Friday, September 6, 2019

Egyptian Sculptures Essay Example for Free

Egyptian Sculptures Essay The Metropolitan museum of New York for Egyptian collection houses a wide array of Egyptian sculptures that carry with them the history of the Egyptian people that also reflect the background of ancient civilization. Examples of prominent Egyptian sculptures include the Statue of a Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra and the Plaque with Greek dedication to Isis, Serapis and Apollo by Komon. The statue of the Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra is originally from Egypt and is reported to have been in existence around the Ptolemaic period or later. It dates between 170 B. C or later. It is made of medium limestone with a dimension of 62. 2cm in height, 19. 7cm in width and a breadth of 14. 6 cm. The statue is also credited by the museum to be a gift of Joseph W. Drexel in 1889 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010). The statue of the Ptolemaic Cleopatra embodies a queen, probably Cleopatra, holding a cornucopia. The third daughter of King Ptolemy the 12th Auletes, Cleopatra VII Philopator was born in January of 69 BC and died on the month of August 30 BC (Greek Bible Study, para. 1). She was the queen of ancient Egypt and the last member of the Ptolemy Dynasty who marked the last Hellenistic monarchy of Egypt. The Greek Bible Study explains that despite the fact that many other queens of Egypt were known by the same name, she is simply referred to as Cleopatra as the identities of her predecessors have been forgotten with time. Cleopatra is a Greek word that means â€Å"father’s glory†. On the other hand Cleopatra Thea Philopator stands for â€Å"The Goddess Cleopatra, Beloved of Her Father† (Greek Bible Study, para. 2). In the entire 300 year old dynasty that saw the rule of Cleopatra, she was the only one able to learn the Egyptian language (para. 4). Cleopatra ruled Egypt with her father and later on her brothers whom she ended up marrying before gaining sole leadership as Pharaoh (Greek Bible Study, para. 5). Together with Caesar, a Roman ruler, she bore a son, Caesarion who ended up being co-ruler. She took her own life when Caesar’s legal heir Octavian led Rome against Egypt (Greek Bible Study, para. 6). She clearly demonstrated great dedication towards leadership and created a lasting impact to not only Egypt but also the world. The Egyptian plaque containing Greek dedication to Isis, Apollo and Serapis by Komon is alleged to have come from the Macedonian and Ptolemaic period during the reign of Ptolemy the fourth and fifth between 210 and 204 BC. The plaque is made of marble and measures 27. 95 by 17. 5 cm. It is also claimed to have been a gift of Joseph Drexel in 1889 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010). The Greek inscription on the plaque reads â€Å"In behalf of King Ptolemy, the great god, Philopator, savior and winner of victory, and his son Ptolemy, to Isis, Serapis, Apollo; Komon, son of Asklepiades, oeconomus at Naukratis (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2010). Cleopatra is a household name in the analysis of leadership in Egyptian dynasties. She lived her life as a tough ruler and was elevated to the position of Pharaoh despite being a woman which shows her great leadership abilities and the added zeal to rule over Egypt. This is seen by her becoming co-ruler beside her father despite having brothers. She is an icon of great leadership and bravery to Egyptian culture and the rest of the world. The existing short distance and apparent interactions between Greece and Egypt made it necessary for Ptolemy, a Greek King to create good relationships between the Greeks and the Egyptians (Norfleet, para. 1). The dedication of King Ptolemy through Komon to Isis, Apollo and Serapis by means of his writings of the marble plaque is an indication of good will around the Ptolemy reign between King Ptolemy and Isis, Serapis and Apollo. It can also be explained to be a declaration of power through his annunciation of his powers. Such initiatives may be claimed to have brought tranquility between the Ptolemy reign and other kingdoms. At around 120 AD, Ptolemy introduced the Serapis religion that improved the ties between Greek and Egypt. Works Cited: Greek Bible Study. A Brief History of Queen Cleopatra. (2010). Retrieved on 6th May 2010 from: http://www. biblestudy. org/biblepic/cleopatra. html Norfleet, Phil. Platonism, Paganism and Early Christianity. (2010). Retrieved on 6th May 2010 from: http://www. mozilla. com/en-US/firefox/central/ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Works of Art, 2010. Retrieved on 6th May 2010 from:http://www. metmuseum. org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/listview. aspx? page=2sort=0sortdir=asckeyword=fp=1dd1=10dd2=0

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay

Fear Of Violent Crime Geography Essay As a concept ‘fear of crime has caused much academic discussion since it was first developed as a school of thought in the 1960s. Even though interest in fear of crime has gone though peaks and troughs since its arrival in the social sciences, it has undoubtedly found its way into governmental thinking and subsequent policies (Lee Farrall 2008). There are those who claim that fear of crime is a larger problem than crime itself and this is largely due to anxieties over violent crimes such as sexual assault which is particularly salient (Warr 1995). The public are informed that official rates of crime are falling hence this appears to substantiate the claim that public fears are disproportionate to reality or even ‘irrational (Skogan 1987). For example, the latest British Crime Survey (BCS) undertaken by the Home Office (2009) revealed that peoples fear of violent crime in the UK out-weighs their chances of victimization. However a finding from the same survey showed that all regions in the UK experienced a reduction in the proportion of people with a ‘high level of worry about violent crime between 2001-2 and 2008-9 (Home Office 2009). Source: BCS, Home Office (2009) Percentage of people with high level of worry about violent crime, 2001-2 and 2008-9 There have been many disputes as to how to define fear of violent crime and as such, official statistics are subject to criticism. Lewis and Salem (1981) claim that emotional feelings alone define fear of crime whereas other scholars place emphasis on cognitive judgments or behaviours (Garland 2001). There are also mixed findings on the connections between socio-demographic factors and fears of violence. Differential fears of violent crime have been strongly attributed to factors such as age, sex, race, locality, personal experience and media consumption (Clemente Kleiman 1977). It has been posited that further research on the fear of crime ‘must be focussed spatially and socially upon particular populations (Weaver 2008: 4). This dissertation will investigate the often cited connections between fear of violent crime and locality focussing on the University of Nottingham student population. It will explore the impact these fears have on their use of public space and highlight any constraints on activities or opportunities as a consequence of behavioural modifications. Nottingham: safe for students? The City of Nottinghams violent crime rates are higher than the UK average. However, recorded violence in Nottingham against the person has decreased from a rate of 34.5 per 1000 in 2006/07 to 29.79 rates per 1000 in 2008/09 (Home Office 2009). As a consequence perhaps, headlines in the media portraying Nottingham as being notorious for gun crime or as being an ‘Assassination City (Sewell 2007) have decreased. Nevertheless the mass media continue to label Nottingham as being a hotbed of violence. It has been argued that Nottingham is ‘a victim of its own success (Tiesdell 1998). This can be attributed to the number of bars and clubs the city possesses, promoting a vibrant but volatile night-life. In 2008 Nottingham City Council announced that the city was an Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ). This declaration was met with disbelief and anger amongst the local press and the University of Nottingham. It was argued that the City Council had shot itself in the foot again. In 2002, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire gave his opinion that the city was out of control; he referred to the frequency of violence and in particular, the use of firearms. ‘The City Council agreed with him before it quickly back-tracked, but it was too late, Nottingham acquired a reputation as a number-one crime city. The impact was stunning, with The University of Nottingham, one of the best in the country, losing approximately a third of student applicants (MC Report 2008). Avoidance actions can have negative impacts on cities. For example, avoidance behaviours can lead to significant financial costs as the ‘Nottingham Safer Cities Project (NSCP) discovered. The project conducted a public survey; the findings from which illustrated that a significant number of city residents usually avoided the city centre after dark. The project calculated that this avoidance strategy led to the loss of  £12 million in turnover and 442 job opportunities in Nottinghams central business district during the 6 months of the study (Beck Willis 1995). Though outdated the project indicates the importance of investigating fear of violence amongst Nottinghams university population as they are widely regarded to be a vital contributer to the citys income and infrastructure (Beck Willis 1995). Advancement of the Aims and Objectives AIMS  · To discover whether fear of violent crime amongst university students in Nottingham is dependent on a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media consumption d) personal victimization  · To discover how university students react to fear of violent crime and how this shapes their use of public space in Nottingham Nottingham has higher levels of reported violent crime than the national average and is widely regarded amongst the mass media as being a particularly violent place. Furthermore students aged 16-24 years of age, statistically, are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to violent crime (Home Office 2009). Despite these findings, a thorough review of the previous literature showed that there are very few journal articles investigating fears of violence amongst university students and none were focussed on the city of Nottingham. Extensive research on gender as a correlate of fear pays most attention to the fear gap between men and women. Fear of sexual assault is often given as the main reason for differential levels of fear (Balkin 1979) and as a result mens fears are neglected (Goodey 1997). This dissertation will compare the fears of both male and female students whilst focussing on violent crimes. Most academics agree that being a victim of sexual assault leads to intensified fears (Box et al 1988). However, there are mixed findings on the impact personal victimization of other violent crimes has on the individual. Some scholars argue that all physical assaults and muggings lead to greater fear of crime (Tulloch et al 1998) whilst others argue that they actually reduce fears (Sparks et al 1977). These inconsistent findings show that there is room for further research into the effects of violent victimization on public fears, which this dissertation aims to do. Social scientists, on the whole, accept that fear of violent crime is place-dependent and as such; how individuals relate to ideas of place and community is an important indicator of fears (Girling et al 2000). However, studies in the UK examining the relationships between fear of violence and familiarity with place of residence are lacking. This dissertation will investigate the impact familiarity of place has on fears by comparing the fear index of students whose domicile residence is in Nottingham to those who lived somewhere else prior to attending University of Nottingham. The mass media provide the public with much of their information. This information is often distorted through ‘popular tabloids which tend to sensationalise crime. It has been argued that the media cause fears of violent crime to increase (Gunter 1987) but findings are mixed. First year students, many being new to the city, will be an interesting focus group as many of them would have received much of their knowledge about ‘Assassination City through the media. As aforementioned, modifications of behaviour in response to fears can have a significant impact on a citys income hence research in this area (the second main aim) could arguably be important for future policy initiatives attracting more students to Nottingham. There may also be wider social consequences for individual students with high levels of fear as it could limit opportunities, ultimately affecting well-being. OBJECTIVES 1. To review existing literature to acquire an understanding of the different theories and views on fear of violent crime 2. To conduct quantitative surveys on male and female University of Nottingham first year students followed by statistical analysis to determine the relationship between fear of violent crime and the following variables: a) gender b) place of domicile residence c) mass media d) personal victimization 3. To conduct group discussions with first year Geography and Law students at the University of Nottingham to gain a more thorough insight into their fear of violent crime and whether it effects their use of public space in Nottingham Fear of Violence: Academic discussion Gender Research into the thorny issue of gender and fear of violent crime has found that women are much more fearful of violent crime than men yet women are less likely to be victims (Hale 1996). This fear amongst women was primarily viewed as being irrational by some scholars as womens high levels of fear do not equate to actual risk of victimization (Clemente and Kleiman 1977). It is widely acknowledged, however, that women have different experiences in public spaces than men. The BCS shows that young men are at greatest risk of victimisation for overall violence, although women are more likely to experience domestic violence and sexual assault (Home Office 2009). ‘In public, fear of rape is a cardinal fear for women (Riger et al 1994: 78) and is widely acknowledged as being the greatest factor leading to ‘men and women sharing a consensus that females are much more fearful than males (Sutton Farrall 2008: 15). The shadow of sexual assault hypothesis (Ferraro 1996) states tha t womens fear of sexual assault shadows their fear of other types of crime, particularly violent crime. This dissertation aims to uncover the influence all violent crime has on female and male university students. The gendered stereotypes of ‘fearless male/fearful female (Goodey 1997) are challenged by academics who suggest that men are socialised in society to be less fearful than women hence men have a tendency to minimise and hide their fears. This recent theory of the ‘Socially Desirable Responding (Farrall et al 2009) has important implications for research findings as it has been suggested that men are more likely to under-report their concerns in order to fit the hegemonic masculine ideal (Goodey 1997). This could be to such an extent that when this was taken into account, mens fear outstripped womens (Sutton Farrall 2005). This is in contrast to the view that women report higher fears because they are physically weaker than men and may have rape foremost in their minds when answering questions about violent crime (Stanko 1990). It has been posited that fear declines with age amongst girls and to a greater extent, boys. Young boys are relatively open about their fears yet as they mature their fears are somewhat ‘downplayed as normative adult identities are adopted (Goodey 1997: 402). This dissertation compares female fears of violent crime with the ‘neglected arena of male fears (Goodey 1997: 52) focussing on first year university students who are in a liminal stage of neither being viewed by wider society as children nor adults. First Year University Students and the Fear of Violent Crime First year University students, being young adults, are often stereotyped as ‘strong, fearless and are often construed as the offender rather than the victim (Tulloch 2000: 452). However a comprehensive report by Tulloch et al (1998) found that young adults are more fearful of crime than previously recognised. In addition statistical analysis has indicated that they have the greatest fear of violent crime when compared to other age groups (Ferraro 1995). These fears are arguably justified by The British Crime Survey (Home Office 2009) which asserted that reflecting their younger age profile, students (8.6%) had a higher than average risk of being a victim of violent crime throughout the year 2008/09. The BCS claim this is likely to be related to lifestyle. For example, people who visited nightclubs more than once a week in the month prior to interview had a higher risk of violent crime (12.4%) than those who had visited nightclubs or discos less than once a week on average (6.6 %) or not at all (2.5%). First year university students or ‘Freshers do not fit into one clearly defined category or stereotype. Some see university students as belonging to a ‘problem population inducing moral panics through binge drinking and yobbish behaviour. ‘As city centres are perceived to be dangerous, they are given over to gangs of revellers and drunkards after dark (Trench et al 1992). Others see students as law abiding citizens who are likely to be victims of violent crime at the hands of excluded local youths who, like students are demonized through the media. Place of Domicile Residence and Fear of Violent Crime ‘Perception of community has a strong influence on subjective estimates of being a victim of violent crime (Jackson 2004) Literature on fear of crime has shown that it is an absorbent topic bound up in how individuals relate to ideas of place and community (Farrall et al 2009). In a recent study Farrall et al (2009) use in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the connections people make when talking about crime, their environment and community. The study suggested that at the root of fear of crime is public unease about the health of local neighbourhood order and concerns about social decline and community fragmentation. They concluded that public perceptions of crime are strongly linked to objective and subjective assessments of community, environment and change. It was also acknowledged that this can have varying degrees of significance for respondents ‘depending on a participants own circumstances or history (Farrall et al 2009: 137). Due to university students varied experiences and histories they will be an interesting population to explore. There is a sufficient gap in research on dimensions of place and fear of violent crime; there are few place-based studies that have considered relationships between fear of crime and familiarity with place of residence. Nevertheless, an example of one such study in Washington DC found that the percentage of a residents life spent in the same neighbourhood was associated with a decrease in fear of violent crime (Roman Chalfin 2008). Mass media consumption and fear of Violent Crime ‘It is widely recognised that crime stories and discussions about ‘law and order are the staple diet of the written press (Sparks 1992). The mass media provide a major source of our knowledge. As such there is much academic debate as to what extent media in the UK influences individual fear of violent crime. Academics such as Jewkes (2004) have argued that that the mass media harbours the power to instil fear in the public by the way in which it presents crime. Such arguments fit the ‘Hypodermic Syringe Model which focuses on the mass media representation of crime and how that representation is perceived by the public. It is argued that ‘the media inject values, ideas and information directly into the passive reader or viewer (Jewkes 2004: 9). The information that the ‘popular media ‘inject into the public is often distorted as they tend to sensationalise crime by following the rule that ‘if it bleeds it leads. They pay privileged attention to some crimes at the expense of others, often violent crimes at the expense of non-violent (Keating 2002). ‘In Britain, readers of tabloid newspapers which have more sensational crime coverage reported higher levels of fear than readers of broadsheet papers, whose crime coverage is less predominant and less dramatic (Grabosky 1995). By exaggerating the risks of violent crimes the media may orchestrate ‘moral panics or ‘media panics (Cohen 1972). These moral panics often correspond to BCS statistics. The popular press use one statistical area such as Nottingham and distort the truth by sensationalising the factual data using terminology such as ‘epidemic, which in turn, may lead to moral panics. Although there is some basic truth to what the media are presenting to the public, it usually becomes dramatised to the point of disconnection from the truth. This may lead to a ‘deviancy amplification spiral (Cohen 1972) inferring that the area is particularly dangerous. Another consequence for such localities is that, once the decline begins, the community becomes part of the media generated folklore on crime and rare events such as firearm offences seem to be commonplace (Keating 2002). Fear of violent crime levels can also be rationalised by using Post-Modernist approaches. Hall et al (1978: 46) suggest that the public are interested in the mass media representation of crime, especially violent crime, as ‘violence represents a basic violation of the person. The public are therefore more affected by violent crimes, as they worry for their own safety. The BCS (Home Office 2009) statistics show that the number of violent crimes is decreasing annually, but this data is not yet reflected by public opinion. The ‘Hypodermic Syringe Theory, ‘Moral Panic Theory and Post-Modernist approaches have been widely criticised by researchers who have found the causal relationship between media and fear of violent crime to be at best, inconclusive. One key finding from Tulloch et al (1998) stated that the media are not as influential as previously thought. It has been suggested that the media alone can not cause fear of crime but ‘they can address fears, play upon them, exploit or reassure them (Sparks 1992: 155). Behavioural Responses to Fear of Violent Crime A review of the quantitative evidence to date illustrates that the findings for a causal relationship between fear of violent crime and modification of behaviour are somewhat inconsistent (Foster Giles-Corti 2008). Numerous studies exhibit that people often avoid actions which they view as being dangerous such as travelling on public transport or going out after dark (Box et al 1988). On the contrary an important finding from Tulloch et al (1998) found that even though young adults are more fearful of violent crime than any other age group, they still go out at night and use public transport. Episodes of being afraid of violent crime are often short lived. For example, one may become fearful if they hear footsteps behind them when walking down a dark alley. Farrall et al (2009) describe these fears as ‘experiental. Experiental fears are short-lived episodic experiences that are in response to external direct stimuli bound up in details of time and place. It has been argued, however, that although there may be heightened awareness in situations whereby one perceives there to be a potential threat of violence, this does not necessarily lead to outright fear but a calculated set of behavioural responses (Garland 2001). By conducting in-depth interviews, Farrall et al (2009) found that many participants believed it was their responsibility to protect themselves from violent crime and that precautionary behaviour is a necessary part of every day life. Some modified their behaviour, avoided certain places at certain times and purchased security equipment. It has been suggested that fear of violence is not always detrimental to an individuals well-being. Some degree of fear might be healthy in certain situations as it creates a natural defence against crime. When there is a perceived risk of actual violence, a certain amount of fear might actually be beneficial. Experiental fears of violent crime stimulate ‘responsiblization which leads to precautionary behaviours, makes people feel safer and ultimately lowers the risk of victimization. This has been described as ‘functional fear (Jackson Gray 2009). This ‘functional fear can be illustrated in the ‘Health Belief Model (Rosensto ck 1974). This model has been applied by social scientists to explain why some people change their behaviour to combat violent crime (Hammig Moranetz 2000). The model asserts that individuals who fear being a victim of violence will change their lifestyle habits if they believe that altering certain behaviours will enhance their overall well-being. ‘For women, crime is a considerable reason as to why they do not go out after dark at night (Crawford et al 1990: 49). As aforementioned, social scientists have indicated that gender is one of the strongest predictors of fear of violence; women are more fearful of violent crime than men. Some scholars such as Warr (1985) and Ferraro (1995) have suggested that this differential ‘irrational fear among females is mostly due to their fear of sexual victimization. As a result of this fear women restrict their lives in private and public spaces due to the perceived threat of criminal victimization (Gilchrist et al 1998). Findings from Warr (1985) substantiate this claim revealing that 40% of women do not go out at night compared with 9% of men. This indicates that fear of violent crime could have real consequences for female university students, limiting their use of public space and restricting them from fulfilling numerous opportunities in Nottingham. However, findings from studies can vary depending on the different behaviours that are measured. For example, a study in the US which investigated yo ung male preventive behaviours against violent victimization found that 27% of respondents reported practicing preventive behaviours against violent crime regularly (Hammig Morinetz 2000). Existing studies therefore do not provide concrete evidence for a strong relationship between fear of violent crime and modifications of behaviour. Victimization and the ‘Irrational Fear of Violent Crime Tulloch et al (1998) found that peoples fear of violent crime depends on personal experience and that an individuals fear of violence is likely to be heightened if the individual has been victimized. However, past research on the issue has been surprisingly inconclusive. In a review of the research, DuBow et al (1979) concludes that there has been no convincing evidence that victimization increases ones fear of violent crime. In a more recent study using qualitative analysis, Farrall et al (2009) reach a similar conclusion that many who had experienced violence didnt admit to amplified levels of fear. Furthermore, they found differential levels of fear between ‘isolated and ‘repeat victims with the latter reporting greater fears. Skogan (1987) claims that due to the lack of a strong relationship between fear and direct experience of violent crime, some peoples fears such as womens has been branded ‘irrational. ‘Interest in the ‘irrationality of high levels of fear of violent crime was fuelled by the weak correspondence of many survey measures of fear of crime to peoples self reported victimization experiences (Skogan 1987: 112). Rifai (1982: 193) denotes that fear of crime is ‘irrational simply because many people dont do much about it; ‘There is usually little behavioural change that is reflected in what could be termed crime preventative or victimization preventative behaviour (Rifai 1982: 193). As previously discussed, however, findings on behavioural changes are mixed and inconclusive. Violent crime does not impact on all members of society in the same way. A controversial argument put forward by Rifai (1982) stated that victimization and fear are not strongly linked because most crimes and a large proportion of violent crimes are trivial in their consequences hence they arent fear provoking. ‘A number of case studies have suggested that in most occurrences of victimization there is little effect on the daily lives of the victims (Rifai 1982: 199). The experience of victimization can serve to dispel some of the myths and anxieties about what becoming a victim of crime might feel like. The latest BCS statistics for 2008/09 indicate that, continuing a similar pattern to previous years, assault without injury accounted for the largest proportion (40%) of all violent incidents (British Crime Survey 2009). Perhaps then, Sparks et al (1977) are justified in arguing that victimization by assault reduces fear. They explained a negative correlation between victimizati on and fear by hypothesising that people ‘fear the worst before they have any direct experience with crime, but when they are victimized and are physically unharmed, their anxieties may be alleviated. Furthermore, it has been suggested by Skogan (1987) that the exclusion of non-victims from most of the literature has left unanswered the question of to what extent victims differ from comparable non-victims as a result of that experience. For this reason my dissertation will compare the fears of both ‘victims and ‘non-victims of violent crime. Summary of Literature The literature I have reviewed covers the most relevant concepts on the fear of violent crime put forward by influential academics who have worked within the realms of this discourse. One may argue that due to the sheer abundance of research that has been advanced by leading scholars, a relatively minute project such as mine based on Nottingham university students would prove insignificant. It could also be suggested that the field has been exhausted hence there isnt any room for further research. Yet it is recognised by the majority of academics that there is always room for further exploration. This is particularly true for investigating the fear of crime as many findings are inconsistent or inconclusive. Girling et al (2000: 136) describe fear of crime as ‘a topic that never quite stays still and submits itself for dispassionate examination. My dissertation is therefore relevant as it is a contemporary investigation into an ever-changing topic that focuses on a previously ne glected group, university students, in the unexplored context of Nottingham. Methodology Overview There is much debate within the social sciences as to what ‘fear of violent crime actually means and how it should be measured. For example, numerous academics such as Hale (1996) believe it is primarily based on emotions i.e. actually feeling fearful. Other researchers criticise the emotional aspect of ‘fear and maintain that other aspects are more important such as what an individual ‘actually does to combat perceived threats of violence (Garland 2001). Alternatively, cognition i.e. what people perceive to be the risk of victimization has also been measured in previous studies. My research has investigated the complex relationships between the emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects discussed. By acknowledging all three elements, fear of violent crime will be measured more accurately (Weaver 2008). Data collection involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. Primarily, only fixed surveys (Farrall et al 1997) were going to be used as it would generate a large quantity of results for analysis. However, this method used alone has come under much criticism. It has been argued by leading academics such as Girling et al (2000) and Pain (2000) that the ‘tick-box survey is too blunt an instrument on its own to gain understanding of public fear of crime. Taking this into consideration, it was decided that fixed surveys would be used to cover a large sample of the first year student population in Nottingham. Focus groups would then be used to carefully uncover fears, behaviours and cognitive judgements that arguably do not become evident from analysing questionnaire results. A self-completion, closed ‘tick-box survey was assembled and distributed to first year students studying a wide range of academic courses at the University of Nottingham. Once surveys had been completed and returned, face-to-face discussion groups or ‘focus groups with first year Geography and Law students were then conducted. Collecting quantitative data from the surveys prior to the group discussions enabled the latter to delve deeper into students fears of violence and uncover any behavioural responses that could not be explained in the closed tick-box surveys. Some survey questions have a tendency to elicit socially desirable responses (Farrall et al 2009). These are answers that dont necessarily reflect the respondents real feelings but ‘the one which they feel best fits the image of themselves; the image which they wish to show to the person interviewing (Farrall et al 2009: 146). As aforementioned, men are particularly likely to give socially desirable responses. Sutton and Farrall (2005) make this point in a review of previous quantitative data on fear of crime. They suggest that when answering survey questions aimed at measuring fear of crime, men often suppress the extent of their anxieties. This may have implications for survey results. Furthermore, ‘it is not uncommon for people under the researchers gaze to feel self conscious or threatened (Flowerdew and Martin 1997: 129). For these reasons, questionnaires were not conducted face to face but were handed out and returned within a week to a ‘pigeon hole in the Uni versity of Nottingham main reception. Sampling Methods Focussing on first year students at the University of Nottingham placed constraints on possible sampling techniques. The dissertation, ideally, would have an equal number of female and male respondents, and an equal number of students whose domicile residence was in Nottingham and elsewhere. In the pilot test a quota sampling method was adopted. This sampling method was conducted at the University of Nottingham ‘freshers fair. This method encountered problems. Firstly, the survey did not result in a 100% response rate. Secondly, it proved almost impossible to find an equal number of respondents whose domicile residence was in Nottingham as those that werent. The final decision was to use cluster sampling. Cluster sampling was used as it was deemed to be an appropriate and realistic method of surveying first year university students. Study participants were thus recruited through the University of Nottingham. Questionnaires were distributed to the university, with permission, wh ich then handed them out to first year students for completion. As such, all participants met the study requirements. 200 surveys were distributed, 124 of which were returned projecting a 62% response rate. First year geography and law students were recruited for the focus groups by administering voluntary sign up sheets to the University of Nottingham which were then placed in the Geography and Law buildings of the university. Ethical Issue

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Heart Condition Case Study

Heart Condition Case Study Samantha O’Shea Course: Healthcare Support Module: Human Growth and Development Introduction I got permission from Ned to do my assignment on him. Some of his information has been changed for confidentiality reasons. Ned is sixty and the oldest of nine children. Ned has heart condition which is hereditary in his family. His mother had an enlarged heart which the never knew till after she died. Both his father and younger sister also have a heart condition. His father died from the heart condition over twenty years ago. She died at the age of forty two years of age, five years after giving birth to Ned’s younger sister. She also had eight of her children at home which included a set of twins. Ned had a heart attack about ten years ago while he was in. He found it hard to breath and pains in his chest but didn’t realise he was taking the heart attack. When he was brought to the hospital there was test done and the discovered that he had suffered a heart attack. Ned had a second one year’s later. Before Ned had the heart attack he an unhealthy diet and a heavy smoker. He worked full time in a hotel but now is only working part time. Ned enjoys working as he gets to meet other people and it keeps him busy. A heart attack is when arteries become blocked or damaged. Plaque builds up in the arteries causing a blood clot. The muscles become damaged or die which cause the heart attack. Symptoms are: Chest pain which is most common. Shortness of breath Upper body pain i.e. jaw, back and arms Weakness Tiredness To diagnose a heart attack is getting an Electrocardiogram (ECG). Can be done in a hospital or you’re local GPs. (Irish Heart Foundation 2015) Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (P.I.E.S) of development during late adulthood Late adulthood is from the age of sixty-five plus. Their development is completed. Physical People in this age group will be going through different physical development caused by aging, their walking be getting slower. In some cases people will get lose some of their fine motor skills such as writing or open a door. Also some people’s ears grow. By 65 a lot of people will have grey hair, wrinkles, their muscles weakening and skin will losing or not as flexible. Also their bones will get weaker. According to Erikson’s, he believes that people in the 65+ age have more health problems when they get older. Examples off health problems such as diabetes, refluxes, heart condition dementia and motor neuron (MN). Intellectual A lot of people will be fully developed. In some cases some people will lose their memory from dementia or their thinking will start to slow down. Some people won’t be quick enough to remember stuff e.g. birthdays. People won’t be quick enough to solve problems. According to Cliff Notes older people will learn work or information a bit slower than other people or even to remember any work. Their memory won’t be as good as a younger person. But believe that they can still learn as much as a younger person. (Cliff Notes 2014) Emotional Some people could be upset because they are losing people around them such as friends and family. They could be upset because they have to retire. They could be used to working and they don’t want to be sitting around doing nothing which could cause a person to become depressed or lonely. Some people could be emotional because of an illness they have or they could be dying According to Kubler – Ross a person has to go through the different stages of dying. There are five different stages which are Denial, Anger Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. A person will go through a lot of different emotions from an illness or dying and will go through Kubler – Ross theory. (Cliff Notes 2014) Social A lot of people at this age will have a lot of people around them such as family and friends. If they are retire the can spend a lot more time with people by doing activities or even some lunch. Another side of retiring people will become anti social because the fell that they have know one around them, which can cause people to become depressed. According to Erikson’s Integrity VS Despair 65 + a lot of older people recall on their past. They look back at their pride and their dignity. Erikson believes that people in this age category accept death. He then believes that elderly people start isolating themselves from peer groups. They start looking back at their achievements, mistakes and/or missed opportunities. He often believes that people at this age will start isolating themselves from others. Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (P.I.E.S) of development of individual as well as your own personal prejudices, fears and anxieties Ned’s Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social (P.I.E.S) didn’t change much throughout his late adulthood from the heart attack Physical Before Ned had his heart attack he lived an unhealthy lifestyle which included unsociable working hours and he was a heavy smoker. He only works part time now. After having the heart attack he became more tired and he wouldn’t be able to do much work. Ned does certain jobs and he can become weak or breathless. Intellectual Ned has his full senses in his age. He has great memory and is able to solve problems. Ned is able to interact with other people. Ned’s intellectual development didn’t change. Emotional Ned is nervous because he is retiring in a few years. He is used to working because he is working since he was fourteen or fifteen so he has been working for over fifty years. After Ned having the heart attack he was upset because he was going through a difficult time but now he is fine. Social Ned has a good social life. He sees his family regularly and also his friends. He enjoys going to occasions such as weddings to have a good time. Also he enjoys going to his sibling’s house for dinner and a chat. He also has a good relationship with some of his work mates They all started in one of the factories in town and then got the job in the hotel. My own personal prejudice, fears and anxieties on Ned’s Hearth Condition. I am worried that Ned will take another heart attack that would affect his development. It could affect him physically by getting weaker and he mightn’t be able to return to work. Intellectual it could affect him by him losing his memory which wouldn’t be good for Ned. Emotionally and socially it could affect him by being depressed by not able to work if he has another heart attack. Ned could become anti sociable and depressed. Variations/Factors affecting the individual at this stage of life Ned at this stage is still working part time and is enjoying it as is working since he was young. Ned’s health doesn’t affect him that much, unless he is doing something that is making his heart over work such as lifting something to heavy or rushing. It could make him tired or breathless. If Ned does something to put straining on his heart it could affect him by having another heart attack. A way he could manage it is by not lifting anything to heavy or eating unhealthy food which will help his heart. He could go for little walks to keep fit. Another thing that could affect Ned is if he over does something like too much exercise, pushing something he can’t. Ned would be putting too much strain on his heart which could leave him breathless, tired or even in hospital. Ned could do some light exercise. When Ned hits retirement his routine will be out because he won’t be working. Ned won’t be able to interact with as many people because he won’t be working and also he is a single man. He won’t have anyone to talk to. Another way is that Ned stops or cuts down on smoking as it affects his health. Recommendations to respond confidently to needs of person I would recommend Ned to start getting involved with age action so that he can get involved with other people. He won’t become isolated or non sociable with other people. He can meet up with people for an hour or two a week for a chat and a cup of tea. I also recommend that Ned gets involved with the day care centre the days he isn’t working. He can interact with other people and also get his dinner there for little as five euro. In the day care centre they provide activities. I recommend he joins the Active Retirement Association Tullamore (T.A.R.A). This is on one day a week for people over the age of 55. The get to go on trips over Ireland, have social gatherings, exercise and creative opportunities. Another organisation Ned could join is the Arden View resource centre. It allows the people to meet up and socialise with other people, go on day trips, and get to do activities. Ned could do any of these organisations that won’t be too stressful or to harmful on his heart. Ned will get to interact with other people and become more sociable. He would enjoy the activities and socialising with other people because he likes talking and getting involved. Also these would help Ned to get used to being in organisations because he will be retiring in the next year or two. If he starts now he will get used to being in organisations and where as if he leaves it to the last minute he mightn’t have the confidence to join. Conclusion From doing this assignment I learnt that Ned’s family heart condition is genetic in his family. His family should be getting themselves checked for heart condition because the could be affected. I also learnt more about a heart disease and what it’s physical and mental affects are on someone. I learnt that it could kill of some of your heart and I learnt more on the signs and symptoms such as the upper body pain. Bibliography Book Creative Training Book 2015 Web sites Cliffs Notes (2014) Development in Late Adulthood [online], Available: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/psychology/psychology/developmental-psychology-age-13-to-65/development-in-late-adulthood [accessed 30th March 2015] Cliffs Notes (2014) Intelligence and Memory age 65 [online], Available: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/psychology/development-psychology/physical-cognitive-development-65/intelligence-and-memory-age-65 [accessed 30th March 2015] Irish Heart Foundation (2015) Heart Attack [online], Available: https://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/heart-attack-t-7_19_61.html [accessed 29th March 2015] 1 5M4339Samantha O’Shea

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Petroleum Crisis Essay -- Oli Shortage

Petroleum Crisis Everyone wants appliances such as toasters, microwaves and fridges to be cheap even though they are rich, but what about the poor people or so called middle class. What will they do if the prices are too high to afford? Petroleum is something that we all need to go from place to place, anyways most of us do; four to five years ago, when I first came to Canada, the gas prices were quite low, but in the past 2-3 years, it is still increasing up to date. Prices of toasters and petroleum etc shouldn’t increase because we are getting our taxes cut and on top of that our level of price for the gas has increased, which makes our lives hard and tedious. Gases, Petrol are essential tools for the 21st century. It is something that all the people need to go from places to places because using buses gets expensive in the long run. This crisis began only because the Middle East began to charge more for their barrel. This happened because they realized that they are giving their petrol for less, when they could be making much more selling the same quantity, which is fair. They can charge whatever they want because it is their own Gasoline and they can do whatever they want with it. Canada has Alberta to help them a lot with the losses of Petroleum and charges of it because it has it’s own oilrig, from where oil is produced, and can help them by giving the oil locally so that the gas prices will not be that high. The government for some unknown reason to the public ar... Petroleum Crisis Essay -- Oli Shortage Petroleum Crisis Everyone wants appliances such as toasters, microwaves and fridges to be cheap even though they are rich, but what about the poor people or so called middle class. What will they do if the prices are too high to afford? Petroleum is something that we all need to go from place to place, anyways most of us do; four to five years ago, when I first came to Canada, the gas prices were quite low, but in the past 2-3 years, it is still increasing up to date. Prices of toasters and petroleum etc shouldn’t increase because we are getting our taxes cut and on top of that our level of price for the gas has increased, which makes our lives hard and tedious. Gases, Petrol are essential tools for the 21st century. It is something that all the people need to go from places to places because using buses gets expensive in the long run. This crisis began only because the Middle East began to charge more for their barrel. This happened because they realized that they are giving their petrol for less, when they could be making much more selling the same quantity, which is fair. They can charge whatever they want because it is their own Gasoline and they can do whatever they want with it. Canada has Alberta to help them a lot with the losses of Petroleum and charges of it because it has it’s own oilrig, from where oil is produced, and can help them by giving the oil locally so that the gas prices will not be that high. The government for some unknown reason to the public ar...

Monday, September 2, 2019

Analysis of Sylvia Paths Daddy Essay -- Sylvia Path Daddy

Analysis of Sylvia Path's Daddy After doing some research on the poet Sylvia Plath it soon became apparent that this poem â€Å"Daddy† is somewhat of a confessional life story. Throughout the poem Plath incorporates many different elements to reveal the theme of her negative attitude towards men in her life especially that of her father. In lines 2-3 â€Å"Any more black shoe, In which I have lived like a foot.† Plath uses the image of feet and black shoes to begin to reveal the picture of her relationship with her father. The feet here represent that of herself, she in this case is the foot while her father is the shoe, a shoe which she is surrounded by and cant escape. The color black is used here to also represent another portion of the picture of the relationship she has with her father revealing that black is symbolic of death and that since the shoe that is binding her is black, in essence is killing her. In lines 8-10 â€Å"Marble-heavy, a bag full of God, Ghastly statue with one gray toe, Bug as a Frisco seal.† Plath is portraying her father as a statue one made up of marble. Mar... Analysis of Sylvia Path's Daddy Essay -- Sylvia Path Daddy Analysis of Sylvia Path's Daddy After doing some research on the poet Sylvia Plath it soon became apparent that this poem â€Å"Daddy† is somewhat of a confessional life story. Throughout the poem Plath incorporates many different elements to reveal the theme of her negative attitude towards men in her life especially that of her father. In lines 2-3 â€Å"Any more black shoe, In which I have lived like a foot.† Plath uses the image of feet and black shoes to begin to reveal the picture of her relationship with her father. The feet here represent that of herself, she in this case is the foot while her father is the shoe, a shoe which she is surrounded by and cant escape. The color black is used here to also represent another portion of the picture of the relationship she has with her father revealing that black is symbolic of death and that since the shoe that is binding her is black, in essence is killing her. In lines 8-10 â€Å"Marble-heavy, a bag full of God, Ghastly statue with one gray toe, Bug as a Frisco seal.† Plath is portraying her father as a statue one made up of marble. Mar...

The Da Vinci Code ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, to my friend and editor, Jason Kaufman, for working so hard on this project and for truly understanding what this book is all about. And to the incomparable Heide Lange – tireless champion of The Da Vinci Code, agent extraordinaire, and trusted friend. I cannot fully express my gratitude to the exceptional team at Doubleday, for their generosity, faith, and superb guidance. Thank you especially to Bill Thomas and Steve Rubin, who believed in this book from the start. My thanks also to the initial core of early in-house supporters, headed by Michael Palgon, Suzanne Herz, Janelle Moburg, Jackie Everly, and Adrienne Sparks, as well as to the talented people of Doubleday's sales force. For their generous assistance in the research of the book, I would like to acknowledge the Louvre Museum, the French Ministry of Culture, Project Gutenberg, Bibliotheque Nationale, the Gnostic Society Library, the Department of Paintings Study and Documentation Service at the Louvre, Catholic World News, Royal Observatory Greenwich, London Record Society, the Muniment Collection at Westminster Abbey, John Pike and the Federation of American Scientists, and the five members of Opus Dei (three active, two former) who recounted their stories, both positive and negative, regarding their experiences inside Opus Dei. My gratitude also to Water Street Bookstore for tracking down so many of my research books, my father Richard Brown – mathematics teacher and author – for his assistance with the Divine Proportion and the Fibonacci Sequence, Stan Planton, Sylvie Baudeloque, Peter McGuigan, Francis McInerney, Margie Wachtel, Andre Vernet, Ken Kelleher at Anchorball Web Media, Cara Sottak, Karyn Popham, Esther Sung, Miriam Abramowitz, William Tunstall-Pedoe, and Griffin Wooden Brown. And finally, in a novel drawing so heavily on the sacred feminine, I would be remiss if I did not mention the two extraordinary women who have touched my life. First, my mother, Connie Brown – fellow scribe, nurturer, musician, and role model. And my wife, Blythe – art historian, painter, front-line editor, and without a doubt the most astonishingly talented woman I have ever known. FACT: The Priory of Sion – a European secret society founded in 1099 – is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliotheque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo Da Vinci. The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic sect that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brainwashing, coercion, and a dangerous practice known as â€Å"corporal mortification.† Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million World Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Final Mexican History Essay

Question- The PRI dominated Mexico from 1929 to 2000. How did this party begin? Why could it claim it was a democratic party? What do you think might be its future? Opening statement- The PRI, or National Revolutionary Party in English and called the Partido Nacional Revolucionario in Spanish (PNR) was established by Plutarco Elias Calles. He was a military General turned politician and served as the Mexican president in 1924-1928. After his presidency he continued as the de facto president. In 1929 he organized military officials, politicians, union bosses, and labor organizations and strong-armed and influenced them into joining his party. Factors are discussed in order- The PRI underwent several name changes and reorganizations through the years but gained momentum, power and members. The middle class was able to gain a foothold in politics into the PRI especially during the â€Å"stabilizing development† which occurred during the 1950s and 1960s. It was made up of networks of the lower and middle class, unions, members and politicians. The party thrived on relationships, favors and power. Strength was gained through overall corruption, bribery, and misuse and stealing of public money. It sought to gain popularity by exchanging services and favors for votes. In this way it may have appeared to be a party of the people and a democratic entity. Especially during elections goods flowed freely in exchange for loyalty and votes. It reigned freely and had complete control and could claim they were a party of democracy. President Salinas, elected in 1988 worked hard to reform the party’s image. He attempted to downplay his relationship with big business and emphasized his support for the little guy in order to gain more popularity, votes and favor with the Mexican people and former enemies such as the Roman Catholic Church and other long alienated industries. Salinas also attempted to restructure the Mexican economy by privatization, but the decades of corruption and absolute rule made this difficult and it wasn’t enough to save the doomed and defunct party. Conclusion and opinion- On July 2, 2000 Vicente Fox won the Mexican Presidential election in what could be called a â€Å"landslide†. This marked a historic victory of a new era for Mexican politics. It also was the end for the longest rule of a governing Party in the world, the PRI. The history for the party doesn’t look so bright. After being such a ruthless and cruel political party its reputation and credibility is in tatters. In 2003 it was nearly exterminated in the Federal District. It is doubtful that the PRI could make a resurgence without cleaning house and reorganizing significantly. As long as the Mexican people continue to stand up and strongly demand accountability and transparency in their government, democracy and real change is possible. Works Cited: Diamond, Larry â€Å"What the Democratization of Mexico Means for The World† Hoover Institute Stanford University (2000) volume no. 4 Knowledgerush (2009) Partido Revolucionario Institucional 8 May 2010 http://www. knowledgerush. com/kr/encyclopedia/Partido_Revolucionario_Institucional/ U. S Library of Congress â€Å"Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)† 8 May 2010 http://countrystudies. us/mexico/84. htm Wuhs, Steven T, Savage Democracy University Park, PA, Penn State Press, 2008