Behind Crayola Crayons

The History Behind Crayola Crayons Crayola brand crayons were the first kids crayons ever made, invented by cousins, Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith. The brands first box of eight Crayola crayons made its debut in 1903. The crayons were sold for a nickel and the colors were black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green. The word Crayola was created by Alice Stead Binney (wife of Edwin Binney) who took the French words for chalk (craie) and oily (oleaginous) and combined them. Today, there over one hundred different types of crayons being made by Crayola including crayons that sparkle with glitter, glow in the dark, smell like flowers, change colors, and wash off walls and other surfaces and materials. According to Crayolas History of Crayons Europe was the birthplace of the â€Å"modern† crayon, a man-made cylinder that resembled contemporary sticks. The first such crayons are purported to have consisted of a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was subsequently discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the resulting sticks sturdier and easier to handle. The Birth of Crayola Crayons In 1864, Joseph W. Binney founded the Peekskill Chemical Company in Peekskill, N.Y. This company was responsible for products in the black and red color range, such as lampblack, charcoal and paint containing red iron oxide which was often used to coat the barns dotting Americas rural landscape. Peekskill Chemical was also instrumental in creating an improved and black colored automobile tire by adding carbon black that was found to increase the tire tread life by four or five times. Around 1885, Josephs son, Edwin Binney, and nephew, C. Harold Smith, formed the partnership of Binney Smith. The cousins expanded the companys product line to include shoe polish and printing ink. In 1900, the company purchased a stone mill in Easton, PA, and began producing slate pencils for schools. This started Binney and Smiths research into non-toxic and colorful drawing mediums for kids. They had already invented a new wax crayon used to mark crates and barrels, however, it was loaded with carbon black and too toxic for children. They were confident that the pigment and wax mixing techniques they had developed could be adapted for a variety of safe colors. In 1903, a new brand of crayons with superior working qualities was introduced - Crayola Crayons.

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based Essay

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based on your values and morals, what is the proper role for YOU in your own work as a technolog - Essay Example Considering all these fact a question arises for each and every individual sooner or later, whichs what is the proper role for the citizen in the society. What should we do for to keep the environment we live in balanced, and pleasant to dwell in? Are we obliged to contribute to the society we live in? Every individual has to find his own answer, or answers for these questions. Those answers come after years of life; they are dictated by the kinds of experience the person has. Thus, in my opinion, every viewpoint, considering this question is valuable and true in some way, and we have no right to throw stones at people whose opinion is somehow different from ours. As each and every individual who dwells on our planet I have my own answer on this question. I dont consider it to be the only true, nor do I reckon it to be suitable for the majority of people in my country. My judgment on the role of the individual in the society is dictated by my social, and, what is even of greater importance, religious background. The specific of my work requires me to be aware of the reasons and principles which guide me in my decision-making process. The thing is that I am a Technology Manager responsible for the technology to support training and content management to our external and internal customers. I am one of the decision makers and I am in direct contact with senior level executives providing input and opinions on decision making. My staff consists of 8 people in which I must manage and provide strong leadership. Thus I feel I have to possess deep understanding of the principles which guide me in my work, in my decision making process, and in my relationships with the colleagues and senior executives. I feel this project can help me to have an insight into my values and beliefs; it is able to assist me in improving my decision-making and leadership skills. The thing is that the values and morals that guide me in my existence are

Sustainable Management Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainable Management Futures - Essay Example The same was the case in 2007 when banks started providing home mortgage loans while knowing that the borrowers were not eligible or qualified – a major fact that was ignored so that the bank may later charge huge fees and seize the possession of property in case the customer is unable to pay off mortgage and can be termed a debtor. Previous example of similar frauds came on the surface in early 2000 also with Enron, Tyco and WorldCom being the players for stuffing their top management with millions of dollars and ripping the shareholders wealth down by billions. This is exactly what David Cameron declares regarding the current system. Though both the parties more or less stay firm on their stands for generating wealth and profits for the country to make it withstand the upcoming crisis, but the difference prevails relating to the actions and strategies for overcoming such issues that requires shaking the core. Primarily, the objective here should be to hit the basics. Adam Sm ith, the father of capitalism, had certain ethical values over which the philosophy of the free economy system is standing. In his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, he postulated that keeping the self-interest exposed to moral justice based on justice and fair policy, the resultant would be in the best interest of the society, while the invisible hand playing its part in the background. But solely what is missing in decision making process of the current scenario is the absence of ethical decision making. What needs to be kept in the loop is the following set of important questions while making strategic decisions, spanning decades to come and potentially affecting millions of people: 1. What are the rights of the stakeholders and shareholders? 2. What are the obligations, defined and undefined both, of CEO and the board towards these parties? 3. In certain cases, how, the top management walking away with millions of bucks, in the best interest of the shareholders? Despite of both parties claiming to have measures taken in the past and also presenting their future convictions in terms of regulations and plans for the modification of the free economic system, not much has been there to discuss as success for overcoming the downside of the system which is more than just that. The system’s nature calls for the urgency of departing from the uncontrolled, so called, self-dealing for society’s good. The terms ‘prodigals’ and ‘projectors’ were given by Smith to promoters of excessive risk. The terms may be best illustrated by credit swap insurance promoters and those of mortgages in the recent years. Yet government regulations may only provide a short term survival in this high tide scenario. The financial reengineering requires for more creative attempts towards its designing for favourable outcomes in favour of greater number. COMMON CRITICISMS This can be argued that greed may not have been in Smith’s mind w hile framing the word ‘Sentiments’ for his book. The bottom line is that ethical behaviour is not something that can be legislated. Possessing the desire of doing the right for the society and not acting as per self-interests is what comes from within. Following are few criticisms that remain valid since the inception of this system, yet remain unanswered and not catered to a good extent. Power and coercion: Selfish materialism: The free market system encourages this phenomenon in the sense that it marks no

Participation Exercise #8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Participation Exercise #8 - Assignment Example The system of costing assumes that all costs of the business need absorbing in the provision of a price to provide for total coverage of costs to have realistic profits. The system of accounting registers the costs on each sale and allows management to push forward the costs of unsold products to next period until when the products are sold (Kaplan Financial Limited). These mark the major differences between it and variable costing that only considers the cost of the products during the time when they are produced. These explain why the absorption costing system is supported by the GAAP while variable costing is applicable for internal purposes majorly. One of the major efficiencies of absorption costing is its ability to provide for inventory valuation purposes since all stocks that are sold are covered in the cost of sales while those unsold remain accounted for until their point of sale. Kaplan Financial Limited, Marginal and Absorption Costing, Costing. Kaplan Financial Knowledge Bank 2012. Viewed on May 07, 2015 from

Beers Law Lab Essay Example for Free

Beers Law Lab Essay Objective: The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate that there is a linear relationship between the number of molecules that can absorb light present in a solution and the amount of light absorbed by a solution. This lab should prove that Beer’s law and the equation A=a x b x c, is a linear relationship. Procedure: The only deviations in the lab procedure was that the stock solution was made before arrival to the lab with 0.570 g of KMnO4 in 0. 500 L. The diluted solutions and the Spec 20 were used as directed in the lab manual. The same cuvette was used each time to eliminate error. Cuvettes are all made differently and have a difference in how they measure. If a new cuvette was used each time, the data would be slightly off due to the possibility of each cuvette having different characteristics which affect the measurements in the Spec 20. Data Calculations: To find the molarity of the stock solution: *Note: Molarity is moles/ Liters so in the equation below the first half is finding the number of moles of KMnO4 and the second half is dividing the moles by the liters of the solution. Grams of KMnO4 x (1 mole / molar mass (158.04g)) / Liters of stock solution = molarity of Stock Solution 0.570g KMnO4 x (1 mole / 158.04g) / 0.500 Liters = 0.00721 M To find the molarity of solution #1: *Note: To find the molarity of the first solution, use the molarity found for the stock solution. Since 5.00 mL of the stock solution was used to make solution 1, multiply the molarity of the stock solution by 5.00 mL to get the moles of solution 1. Once the moles of solution 1 have been found, divide that by the liters of water that were added to solution 1. The 0.10000 L comes from the 100 mL volumetric flask the solution was made in. mL of stock solution x (moles of stock solution / liter) / total liters of solution 1 (volumetric flask) = M of solution 1 5.00 mL stock solution x (0.00721 moles / 1000mL ) / 0.10000 L = 0.000361 M To find the molarity of solution 2: *Note: To find the molarity of solution 2, follow the same steps for solution 1 except use 2.00 mL instead of 5.00 mL. The same steps are used due to solution 2 being diluted from the stock solution. mL of stock solution x (moles of stock solution / liter) / total Liters in solution 2(Volumetric flask) = M of solution 2 2.00 mL stock solution x (0.00721 moles / 1000 mL) / 0.10000L = 0.000144 M To find the molarity of solution 3: *Note: To find the molarity of the third solution the same procedure is followed as finding the molarity of the first solution, except you will be using the molarity of the first solution since solution three was made using the first solution. mL of solution 1 x ( moles of solution 1 / 1 L) /total liters in solution 3( volumetric flask) =M of solution 3 50.00mL solution 1 x (0.00721 moles / 1000 mL) / 0.10000 = 0.000181 M To find the molarity of solution 4: *Note: to find the molarity of the fourth solution follow the steps for finding the molarity of the third solution except use the molarity of solution 2 since solution 4 was made with 50.00 ml of solution 2. mL of solution 2 x ( moles of solution 2 / 1 L) /total liters in solution 4 (volumetric flask) = M of solution 4 50.00 mL solution 2 x (0.000144 moles / 1000 mL ) / 0.10000 L = 0.000072 M Table 1. The molar concentration, absorbance values, percent transmittance, average absorbance and transmittance values are shown in the table below. Solution # Molar Concentration Trial Absorbance % T Average Absorbance Average % T 1 0.00003605 M 1 0.821 15.1 0.814 15.3 2 0.811 15.4 3 0.811 15.5 2 0.0001442 M 1 0.324 47.4 0.325 47.3 2 0.326 47.2 3 0.324 47.4 3 0.0001805 M 1 0.388 40.9 0.402 39.6 2 0.406 39.2 3 0.413 38.7 4 0.000072 M 1 0.208 62 0.209 61.8 2 0.208 61.9 3 0.211 61.5 Figure 1. The figure below shows the absorbance vs. the molar concentration of KMnO4. To find the extinction coefficient: The extinction coefficient is found by A/bc = a. A/c is the slope of the line from figure 1. 3139.9/(mol/L) x 1.00 cm =a a= 3139.9 L * mol-1 * cm-1 Discussion and Conclusion: In this lab the equation of Beer’s law was proven to have a linear  relationship. The purpose was to show that molar concentration and absorbance are proportional to each other. This was proved through diluting solutions and using a spec 20 to determine the absorbance values. The solutions were diluted to give different molar concentrations and each concentration was placed in the spec 20. After creating a scatter plot it was obvious to see as the molar concentration increases the absorbance increases. This is because there are more particles present at higher molar concentrations and therefore more light will be absorbed by the particles present. There were many possible sources of error in this experiment. First, if one solution was diluted incorrectly all of the following solutions were diluted incorrectly since they came from the first incorrectly diluted solution. One of the solutions in the experiment could have been diluted wrong, causing all of the solutions to have incorrect dilutions and the calculated values, especially the extinction coefficient, to have incorrect values. Another source of error is that when diluting the solutions not all of the solution transfers were done exactly due to some of the solution being transferred was often left in the pipet. The drops left in the pipet after the transfer could make a difference in the actual molar concentration of each solution. The last source of error occurs from not placing the cuvette in the spec 20 at the same orientation. Although the same cuvette was used each trial, some carelessness may have resulted in the cuvette not being placed in the same orientation each time. Because the sides of the cuvette may be different the readings from the spec 20 may be off. The conclusion of the lab is that Beer’s Law equation is indeed linear, and the absorbance is proportional to the molar concentration. If this lab were preformed again the stock solution should be placed in the spec 20 machine and the absorbance should also be found. The measurements from the stock solution could have provided even more evidence to the conclusion. Overall though the lab was very successful in determining the relationship of the equation in Beer’s Law. Questions: 2. A larger cuvette diameter will produce a higher absorbance value. The diameter of the cuvette is the path length, or b, in the equation A = a x b x c. The larger the path length, the higher the absorbance will be because  you are multiplying a and c by a higher value. Also there is more particles present in a larger path length to absorb light. 3. To find the extinction coefficient the equation A/cb= a is used. A larger cuvette diameter, or path length, would result in a smaller extinction coefficient. The larger the number is on the bottom the smaller the value of the extinction coefficient. 4. Solution 4 probably has the greatest error because it was the last solution to be diluted. Any errors made in diluting a solution will carry through to the last solution diluted because the first solutions are used to dilute the latter solutions. For example if solution 1 is incorrectly diluted then solution 3 will be incorrectly diluted and then solution 4 will be incorrectly diluted.

Schwa :: essays research papers

Schwa Schwa's past is slightly blurred, but it is generally held that the religion has its roots in ancient Egypt. A small breakaway group are believed to have gathered regularly to exchange news and, on occasion, personal accounts of landings by what they called `star-creatures'. These beings were identical to the Egyptian gods, and their belief was that these beings came to their land, from their home amongst the stars, disguised as animals with which they were familiar (the jackal, the cat etc). Some hieroglyphics have been uncovered by archaeologists which, according to Schwa followers, are the original inscriptions of members of the ancient religion, but have been wrongly interpreted by `UFO fanatics' as proof that aliens built the pyramids. This leads non-believers to give little weight to what was "actually a true and proper religion". Since those primitive days the religion has developed enormously, but the biggest and most important advancements have only come in the past decade. Previously, followers had only gathered in what could be described as `sects' in many different countries, with the highest concentration being in North America. It wasn't until 1986 that Jeff Krantz, a 19 year old art student at the University of Michigan, started came to be known as `The Union', a wave of change that would sweep across the world over a period of two years, and would result in united international Schwa religion. "I had just been transferred from (the University of) Wisconsin in the earlier part of that year," Krantz says. "I had attended regular meetings with about half a dozen other believers. We met one night each week to talk about stuff related to our belief - that the Earth, and everything on it, was created by extraterrestrial beings. I guess you could say they're on the same level as the gods of other religions, but we believe that our creators are actual living, breathing beings, not spirits; an analogy would be our superiority over creatures which we created through gene technology, DNA splicing or whatever. "At one of these meetings we decided that we should have some sort of symbol that we could make into stickers. Each of us could then stick them on books or wherever, just to get people thinking about what they could mean, and also to bring the group together under an identifiable symbol - kind of like a flag." The task fell to Adrian Blackwell, another art student whom Krantz saw often outside of these meetings. "The idea for the sticker kind of came to me when I was on acid," Blackwell recalls, smiling.

Blood Brothers

The past few weeks I have been reading the play Blood Brothers written by Willy Russell. It is the story of twin brothers who are separated at birth. Wealthy Mrs Lyons, who is not able to have her own children, blackmails her maid, Mrs Johnstone into giving her one of her new born twins. Mrs Lyons says all Miss Johnston’s other children well benefit, as the Johnston’s have little money. The women agree that it should be their secret and no one else will ever know the truth. The play explores many themes, some being, superstition, friendship and social class.This essay will discuss the changes in the relationship between Edward and Mickey, while also looking at the conveyed themes. The first time Edward and Mickey meet is when they are seven. â€Å"My best friend always had sweets to share. † Mickey is describing Eddie as his â€Å"best friend. † When the brothers first met Edward shared sweets with Mickey, this small gesture started their friendship. If Ed ward had not shared his sweets the brothers might have never became friends. When they find out that they were born on the same day Mickey asks Eddie to become his ‘blood brother'.The boys both made a small cut on their hand, then linked the cuts together, making the blood from the boys join. Both mothers find out about their friendship and are fast in telling their sons to break it up. Edward tells Mickey, ‘My mum says I haven’t got to play with you’ Mickey replies ‘Well, my mum says I haven’t to play with you’. Both mothers are trying to get the twins to stop communicating. By this time the brothers are good friends and blood brothers. Against their mothers wishes the brothers continue to have a friendship until Mrs Lyons even decides to persuade her husband to move the family away.Soon after, the Johnston’s are moved to a house in the country – unknown to them it’s the same area in which the Lyons moved to. The br others meet again in a field at the age of 14, not knowing who the other is. After the move the Johnston’s life has improved, Mickey still has a crush on Linda but doesn’t know how to ask her out. This is another part of fate, they live close by and were both excluded from school at the same time. The twins go to the cinema together, then they finally realise who the other is and meet up with Linda.Mrs Lyons spots Mrs Johnston and tries to kill her. The boys friendship is still strong but the time gap has left a toll. Edward’s vocabulary is not as posh/strong. Also the contrast in backgrounds shows. Mickey smokes, while Edward doesn’t. Edward lives in a ’posh’ area Mickey lives in the estate. Also Edward attends a private school while Mickey goes to the county school. The next time Edward and Mickey meet is when they are 18. ‘If I was Mickey I would have asked you years ago. ’ Edward is jealous of the feelings Linda has for Mick ey.He knows Mickey feels the same for Linda and puts his ‘best friends’ feelings over his own and persuades him to ask her out. While Edward is away at University Linda falls pregnant and Mickey looses his job. This pushes Edwards life further away from Mickey’s. Edward socialises and is in further education. Mickey is on the dole with a pregnant wife, he’s a lot more pressured than Edward. When Edward returns Mickey doesn’t have any money, ‘The Christmas Party’s gonna be on me. ’ Mickey had promised to take Edward out for a treat.Edward said he would pay, but if anything, this put more pressure on Mickey and it pushed him into participating in a ‘hold up’ with his brother, Sammy. The job goes all wrong, Sammy shoots someone and they both end up in jail. While in jail Mickey is put into a depression and ends up on antidepressant drugs. ‘I get depressed an’ I need to take these cos they make me better. â €™ Edward helps Mickey and Linda get a house and gets Mickey a job. This puts a strain on Mickey and Linda, Mickey feels he is a failure as his wife had to get help off a friend. ‘I’m not stupid, Linda. You sorted it out.You an’ Councillor Eddie Lyons. ’ He thinks Linda and Edward are having an affair. Mickey gets a gun and goes to confront Edward. ‘I’ve been thinkin’ again, Eddie. You an’ Linda were friends when she first got pregnant, weren’t y’? Does my child belong to you as well as everythin’ else? ’ The police enter, and try to convince Mickey to drop the gun. Mrs Johnstone enters, and pleads with Mickey to not shoot. She blurts out that they are brothers, and that she couldn’t afford to keep them both. Mickey’s jealousy is shown, ‘Why didn’t you give me away!I could have been †¦ I could have been him! At this point Mickey’s gun goes off accidentally, th e police open fire. Both brothers are dead. In conclusion the relationship between Edward and Mickey has its up’s and downs. At first they are close friends and are then separated, at fourteen they meet up again and are coincidentally separated once more. By the age of eighteen Mickey realises the differences and is betrayed by Edward. In the end realisation hits the brothers as they are told the truth, a childish pact was for real. The overall message is that although everyone has secrets, if they really matter they will be found out. Blood Brothers Blood Brothers is a musical by Willy Russell which was written and first performed in 1981. The musical is about twin brothers, separated at birth, with one kept in a low-class family and the other adopted into a wealthy family. The characters of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons, the mothers, are total opposites. Mrs Johnston is a struggling, single mother of seven, with another two on the way, whereas Mrs Lyons is a privileged, yet childless, married woman. One of the main themes of the musical is superstition for example; the song ‘shoes upon the table’ is all about superstition.Another big theme of the musical is fate. Eddie and Mickey meet almost as if they are meant to, and instantly take a liking to one another. When they lose contact, they meet again, proving they are supposed to be a pair. Also the narrator plays the role of the devil and he sings the song lyrics ‘you know the devil’s got your number’ and that is implying that no matter what, fate i s going to happen wherever the characters are living or whatever they are doing. The last theme to the musical is social class, the whole way through the musical we are being reminded about how different these characters are to each other.Willy Russell shows this by their clothes, accent or speech. The opening scene started with a funeral we saw some men dressed in black suits putting two bodies into coffins (Mickey and Eddie) however the gauze curtain was still not raised. This seemed like the past and present of the story, as this first scene was the inevitable end. I think that was effective because it immediately gets your attention and you become eager to know what’s going on. Mickey and Eddie lay side by side both dead. The narrator then tells us the story of what happened. This is cross-cutting as it shows a different time period then returns to the current one.When we are first introduced to Mrs Johnston, she is a single mother ever since her husband left her for a yo unger woman. She is not dressed in the best of clothes as she does not have much money and her job is cleaning Mrs. Lyons house. Mrs. Johnston is a low–class Liverpudlian, who is extremely hard working. Mrs Johnston is shown as a woman in her thirties but a very worn out woman because of the stress of work and her children. Mrs Johnston stutters at times because of her being under pressure, like when Mrs Lyons is persuading her to give away one of the twins.And by Mrs. Johnston stuttering it shows she is unsure and pressured into something she doesn’t want to do. Willy Russell presents Mrs Johnston to the audience as a decent woman, who gives lots of love to her children, but she can’t give them more than that because she hasn’t got a well-paid job and she is working as Mrs Lyons’ house maid, which takes a lot of her time, which could be spent with her children instead. That is why Mickey and his siblings are left to learn about life themselves on the streets. That makes the audience sympathise with the poor people.She shows that to the audience after she learns she is going to have twins by saying: â€Å"With one more baby we could have managed. But not with two. The Welfare have already been on to me. They say I’m incapable of controllin’ the kids I’ve already got. They say I should put some of them into care† so because she loves her children and wants to keep them she makes the sacrifice of giving Eddie to Mrs. Lyons with hope that he will have a better life then what she could give him. Even though she regrets giving Eddie to Mrs. Lyons her superstitions stops her from telling anyone about what she has done out of the fear of killing her own children.Mrs Lyons contrasts really strongly against Mrs Johnston. At first, Mrs Lyons is shown as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnston who is the same age. Mrs Lyons is an upper middle-class woman. She is dressed very smartly as she has the money to have nice clothes. Mrs. Lyons is a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. Mrs Lyons uses negative views about extra children so that Mrs Johnston will have to give away one of the twins to her. She doesn’t do this in an aggressive way, but in a dangerously sweet way. So that Mrs.Johnston doesn’t feel like she can cope any more. Willy Russell also shows Mrs. Lyons to be self-centred as Mrs Lyons is willing to take a child away from its mother, so that she can save herself. Mrs Lyons is a very sly and devious woman, as she uses superstition against Mrs Johnston, so that she can keep one of the twins. Her facial expressions are very stern and persuading and her body language comes across very confident as she knows that’s she is manipulating Mrs. Johnston. The Narrator is also a very important part to the musical; he acts as a shadow of the other characters. Firstly he was like the host.He constantly kept appearing and kep t the performance flowing. It seemed as if he had the remote to slow things down and also to speed things up when he wanted. He wore a smart black suit which gave him a high profile. His voice was used quite well because he adjusted it to make it loud and directive as a narrator should have but it also had a bit of power in it. During the performance he popped up here and there just to clarify things for the audience. The Narrator is there as a reminder of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons’ agreement. The other characters don’t acknowledge him which shows he is of a ghostly nature.The Narrator raises suspicion and builds up tension between the characters. The Narrator also has no emotions and he comes across as a very cold person which makes the audience feel as if he is like a devil type figure. Although he is a devil like figure, he is a neutral character because he doesn’t choose sides and we don’t know anything about him, other than he knows the fate of each character. The Narrator is trying to tell Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons that their pact won’t work, because the truth will be known. He uses repetition and rhyme, so that his lines are more catchy and memorable.The character of Mickey was portrayed really well as the person playing this role was showing great child like movements such as pulling his jumper over his knees and also by the way he was speaking. The way Mickey was speaking came across very child like as he was doing a lot of rhyming and simple sentences. Mickey also plays childhood games, like mounted Police and Indians, and runs around with a toy gun. When Mickey was playing his cowboy like games he pretended to have a horse between his legs and he galloped around the stage like a child would do.As Mickey got older he showed he was acting more mature and he understood that life wasn’t going to be easy for him and he needed to work for things unlike Eddie who had everything sorted out for him. When Mickey has got out of prison he is really unsteady and has to take pills to calm himself even though he doesn’t need the pills, he just thinks he does. But when Mickey takes the pills, Willy Russell uses stage directions to give the characters emotion with their physical movement, so when Mickey takes the pills the lights come up on Mickey.We see him go to take his pill, we see him struggle not to take it’’ Russell does this to get the audience to feel sad and sympathetic for Mickey. So in this scene the lighting is really dim, which reflects on Mickey’s thought processes which are slow and aged. You can see from this scene that prison has aged Mickey beyond doubt. Mickey used movement and his voice to really portray Mickey’s vulnerability. Mickey’s movements were slow and it seemed like every step he took was agony. His speech was slow, and his voice was extremely quiet.He walked hunched over, as if trying to protect himself from an unknown fear. Edd ie is the complete opposite to Mickey as he was raised in a wealthy family and he shows this in his body language because he stands up straight, speaks politely and is never rude. When Eddie first meets Mickey, Mickey speaks in common English and uses slang around Eddie and he finds it amazing because he has never heard any one talk like that. Eddie seems to have grown up very fast because at the age of seven, he is already very polite and well spoken. His parents have influenced him because he is like a miniature adult.Throughout the whole of the musical Mrs. Johnston sings about Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe is a very clever icon to use throughout the musical. This is because using her as a reference sets us in the correct time period. She is also a good symbol, because she has links to many of the themes in the play including death, addiction and beauty. All the scenes were set in the same location; and the set design remained the same for the whole performance, even when the ba ckdrop changed however, the insides of houses, occasionally descended from the ceiling to show the insides of each home.One the right side of the stage was a wall which had graffiti on it and that represented the lower class type of area that Mickey and Mrs. Johnston would live in. Class difference is displayed very clearly in Blood Brothers, in particular the difference in wealth between the two families. Eddie's parents ensure that he has a comfortable upbringing and is able to study at university and receive a qualification, resulting in a highly paid job. This is completely different to Mickey.He comes from a poor family which meant that he was stuck in a dead end job in a factory. â€Å"I bleeding hated it, standing there all day never doing anything apart from putting cardboard boxes together. † This reflects Mickey's frustration and highlights the lack of opportunities open to him, which adds to the dramatic effect of the musical because it prepares us for trouble in t he future. A good example of dramatic irony in the musical is when Eddie and Mickey decide that as they are such good friends they will become blood brothers. Hey, we were born on the same day. That means we can be blood brothers. † The audience knows that they were actually brothers so that creates dramatic irony. I really enjoyed the musical Blood Brothers and it helped me understand the class difference which is displayed very clearly in the difference in wealth between the two families. I also liked the way the actors never came out of role when bringing in props e. g. chairs, tables and carpets. I also loved how the lighting would make a very serious point feel more real and intense. Blood Brothers The past few weeks I have been reading the play Blood Brothers written by Willy Russell. It is the story of twin brothers who are separated at birth. Wealthy Mrs Lyons, who is not able to have her own children, blackmails her maid, Mrs Johnstone into giving her one of her new born twins. Mrs Lyons says all Miss Johnston’s other children well benefit, as the Johnston’s have little money. The women agree that it should be their secret and no one else will ever know the truth. The play explores many themes, some being, superstition, friendship and social class.This essay will discuss the changes in the relationship between Edward and Mickey, while also looking at the conveyed themes. The first time Edward and Mickey meet is when they are seven. â€Å"My best friend always had sweets to share. † Mickey is describing Eddie as his â€Å"best friend. † When the brothers first met Edward shared sweets with Mickey, this small gesture started their friendship. If Ed ward had not shared his sweets the brothers might have never became friends. When they find out that they were born on the same day Mickey asks Eddie to become his ‘blood brother'.The boys both made a small cut on their hand, then linked the cuts together, making the blood from the boys join. Both mothers find out about their friendship and are fast in telling their sons to break it up. Edward tells Mickey, ‘My mum says I haven’t got to play with you’ Mickey replies ‘Well, my mum says I haven’t to play with you’. Both mothers are trying to get the twins to stop communicating. By this time the brothers are good friends and blood brothers. Against their mothers wishes the brothers continue to have a friendship until Mrs Lyons even decides to persuade her husband to move the family away.Soon after, the Johnston’s are moved to a house in the country – unknown to them it’s the same area in which the Lyons moved to. The br others meet again in a field at the age of 14, not knowing who the other is. After the move the Johnston’s life has improved, Mickey still has a crush on Linda but doesn’t know how to ask her out. This is another part of fate, they live close by and were both excluded from school at the same time. The twins go to the cinema together, then they finally realise who the other is and meet up with Linda.Mrs Lyons spots Mrs Johnston and tries to kill her. The boys friendship is still strong but the time gap has left a toll. Edward’s vocabulary is not as posh/strong. Also the contrast in backgrounds shows. Mickey smokes, while Edward doesn’t. Edward lives in a ’posh’ area Mickey lives in the estate. Also Edward attends a private school while Mickey goes to the county school. The next time Edward and Mickey meet is when they are 18. ‘If I was Mickey I would have asked you years ago. ’ Edward is jealous of the feelings Linda has for Mick ey.He knows Mickey feels the same for Linda and puts his ‘best friends’ feelings over his own and persuades him to ask her out. While Edward is away at University Linda falls pregnant and Mickey looses his job. This pushes Edwards life further away from Mickey’s. Edward socialises and is in further education. Mickey is on the dole with a pregnant wife, he’s a lot more pressured than Edward. When Edward returns Mickey doesn’t have any money, ‘The Christmas Party’s gonna be on me. ’ Mickey had promised to take Edward out for a treat.Edward said he would pay, but if anything, this put more pressure on Mickey and it pushed him into participating in a ‘hold up’ with his brother, Sammy. The job goes all wrong, Sammy shoots someone and they both end up in jail. While in jail Mickey is put into a depression and ends up on antidepressant drugs. ‘I get depressed an’ I need to take these cos they make me better. â €™ Edward helps Mickey and Linda get a house and gets Mickey a job. This puts a strain on Mickey and Linda, Mickey feels he is a failure as his wife had to get help off a friend. ‘I’m not stupid, Linda. You sorted it out.You an’ Councillor Eddie Lyons. ’ He thinks Linda and Edward are having an affair. Mickey gets a gun and goes to confront Edward. ‘I’ve been thinkin’ again, Eddie. You an’ Linda were friends when she first got pregnant, weren’t y’? Does my child belong to you as well as everythin’ else? ’ The police enter, and try to convince Mickey to drop the gun. Mrs Johnstone enters, and pleads with Mickey to not shoot. She blurts out that they are brothers, and that she couldn’t afford to keep them both. Mickey’s jealousy is shown, ‘Why didn’t you give me away!I could have been †¦ I could have been him! At this point Mickey’s gun goes off accidentally, th e police open fire. Both brothers are dead. In conclusion the relationship between Edward and Mickey has its up’s and downs. At first they are close friends and are then separated, at fourteen they meet up again and are coincidentally separated once more. By the age of eighteen Mickey realises the differences and is betrayed by Edward. In the end realisation hits the brothers as they are told the truth, a childish pact was for real. The overall message is that although everyone has secrets, if they really matter they will be found out. Blood Brothers Blood Brothers is a musical by Willy Russell which was written and first performed in 1981. The musical is about twin brothers, separated at birth, with one kept in a low-class family and the other adopted into a wealthy family. The characters of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons, the mothers, are total opposites. Mrs Johnston is a struggling, single mother of seven, with another two on the way, whereas Mrs Lyons is a privileged, yet childless, married woman. One of the main themes of the musical is superstition for example; the song ‘shoes upon the table’ is all about superstition.Another big theme of the musical is fate. Eddie and Mickey meet almost as if they are meant to, and instantly take a liking to one another. When they lose contact, they meet again, proving they are supposed to be a pair. Also the narrator plays the role of the devil and he sings the song lyrics ‘you know the devil’s got your number’ and that is implying that no matter what, fate i s going to happen wherever the characters are living or whatever they are doing. The last theme to the musical is social class, the whole way through the musical we are being reminded about how different these characters are to each other.Willy Russell shows this by their clothes, accent or speech. The opening scene started with a funeral we saw some men dressed in black suits putting two bodies into coffins (Mickey and Eddie) however the gauze curtain was still not raised. This seemed like the past and present of the story, as this first scene was the inevitable end. I think that was effective because it immediately gets your attention and you become eager to know what’s going on. Mickey and Eddie lay side by side both dead. The narrator then tells us the story of what happened. This is cross-cutting as it shows a different time period then returns to the current one.When we are first introduced to Mrs Johnston, she is a single mother ever since her husband left her for a yo unger woman. She is not dressed in the best of clothes as she does not have much money and her job is cleaning Mrs. Lyons house. Mrs. Johnston is a low–class Liverpudlian, who is extremely hard working. Mrs Johnston is shown as a woman in her thirties but a very worn out woman because of the stress of work and her children. Mrs Johnston stutters at times because of her being under pressure, like when Mrs Lyons is persuading her to give away one of the twins.And by Mrs. Johnston stuttering it shows she is unsure and pressured into something she doesn’t want to do. Willy Russell presents Mrs Johnston to the audience as a decent woman, who gives lots of love to her children, but she can’t give them more than that because she hasn’t got a well-paid job and she is working as Mrs Lyons’ house maid, which takes a lot of her time, which could be spent with her children instead. That is why Mickey and his siblings are left to learn about life themselves on the streets. That makes the audience sympathise with the poor people.She shows that to the audience after she learns she is going to have twins by saying: â€Å"With one more baby we could have managed. But not with two. The Welfare have already been on to me. They say I’m incapable of controllin’ the kids I’ve already got. They say I should put some of them into care† so because she loves her children and wants to keep them she makes the sacrifice of giving Eddie to Mrs. Lyons with hope that he will have a better life then what she could give him. Even though she regrets giving Eddie to Mrs. Lyons her superstitions stops her from telling anyone about what she has done out of the fear of killing her own children.Mrs Lyons contrasts really strongly against Mrs Johnston. At first, Mrs Lyons is shown as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnston who is the same age. Mrs Lyons is an upper middle-class woman. She is dressed very smartly as she has the money to have nice clothes. Mrs. Lyons is a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. Mrs Lyons uses negative views about extra children so that Mrs Johnston will have to give away one of the twins to her. She doesn’t do this in an aggressive way, but in a dangerously sweet way. So that Mrs.Johnston doesn’t feel like she can cope any more. Willy Russell also shows Mrs. Lyons to be self-centred as Mrs Lyons is willing to take a child away from its mother, so that she can save herself. Mrs Lyons is a very sly and devious woman, as she uses superstition against Mrs Johnston, so that she can keep one of the twins. Her facial expressions are very stern and persuading and her body language comes across very confident as she knows that’s she is manipulating Mrs. Johnston. The Narrator is also a very important part to the musical; he acts as a shadow of the other characters. Firstly he was like the host.He constantly kept appearing and kep t the performance flowing. It seemed as if he had the remote to slow things down and also to speed things up when he wanted. He wore a smart black suit which gave him a high profile. His voice was used quite well because he adjusted it to make it loud and directive as a narrator should have but it also had a bit of power in it. During the performance he popped up here and there just to clarify things for the audience. The Narrator is there as a reminder of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons’ agreement. The other characters don’t acknowledge him which shows he is of a ghostly nature.The Narrator raises suspicion and builds up tension between the characters. The Narrator also has no emotions and he comes across as a very cold person which makes the audience feel as if he is like a devil type figure. Although he is a devil like figure, he is a neutral character because he doesn’t choose sides and we don’t know anything about him, other than he knows the fate of each character. The Narrator is trying to tell Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons that their pact won’t work, because the truth will be known. He uses repetition and rhyme, so that his lines are more catchy and memorable.The character of Mickey was portrayed really well as the person playing this role was showing great child like movements such as pulling his jumper over his knees and also by the way he was speaking. The way Mickey was speaking came across very child like as he was doing a lot of rhyming and simple sentences. Mickey also plays childhood games, like mounted Police and Indians, and runs around with a toy gun. When Mickey was playing his cowboy like games he pretended to have a horse between his legs and he galloped around the stage like a child would do.As Mickey got older he showed he was acting more mature and he understood that life wasn’t going to be easy for him and he needed to work for things unlike Eddie who had everything sorted out for him. When Mickey has got out of prison he is really unsteady and has to take pills to calm himself even though he doesn’t need the pills, he just thinks he does. But when Mickey takes the pills, Willy Russell uses stage directions to give the characters emotion with their physical movement, so when Mickey takes the pills the lights come up on Mickey.We see him go to take his pill, we see him struggle not to take it’’ Russell does this to get the audience to feel sad and sympathetic for Mickey. So in this scene the lighting is really dim, which reflects on Mickey’s thought processes which are slow and aged. You can see from this scene that prison has aged Mickey beyond doubt. Mickey used movement and his voice to really portray Mickey’s vulnerability. Mickey’s movements were slow and it seemed like every step he took was agony. His speech was slow, and his voice was extremely quiet.He walked hunched over, as if trying to protect himself from an unknown fear. Edd ie is the complete opposite to Mickey as he was raised in a wealthy family and he shows this in his body language because he stands up straight, speaks politely and is never rude. When Eddie first meets Mickey, Mickey speaks in common English and uses slang around Eddie and he finds it amazing because he has never heard any one talk like that. Eddie seems to have grown up very fast because at the age of seven, he is already very polite and well spoken. His parents have influenced him because he is like a miniature adult.Throughout the whole of the musical Mrs. Johnston sings about Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe is a very clever icon to use throughout the musical. This is because using her as a reference sets us in the correct time period. She is also a good symbol, because she has links to many of the themes in the play including death, addiction and beauty. All the scenes were set in the same location; and the set design remained the same for the whole performance, even when the ba ckdrop changed however, the insides of houses, occasionally descended from the ceiling to show the insides of each home.One the right side of the stage was a wall which had graffiti on it and that represented the lower class type of area that Mickey and Mrs. Johnston would live in. Class difference is displayed very clearly in Blood Brothers, in particular the difference in wealth between the two families. Eddie's parents ensure that he has a comfortable upbringing and is able to study at university and receive a qualification, resulting in a highly paid job. This is completely different to Mickey.He comes from a poor family which meant that he was stuck in a dead end job in a factory. â€Å"I bleeding hated it, standing there all day never doing anything apart from putting cardboard boxes together. † This reflects Mickey's frustration and highlights the lack of opportunities open to him, which adds to the dramatic effect of the musical because it prepares us for trouble in t he future. A good example of dramatic irony in the musical is when Eddie and Mickey decide that as they are such good friends they will become blood brothers. Hey, we were born on the same day. That means we can be blood brothers. † The audience knows that they were actually brothers so that creates dramatic irony. I really enjoyed the musical Blood Brothers and it helped me understand the class difference which is displayed very clearly in the difference in wealth between the two families. I also liked the way the actors never came out of role when bringing in props e. g. chairs, tables and carpets. I also loved how the lighting would make a very serious point feel more real and intense.