China and Globalization Essay

China’s rapid ascent as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies (Adornino & Wilcox, 96) has triggered enormous attention among scholars interested not only in the political, economic and social underpinnings of its continued growth but also in the implications of its increased integration with the global economy. Indeed, an examination of the unique characteristic of China’s development and transition from a planned, centralized economy based on the socialist ideology to the liberal, open-market economy it is today strengthens the arguments in support of globalization. On the other hand, the impact of its liberalization and democratization on China’s poor also presents a critical view on the trade-offs of global integration. The stage for China’s entry into the global economy was clearly set by the transition from a closed, relatively self-sufficient economy which was crystallized in the post-Mao era under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership in the Chinese Communist Party. In the late 1970s, the Party began instituting domestic economic and social reforms mirroring its abandonment of the socialist economy and ideology in favor of neoliberal economics. (Adormino & Wilcox 96) Among the major reforms undertaken was the development and democratization of trade and markets, effectively allowing uncontrolled private ownership to the means of production, heretofore owned publicly, and the shift from a planned economy to a â€Å"market-oriented free trading system. † (Guan, 2001:118) Likewise, the Chinese government reduced state control and intervention in economic activities as it began to adopt an Open Door policy to attract foreign direct investment and facilitate the growth of China’s international trade. Thus, China became part of the global economy after economic liberalization and democratization. On the other hand, the country’s integration into the neoliberal world economic order has also been the subject of much criticism. Guan (2000) notes that the implementation of market reforms and China’s consequent integration drastically changed not only the country’s economic system but also important aspects of its social policy. (119) As a result of the shift to a free market economy, the State’s role in the provision of welfare and security for its citizens significantly diminished. For instance, food and price subsidies have been stopped and the poor are faced with the risks of unemployment. Likewise, Guan (2001) asserts that widening social inequality has also characterized modern China despite sustained economic growth and efforts at reforming social policy to provide safety nets for labor, agriculture, and other poor sectors. (243) Undoubtedly, knowledge of both the negative and positive aspects of liberalization informs the Chinese government’s attitude toward global economic integration. This is evident in the manner by which the state has controlled the pace of China’s integration with the international economy in order to preserve social stability. (Adornino & Wilcox, 97; Yong & Moore, 117) However, Yong and Moore (2004) attribute the State’s waryness of completely and totally embracing globalization to its fear of the inherent weaknesses and vulnerabilities of a globalized system that could jeopardize China’s â€Å"strategic outlook as an aspiring great power. † (117) China is thus effectively hindered from fully associating itself with the global economy due to its political identity as a socialist country and to the fact that the market reform has resulted into the further fragmentation of interests in Chinese society. Thus, it is in the most ironic sense that, as Adornino and Wilcox (2006) observe, the Chinese Communist Party legitimizes its rule and power through a flourishing capitalist economy. (100) The State is therefore careful of rushing headlong into a fully open, liberalized country since this would entail the further erosion of its power as â€Å"market reforms have increasingly devolved decision-making powers to producers and enterprise managers. † (Adornino & Wilcox, 100) The further diffussion and decentralization of power threatens not only the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party but also endangers the country to social instability as the needs of its citizens become increasingly diverse and at the same time polarized between those benefitting from the market reform and those who have lost much because of it. (Adornino & Wilcox, 100) China’s experience in globalization is arguably unique due to the government’s ambivalence in adopting a clearly Capitalist stance and ideology and the pressure created by the need for social equality. China’s integration to the global market is hampered by internal difficulties in aligning various political and economic interests. On the one hand, China’s economic restructuring has created a rapidly growing and expanding market and trading system integrated with the international economy. On the other hand, its government has to precariously balance competing interests in social and domestic policy, resolve the problems in social inequality, and at the same time reduce its involvement in economic activities as demanded by the free market economy. Thus, while the benefits of China’s rapidly growing economy is obvious for the elite, the host of political and social problems created in its wake also makes the majority of the Chinese people bear the brunt of the development from a clearly socialist path into an ambivalent capitalist society. Works Cited: Adormino, Giovanni and Wilcox, Russel G. â€Å"China: Between Social Stability and Market Integration. † China & World Economy 14. 3(2006):95-108. Guan, Xin Ping. â€Å"China’s Social Policy: Reform and Development in the Context of Marketization and Globalization. † Social Policy and Administration 34. 1(2000):115-130. Guan, Xinping. â€Å"Globalization, Inequality, and Social Policy: China on the Treshold of Entry into the World Trade Organization. † Social Policy and Administration 35. 3(2001):242-257. Yong, Deng and Moore, Thomas G. â€Å"China Views Globalization: Toward a New Great Power Politics? † The Washington Quarterly 27. 3(2004):117-136.

Meaning of Life by John Cottingham Essay

Every person has questioned the meaning of life; It is an idea that can be traced through out the history of mankind. John Cottingham, author of â€Å"The Meaning of Life† is just one of the many who have tried to explain and simplify this complicated question. â€Å"The Meaning of Life† is a short but informative book that attempts to breakdown the meaning of life with as little religious intervention as possible, while at the same time, be able to â€Å"reveal how [religion] connects with values and commitments that we all share, and to find a way of accommodating it without the sacrifice of scientific or philosophical integrity. † (ix). In â€Å"The Meaning of Life† Cottingham offers insight on individualistic ethical ideals and alternatives to individualism, which can often be contrasted with the beliefs of Jean-Paul Sartre, who is one of the best known philosophers of the twentieth century. Cottingham uses chapter one to argue that individualistic ethical ideals are â€Å"compartmentalized† and â€Å"self-defeating. † He believes that having activities and achievements in ones life, like sports, are not enough to make ones life meaningful. Humans are complicated beings that require much more than a few simple success stories to be truly content with life. As Cottingham states, people have â€Å"biological imperatives (for food, warmth, shelter, procreation), social imperatives (the need to cooperate, the drive to communicate), emotional imperatives (the need for such things as mutual recognition and affection), and lastly and just as importantly what might be called ‘rational imperatives’. † (26) With out these four essentials, humans simply cannot be happy and live meaningful lives, though it may seem they do on the surface. One example Cottingham uses to display this belief is Gauguin the painter. Though Gauguin was a very successful painter, which some may argue was meaningful, his choices and actions are those of one who could be considered to be living a meaningless life. Yes, Gauguin was a successful painter, but he also left his wife and children to pursue this â€Å"self indulgent† career. By pursuing the one thing that made Gauguin’s life meaningful to him, he himself ruined any chance he had at truly living a meaningful life. This is because he had to sacrifice his biological, social, and emotional imperatives when he left his family and friends. While many philosophers strongly believe in individualism, Cottingham offers an alternative in his book. Theism is the belief in some type of deity. As Cottingham states â€Å"A worthwhile life will be one that posses genuine value – value linked to our human nature and the pursuit of what is objectively conducive to the flowering of that nature. † (32) Theists ultimately have something to work towards throughout their lives. With out this metaphorical ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ people could quickly lose the desire to live meaningful lives. Those without the belief that there is a purpose humans came to exist can be haunted by the thought that â€Å" if ‘space’ is all the home we have, then our journey, a journey out of nothing and towards nothing, risks appearing futile, as void of significance as the ultimate void that spawned us and will eventually swallow us up. † (34) With nothing to strive towards it is easy to live a compartmentalized, closed, and selfish life, abandoning the four imperatives mentioned previously and thus living a life with no meaning. By being open and integrated, Theists can share their experiences on their quest towards living a meaningful life. One person that would strongly disagree with Cottingham’s belief in theism is Jean-Paul Sartre. One major reason Sartre is so opposed to theism is because of his concept of freedom. To Sartre, freedom is not possible when a person has a designed end or purpose. People must be able to decide their own purpose on this earth, and if they believe they were put here with a predetermined purpose by a â€Å"higher being† they will be unable to decide what their purpose is on their own. In the case of Gauguin, Sartre would disagree with Cottingham in that he would see nothing wrong with Gauguin leaving his family to pursue his artistic talents. If Gauguin had not left to do what he wished with his life, Sartre would have argued his belief of â€Å"bad faith† which occurs when any person denies their human freedom because they want to avoid the dread of realizing that their existence means nothing if one does not create meaning for themselves. Gauguin must leave his family to discover the meaning of his life in Sartre’s view, while Cottingham believes that by leaving his family he loses three of his imperatives and will be unhappy and live a meaningless life. While both Sartre and Cottingham make interesting and valid points on leading a meaningful life, I agree with neither. Sartre would have encouraged Gauguin to leave his family and search for his own meaning, which I believe would have been very selfish and would have lead to a miserable, meaningless life full of guilt and loneliness. Even if Gauguin loved painting, spending a lifetime alone is undesirable for even the most introverted people. Though I disagree with Sartre’s reply, I also disagree with Cottingham’s belief that Gauguin should have stayed with his family in order to live a life with all of the four essentials mentioned previously. If Gauguin stayed with his family and stopped painting, he would live a life full of questions and regret that he didn’t take the opportunity to pursue his dream when he had the chance. Rather than having to pick one or the other (family or art) I believe Gauguin could have had the best of both worlds. He could have saved enough money to move his family to Tahiti with him, or could have looked for the beauty in his own home and family to inspire him. The meaning of life is a frightening idea that all people have questioned at some point in their lives. While Cottingham’s book is very interesting, it is certainly not for everyone. Cottingham does a superb job in helping the reader to decide on their own what a meaningful life is made of by offering multiple philosophies and beliefs in one short, easy to read book.

Limited Use of Cell Phones

Argumentative essay Mobile cell phones should be limited in certain schools Mobile phones can be an issue in certain schools. Mobile phones should be banned in elementary and middle schools. However, phones during class in high school and college should be up to the teacher, whether or not to have them. As youths get older, they become more responsible on how they use their phones. Elementary  schools  shouldn’t  have  phones'  period. The  kids  shouldn’t  have  a  phone  that  young. They  don’t  need  it  for  many  reasons. Parents  know  where  they  are  any  ways. There  is  always  an  adult  around. In  case  of  an  emergency,  the  school  can  contact  the  parents.There  is  also  a  phone  in  the  office  and  every  classroom. Kids  that  young  are  easily  distracted  and  those  having  a  phone  will  make  it  worse. I f  they  have  a  phone,  they  won’t  do  their  class  work  or  homework. They  are  not  as  social  because  they  are  too  distracted  with  the  latest  Smartphone. Kids wouldn’t have as much fun with their friends that are over. They would be too involved in looking at their cell phones. Having  a  cell  phone  when  in  elementary  school  can  help  when  kids  are  walking  home  from  school. If  the  kids  don’t  answer  the  house  phone  when  they  are  home,  they  are  more  likely  to  answer  their  cell  phones.If  they  are  outside,  and  their  parents  try  to  call  they  won’t  hear  the  house  phone. Kids  won’t  bring  out  the  house  phone;  however,  will  bring  their  own  cell  phone. On  the  other  hand,  say  that  a  gr oup  of  5th  graders  are  walking  to  get  a  drink  from  sonic  or  7-elven they have something in case one of the parents wants to text them to see where they are. Middle schools should have phones either during school hours. Middle schoolers can be a little active. When you have a cell phone, they are more likely to cheat during a test. The students are more probable to text parents to get them out of a test or quiz.They are more likely to get into trouble. During class, they could be internet surfing and texting. They also could make wrong calls to authorities. Making an artificial call to authorities can make what you did a lot worse. Some parents think that schools should let students have their phones in use during school. They are a little more independent. They will always change their mind of what they are doing. If they have a parent pick them up, and they do an activity after school, and that activity gets canceled for some reason, the kids have to let the parents know.If a shooting happens during school hours, and the kids made it out, that would be a comfortable thing to do is to let the parents know. However, if they are stick in a classroom for a school shooting, it’s an easy way to text the parents to let them know that they kids are okay. Thankfully, the Deer Creek Middle school shooting happened after school hours, and almost everyone got away safely. The Deer Creek shooting was probably one of the things that scared me. I knew a lot of people that went to the school at the time. A gentleman came to the school grounds and started to shoot as students were leaving to head home.The shooter had gone to the school before to look around. He shot a girl in the arm and a boy in the chest. None of the students died. Students were either already on the bus, walking or getting picked up by a parent. Many students ran to Stony Creek, a nearby elementary school, to get away. Some of the students managed to jump into some strangers’ cars as well. Dr. Benke, a math teacher who was on bus duty, managed to get him onto the ground without getting more rounds off. Students who had phones were able to text friends to see if they were okay and to text parents. High school can be like college.The school should let the teachers pick if students are allowed to have phones or not. Students in high school are a little more responsible. The students know what is wrong and right. Students in high school are a little more responsible. If they really need to use their phones, they will go out into the hallways. For example if they needed to call their parents or any relative, for some reason. Most students are good about not using their phones during tests. Some classes do have some days where they need to look things up and that is where the smart phones come in handy.For example, if you are taking a foreign language class and need to look it up, you have the phone to look it up. That is if the teacher is busy and you can find it in the book. If they teachers don’t say anything about phones they can’t get mad at the students. Cell  phones  should  be  very  limited  in  high  school  but  not  as  strict  as  middle  school. For example,  they  should  be  allowed  during  passing  period  and  lunch  but  not  classes. Phones  should  be  turned  in  when  they  are  taking  a  test  or  quiz. Students  are  allowed  to  get  it  after  everyone  is  done.If  they  have  their  phones  out  the  students  can  take  a  picture  of  it  and  send  it  to  other  students  as  well  as  looking  up  answers. Students could also not pay attention to something that they need to know for college or their career path. They won’t focus on what is really important. Cell phones already take over so much of student’s l ives. College is a big campus to control, that’s why teachers should be allowed to pick whether or not to have cell phones in their classrooms. The president of the university can tell the teachers, that cell aren’t allowed. The students are old enough not to use phones in class.Nevertheless, there are certain times during class that it is appropriate time to use a phone. If a teacher has a more than 30 students, it is hard to see who has a phone or not. Students who are in a class that is not allowed to use a cell phone, may still try to sink using their phone. Many people can be split on phones in class in college. Ages in college, especially at Metro vary. Students who are older may have kids and need to be in contact with their kids. If they have later classes between one and three they may have their kid’s text them to let them know that they are home or got over to a friend’s house.As you go up in education the more it will change. Plus, the more yo u have to be responsible for yourself and your actions. Anyone having a cell phone can make you want and not want to do things that you normally do or not do. Students are more likely to use their phones during school than outside of school. With my own experience I’ve noticed that I would use my phone more during class than when I’m out of class. That’s why it should be limited in schools. Like being banned in elementary and middle schools and then having

Case write up- Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case write up- Marketing - Essay Example Lack of professional management therefore has resulted into the lack of organizational development which could have been translated into greater success for the firm at the international level. 3. Another important key issue is the lack of capital to expand the business not only in the local market but at the international level too. Lack of capital has forced the firm to actually limit it and grow organically rather than expanding itself into new and emerging market. This has indirectly resulted into lack of exposure for the firm at the international level besides restricting its growth capacity. 1. Market expansion should be considered as one of the important strategic moves by the firm to actually ensure that it expands into the market other than Europe. Market expansion can be achieved either through the formation of strategic alliances with the firms which are already operating in the target markets of the firm or through a direct entry into the market. 2. Product development can be another important strategic move which the firm can make in order to ensure that they offer a variety of products to the existing market. As described in the case that the retailers often take very few items during the season and the firm is still not in men’s or children business therefore to offer a variety to the market, it is critical that new products should be rolled out at relatively quicker pace in the existing market. In order to ensure that the firm becomes successful at the international level, it is important that the strategy of market expansion must be adapted. In order to expand, business needs to formulate strategic alliances with the firms working in other markets. The formation of strategic alliances can really offer the firm a real chance to know and understand the market with relatively lesser capital while at the same time gaining valuable entry into a new market. Strategic alliances could be formed either through the

Essay quiz Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quiz - Essay Example What is it looking like? A metaphysician generally tries to clarify the notion of the general people’s view towards the understanding about the world. For example, possibilities, cause and effect, time and space, object and their properties and also existence. Ontology is the central branch of metaphysics that investigates the basic categories of being and their relations. Cosmetology is the other central branch of metaphysics that studies the origin, nature, dynamics and fundamental structure of the universe. Sometimes epistemology is also considered as a central branch of metaphysics. However, it is not confirmed. As far as the â€Å"Sceptical Doubts† is concerned there are two most basic types of knowledge, as said by Hume. Those are matters of fact and the relations of ideas. P1: Human knowledge is either necessary or contingent. P2: It is an ultimate truth that there should be relations between the ideas. P3: Matters of fact are considered as contingent truth. Hence it can be concluded that human knowledge is comprised of either matters of fact or relations of ideas. Matters of fact definition†¦ Most of our beliefs are regarded as matters of fact irrespective of their validity or truth – for example natural science. The inherent logical contingency does not allow inductive predictions and statements of matters of fact to the amount of knowledge. However, Hume feels that the sun will surely rise tomorrow like it does every day throughout his life and it would be absurd to think that sun does not rise tomorrow. With this alternative conception metaphysics can serve as a foundation for the nature of reality but not as such for the reality directly. Metaphysics offers most basic accounts that is related to the nature of things like what they are and not of things like how they are. As a step to answer the first question – we need to first differentiate between the two ways in which a statement might be said in

The book ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime'' Essay

The book ''The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime'' - Essay Example The Story. Christopher finds a neighbor's dog, named Wellington, murdered. With the help of his teacher, Siobhan, he decides to write a book about his attempt to solve this mystery. During his investigation, Christopher meets people living on the same street but whom he has never met before. He eventually discovers that Mr. Shears, a neighbor, had an affair with his mother, Judy. Christopher records this as well as other discoveries. His father, Ed, discovers his writings and confiscates them but the son tries to find them back. In his search, Christopher finds letters from his mother which his father had hidden. Supposedly, Judy had died of a heart attack as told by Ed, and now Christopher comes to know that she is still alive. He is quite shocked that his father would lie to him about this. On the bed, he vomits and groans until his father comes back. Realizing that Christopher had read the letters, Ed cleans up Christopher and then tells him the truth about Judy and confesses to killing Wellington in his anger to Mrs. Shears. Christopher, however, feared that his father may also kill him, and so decides to get away and look for his mother. He embarks finally on an adventurous trip to London, guided by his mother's address from her letters. With Christopher with her, Judy eventually leaves Mr. Shears, and then moves into a rented room in Swindon, London. Judy agrees to daily visits from Ed for Christopher who remains afraid of his father. The story ends with Ed promising that he will rebuild trust with Christopher and the son asserting that he will take further A-level exams and attend university. Autism. The main character, Christopher Boone goes to a school for students with "special needs" as he has a form of autism. As the novel opens, Christopher tells us "I know all of the countries of the world and their capital cities, and every prime number up to 7,057." He can rattle off prime numbers and square roots with the ease, and can speak about the origins of the universe. But he has more problems with people. He has trouble figuring out other people's feelings, and he doesn't understand why they tell lies. Strangers, noise and unfamiliar situations terrify him. Christopher can be childlike at times, but he can also be chillingly detached. In his favorite dream, he tells us, a virus has killed all the people who look at one another's faces when they talk; the only survivors are ''special people like me,'' who ''like being on their own'' and who are as ''shy and rare.'' With this, Christopher appears to understand that he is different from other people. A whiz at math, he enjoys puzzles and has a photographic memory. Christopher cannot read facial expressions fluently, that he uses a code he devised to guide him in his supposed behavior for the day as he, himself recounts - On my way to school I watch the cars going past the bus and remember their colours.3 red cars in a row mean that it is going to be a Quite Good Day. 4 red cars mean that it is going to be a Good Day. 5 red cars mean that it is going to be a Super Good Day. And 4 yellow cars in a row mean that it is going to be a Black Day, which is a day when I don't speak to anyone and don't eat my lunch and Take No Risks, because yellow is the color of custard and double yellow lines and Yellow Fever which is a deadly

The Relationship Between Business Ethics and Organizational Culture Essay

The Relationship Between Business Ethics and Organizational Culture - Essay Example Research into cultural variables has been carried out and the outcome reveals that the ethical perception of an organization is dependent on its organizational behavior. Other researchers have also revealed that employees’ behavior is hugely influenced by value system organizational culture. It has been discovered that unethical and illegal conduct by corporate agents has a huge capability of creating adverse effects on the immediate stakeholders. Culture is perceived to be just one of the variables that influence an organization as a whole but with very significant effects. The leadership and members of an organization have a big role to play in constructing, enforcing and retaining the culture within their organization since culture can easily be manipulated by these very same people. Organizational culture can be viewed from various approaches. The first approach involves a traditional perspective; this involves objectives matter such as: rituals, symbolism and tales. Secon dly, it can be viewed from an interpretive perspective; this involves the study of how members of a given organization could be having a common subjective meaning towards the organization. Lastly, organizational culture can be viewed from a critical-interpretive perspective; this involves the study of the common subjective meanings within an organization and the possible struggles for power that could be brought about by the competition among the subjective meaning. Although there are a few commonalities, organizational culture widely varies from one organization to another. Enron Corporation was once one of the most successful corporations with almost everything handled in the correct manner. It was known for its comprehensive management control and a proper system of governance which led the corporation to winning several awards in acknowledgement of the same. However things started getting out of hand in the company when unethical organizational culture found its way into the fir m. The poor organizational culture involved emergence of irregularities in the financial statements of the firm and embezzlement of funds in the form of using company working capital for personal purposes that are not included in the company budget. The case of Enron provides a firsthand example of how inadequate attention to alteration in cultural practices and leadership of a firm can results to its downfall despite there being a proper management system in place. This is a clear indication that the effectives of variables such as proper management system control heavily rely on an organization’s leadership and culture. Under the tenure of Richard Kinder as the company chief executive officer, the company incurred bad losses which led to some of the investors withdrawing their investments from the company. However, Richard Kinder was well known for his high levels in discipline in handling matters involving both employees and figures. He kept the business unit leaders on to es with numerous challenges. He also kept a close look on matters pertaining to expenses, cash flows and employee levels. But all this did not yield any positive results in preventing the company from incurring losses. However, things changed drastically with the appointment of Jeffrey Skilling as the new chief executive officer to replace Richard Kinder. The organizational culture of the company was also set to change widely with the introduction of a new chief executi

What was the relationship between European overseas expansion and Essay - 1

What was the relationship between European overseas expansion and political, economic, and social developments in Europe - Essay Example In 1775, the British colonies in America revolted and demanded a representative government for them. And domestically the French revolution changed the political face of Europe under the French slogans of   libertà ©, egalità ©, fraternità ©. This also gave opportunity to Napolean Boaparte to impose war which changed the social life of Europe. Between 1815 and 1871, there were many revolution campaigns and Independence wars within and outside Europe. The social and trade union of England were a result of the war ridden years. Serfdom was also rejected by the Russians and Balkan nations started realizing that they need to be independent and needed major changes in their infra-structure, so they revolted against their Ottoman governments and started gaining independence. And right at the heart of Europe, after the Franco-Prussian war Italy and Germany became national estates and by 1871, most of the European countries had become constitutional monarchies. To capture the scrambles of this great divide and restructuring of the new countries, many European nations engaged in a war and World War I started which further changed Europe and its economics as real steel age had

Behaviorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Behaviorism - Essay Example Principles of behaviorism should be part of every elementary classroom (Monchinski, 2008). Although not all activities or ideas are behaviorist in nature, it will help to incorporate behaviorism in some parts of the lesson. The reason behind this is that students in grade school are not yet mature and they need guidance in order to learn proper behavior and skills. Activating prior knowledge, providing models for activities, and giving rewards are some ways to incorporate behaviorism in the given lesson. Incorporating behaviorism into the lesson plan serves the teacher in three ways. First, by activating prior knowledge, the teacher will have the chance to check students’ understanding of the previous lesson. Likewise, by doing such, the students will feel the need to review past lessons, thus reinforcing good study habits among students. They will be inclined to think that past lessons should not be taken for granted; thus taking down notes, reviewing them, and even memorizi ng will help them get a better grade. Moreover, activating prior knowledge will make students see the link between the previous and the current lesson (Monchinski, 2008). Using principles of behaviorism, the teacher also provides model for learning a new skill. In the given lesson, students will be taught directly how to work on the thesis statement and subsections of the speech. This effort could guide students to perform the task appropriately and produce the expected output. Also, telling students what to do or what is expected to happen prior to performing the activity could lead them to write the best speech. The key is to condition learners to act as expected. Modeling and direct instruction also serve to promote positive behavior among students.

Motivational Case Studies Essay Example for Free

Motivational Case Studies Essay I believe in the â€Å"Two Men and a Truck† case study, the motivational theory that Mrs. Sheets’ uses is the goal setting theory. Her initial goal was to help support her sons’ part-time jobs. She created a marketing campaign, although she may not have seen it as such, by designing the stick figure drawing that is still being used today in the company. As a single mother, she did not want to turn away the phone calls that continued to be received, even after her sons went away to college and therefore, she purchased an inexpensive truck and hired two workers to maintain the business operations. Mrs. Sheets expanded the company and set out a goal of being the most customer-friendly moving company. To assist with this goal, she arranged trainings for her employees, and franchisee employees, where they learn basic customer service tools and how to be a high-functioning team member. These tools include how to properly answer the phone and to always shake the customer’s hand when the work is completed. She also asks employees to complete a survey card so the organization can use the feedback as coaching opportunities. All of these tools helped Mrs.  Sheets’ company become one of the most successful moving companies in the area. In the Siemens case study, the motivational theory that is described is Management by objectives. Mr. Kleinfield took over a Siemens unit in 1998 and immediately requested a change in work shifts, including working weekends. The employees were shocked by what was being requested but also recognized that due to a competitor, their jobs were in jeopardy from a lack of production. Mr. Kleinfield expressed an interest in the work being performed by being in the factory and asking questions related to the operations. This interest helped win over the employees and with the new schedules, production times were cut from six weeks to one. Although the employees did not know what was going on, Mr. Kleinfield recognized what the ultimate goal of the production facility was and put a plan into action as soon as he took it over to make it a success. By demonstrating this leadership, he ultimately was offered the CEO position, even though he never worked in any facility for very long, especially as a Consultant, but did have experience in every department that was associated with Siemens.

Management Of Minor Injuries

Management Of Minor Injuries Introduction: As part of this minor injuries course we have been asked to provide a 3000 word assignment utilising a case method as means of researching a patient scenario we experienced during clinical practise. Case study method enables a researcher to investigate an individual and evaluate these findings and relate this evidence to clinical practice ( REFERENCE 1) Case studies are also often subjective and based around a personal experience or memorable patient (REFERENCE 2), whilst identified by (REFERENCE 3) that these case studies do not provide a great amount of empirical and statistical evidence, (REFERENCE 4) highlights that case study methods stimulate critical thinking and help practitioners apply theory to clinical practice. For this case study I have chosen a patient who I treated for an Achilles tendon rupture. This assignment will aim to document the assessment of a patient in the acute stage of injury discuss the initial management of the injury discuss the treatment plans available conclude how this case study has impacted on my clinical practise The Achilles tendon is given its name by Greek hero Achilles as the largest and strongest tendon within the human body, Patel and Haddad (2006). It connects the calf muscle (gastrocnemius) to the heel bone (calcaneus) and is located below the skin at the back of the ankle.(reference needed) As the calf muscle contracts it provides it enables the foot to be pointed downwards (plantarflexion) It is this action that enables us to walk, run, jump and to stand on our toes.(reference needed) Despite great forces applied through this tendon it is vulnerable due to its limited blood supply, the least vascularised area being 2 to 6 cm above the calcaneum. This diminished blood supply predisposes this region to chronic tendonitis and potential rupture. (reference 5) Kerr (2005) suggests three main attributing factors are leading to an increase in rupture. Increased sedentary lifestyle Rising popularity of recreational sports especially in older men An increasing proportion of people are overweight 75% of Achilles injuries occur during sporting activities, and research indicates this is occurring with patients who describe themselves as novice or beginners (Josza et al, 1989). As ENPs it is important that we are able to differentiate between an acute tendon injury and other complaints i.e. gastrocnemius tears in order to treat, advice and refer appropriately. Misdiagnosis or delay in treatment can lead to gait dysfunction and chronic pain. The following case study is a true event of a patient I assessed during my clinical placement. To maintain the patients confidentiality he will be referred to as Mr Smith. CASE STUDY: 68 year old retired gentleman, no drug allergies, no significant past or ongoing medical problems. Mr Smith attended the emergency department at 10.00 and was booked in with a limb problem. I greeted Mr Smith, explained my role as a training Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) and gained consent for his assessment. Mr Smith had been out dancing the previous night and thought he had been kicked in the back of his right lower leg. Since, he had described difficulty walking and not been able to bend his foot as normal. Despite walking tentatively Mr Smith manoeuvred himself onto the examination couch. From his facial expression he appeared comfortable and his pain had been reduced having taken his own paracetamol and ibuprofen. The worst pain had been last night and the patient described an ache this morning. Further analgesia was offered but declined by the patient. Physical examination: This was broken down into 5 key areas described by Guly (2002) Look (inspection) Feel (palpation) Movement Specialist tests Function During our course we have assessed neurovascular function as a separate examination. This will be assessed between movement and specialist tests. Look: Mr Smith was examined in a private cubicle. His trousers removed in order to expose both lower limbs for comparison. Mr Smith had no wounds, no obvious deformity, no erythema /cellulites and no bruising noted. There was noticeable swelling around the base of the calf in the soleus region on the medial aspect of the limb. Both limbs were of equal colour and warmth. No surgical scarring was observed on either limb. Feel: Palpation of lower leg then took place. In accordance with Gully (2002) this should take place from the joint above to the joint below. Palpation started from the knee joint downwards. From the examination of the knee joint no pain over bony land marks was elicited by the patient. The palpation moved distal towards the ankle, no bony tenderness was identified. The ankle was examined for bony tenderness. No tenderness was found at the posterior edge or tip of both the medial and lateral maleolus, the base of the 5th metatarsal or the navicular bone. Using Ottawa ankle rules (Hopkins, 2010) there was no indication to xray the ankle. Mr Smith was then asked to go into the prone position, this enabled a good comparative view of both limbs mainly the gastrocnemius muscles and the Achilles tendons. The gastrocnemius muscle was then palpated; although uncomfortable towards the distal muscle a specific tender point was not identified. The Achilles tendon was then palpated; this gave a specific origin for the pain. There was also bogginess (palpable step) in the lower third of the Achilles. Although a step was palpable Kerr (2005) indentified that not all ruptures have a palpable step, the cause of this unknown. Movement: Ankle movements were examined both active and passive. Mr Smith had good active dorsi flexion and normal plantar flexion of both ankles. However when examined with passive resistance there was a marked deficit on his right ankle. Sterling (2001) highlighted that even though normal range of motion is witnessed during active movement it is essential passive movement is carried out, and assumptions should not be made to the integrity of the Achilles tendon. Both medial and lateral ligaments were stressed with no laxity and good end feel. Finally an anterior draw test was performed, the ankle was stable. Neurovascular status: Mr Smith had normal sensation of his first web space, dorsum of foot and anterior and lateral aspect of lower leg. Mr Smith was able to dorsiflex and had normal toe plantar mechanism. Pedal pulse was also present. Specialist tests: Mr Smith was then asked to kneel onto the trolley and support himself using the wall. A Thompson- Simmons (calf squeeze) test was then performed. At this time Mr Smith had no plantar flexion movement. Johnson and Morelli (2001) details this is highly suggestive of a ruptured Achilles tendon. Prior to undertaking this assignment I was not aware of any other specialist tests other than ultrasound. These shall be discussed later. Function: Guly (2002) states the examination of a joint should include its functionality. Mr Smith was then asked to perform a calf heel raise (stand on tip-toes). He was unable to perform this task. Sterling et al (2001) summarised that a patient whose other plantar flexors are still functioning will not be able to perform this task if their Achilles is ruptured. Treatment: Mr Smith was diagnosed and treated as an Achilles tendon rupture. He was placed in an equinas cast and was given crutches to mobilise with, which he did very well. A referral was then made to our fracture clinic where he would be followed up with the orthopaedic team. Take home analgesia was offered but declined by the patient. Mr Smith asked about the long term plan of action, would he need surgery to repair his tendon. I answered honestly and stated I didnt know but endeavoured to find out from one of my colleagues. It was this lack of follow on care knowledge that has been one of the focuses for this case study. Having an extended knowledge base would further enable a holistic approach to care not only in the acute care environment but to also provide accurate information about the care the patient should expect to receive. This sharing of knowledge will hopefully enable the patient to make an informed choice about how they would like to proceed. The follow on from acut e injury to referral to fracture clinic is currently within 3 days. The patient will be presented if suitable with two options; surgical repair or conservative management. From reviewing the literature contributing towards this assignment it is clear the orthopaedic world is divided over these two strategies of care. However the common goal summarised by Patel and Haddad (2006) is a restoration of the normal length and tension of the Achilles tendon, allowing patients to regain their functional and desired level of activity. Fotiadis et al (2007) supports this and further discusses the importance of restoring length as this will preserve strength of the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles, again improving functionality. Surgical repair: the procedure involves making a longitudinal incision on the medial aspect of the Achilles tendon. Normally the incision is between 8 and 10cm, the ends of the tendon are then sewn together using non-absorbable suture. Two types of stitch are favoured, Krackow or Bunnell. (see appendix A) Kerr (2005) highlights the advantages of surgical repair as Increased strength Reduced calf atrophy Less likely hood of re-rupture Faster return to sporting activities. However with any invasive procedure there will be a risk off Deep wound infection Deep vein thrombosis Delayed wound healing Scar adhesions Hyperesthesia or numbness of the skin After surgery the limb is immobilised with an equinas plaster or brace for between 6 to 8 weeks followed by physiotherapy. Non Surgical Management: Johnson and Morelli (2001) outlines that conservative management involves the patient being placed initially in an equinas cast. The immobilisation of the ankle plantar flexed between 40ÂÂ ° and 60ÂÂ ° enables the tendon to be stress free promoting the unification of the partial tear or rupture tendon. Having discussed the current treatment guidelines with my orthopaedic colleagues at the hospital the patient would be expected to return to fracture twice over a 6 week period. This would be to have a new POP each time and gradually have the degree of plantar flexion increased. The patient would remain on crutches, non weight bearing on the affected limb, to reduce the potential stress placed on the tendon. Having presented the case study and outlined initial management and expected follow up care, I would now like to introduce new methods of assessing for Achilles tendon rupture as stated on page 3. Matles Test: The patient is laid in the prone position with knees flexed at 90ÂÂ °. Both feet and ankles are observed for plantar flexion. The diagram below indicates the there is an increase in dorsi-flexion on the injured limb (right) Source: foot and ankle hyperbook (2011) The OBrien test: the patient lies in the prone position knees flexed at 90ÂÂ °. A small gauge needle is then inserted 10cm form the superior border of the calcaneus into the Achilles tendon. Passive dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements are applied; absence of movement indicates a potential rupture. The Copeland test: the patient is laid in prone position with knees flexed at 90ÂÂ °. A sphygmomanometer is placed around the bulk of the calf and the pressure raised to 100mmHg with the ankle plantar flexed. When the ankle is dorsiflexed, in a non- injured Achilles tendon, pressure increases to 140mmHg. Where the Achilles is ruptured the pressure remains the same (Sterling et al, 2000). Other specialist diagnostic procedures can be performed i.e. ultrasound or MRI. These have been highlighted by Patel and Haddad (2006) as more accurate at detecting partial tears. Ultrasound is operator dependent and requires an experienced technician and radiologist and MRI carries a high cost and limited clinical value of what has already been diagnosed clinically. Differential diagnosis: During the initial history taking it is paramount an accurate detail history is taken leading up to the events. Majewski et al(2008) outlines 44% of Achilles injuries are misdiagnosed as ankle sprains or gastrocnemius injuries and advocates the use of the two specialists test previously identified; the calf squeeze test and the Maltes test. Majewski et al (2008) concludes along with proficient palpation of the Achilles tendon two positive tests is good evidence of a rupture. However reinforces the need for sonography (ultra-sound) to differentiate between partial and full tears. As ENPs we are usually the first clinician patients see with an acute injury. We have a vital role in demonstrating accurate history taking, assessment, treatment and referral to the appropriate speciality. Despite the patient having an injury it is important that we can provide the patient with accurate education and health promotion advice. It is recognised within our department that weekends have a high increase is sporting injuries who attend the emergency department. The main sports are rugby league and football. We have a great opportunity to impart knowledge to patients with injuries in order to hopefully reduce the incidence of new or re-occurring injury. In relation to Achilles injury or Achilles tendonitis Walker (2005) promotes warm up techniques, the benefits include: Increased blood flow to working muscles Increased range of movements Improved speed of contraction Increased temperature and hence increased elasticity Improved oxygen saturation As previously identified there is reduced vascularisation to part of the tendon, Henry et al (1986) concludes that warming up increases the flexibility of the joint involved and best results occur from static stretching. Another important factor to advice patients about is footwear. If possible hard backs of shoes should be padded as identified by Milroy (1994) these areas nudge the Achilles, often at the site of injury and wherever possible heels should be slightly raised to shorten the Achilles resulting in less injury from sudden lengthening. It is this information that I will be now documenting i.e. did they warm up prior to exercise and also conveying this to patients in order to reduce further injuries. Conclusion: As identified there is an increase in Achilles tendon rupture injuries hence more people will be attending the Emergency Department through direct referral from General practitioners and Walk in Centres/ Minor injuries units or from self presentation. From reviewing literature it is evident there is a significant number of misdiagnosis occurring around the area of injured Achilles tendons. Despite Mr Smiths diagnosis seeming straightforward I now have a greater appreciation of differential diagnosis and the effects misdiagnosis or delay in treatment can have on the short an

Indivdual Differences In Pain Tolerance Psychology Essay

Indivdual Differences In Pain Tolerance Psychology Essay It is generally agreed that the perception of pain does not only depend on the noxious input, but also on a variety of psychological variables including an individuals emotional state. The amygdala is one area of the brain linked with the regulation of both emotion and pain (Lapate, Lee, Salomons, van Reekum, Grieschar Davidson, 2012). This region has also been implicated in trait aggression and the act of cursing. The current study aimed to expand on previous work looking into the hypoalgesic effect of swearing on pain (Stephens, Atkins and Kingston, 2009; Stephens Umland 2011) whilst also examining the role of trait aggression and gender. Participants consisted of 50 students from the University of Central Lancashire. They took part in two cold pressor task trials whilst either cursing or repeating the word chair. They also completed the Trait Aggression Questionnaire (Buss Perry, 1992). Physiological readings of heart rate and systolic/diastolic blood pressure were taken along with cold pressor latency. It was found that swearing had no impact on pain tolerance and there were no differences in physiological reading between any of the conditions. However, the results showed that both males and females who scored high on the trait aggression questionnaire could withstand the cold pressor task for longer than those low in trait aggression. Males also lasted longer on the cold pressor task than females across both the swearing and non-swearing conditions. The lack of findings with regards to swearing could be due to the manner in which participants were asked to curse. Despite this, the findings do support the idea that individual differences need to be taken into account when studying pain and when dealing with pain in the clinical population. Physical pain has been subject to vast amounts of research across various disciplines. From an evolutionary point of view, pain serves an important purpose. For example, it motivates action to escape or avoid noxious stimuli (Ploghaus, Tracey, Gati, Clare, Menon, Matthews, Nicholas Rawlins, 1999). The more that is discovered about the physiological and psychological processes involved in the perception of pain, the more complex it has become (Ogden, 2007). Traditionally, the main body of research into pain has been on the pharmacological control of pain and has been focused on the spinal cord processes of pain relief. As more is being learnt about the different types of pain modality systems it is becoming clearer that pharmacology is not the only way to manipulate these mechanisms (Villemure Bushnell, 2002). More recent evidence has been provided using neuroimaging as a means to further explore these mechanisms. Functional neuroimaging has shown that certain areas of the brain are activated when pain is experienced. These include the thalamus, somatosensory and prefrontal cortices and the anterior cingulate cortex (Ploghaus et al, 1999). However, recent research on pain has focussed more on the role that emotions play in pain regulation. The current view is of pain is much more multidimensional. This means the perception of pain does not necessarily depend on the level of noxious input; rather it is heavily influenced by many psychological variables (Wiech Tracey, 2009). The emotional dimension of pain is further supported by findings that show a large percentage of neurons in the medial thalamus that respond to noxious stimuli applied directly to the skin are changeable depending on the motivational and affective state of the animal (Price, 2002 cited in Wickens, 2009). Therefore it is necessary to study other areas of the brain in relation to pain. More and more research is showing that the amygdala may play an important role in the integration of affective regulation and pain perception (Lapate, Lee, Salomons, van Reekum, Grieschar Davidson, 2012). Using a combination of behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging methods (Lapate et al. (2012) demonstrated that both pain and emotion regulation are reflected in amygdala function. Other recent studies have also focused on the influence emotions have on pain. For example, Godinho,  Magnin,  Frot,  Perche   Garcia-Larrea (2006) demonstrated that empathy with other peoples suffering increased a participants own reported pain intensity. In addition, De Wied and Verbaten (2001) conducted a study looking at the effect positive and negative pictures would have on participants pain tolerance. They found that participants viewing the positive pictures prior to the task could withstand pain for longer than participants viewing the negative pictures before the task. With regards t o negative emotions it has been found that inducing anger or sadness (Rainville, Bao Chrà ©tien, 2005) or a depressed mood (Berna, Leknes, Holmes, Edwards, Goodwin Tracey, 2010) in healthy participants increases pain intensity and leads to individuals rating pain as more unpleasant than if these negative emotions had not been induced. Given that emotions are linked to the effects of pain, research has also explored the role they play in its regulation. For example recent research has looked at the effects of swearing on pain tolerance. The use of taboo words, or swearing, is a prominent yet understudied part of human language (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999) which is used across all cultures (Pinker, 2007). Swearing can be used as a means to express emotion, particularly negative. The primary meanings of offensive words are connotative (Jay Janschewitz, 2008) rather than denotative meaning they have an emotional feeling distinct from the actual meaning of the word. As soon as a child learns to speak, they learn to curse. Children learn that cursing is a form of coping with stress and it has been hypothesised that being punished for cursing as a child can lead to the words holding a negative emotional connotation for the user (Jay, King Duncan, 2006). Therefore it is important to explore how swear words effect emotions compared to normal language. It has been suggested that the connotations and denotations of words are actually processed and stored in different parts of the brain, with denotation being primarily dealt with in the neocortex of the left hemisphere and connotation being processed across connections between the neocortex and the limbic system in the right hemisphere (Pinker, 2007). Interestingly it appears that the neuropathology of swearing is distinct from the main language areas of the brain. This can be seen in cases of severely aphasic patients where cursing is done with almost perfect articulation in comparison to the patients disabilities in other areas of language and speech (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999). It has also been found that for patients suffering from coprolalia (the obscene linguistic outbursts of Gilles de la Tourettes syndrome) the symptoms are the same (although culturally specific taboos) in different languages which is evidence to support the act of cursing as having a neurobiological basis (Pinker, 2007). The amygdala has also been implicated in swearing with neuroimaging studies showing increased activation in this area of the brain on hearing/saying taboo words (Jay, 2000). However, despite swearing being common in both clinical and non-clinical populations, it is a relatively neglected area of study. This may be due partly to a universal negative reaction to profanity (Van Lancker Cummings, 1999). In particular it is surprising that swearing as a response to pain has received such little attention in the scientific community. To date there appears to be only two studies in the area of swearing as a response to pain, both of which were conducted by Dr Richard Stephens (Stephens, Atkins and Kingston, 2009Stephens, et al. 2009; Stephens Umland 2011).In the first of these studies Stephens et al. (2009) looked at swearing as a response to pain by asking participants to submerge their hand in freezing cold ice water (the cold pressor task). They hypothesised that swearing would be a maladaptive response to pain. In total 67 participants took part in a swearing and non-swearing trial. In the swearing trial they were asked to repeat a swear word they would use if in pain and in the non-swearing trial they were asked what word they could use for a table. Stephens took heart rate readings as well as using a perceived pain scale. In this study he found that swearing increased cold pressor latency (i.e. the time that they could keep their hand in the ice water), lowered pain perception and was accompanied by an incr eased heart rate. The increased heart rate is indicative of sympathetic nervous system activation, or the fight or flight response. As this study included both male and female participants the element of gender based differences in pain tolerance had to be considered. While this is a physical difference, the emotional effect of swearing for males compared to females could affect pain tolerance. The main gender difference with regard to pain tolerance found in Stephens et al.s (2009) study was that males could withstand the cold pressor task for longer than females. Women have been found to show greater sensitivity to experimentally induceds pain than men (Riley, Robinson, Wise, Myers Fillingim, 1998) although a review of studies conducted over the past ten years looking at pain and gender suggests that pain tolerance is the only measure in which there is significant difference between males and females during the cold pressor task (Racinea, Tousignant-La ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ammec, Kloda, Dione, Dupuis Choinià ¨re, 2012). Other gender differences in the study by Stephens et al. (2009) were observed with females having a greater reduction in perceived pain and a greater increase in heart rate during the swearing condition. This could be due to gender differences in swearing. For example, it has been found that females perceive more power in swear words than males (Dewaele, 2004). It has also been found that although swearing frequency is similar across both genders, males tend to be more offensive than females (Jay Janschewitz, 2008). There have also been inconsistent results in studies looking at physiological responses to pain in men and women. Maixner and Humphrey (1993) found that women responded to pain with an increased heart rate, as shown in Stephens et al. (2009), and men responded to pain with an increase in blood pressure. However a more recent study conducted by alAbsi, Peterson and Wittmers (2002) found a relationship between blood pressure and pain perception only amongst their female participants whilst other studies have found no evidence of gender differences when looking at the blood pressure/pain relationship (Helfer McCubbin, 2001; Poudevigne, OConner Pasley, 2002). These gender differences could go some way to explain why swearing has the different effects on pain perception and physiological responses.In a second study conducted by Ste phens Umland (2011) replicated earlier findings in a second study on 71 participants. , most of the results from the first study were replicated. Participants were able to keep their hand in the cold water for longer if they were swearing, and heart rate was also increased. With regards toHowever, when they looked at gender differences they found males lasted longer during the cold pressor task than females as before but this time there was no dramatic change in heart rate for the female participants. One possible reason for swearing being an effective response to pain is that it could activate part of the brain known as the Rage Circuit. This is an evolutionary response in mammals which goes from part of the amygdala, through the hypothalamus then into the midbrain. It is like a sudden reflex response to pain or frustration. When this happens the rage circuit triggers the parts of the brain connected with negative emotion including words with a strong emotional connotation such as swearing (Pinker, 2007). Indeed, Stephens et al. (2009) suggested that swearing may be effective due to it inducing a negative emotion despite previous research suggesting that negative emotion actually decreases pain tolerance and increases pain perception (Berna et al., 2010; De Wied Verbaten, 2001; Rainville et al., 2005). It should be noted however that such research tends to consider the emotional state prior to the experience of pain rather than the emotional response to noxious stimuli (Rainvil le, Bao Chrà ©tien, 2005). Another explanation for the hypoalgesic effect of swearing could be the role of the amygdala in the fight or flight response. The central nucleus of the pathway projects to the hypothalamus which then triggers the sympathetic nervous system resulting in the fight or flight response of raised heart rate and blood pressure (Wickens, 2009). This response can be activated by a number of different stimuli; including pain and can increase pain tolerance and decrease the perception of pain. Further activation of the amygdala, such as through swearing, may increase physiological reactions further resulting in this mechanism being even more effective against pain. Negative emotions such as anxiety and depression have received a lot of attention in the field of pain research. It is becoming apparent that other negative emotions, such as anger, fear and aggression may also be involved in the perception of pain (Quartana, Bounds, Yoon, Goodin Burns, 2010). Aggression is one of the negative emotions that have been suggested to be linked to swearing (Stephens Umland, 2011). Many studies have been conducted in the past on whether pain elicits aggression, but there has been little research into whether aggression as a trait has an effect on pain tolerance and pain perception. In a study conducted by Seguin, Pihl, Boulerice, Tremblay Harden (1996) adolescent boys were asked to take part in a pain tolerance task assessed via finger pressure pain. Trait aggression was recorded as stable, unstable or no history. The results suggested that boys classed as unstable aggressors displayed the lowest pain tolerance, whereas boys classed as stable aggressors displayed the highest pain tolerance. Another study found that male participants who displayed higher levels and frequency of aggression could endure longer periods of pain compared to males with lower levels of aggression (Niel, Hunnicut-Ferguson, Reidy, Martines Zeichner, 2007). This seems to suggest that aggression does, in some way, play a role in pain tolerance. The main issue arising from these studies is that they only included male participants. A more recent study looking at a sample of both males and females found no significant relationship between pain tolerance and trait aggression once the mens conformity to a masculine gender role had been controlled for (Reidy, Dimmick, MacDonald, Zeichner, 2009). These conflicting results highlight the need for further research into the role of trait aggression in the experience of pain alongside the effects of swearing and including both male and female participants. The amygdala has already been mentioned in connection with pain modulation, swearing and emotion however it has also been linked with trait aggression. In a recent study 20 volunteers underwent brain scans which revealed a significant negative correlation between trait aggression and amygdala volume (Matthies, Rusch, Weber, Lieb, Phillipsen, Tuescher et al., 2012). Due to this and the previous inconclusive research into the role of trait aggression and pain, a high/low trait aggression condition will be included in the current study to see if there is any interaction between trait aggression and swearing during the cold pressor task. The main aim of the current study is to try and replicate the results found by Stephens et al. (2009; 2011). A cold pressor task will be used as the noxious stimuli with swearing, gender and trait aggression being compared with regards to cold pressor latency. Heart rate will be recorded as in Stephens et al. (2009; 2011) but the current study will also record systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These physiological responses were not measured in the original studies on swearing and pain and would provide more evidence that the sympathetic nervous system is activated to a greater degree whilst swearing as well as giving more insight into the blood pressure and pain relationship (Helfer McCubbin, 2001; Poudevigne, OConner Pasley, 2002). Based on previous research several hypotheses were generated. In line with the findings of Stephens et al. (2009; 2011) it is hypothesised that cold pressor latency will be longer in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females. It is also expected that physiological responses (systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition. Additionally, males are expected to withstand the noxious stimulus (cold pressor task) for longer than females across the swearing and non-swearing conditions. In line with Stephens et al. (2009), but not Stephens Umland (2011) it is hypothesised that females will display a greater increase in heart rate (and therefore systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in the swearing condition in comparison to the males. HypothesisIn line with Stephens et al., (2009; 2011):Cold pressor latency will be longer in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Systolic blood pressure will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Diastolic blood pressure will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Heart rate will be higher in the swearing condition compared to the non-swearing condition for males and females.Overall males will withstand the noxious stimulus (cold pressor task) for longer than females across the swearing and the non-swearing conditions.In line with Stephens et al., (2009), but not Stephens Umland (2011):Females will display a greater increase in heart rate (and therefore systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in the swearing condition in comparison to the males.Due to the inconclusive research into the role of trait aggression and pain tol erance no specific hypothesis will be generated for this variable. Instead it will be examined whether trait aggression will have any effect on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and cold pressor latency across the swearing and non-swearing conditions and also whether there are any gender differences. METHOD DESIGN A 2 x 2 x 2 mixed subjects design was employed for this study. The between subjects factors were gender (male/female) and trait aggression (high/low). The within factor was swearing with all participants taking part in both the swearing and the non-swearing condition. The order of conditions (swearing/non-swearing) was counterbalanced for each participant. The dependent variables measured were systolic blood pressure (mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), heart rate (BPM) and cold pressor latency (length of time participants kept their hand in the cold water in seconds). The cold pressor task was employed as the painful stimulus. To avoid demand effects participants were not informed of the true nature of the task until they were debriefed. PARTICIPANTS The participants consisted of 50 students attending various courses at the University of Central Lancashire. They were recruited using both opportunity sampling and through the research participation pool where students receive credit for taking part in research. Participation was entirely voluntary. There were 25 females and 25 males with ages ranging from 18 to 44 years. Mean age was 23.4 years (SD = 5.71). Participants were screened for existing heart conditions, high/low blood pressure and circulatory problems. No participants were excluded from the study on the basis of this screening. MATERIALS Prior to taking part in the study, participants were given a brief sheet (see Appendix 1 for brief) and screened using a health screening questionnaire provided by the University of Central Lancashire (see Appendix 2 for Health Screening Questionnaire). For the Cold Pressor Task a bucket filled with a mixture of cold water and ice was used. Prior to each task a thermometer was used to check the temperature was 0 °C. For baseline readings and between tasks a bucket containing room temperature water (25  °C) was used. Physiological readings were obtained using a LifeSource ® UA-767 Plus machine which measures both blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and heart rate. Trait aggression was measured using a trait aggression questionnaire (Buss Perry, 1992). This questionnaire consists of 29 items which participants rank on a likert scale of one to five with one being not at all like you and five being completely like you. Examples of statements are; Once in a while I cant control the urge to strike another person and I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them. Within the questionnaire are four subscales which measure verbal aggression, physical aggression, hostility and anger. For the purposes of this study the overall trait aggression score was used where a higher score on the questionnaire equals a higher level of trait aggression. The questionnaire has been shown to have good internal consistency (ÃŽÂ ± = .89) as well as test-retest reliability (r = .80; Buss Perry, 1992). (See Appendix 3 for Trait Aggression Questionnaire). After completing the aggression questionnaire participants were made fully aware of the nature of the study th rough the debrief (see Appendix 4 for debrief). PROCEDURE For the task students individually attended a research laboratory on campus at the University of Central Lancashire. They were informed that the study would be looking into physiological responses to the cold pressor task and asked to complete a health screening questionnaire. Following this participants were asked to make themselves comfortable whilst the blood pressure/heart rate cuff was placed around their non-dominant arm before submerging their dominant hand up to the wrist in a bucket of room temperature water for three minutes. At the end of the three minutes a baseline blood pressure and heart rate reading were recorded. Participants were then asked for what swear word they would use if they were to bang their thumb with a hammer and also what word they would use to describe a chair. Whilst repeating their chosen word for either cursing or chair, participants submerged their dominant hand in the cold water. They were given the instruction to keep their hand in the water unti l it became too uncomfortable or painful. A time limit of three minutes was imposed due to safety reasons and 11 participants reached the limit in one or both conditions. During the task, heart rate and blood pressure were recorded every 30 seconds. Once they removed their hand they were asked to submerge it back in the bucket of room temperature water for three minutes. Following this participants were asked to repeat the initial cold pressor task, this time repeating the chosen word not used in the first condition. Order of conditions was counter-balanced for all participants. Following both cold pressor tasks participants were asked to complete the aggression questionnaire before being fully debriefed. The trait aggression questionnaires were scored and then a median split performed. Possible trait aggression scores range from 29 145. Participants in this study scored from 49 113 with a median of 69.5. Trait aggression was then split into high or low, with high being equal to, or more than 69.5, (n25) and low being less than 69.5 (n25). The research was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at the University of Central Lancashire The research was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee at the University of Central LancashireRESULTS For the purpose of analysis, averages were taken of the systolic, diastolic and heart rate readings for male and female participants with high and low trait aggression in each condition (swearing/non-swearing). Cold pressor latency was recorded in seconds. the trait aggression questionnaires were scored and then a median split performed. Possible trait aggression scores range from 29 145. Participants in this study scored from 49 113 with a median of 69.5. Trait aggression was then split into high or low, with high being equal to, or more than 69.5, (n25) and low being less than 69.5 (n25). (For raw data refer to Appendix 5) The effects of swearing/aggression on systolic blood pressure during the cold pressor task Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 1 shows the means and standard deviations of systolic blood pressure during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 1: Means (and standard deviations) of Systolic Blood Pressure (mmHg) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 125.24 (20.95) 129.21 (16.05) 127.15 (18.48) FEMALE 123.31 (12.45) 119.81 (11.65) 121.49 (11.92) TOTAL 124.31 (17.07) 124.32 (14.45) 124.32 (11.92) NON SWEARING MALE 121.45 (16.46) 129.48 (19.54) 125.30 (18.09) FEMALE 119.33 (13.77) 116.44 (11.28) 117.82 (12.36) TOTAL 120.43 (14.95) 122.70 (16.82) 121.56 (15.79) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on systolic blood pressure (F(1,46) = 1.57, p = 0.217, Eta ² = 0.033). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 2.95, p = 0.093, Eta ² = 0.060) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.13, p = 0.718, Eta ² = 0.003). In addition, the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.29, p = 0.593, Eta ² = 0.006). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 0.19, p = 0.662, Eta ² = 0.004) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 1.42, p = 0.240, Eta ² = 0.030). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.16, p = 0.691, Eta ² = 0.003). (For analysis output on systolic blood pressure see Appendix 6). The Effect of swearing/aggression on diastolic blood pressure during the cold pressor task Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 2 shows the means and standard deviations of diastolic blood pressure during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 2: Means (and standard deviations) of Diastolic Blood Pressure (mmHg) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 78.73 (17.66) 87.37 (12.75) 82.88 (15.81) FEMALE 85.63 (9.85) 79.50 (16.37) 82.44 (13.72) TOTAL 82.04 (14.58) 83.28 (14.99) 82.66 (14.65) NON SWEARING MALE 80.56 (13.05) 86.24 (13.05) 82.88 (15.81) FEMALE 85.21 (8.81) 85.74 (10.06) 85.49 (9.29) TOTAL 82.79 (11.24) 85.98 (11.78) 84.39 (11.51) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on diastolic blood pressure (F(1,46) = 0.65, p = 0.425, Eta ² = 0.014). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 0.07, p = 0.801, Eta ² = 0.001) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.48, p = 0.491, Eta ² = 0.010). In addition the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.21, p = 0.651, Eta ² = 0.004). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 0.40, p = 0.531, Eta ² = 0.009) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 2.51, p = 0.120, Eta ² = 0.030). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 1.41, p = 0.241, Eta ² = 0.030). (For analysis output on diastolic blood pressure see Appendix 7). The Effect of swearing/aggression on heart rate during the cold pressor task Heart rate (BPM) was recorded during the cold pressor task. Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations of heart rate during the swearing and non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males and females. Table 3: Means (and standard deviations) of heart rate (bpm) across swearing/non-swearing conditions for high/low trait aggressive males/females. HIGH AGGRESSION LOW AGGRESSION TOTAL SWEARING MALE 83.79 (11.45) 81.93 (15.86) 82.90 (13.48) FEMALE 92.10 (16.79) 87.34 (16.14) 86.92 (16.29) TOTAL 87.78 (14.59) 84.74 (15.91) 86.26 (15.19) NON SWEARING MALE 84.57 (20.16) 84.91 (16.13) 84.73 (17.96) FEMALE 89.88 (12.40) 85.17 (16.42) 87.43 (14.53) TOTAL 87.12 (16.76) 85.04 (15.94) 86.08 (16.22) A 2 (trait aggression: high/low) x 2 (gender: male/female) x 2 (swearing/non-swearing) mixed subjects factorial ANOVA revealed no significant main effect of swearing condition on heart rate (F(1,46) = 0.01, p = 0.934, Eta ² = .000). There was a non-significant main effect of gender (F(1,46) = 1.40, p = 0.243, Eta ² = 0.030) and a non-significant main effect of trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.46, p = 0.503, Eta ² = 0.010). In addition the interaction between swearing and trait aggression showed no significance (F(1,46) = 0.09, p = 0.770, Eta ² = 0.002). The interaction between swearing and gender was non-significant (F(1,46) = 1.14, p = 0.292, Eta ² = 0.024) as was the interaction between gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.24, p = 0.628, Eta ² = 0.005). Overall there was no significant 3-way interaction between swearing, gender and trait aggression (F(1,46) = 0.08, p = 0.780, Eta ² = 0.002). (For analysis output on heart rate see Appendix 8). The Effect of swearing/aggression on cold pressor latency during the cold pressor task Cold pressor latency (the length of time participants kept their hand in the ice water) was recorded in seconds. Table 4 shows the means and standard deviations of cold pressor

Humor as a Form of Cultural Expression Essay -- Culture

Humor as a Form of Cultural Expression How can one look at a culture and understand its origins, its values, its accomplishments and failures? Through art, poetry, or other literary, or scientific advances? Maybe even in its political standpoints? All of these methods are acceptable. There is one I did not mention in the above list however. It can be considered trivial by some, but I think it is also important. Perhaps we can understand a culture by its humor. Even on the surface the jokes of a country generally reflect its habitat, attitude, and its people. In the US for instance, most jokes you hear on late-night television would probably be political ones, bashing this political figure or the next. Why is this so? Perhaps because Americans have strong feelings about the politics in their country, and have the right of free speech. Because of the former the jokes come about, and because of the latter they are aired on national television. As for reflecting the environment, another popular collection of American jokes usually starts with the words â€Å"A guy walks into a bar ...† Just by looking at this â€Å"prefix† we can see that many Americans spend a lot of time in bars. Thus we see the usual â€Å"environment† of all important occurrences in the daily life of an American. In the USSR, most jokes would take place in a store or marketplace, because that is where people spent most of their time -- waiting in line s. A joke is as much of a national expression as folk stories, tales and legends. Except those three talk about past times, and the joke is current. I originally come from the former Soviet Union, and there the joke was an even more popular media than television, art or books. It was not censored by the government, whi... ...es in both cultures. For example : â€Å"In the meat department of a supermarket, a customer is asking : ‘Don’t you have any fish?’ The reply is : ‘No. We don’t have any meat. They don’t have fish in aisle 7’.† This type of joke would not travel very far in the US because not many people would understand it. It was much more effective when there actually was no fish or meat in the stores at the time I heard it. You wouldn’t have this problem in the US (unless there was some terrible war or another such calamity). This joke never came about in the US. It (hopefully) never will. What’s more, it doesn’t catch on, because it takes special conditions to understand this type of sarcasm. They are funny. At times also sad. But jokes have to get credit for the benefit, and insight they can provide. We cannot overlook them. But on the other hand, don’t take it too seriously.

Herald :: Essays Papers

Herald The early Middle Ages were when Heraldry began. Knights needed a way to identify each other. The noble families developed different patterns and symbols that they would paint on their shields. These symbols served the purpose of representing their families and also, establishing who the enemy was and who the allies was in a battle. They termed these shields, coats of arms. Any family could have a coat of arms but for them to be considered official, they had to be recognized by The College of Arms. The College was where heralds trained to read and write and memorize the existing coats of arms. Therefore they were able to identify the enemies and the allies if needed to do so. A coat of arms, or blazon of arms, as they were sometimes called consisted of several parts. These components were the shield, the crest, the helm, the wreath and the mantle. The shield contained the symbols and their colors. The crest is what goes on top of the helmet. The helm or helmet varied in accordance with the rank of the knight, the time period, or the herald's preference. The wreath consisted of the metal and the primary color. And the design of the mantle also varied with the herald's preference. The herald's used a variety of colors like gold, silver, red, blue, green and black on the shields. But the colors were not there for decoration. They symbolized specific meanings. For example, silver stood for peace and sincerity, whereas black stood for consistency and grief. Red was considered to be the martyr's color and blue meant truth and loyalty. But along with the colors were objects or actual symbols that represented certain meanings. There were many more symbols than there were colors. There was a symbol starting with most of the letters of the alphabet. The meanings of the different symbols were even more specific than those of the colors. For example, a hawk stood for one who does not rest until he achieves his objective. Another symbol was a battle-axe, which stood for the execution of military duty. There were probably almost a hundred, if not more, of these symbols used.

Zigbee

The message therefore contains two destination addresses: * Address of the final destination * Address of the node which is the next â€Å"hop† The way these addresses are used in message propagation depends on the network topology, as follows:Star Topology All messages are routed via the Co-ordination. Both addresses are needed and the â€Å"next hop† address is that of the Co-ordination. Tree Topology A message is routed up the tree until it reaches a node that can route it back down the tree to the destination node.Both addresses are needed and the initial â€Å"next hop† address is hat of the parent of the sending node. The parent node then resends the message to the next relevant node – if this is the target node itself, the â€Å"final destination† address is used. The last step is then repeated and message propagation continues in this way until the target node is reached. Mesh Topology In this case, the propagation path depends on whether th e target node is in range: * If the target node is in range, only the â€Å"final destination† address is used. If the target node is not in range, the initial â€Å"next hop† address is that of the first node in the route to the IANAL destination. The message propagation continues in this way until the target node is reached. I I Application programs in intermediate nodes are not aware of the relayed message or its contents – the relaying mechanism is handled by the Gibe stack. I I The message propagation methods for the different topologies are illustrated by the animations below. Star Topology Tree Topologies Topology I Click â€Å"Next Page† to continue.I Previous Page | 1 12 13 14 15 16 17 I Negotiate o connecting 1 Route Discovery The Gibe stack network layer supports a â€Å"route discovery' facility in which a mesh outwork can be requested to find the best available route to the destination, when sending a message. Route discovery is initiated wh en requested by a data transmission request. Route Discovery Options There are three options related to route discovery for a mesh network (the required option being indicated in the message): SUPPRESS route discovery: The message is routed along the tree.ENABLE route discovery: The message is routed along an already discovered mesh route, if one exists, otherwise the Router initiates a route discovery. Once this is complete, the message will be sent along the calculated route. If the Router does not have the capacity to store the new route, it will direct the message along the tree. FORCE route discovery: If the Router has the route capacity, it will initiate a route discovery, even if a known route already exists. Once this is complete, the message will be sent along the calculated route.If the Router does not have the route capacity, it will route the message along the tree. Use of this option should be restricted, as it generates a lot of network traffic. Route Discovery Mechani sm The mechanism for route discovery between two End Devices involves the following . A route discovery broadcast is sent by the parent Router of the source End steps: Device. This broadcast contains the network address of the destination End Device. 2. All Routers eventually receive the broadcast, one of which is the parent of the destination End Device. 3.The parent Router of the destination node sends back a reply addressed to the parent Router of the source. 4. As the reply travels back through the network, the hop count and a signal quality measure for each hop are recorded. Each Router in the path can build a routing table entry containing the best tat to the destination End Device. 5. Eventually, each Router in the path will have a routing table entry and the route from source to destination End Device is established. Note that the corresponding route from destination to source is not known – the route discovered is unidirectional.I The choice of best path is usually t he one with the least number of hops, although if a hop on the most direct route has a poor signal quality (and hence a greater chance that retries will be needed), a route with more hops may be chosen. Device and Service Discovery The Gibe specification provides the facility for devices to find out information about other nodes in a network, such as their addresses, which types of applications are running on them, their power source and sleep behavior.This information is stored in descriptors on each node, and is used by the enquiring node to tailor its behavior to the requirements of the network. Discovery is typically used when a node is being introduced into a user-configured network, such as a domestic security or lighting control system. Once the device has Joined the network, its integration into the outwork may require the user to start the integration process by pressing a button or similar. The first task is to find out if there are any other devices that it can talk to.Fo r example, a device implementing the switch conforming to the HOC profile tries to find devices containing HOC load controllers to which it could potentially send its switch state information (the process of associating the switch with a particular load controller is handled by the binding process, presented earlier in this course). There are two types of discovery, Device and Service Discovery: Device Discovery Device Discovery involves interrogating a remote node for address information.The retrieved information can be either: * the MAC (IEEE) address of the node with a given network address * the network address of the node with a given MAC address. If the node being interrogated is a Router or Co-ordination, it may optionally supply the addresses of all the devices that are associated with it, as well as its own address. In this way, it is possible to discover all the devices in a network by requesting this information from the Co-ordination and then using the list of addresses corresponding to the children of the Co-ordination to launch queries about their child nodes.

Forces Leading to the War of 1812

The war of 1812, supposedly fought over neutral trading rights, was a very peculiar conflict indeed. Britain's trade restrictions, one of the main causes, were removed two days before the war started; the New Englanders, for whom the war was supposedly fought, opposed it; the most decisive battle, at New Orleans, was fought after the war ended.Before the war began, Britain and France had disrupted US shipping, confiscated American goods, taking US seamen into the British navy, and both sides had blockaded each other's ports which caused great annoyance to American traders, and Britain's abduction of American sailors especially caused great uproar and indignation at home. These forces led Americans to declare war on Britain in 1812. When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British.This seemed like a justifiable cause for a war, however not all of the citizens shared the same sense of unity about the political issues the war was be ing fought over. The US was quite upset about the continuing impressments of American sailors into the British Navy and the seizures of American merchant trading vessels by the British. In a committee report in 1811, congressmen address their complaints against Britain. The British defied an â€Å"incontestable right†, and they captured â€Å"every American vessel† that they could find.In response to these intolerable actions, The president of the United States wishes to declare war against Great Britain. A group of congressman known as the War Hawks desperately desired going to war. One of these â€Å"War Hawks,† John C. Calhoun, agrees with the committee’s report, by saying â€Å"these rights are essentially attacked, and war is the only means of redress. † Hugh Nelson, congressman from Virginia, believed that the war was inevitable and that it would bring the American people together. He stated, â€Å"to demonstrate to the world†¦ hat the people of these state were united, one and indivisible. † This quote demonstrates his thoughts that if the United States were to unite in a strong fashion, it would indeed â€Å"repel all foreign aggression. † President Madison’s Declaration of War coincided directly with the report and the writings of the War Hawks, in that it explained itself by stating, â€Å"We behold our seafaring citizens still the daily victims of lawless violence†¦ We behold our vessels†¦ wrested from their lawful destinations. † In the War of 1812, many groups had apprehensions to the war at hand.Some, like the War Hawks, used the plight of the New England maritime traders as an excuse to go to war. In reality though, New England was doing better off before the war, because during which it became increasingly difficult to ship goods across the Atlantic and it was impossible to trade with Great Britain. John Randolph, a Representative from Virginia, even went as far as to say that â€Å"maritime rights† had no say in influencing the war. He believed that â€Å"agrarian cupidity† was the true influence that urged the war.By that, Randolph means that men are looking to take the fertile lands of British Canada for themselves, considering that the northern mountains did them no good. When observing the votes for war in the House of Representatives, one might notice a peculiar detail. The agrarian regions of the United states, which includes the Western Frontier, The South and The Agricultural Mid-Atlantic States, have many more yes votes than no votes. Whereas in New England, and the Maritime and Commercial Mid-Atlantic States, the no votes heavily outweighed the yes ones.The Jeffersonians claim that they want war to fight for the â€Å"maritime rights† and yet the Maritime and Commercial States stand out with a majority of no votes. Not a single Federalist voted yes for the congressional vote for war, while a large majority of Demo cratic-Republicans voted yes for war. Most of these Federalists were also ironically located in New England, but most of the Democratic-Republicans were located in the South and the West. Before the War of 1812, If Americans had been able to put aside their regional selfishness and differences, a declaration of war may not have even been required in the first place.Forces such as disrupted shipping, confiscated goods, and abduction of sailors could have been negotiated over with Great Britain. The United States lacked the unity, discipline, and strength to challenge the British and ended up paying dearly for the declaration of war against them. It is evident in the representatives’ voting that New England and other Maritime regions were against the war. This may suggest that the idea for war was prompted by Democratic-Republicans like the War Hawks, whose motives may have been questionable as mentioned by Randolph.

Eye Contact

Most of us would not readily think that eye contact had anything to do with language, or a person’s culture. While researching a topic for this paper I came across an article on cultural differences that contained a section about eye contact. I found it to be very telling, as to the reasons for either the lack of, or the reasons for eye contact. The article of reference is â€Å"Cultural Differences? Or, Are we really that different? † ( Gregorio Billikoph). This article discusses the differences in cultures, or the different ways in which these cultures relate to others, and how some words or expressions may not make sense to another culture. One example of this is using the phrase â€Å"thank you†. In the U. S. , we thank everyone for just about everything we do, but in the Chinese culture, for example, will only thank someone if the task being preformed is something very important. Although this article touches on a variety of cultural differences, I found the idea of eye contact very interesting. In this article the writer, who is of Hispanic origin, talks about his own strong need for eye contact. He explains that his wife has come to realize that when he is talking to her, she needs to stop what she is doing and make eye contact with him, or he will stop talking until she does. He goes on to say that poor eye contact is â€Å"partially due to shyness or how sake a person feels around others† (pg 5). As I stated in the beginning, eye contact may not seem to be part of our language. On this I would have to disagree, because I think without eye contact, communication is very difficult. Consider this; you are having a conversation with someone who speaks English only as a second language, and has some difficulty with some phrases. While talking to this person, he or she is looking anywhere but at you, do you think this person fully understands what you are saying, or are they feeling embarrassed because they are having difficulty understanding you? If you and this person were talking and maintaining eye contact, you would be able to see by your companion’s expressions whether or not you were being understood. There are of course other reasons for lack of eye contact. Some may feel that they are inferior to you, or they may be shy or withdrawn. I have been in situations where eye contact made me very uncomfortable. For me, there are those whose eye contact is so intense, I am forced to look away for a bit because it makes me feel violated, like they are looking too deep into me. Then there are those times when talking to a man, where I feel they are trying to attract my attention to them for different reasons I am not interested in. I believe that eye contact is important, but it seems to me that times have changed in that area to some extent. Why? Again it comes down to how your eye contact is perceived. I have been in situations when talking to someone of the opposite sex, and their wife or girlfriend gets the idea that I am interested in their man because of eye contact. I also had the issue with my ex-husband. He did not like me talking to other men period, because he felt that my eye contact with them meant that I was interested in them. It is very difficult to avoid all eye contact when talking to others, so I was always uncomfortable talking to men when in the presence of my ex- husband. I think that when it comes to eye contact in any culture. Or when dealing with anyone in general, we need to be aware of how that eye contact will be perceived by others. We all need to educate ourselves as much as possible, regarding cultural differences in order to help avoid some of the negative effects our actions could cause.