Effects of video games on children Essay

Although video games can increase aggressive behavior, they can improve memory and logistical thinking, as well as teach perseverance. Over the course of the last few decades video games have been integrated into the lives of our children. Video games are very appealing to children of all ages, and even to some adults. There is a variety of video games out there, and they range from educational to very violent. Because of this diverse selection of video games, there is a wide range of positive and negative side effects that these games can have on children. Because a large percentage of our children’s time is spent playing video games, there has been a lot of research in recent years on the positive and negative effects these games have on them. â€Å"Among elementary and middle-school populations, girls play for an average of about 5. 5 hours/week and boys average 13 hours/week,† (Gentile, D. A. 2004). Teenagers also spend a time playing video games. According to Media Analysis Laboratory (1998),†Eighty percent of teens said they played at least occasionally and the average amount of time spent gaming for the sample was 5 hours per week† (para. 19). Video game play has become not only a leisurely pastime for children, but for families also. When parents are not involved in some of their game play the outcome can become a little scary. Children who play video games with their families have a more pro-social attitude compared to their counterparts who play alone. Children who are less social or somewhat anti-social tend to develop aggressive tendancies when spending long hours gaming alone especially when violent video games are involved. Video games have been shown to increase aggressive behavior in some children. Neubert, S. P. (2004) said, â€Å"Individuals high in hostility are more likely to become aggressive when exposed to violent video games. † â€Å"Games in which the only positive outcome is the violent demise of enemies reinforces anti-social behavior. Violent video games desensitize people to aggression,† (Neubert, S. P. , 2004). According to a study done by Douglas A. Gentile. References Media Analysis Laboratory (1998). Video game culture: Leisure and play preferences of B. C. teens. Retrieved from http://www. media-awareness. ca In-Text Citation 1. [Insert the paraphrased material] (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby B. C. , 1998). 2. The Media Analysis Laboratory (1998) website [Insert the paraphrased material]. 3. , â€Å"[Insert the quotation]† (para. 19).

Actions and context of social Essay

Hale arrives in Salem and begins to interrogate Abigail. He is very direct and soon Abigail realises that she cannot avoid his questions any more. She knows she must escape his attention but she cannot run otherwise she will look suspicious. Instead, she cleverly implicates Tituba. Abigail constructs her involvement to become the leader of the proceedings, trying to force the other girls and her into following her lead. After confession, Tituba is told to tell the names of people seen with the devil. Mrs Putnam asks whether her past midwives had been in contact with the devil. Abigail soon says the names of Sarah Good and Goody Osburne as she quickly reveals that they are in contact with the devil. By satisfying her interrogator’s suspicions, despite their untruthfulness she can divert attention away from herself. Her intelligence and unique influence is demonstrated as she does so and sends the professional men of the court into a frenzied excitement, as they believe they have found someone in touch with the devil. By being the first and shouting out names, she has power and trust with the court. She then begins to call out more names, adding to Tituba’s list. This excites Betty whom immediately rises and joins in the chanting of names. She is described to be calling out ‘hysterically’ and ‘with great relief’. Then their ecstatic cries turn into a gleeful tone, adding an evil edge. Abigail has forged her way out of trouble and Betty has picked up on the plan, assured that she is safe from punishment and joins Abigail. They are now beyond accusation or danger and happy to call names out. Betty is following Abigail, but Abigail has no need to continue as she has already said Elizabeth’s name. The other names of people, she has no involvement with and most importantly, people who bear no importance in Salem and are vulnerable to prosecution. It is a fiendish scene, as if the girls are possessed by evil. They are not however and that leaves only one reason, that Abigail is wreaking her specific revenge for her parents deaths. It is one of her more evil actions in the play, as it cannot be accounted for. This shows that she does not hate and have power over people she wants revenge for, but everyone of human society. In my opinion, she is a disturbed character. She is initially perceived as being wild bright and proud. Her character then develops a ghastly quality that becomes a large influence over everybody in the village of Salem. She abuses this ability to turn things to her advantage and others fate. She develops an evil insensitive, which would seem to be her character, however occasionally she shows different emotions in moments of intense passion and fear. Abigail is the hidden secret of the play. She covers behind her sweet little girl innocence and manipulates it between the characters, which brings up many truths from the past. Her quest however, soon becomes an addiction as she has people killed and blames anyone to get back John Proctor.

Athenian Democracy 4 Essay

Who really made our type of government? We surely didn’t. It was amazingly the people of Athens. It started in 508 BC and is still around as we use it. It remains a unique and intriguing experiment in direct democracy where the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right Participation was not at all open, but the in-group of participants was constituted with no reference to economic class and they participated on a scale that was truly phenomenal. The public opinion of voters was remarkably influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. Only adult male Athenian citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote in Athens. We have had that and many other laws changed around the government. In our government every few years the people vote on new people to represent them, hence the name â€Å"Representative† Democracy. However the Athenian people also voted on some of their leaders but that was done in the Agora, which is where every male land owner who is over the age of twenty would meet. This meeting was called the assembly. The assembly could be best related to our State Representatives. Then just above them was the council of 500, who monitored the assembly and gave them topics to discuss, as well as bills to vote on. Above the council of 500 come the Magistrates. The Magistrates job can be best described as the â€Å"Police in the Government. † Their job is to ensure that all the laws are being followed and act accordingly when they are not. The Magistrates, despite the amount of power that they hold, are still not the highest government official in the Athenian democracy, after them comes the Council of the 10 Generals. The Council of 10 Generals was in charge of the military. The Athens didn’t start by being a democratic city. It was started by Cleisthenes whose reforms turned Athens from an oligarchy (government by the few) to a democracy (government of the people). The key to Athenian democracy was Cleisthenes redrawing of the social-political landscape of Athens and Attica. The chief magistrate of the city was often called the Archon eponymous or ruler. His responsibilities included conducting investigations of legal cases, in particular those that involved the state. He was responsible for protecting the orphans and heiresses with no family and to appoint the choregos who was in charge of organizing the religious festivals. The move towards democracy reflects other changes in society. In the prehistoric period, throughout Greece, aristocratic families have provided the main fighting force, as cavalry. In the seventh century the Greek city-states develop the new military idea of the heavily armed soldier, the hoplite. A remorseless phalanx of hoplites becomes as effective on the battlefield as the tank in modern times. These soldiers provide their own weapons and armor, but this is expensive. Several of the Greek oligarchies, including that of Athens in the sixth century, reflect the power of this middle class of citizens. A strategic change of direction by Athens, early in the fifth century, gives these poorer citizens a new power. The military effort is diverted into building up an Athenian navy. Triremes, the fast warships of the time, need men to row them. Suddenly every citizen has a part to play, and the crews of a fleet of warships have a self-evident political strength. A more radical democracy, introduced by Pericles in 462, is almost an inevitable result. Approximately one hundred officials out of a thousand were elected rather than chosen by lot. There were two main categories in this group: those required to handle large sums of money, and the 10 generals, the strategy. One reason that financial officials were elected was that any money embezzled could be recovered from their estates; election in general strongly favored the rich, but in this case wealth was virtually a prerequisite. Generals were elected not only because their role required expert knowledge but also because they needed to be people with experience and contacts in the wider Greek world where wars were fought. In the fifth century BC, principally as seen through the figure of Pericles, the generals could be among the most powerful people in the polis. Yet in the case of Pericles, it is wrong to see his power as coming from his long series of annual generalships (each year along with nine others). His office holding was rather an expression and a result of the influence he wielded. That influence was based on his relation with the assembly, a relation that first lay simply in the right of any citizen to stand and speak before the people. Under the fourth century version of democracy the roles of general and of key political speaker in the assembly tended to be filled by different persons. In part this was a consequence of the increasingly specialized forms of warfare practiced in the later period. Elected officials too were subject to review before holding office and scrutiny after office. They too could be removed from office any time the assembly met. In one case from the fifth century BC the 10 treasurers of the Delian league (the Hellenotamiai) were accused at their scrutinies of misappropriation of funds. Put on trial, they were condemned and executed one by one until before the trial of the tenth and last an error of accounting was discovered, allowing him to go free.

Future of Marine Communication in the Navy Essay

Future of Marine Communication in the Navy - Essay Example As ages went by, the more traditional audio/visual aids used under naval communication were replaced by more advance radio, satellite and underwater communication. The need for development of communication systems in Navy was always greater than it was in merchant ships as a larger number of lives depended on it. The atrocities of war always were a far more serious threat and the slightest mistake could result in catastrophic consequences. "Communications is everything, it's the ability to pass information down to our units that are supporting us and are working in our group, and up to our bosses so that they have a feeling of assuredness that we're doing the right thing in a timely fashion, and we're answering their questions, as well", Harris said." (http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.aspstory_id=21269) The most basic form of audio communication was simply through raising a voice by mariners if the vessel is close enough. Another form is through sounding the horn on the ship. For instance, a long blast every two minutes used when operating in a fog. Visual communication was widely practiced through the use of lights. Lights were flashed on and off to signal messages between ships. The use of lighthouse is far old. Many of the basic audio visual aids used for centuries by mariners are still in practice. In 1916, the United States Navy Department was connected by teleph... Communication was established shortly after this between the office of the Secretary of the Navy and the captain of the battleship New Hampshire. The Secretary then gave orders to the ship for the next day's movements, this being the first event that a ship of the Navy was ever operated direct from the department by wireless telephone. This demonstration was followed by communication with various naval stations, widely separated, by long-distance landline. This accomplishment was nothing but a realization towards the wonders which the future brought with development of communication technology in the Navy. The Development of Communication Equipments in the Navy With the realization came concrete steps towards the expansion of the industry of communication equipments for the Navy. Companies started entering into the business of research and manufacturing of such technologies globally. With extensive research a number of systems and technologies emerged. A review of the technologies developed and the companies which developed them is given in the pages that follow. Marcom - Integrated Communications System The Marcom is the foundation of the Navy's newest digital integrated voice / data switching system for affordable command and control equipment supporting communications and radio room automation. It uses latest technology to offer the user of command and control system a low cost, user friendly, solution to the complex voice, video and data communications needs of current and future endeavours. L-3 Communication Systems-East designs, located in New Jersey, is specialized in developing, producing and integrating communication systems and support equipment for naval applications. As part of L-3 Communications Corporation, the company is ranked as one

GCSE English Coursework - For your this piece of coursework you need Essay

GCSE English Coursework - For your this piece of coursework you need to write to Argue, persuade, advise Or To analyse, review, comment - Essay Example Study after study has demonstrated that the harpoons used to kill whales do not result in a ‘quick’ kill by any means. The animal can suffer a gruelling and slow death for as long as thirty minutes. Furthermore, some scientists, in conducting general studies of whale intelligence, have learned that fellow whales, whilst witnessing the death of one of their members, endure suffering and emotional scarring. They feel the dying whale’s pain. For that is a point which necessarily must be made with respect to whales and whaling: whales are an extremely intelligent species. Though there is still some debate how advanced cetacean intelligence is, there is little question that whales stand in the upper echelons of mammalian intelligence. They have the largest brains of any living organism. As humans we are obliged to respect and hold in reverence those creatures that are most similar to ourselves. The doctrine of animal rights stems from the doctrine of human rights. If humans have innate rights to dignity, then so should those animals whose grandeur and serenity speak to the magnificence of life. By respecting whales, we respect ourselves. There are, as well, some practical arguments against whaling. Firstly, the consumption of whale meat by people has been shown to be detrimental to human health. As further testament to the disregard man has shown for the environment, whale meat, because it is the flesh of an animal that can live so long and grow to such a size, is full of many different toxins. These include PCB’s, pollutants, dioxins, and mercury. In toothed-whales, the toxin levels are even higher. At a time when mankind’s blatant disregard for the earth and the global eco-system appears to be at its zenith, it seems only fitting to address one of the more egregious examples of that general tendency: the practice of whaling. As stewards of the earth, humanity has a duty and

UNIT FIVE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UNIT FIVE - Assignment Example The ANA is a professional body that represents interests of over 3 million nurses in the United States (Mahlin, 2010). To make this an easier task, the ANA has incepted constituent and state associations. To begin with, the ANA is destined to foster high standards in nursing practice and promote the rights of nurses at their work place. Similarly, it provides a realistic view of nursing in a positive way. It extends its determination to improve the sector by engaging Congress and other regulatory bodies to achieve its mission (Naylor & Kurtzman, 2010). Its mission states that it is determined to advance nursing as a profession to improve the health of those that need it. The second association is the International Council of Nurses (ICN). This is an international body that aims to bring together all the registered nurses in many countries. As a matter of fact, the organization has embedded more than 130 nursing associations. Apparently, the organization has a limited number of member organizations in each country, which is equivalent to one. It has incorporated the all-inclusive structure that permits other domestic groups in nursing to become members (Carter et al., 2010). Its mission is to improve the nursing structure and service delivery from all the aspects in the sector. The leadership of ICN is in the hands of the President and three Vice Presidents who act as the executive committee. Comparatively, the ICN is similar to the ANA only that the ICN operates in a wider geographical region. The third nursing group that is proving to be instrumental is the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN). The NANN addresses the educational needs and practices within neonatal nursing and specialty. Therefore, members benefit from the representation given by the organization. The NANN is similar to other associations only in that it is committed to improving the educational needs and specialty of neonatal nurses. Similarly, it explores other means of educating ne onatal nurses by focusing on peer reviewed publications, educational conferences, books, and other informative materials in the neonatal practice. The managers of these associations are instrumental driving forces in achieving the goals and missions of the group. For example, the managers ensure they hold annual meetings to evaluate the progress. As such, they are able to forge a way forward in implementing all the discussions. Secondly, there are negotiations with governing bodies which include Congress and governments in implementing the stated claims. Thirdly, these associations gather information through research to ensure the practice is being improved with time. Without such aspects, the nursing associations are not likely to mark an improvement in their respective work groups. In order to reach a collective bargain, there are various elements that are influential. First, workers are allowed to join any association of their choice as long as it does not affect their service de livery (Carter et al., 2010). This is constitutional, and nurses are allowed to join any group that will foster them to achieve their goals. Secondly, most of the nurses feel the urge to join these associations since they add value to the nurses. For example, the need to improve the service delivery pushes the nurses to join these groups for additional education. Thirdly, the nursing associations enhance the rights of nurses at their work place. Therefore, nurses join these

Trayvon Martin Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trayvon Martin Case - Essay Example On a private errand, Zimmerman noticed that Martin was walking around within the parameters of the gated community in a suspicious manner. On the other hand, Martin was visiting the home of his father and his father's fiancee. (Sendensky). Zimmerman first phoned the Sanford Police Department with the intention to report about Martin's suspicious behavior. After the call ended, it is said that there was an altercation between the two, with Zimmerman being pinned down to the ground by Martin. This forced Zimmerman to fatally shoot Martin at a close range in self-defense. â€Å"Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, saying he opened fire after Martin punched him in the face, knocked him to the ground and began slamming his head on the sidewalk.† (Sendensky). With police finding no evidence against Zimmerman’s version of self-defense, he was left off. That created huge stir, with certain sections of the media and the public implying racial bias for the release of Zimmerman, th ereby reporting the crime in self-defense as a hate crime. That is, when the facts of the case, versions of the witnesses and the dubious role played by the media are viewed critically, it implies that the Trayvon Martin case is being blown out of proportion as a hate crime, even involving celebrities. Speaking about celebrities, many came in support of Martin asking for the immediate arrest of Zimmerman. That is, when Zimmerman was let off, the issue snowballed into a major issue when the media started focusing on it. The first action which raised awareness of this issue was carried out by Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, who created a petition in the website, Change.org. It attracted over 2.2 million signatures and that made the issue gain more attention. (Stableford). As Martin was killed while he was donning a hoodie, people supporting his side started wearing hoodie as a sign of protest. This form of protest spread to various U.S. cities, as protest marches labeled as â €Å"Million Hoodie Marches† or â€Å"Hundred hoodie marches† were organized extensively. That is when celebrities came into the picture. Celebrities including Nelly, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, P. Diddy, Luda, Tia Mowry, members of the Miami Heat, etc., tweeted or posted photos in various social networking websites of themselves wearing hoodies. (Shapiro) (Stableford). This created heightened media focus regarding the murder and non-arrest of Zimmerman. Then, a large gathering was organized in the Union Square in New York, where many civil rights leaders like Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, etc., participated and voiced their protests against the non-arrest and lack of serious charges against Zimmerman. Even the American President, Barack Obama asked for an impartial probe in the issue. At the same time, celebrities’ particularly film director, Spike Lee’s action against Zimmerman and his family came under scrutiny. With many radical groups offerin g rewards and calls to ‘capture’ Zimmerman if the police are unable to do, Lee retweeted an alleged address of Zimmerman to his 200,000 Twitter followers. That address came out to be a wrong one, with an elderly couple occupying that address leading to criticism of Lee’s action. â€Å"Spike Lee's retweet of a tweet thought to contain the address of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman has resulted in a firestorm of criticism—

Vietnam and the 20th Century - Rules of Engagement Essay

Vietnam and the 20th Century - Rules of Engagement - Essay Example ROE in the U.S. and its Importance In battle, the prospects for collapse in obedience are usually present. This elucidates why elaborate ROE at all levels is extremely crucial. The military actions are particularly connected to ROE, carrying out battle in observance of global laws and inside the authority specified by the commanders. The military utilizes the battle authority required to guarantee victory through suitable and restricted utilization of force. ROE ensures realization of the military mission, force defence and observance of law, as well as policy. ROE overlaps executing strategic policy verdict. It might also serve an operational forces objective, and whilst concurrently bringing the US military in observance with the regional, as well as global law. The NCA endorses ROE for the American military. The Joint Staff has the duty of sustaining ROE. WWI led to the largest movement of the National military ever since the Civil War (Moss, 2010). Individual Soldiers on the Grou nd The Chain of Command in the military is extremely crucial since it ensures that everybody comprehends his or her responsibilities. This implies that, in this ladder of power, lower ranked soldiers are not directed by all the higher positioned soldiers. They have one individual above them who elucidates to them their duties, and that individual also has someone he or she is entitled to answer to. Consequently, the cadets at the infantry level usually have their commander, but not any other individual can order them. The Chain of Authority, usually, is utilized so that the army personnel offer orders to only those individuals directly with a lower rank below them and vice versa. For instance, an ordinary soldier who has a quandary in undertaking an order is probable to get regimented. This is for not observing the Chain of Supremacy if he ignores the commander who is in immediate command of the soldier. Consequently, this soldier has to appeal to a higher ranked individual in his o r her ladder of authority. The supposition here is that, no individual can command the cadets unless they are directly above them in rank and have been authorized from above. The ladder of power is the line of supremacy and accountability along which instructions pass. The line will usually go from the top commanders to the ordinary soldiers. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Johnson In 1965 McNamara, the then secretary of security proposed to President Johnson, to marshal two hundred and thirty five thousand nationwide guards and reserves. McNamara’s supposition was that the failure was due to underestimation of the extent of the challenges. The end of Vietnam began in the epoch of the total force strategy (Bolgiano, 2011). The discourse above delineates the role of ROE at Vietnam battle. During this epoch, ROE fostered the utilization of force in battle. The Secretary of Defense had the authority had the authority to order the guards and reserves. He would confer wit h the head of the nation with regard to the war on the ground. However, McNamara had presumptions that the failure in the battle was due to underestimation of the degree of the quandaries. The ROE also involved the training of the infantry soldiers. Conversely, President Johnson restricted the American troops’ attempts in Vietnam, not to incite the Chinese. Conversely, he provided a reasonably quick and absolute victory over his foes. He totally miscalculated the foe’

Criminal Law - Theft Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Law - Theft - Case Study Example It takes into account the circumstances and consequences aimed at establishing the liability of the defendant in a criminal charge. It reasons beyond the mental elements to other facts surrounding the commission of the offence charged. CONDUCT CRIME: Where there are conduct crimes, the actus reus in itself is a prohibited conduct. Thus, in a case of dangerous driving, harmful consequences need not be established to prove the defendant's actus reus. [1] RESULT CRIMES: It must be shown that a prohibited result is caused by the conduct of the defendant. In a criminal damage for instance, the actus reus will be that another person's property has been destroyed and or damaged. [2] It is pertinent to state that the conduct of the accused person should be free willed or voluntary in order to incur liability. Acts may sometimes be involuntary. They may result from a wide variety of reasons such as: REFLEX ACTIONS: These are situations where people react to things spontaneously. It can be viewed as a form of automatism but with some dissimilarity. A classical example is illustrated in the case of HILL v. BAXTER [3] where a driver was stung by bees while on steering driving and he lost control of the car. AUTOMATISM: This occurs where the defendant performs an act but is unaware of what he or she doing. It is also the case where due to some external factors; such defendant is not in control of his or her actions. R v. QUICK [4] CAUSATION: At instances where the ascertainment of actus reus requires that certain consequences occur, the prosecution must prove that the defendants conduct actually resulted in the occurrence of those consequences.Thus in a charge of murder, the prosecution must prove that the victim died .[5] It must be established that the victim suffered grievous bodily harm or in a criminal damage, that the property was destroyed or damaged. TWO TYPES OF CAUSATION: 1 Causation of facts which makes use of the "But For" test .R v. WHITE [6] 2 Causation in law for which the defendant's act must be( for example in homicide cases), the "operating and substantial cause of death" R v. SMITH [7] 3 [1958] 1 All ER 193 4. [1973] 3 All ER 347 5 S.18 Offences against the Person Act, 1861 6 [1910] 2 KB 124 7 [1959] 2 All ER 193 MENS REA Mens rea is used to establish criminal liability. The standard common law test is usually expressed with the maxim actus non facit reum mens sit rea, which means that an act will not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty. There must be an actus reus accompanied by mens rea to constitute the crime for which the defendant is charged. The exception here is strict liability crimes. Mens rea can be classified into three sub - heads namely; INTENTION - Here the defendant is shown to have foreseen the consequences of his action. RECKLESSNESS - Has been developed in the case of R v. CUNNINGHAM [1957] 2 AER 412. Where recklessness, was said to be requiring a subjective other than objective test. Malice in statutory definition of crime must be considered to require either: (i) The actual intention to inflict a particular harm that was done;

In Shakespeares Macbeth various devices are used to present the weird sisters as integral to the plot Essay Example for Free

In Shakespeares Macbeth various devices are used to present the weird sisters as integral to the plot Essay In Shakespeares Macbeth various devices are used to present the weird sisters as integral to the plot. In a modern context, are they still plausible figures? So witherd and so wild in their attire, that look not like thinhabitants othearth, and yet are ont? This description of the three weird sisters given by Banquo on first setting eyes on them creates an illusion of hell like hags; decayed and disfigured creatures. They are unnatural: they seem to be women but are not. It is Banquo who thinks they are evil: What! Can the devil speak true? Macbeth does not. Macbeth is intrigued by the sisters and later tells Lady Macbeth that he burned in desire to question them further. Macbeth asks the witches to stay showing he is interested in their predictions; Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more. The sisters speak dangerous thoughts, the same perhaps already plaguing his mind. If their predictions were already thoughts in the back of Macbeths mind, then the sisters lack power over him at this point. By examining the first conversation he has with Lady Macbeth on first returning home from battle, And when goes hence, tomorrow as he purposes this could be seen as evidence of couple having discussed the downfall of Duncan on an earlier date. If this is true then the sisters could be seen as mere triggers; they release the fiery evil within Macbeth. The fact that the sisters are in the first scene of the play confirms that they are important characters and from what they say, When the hurlyburlys done, when the battles lost and won gives the impression they know what is going to pass in the rest of the play. They meet in foul weather and talk of thunder, lightening and the fog and filthy air, giving the audience a first impression that Macbeth is a dark, dangerous play in which the theme of evil is central. They embody a malign and demonic intelligence. Their information does tempt Macbeth-but it is crucial to remember: they do not invite him to murder Duncan or even suggest a thing. Information is morally neutral until human beings begin to interpret it. The three hags prophecy that Macbeth will be king, they make no inclination whatsoever how he will come about this regal title. A lingering question still remains; had Macbeth given thought to killing Duncan before, and if the sisters had not made their prophecy, would Macbeth have murdered Duncan that night at the castle? In fact this is an unanswerable question but at the same time also very crucial. For if the answer is yes, the sisters would no longer be integral to the plot but be there just for the means of a supernatural subplot. On the other hand taking it as is given in the play, the implications of this are that Macbeth relies wholly on the sisters to spur him on. Macbeth is not a fool he realises that the prophecies cannot be ill, cannot be good and the forecasts of the future must come at a cost. Later on though, Macbeth no doubt driven by the success of his murdering of Duncan, seems to forget the sisters haunt that none of woman born shall harm Macbeth and the movement of Birnam Wood. Banquos warning to Macbeth concerning the instruments of darkness might also be seen as prophetical; Macbeth is betrayed as a result of believing these truths, and he comes to realise this in his final confrontation with Macduff. As the play goes on Macbeth is mixing his conscious life with his subconscious and the weird sisters become like a drug for him; the more you get, the better you feel, the more you want. The weird sisters prophecies draw out the evil within Macbeth; everyone has the basis to be truly wicked but not all of us have the trigger to pull it off, most of us are too full of the milk of human kindness. Regarding Macbeth, the weird sisters were his trigger. The evil does not come from anywhere else other than human nature. The sisters have not completely managed to corrupt Macbeth though. Both before and after Duncans murder Macbeth shows signs that his own natural feelings are still present in his character and that the witches do not have total power over him. He is foul for the things that he has done but is somewhat fair as he still has a natural human conscience. Before the murder Macbeth thinks that it would be cruel to kill innocent Duncan: Besides, this Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, Had I but died an hour before this chance I had lived a blessed time. His feelings about Duncans murder are very similar to those about Banquos murder although he only acted out the first himself. He is sick with worry and guilt about Banquos murder, so much so he is turned to near madness by the bloody ghost of Banquo haunting him. On stage, Shakespeare sought to make the Witches actable and recognisable to his audience.In Britain we either rationalise Witchcraft or mock it and we have the added problem of an audience having seen Macbeth a countless number of times, often in very unconvincing renditions of Double, double toil and trouble it has even become some what of a comic joke book. With hooked nosed women dressed in black with pointed hats chanting round a cauldron; not quite a depiction of three terrifying, blood curdling, residents of hell. Shakespeare himself had to make adjustments to keep up with stage fashion. Originally he had three devils in place of the weird sisters, but the theatrical currency of devils was already starting to devalue through overuse, and they were more likely to induce laughter than fear. James I who was on the throne when Macbeth was written, famously believed in witches, he even wrote the novel, Daemonologie on the subject. Yet, during the lifetime of the king, attitudes to stage witches shifted and they started down the same comic route as the devils before them. This might be why no one in the text of Macbeth uses the word witch. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, weird characters were deemed capable of prophecy. Macbeth makes the association when he asks why the sisters stop our way, with such prophetic greeting. The modern mind, though, hear the modern denotation of weird, which incidentally, is used to describe those bearded ladies who vanish into the air. Formerly, weird ladies; those who endowed prophetic powers, were presumed to have magical powers as well. Now, ladies who think they have magical powers are presumed to be weird or peculiar Therefore it is becoming increasingly more difficult to make a contemporary western materialistic audience believe in them. Directors struggle to think of new interpretations of how to represent them. Are they young or old, male or female, disfigured or beautiful? Or even to represent them with the appearance of normal human beings, for that in itself is probably the most frightening understanding. Robert Cohen, in his 1982 Colorado Shakespeare Festival production, cast three beautiful women as the witches. Dressed in topless gowns they seduced Macbeth into a life of crime and corruption; here the weird sisters were depicted as real women more psychic than supernatural. Perhaps they too like Macbeth had morality, but had all the goodness sucked away and the evil human nature was dragged out of them and they were left even more corrupt than Macbeth is, at least he has the next life; hell we assume, they have to spend eternity festering in this world. This of course would be going against Shakespeares description of them but in my opinion in order to create three plausible figures in a modern context it is essential to create three characters; if they do even have any character that will make todays critical and realistic mind really believe that they are looking upon true forces of evil, rather than three women in black cloaks chanting round a cauldron. Personally it would not be plausible in my mind that they would be able to take the evil out of a man, who could do such terrible deeds. Perhaps a modern interpretation might be that it is genetics which control the way people make decisions; for if a director were to stage a futuristic Macbeth with the weird sisters as genetic engineers controlling the future, this would gain the desired effect on the audience; pure fear. Also, at the same time keeping up with stage fashions, test tube babies; the idea of creating humans unnaturally. For all our scientific rationality, modern society still acknowledges that there are forces we cannot explain. Some people believe in supernatural phenomenon; ghosts witches, evil forces; others would explain everything as from within the human mind; for example Lady Macbeth who generates the evil is already within Macbeth, therefore are just plot devices, there to release it from him. Even though they cause no first hand evil themselves, they evil that they thus create by delivering their riddle like prophecies is integral to the tragedy of Macbeth and without them fair would not be foul and foul would not be fair.

The sociology of deviance

The sociology of deviance How important and relevant are Mertons Strain theory and Beckers labelling theory in our understanding of deviance? In this essay I will analyse the importance and relevance of a structional functionalist view of deviance seen through the lens of strain theory and a symbolic interactionalist perspective through the use of labelling theory. Strain Theory attempts to explain why crime is resolute amongst the lower classes who are subjected to the least opportunities for economic achievement (O Connor 2007). It focuses on the positions that individuals occupy in a social system, not on the characteristics of the individual. Labeling theory explains why sustained delinquent behaviour stems from destructive social interactions and encounters (Siegel Welsh 2008). These theories work in harmony as the former theory explains why deviance begins and the latter gives an explanation as to why deviance continues through the lifespan. I will be describing and evaluating these theories to further answer the question of: just how important are these two theories for the understanding deviance? The sociology of deviance is the systematic study of social norm violation that is subject to social sanction according to (Henry 2009 p.1). Deviant behaviour is behaviour that does not follow common perceptions, when people are deviant they do not conform to expectations. It is difficult to give an exact definition of deviance as many major theorists have cast a vast variety of perspectives on what it really is. Some sociologists believe that deviance is the violation of any social rule, whereas other sociologists argue that deviance does not have to be a real behaviour for it to be labelled deviant (Thio, Calhoun Conyers 2008). Downes Rock (2003) state that deviance is everywhere and not only that but it leaves traces everywhere. Theories of deviance are rarely catapulted into political settings to be accepted or rejected in their entirety; rather they trickle in from many sources. The influence of ideas is always changing due to the instability of political circumstances (Downs Rock 2003). The increase in deviance may be due to the fact that people are confused about the correct values and morals to hold. As a result of this ever evolving world there are new variations of deviant behaviour occurring on a daily basis, ranging from minor violations of the law such as not paying a television licence to major deviance like abuse scandals in regard to the Catholic Church. These acts are considered to be deviant as they are acts which the rest of society deems as unacceptable (Tierney 2006). Traditional values such as religious views have been shattered to pieces because of ongoing scandals in the Catholic Church. Individual pursuits drive people; religion has no impact on the expected standards of people in todays materialist driven society, which in turn leads to an increase in deviant behaviours. The Functionalist perspective stems from the work of Durkheim who believed that peoples social roles or functions hold society together (Flynn 2009). In contrast to this is the Symbolic interaction approach where the emphasis is on the way people construct the meaning of others acts (Becker McCall 1990). Durkheim believed that crime is not only functional but it is necessary, it only become dysfunctional if the rates are either too high or too low (Covington 1999). The functionalist analysis of deviance begins with society as a whole; it looks for the source of deviance in the nature of society rather than in the psychological nature of the individual. Durkheim believes society is held together by shared values, and if these values are not constantly reaffirmed through the generations it may signify the collapse of society. One may put forward the argument that shared values are not a fundamental part of society today. It proves difficult to reaffirm values through generations when the family when parents are working long hours. Parental influence over children has declined; due to this children seek values from available sources such as the television or internet, resulting in the promotion of materialistic values which are in turn the norms today. If the community collapsed, and the collective conscience failed the result was a state of anomie (Covington 1999). In essence anomie represents the problems in society caused by social deregulation. Merton developed an anomie theory based on Durkheims earlier work which referred to a deinstitutionalization of norms that happens when there is a disjunction between the importance of cultural goals and institutional means (Featherstone Deflem 2003). Mertons strain theory argues that structures in society may encourage deviance and crime, it is a structural functionalist explanation. Functionalist theories offers the basis for policies that are wide-ranging in their scope (Downes Rock 2003), however Gouldner (1970) believes that Functionalism thinks of systems as mutually interacting variables rather than in terms of cause and effect, thus one may infer that it is impossible to implement policy to stop a particular effect if the cause is not highlighted. Theories of deviance are extremely important as Downes Rock (2003) believe that all theories of deviance have implications for policy making. That said however the ease of implementation of polices may prove difficult. For example doing something about anomie would be far more difficult than tackling vandalism by technical means (Downes Rock p. 317 2003) However, Mertons anomie theory is of great relevance to the realm of policy as it infers a definite cause and effect statement relating to the disjunction between goals and means (Downes Rock 2003). The main principle of Social Strain Theory is that some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in society to engage in non-conforming rather than conforming conduct (Thio, Calhoun Conyers 2008 p.33). This is not to say that certain social structures leave the individual with no other choice but to turn to crime, rather inadequate regulation leaves the individual with a different perspective on means to financial gain. I agree that this system is a great source of inequality and subsequent deviance in our society today that the less powerful groups are labelled so negatively and punished severely. Every crime should be treated in the same manner, regardless of whether they are from an underprivileged area or a high flying business person. An impact of cycle of deficient regulation may also be seen in Beckers Labelling theory. This theory was greatly influenced by the symbolic interaction approach as it is people who determine and give meaning to labels. The justice system operates on behalf of powerful groups in society; hence one has to ask the question what behaviours are criminal? The two strands of this theory are a concern to address how a particular behaviour comes to be labelled as deviant and secondly what is the impact of this label. (Becker p.9 1963) states that The deviant is one whom that label has been successfully applied: deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label. In relation to deviance Labelling theory places the importance on the reaction to behaviour not the behaviour itself (Macionis Plummer 2007). It was this belief that leads Becker to place labels on types of behaviour, but who are the people labelled as deviant in society. To put it simply, labelling theory is concerned with what happens to criminals after they have been labelled, also suggesting that actual crime rates may be heightened by criminal sanctions. Unlike the Functionalist perspective, Symbolic Interaction is concerned with the process that underline social life and consequently the mechanisms by which meanings are given to those processes. It centres on the creativity capacity of humans and their ability to share interactions with others (Walklate 2007). In relation to deviance it is concerned with how certain behaviours come to be understood as deviant. Becker argued that behaviours of less powerful groups for example the poor, or disadvantaged are more likely to be criminalized than those who are privileged such as the white and wealthy. This happens because there is an assumption that crime is a social label along with the creation of law which are made by people in positions of power and enforced on people without power (Hopkins Burke 2002). The judicial system criminalizes less dominant and less powerful member of society, thus Becker argues that some rules may be cynically designed to keep the less powerful in their place (Hopkins Burke p.137 2002). Becker (1963) disagreed with the notion that those who break the law will be labelled as a criminal. He brought our attention to the fact that in many cases the innocent are accused, along with this only some of those who break the law are punished and brought through the system (Hopkins Burke 2002). Becker used a concept developed by Merton called the self fulfilling prophecy which is what labelling theory is most widely known for. When a situation is given a false definition it evokes a new behaviour in the person which as a result makes the false assumption comes through (Hopkins Burke p.142 2002). Becker felt that most criminals were in the first place falsely defined as a criminal, not only are their actions defined by society as deviant, the label is then extended to them as a person (Hopkins Burke 2002). Mertons concept of strain refers to pressure the lower economic classes feel when they try to achieve societys goals of monetary success (Flynn 2009). Merton felt that in society, people were focused on achieving high financial success which although exceptionally productive on one hand, on the other was a direct source of stress and strain for the individual (Cohen 1966). In effect there is a distortion between culturally induced aspirations for economic success and structurally distributed possibilities of achievement. This is in accordance with labeling theory view where the people who commit deviant acts are probably under strain from society to achieve monetary success. An example of this would be in relation to higher education, people without the means or cultural knowledge to aspire to respected professions are more likely to engage in deviant behaviour than those with access to achieving their goals (Flynn 2009). Within labelling theory there are two important concepts, those of primary deviance and secondary deviance. Merton thinks that the sense of strain that men feel is an accumulation of frustration, despair and injustice (Cohen 1966). Structural and Individual strain are the two main types of strain in society that promote deviance and crime. The former refers to the cycle of deficient regulation in society that has a negative impact on how an individual evaluates their needs, means and opportunities (Flynn 2009). The latter concept is defined by OConnor (2007) as frictions and pains experienced by the individual as they look for ways to meet their needs. Primary deviance in labeling theory involves acts committed by someone without a criminal identity such as an underage drinker. This act provokes little reaction from others around us, therefore it does not have any impact on the persons self concept (Macionis Plummer 2007). Secondary deviance develops through peoples actions towards the person committing the deviant act they may be pushed away and stigmatized making the crime worse, it is caused by the criminal label (Hopkins Burke 2002). It evolves from primary deviance being labelled, which is more likely to happen if you are from a less powerful group (Macionis Plummer 2007), thus mirrors Mertons argument about distortion between economic success and possibility of achievement (Flynn 2009). Merton noted that there were five possible responses or adaptations to strain that happen when people are not in a position to legally attain internalised social goals (Hopkins Burke p.107 2002). This is a perfect example of how labels are the cause of further deviant behaviour. Durkheim and Merton are one in believing that strain results in deviant behaviour, however Durkheim felt the main causes of strain were changes in society. Adapting through conformity is a self explanatory explanation whereby people both the cultural gaols of society and the means of achieving them (Burke 2002), this ensures the continuality and stability of society (Thio, Calhoun Conyers 2008), people do not break laws when achieving their means. Retreatism is considered the most uncommon adaptation by Merton, they reject social goals and the means to attain them (Hopkins Burke 2002), their behaviour is not normal and are considered true aliens (Thio, Calhoun Conyers p.37 2008). Ritualism is similar to conforming behaviour; they adhere to rules for their own sake with an emphasis on means of achievement rather than outcome goals (Hopkins Burke 2002). Innovation is a response to the pressure placed on the individual for success. The innovator embarks on novel routes to achieve success due to barriers for them to achieve success by socially approved means. They have the potential to be seen as deviant (Hopkins Burke 2002), as they engage in illegal means to achieve success. The final response is rebellion, whereby people not only reject but also want to change the existing social system and its goals (Hopkins Burke 2002). The very word rebellion connotes negative meaning thus showing the existence of labeling and stigma as used by Merton. People are stereotyped as being incapable of following normal behaviour and the general population treats them differently, resulting in discrimination in employment, and in many other areas of social life The internalization of labels by offenders may very well produce a career in criminality because of the negative reactions they receive (Hopkins Burke 2002). However, in contrast as Merton argued Cohen agreed that the root cause of the original emergence of delinquent behaviour was the economic pursuit of money success (Downes Rock 2003). A lot of labels come about through the stigmatization of a particular behaviour. Stigma is powerful negative label that has the potential to radically change a persons self concept (Macionis Plummer 2007), thus it is an influential force in the field of labelling. Slattery (2003) notes that a stigma can either be ascribed or achieved, you can be born with one or earn one. Similar to this is strain theories focus on negative relations between people, focusing on how the individual is not treated as they would like to be treated (Agnew 2002). Labelling theory has several limitations; firstly because labelling is very relative it does not take into account some behaviour like murder which is condemned virtually everywhere. Consequently it is most useful to apply to less serious behaviours like youth vandalism. Secondly, labelling may be seen in two ways- it could encourage more criminal behaviour of it could curb it because of people do not like to have a stigma attached to them. (Macionis Plummer 2007). Finally another limitation of labelling theory is that it does not tell us what are the root causes of primary deviance so how do these people become deviant in the first place? They cannot be labelled deviant if they have not engaged in that type of behaviour. Both labeling and strain theory emphasize the role society has to play in crime. Deviance is shaped in its transactions with events and people around it. Labelling theorists in particular have occupied themselves with the workings of the social reaction to deviance (Downes Rock 2003). Dissimilar to this is Durkheims perspective of deviance as performing functions that are essential to society through, encouraging social change, promoting social unity by responding to deviance, clarifying moral boundaries and affirming cultural norms and values (Macionis Plummer 2007). Sumner (1994) argued that deviance is not applicable to sociology today. He believes that the sociology of deviance died in 1975. Similarly Miller, Wright and Dannels (2001) claim to find empirical support for it and signify the death of deviance in respect to the world today. However, on the other hand Goode (2002) claims that at a certain stage in its history, the sociology of deviance developed a large number of ideas, concepts, and theories that influenced related fields. These ideas included: stigma which influenced disability and transgender studies, anomie in social theory, labelling in ethnic studies and the sociology of the underdog in queer theory. Regardless of the fact that sociology of deviance did not create these concepts, the field did help project them onto the intellectual map. Goode concludes that The social construction of deviance is once again controversial, relevant, central to our lives, and fundamental to our understanding of todays world (Goode 2002). I must agree with this statement as not a day goes by without some type of crime or deviant behaviour brought to our attention. Cohen (1966) believes that rules in everyday life provide a blueprint for every human gesture; consequently every rule then creates potentiality for deviance. However, as mentioned previously- are we really all aware of societal norms and values? I believe that society today has failed to provide a blueprint or clear rules for people to live by, hence leading to the unprecedented rates of crime and social deviance. Strain theory and labelling theory do not pay much attention to psychological factors involved in deviant behaviour, this is a limitation to both I feel. I would question the generalizability of strain theory as it emphasises the focus of materialism for society today. However, much crime is committed by people who simply want to get by in life, to survive. They feel they have no other option but to commit crime to put food on the table. Crime may not necessarily be about reaching the top in society, it may just be about getting by. Labeling theory is a lot more individual in its focus; it is more concerned with peoples reactions when placed in a designated role by society. References Miller, J, M., Wright, A., Dannels, D. (2001) Is Deviance Dead? The Decline of a Sociological Research Specialization. The American Sociologist, Volume 32: 43-59. Sumner, C. (1994). The Sociology of Deviance: An Obituary. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. Downes, D. Rock, P. (4th Ed.) (2003). Understanding Deviance. New York: Oxford University Press. Henry, S. (2009). Short Introductions: Social Deviance. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Goode, E (2002). Does the death of the sociology of deviance claim make sense? The American Sociologist. Volume 33: 107-118. Thio, A., Calhoun, T., C., Conyers, A. (5th Ed.) (2008) Readings in Deviant Behaviour. United States of America: Pearson International, Inc. Cohen, A., K. (1966). Deviance and Control. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. OConnor, T. (2007). Strain theories of crime. Megalinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved March 19, 2010. Available at: http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/crim/crimtheory11.htm Gouldner, A. (1970) The Coming Crisis in Western Sociology. New York: London. Covington, P. (1999) Deviance: Functionalist explanations. The Functionalist Explanation of Crime. Retrieved 22nd March, 2010. Available at: http://www.sociology.org.uk/pcfcri95.pdf. Hopkins Burke, R (2002) An Introduction to Criminological Theory. Canada: Willan Publishing. Tierney, J. (2nd Ed) (2002). Criminology: Theory and context. England: Pearson Education Limited. Macionis J, J. Plummer, K. (4th Ed) (2007) Sociology: Global Introduction. England: Pearson Education limited Walklate, S. (4th Ed) (2007). Understanding Criminology. England: Open University Press. Becker, H. (1963). The Outsiders. New York: Free Press. Slattery, M (2003). Key Ideas in Sociology .United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Limited Agnew, R (1992). Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency. Criminology. Volume 30, Issue 1, p.47-87 Siegel, L, J., Welsh B., C. (2008) (10th Ed. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. USA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Examining The Use Of Motion Capture Film Studies Essay

Examining The Use Of Motion Capture Film Studies Essay Motion capture is a technique that records movements for fields like entertainment, sports, and medicine; it is the process of animating a virtual character through the means of capturing live motion of a human. Motion capture is normally used in games to animate characters and other objects by recoding motion from the human character that normally involves tracking sensors that has been placed in major body parts that require maximum motion and detecting their locations in three dimensional spaces. Motion capture captures human body, facial expressions, camera and lighting positions, and other elements. It measures position and direction and recording by computers. Motion capture for computer animation requires the use of human motion to be implanted onto the motion of the compute. There are two classes of motion capture technology, they are the on-line motion capture devices, and off-line motion capture devices. The on-line motion capture device wherein its main technology is based on magnetic sensors thatare mainly used for virtual reality and online television shows with artificial characters. The off-line motion capture device on the other hand wherein its main technology is based on optical motion capture from different camera views, off-line motion capture devices allow capturing of large motions that are important to maintain outstanding visual effects, it also allows the acquiring of delicate motion to properly convey motion. Motion capture is limited to movements that are possible, but it creates natural movements than manual animation and it saves more time. Before motion capture was even possible, rotoscoping was used and is still being used by some traditional animation studios to copy motion from films to cartoon characters. Many cartoon studios use rotoscoping, but only a few admit that they use it because they consider it cheating and a desecration of the art of animation. (Menache, 2000, p.2).In the Walt Disney film Snow White, Snow White herself and her prince were rotoscopedin 1937. The rotoscoping device was invented on 1915 by Max Fliescher to make production of cartoon films automated. The rotoscoping device projected live action film frame by frame then places on a lighted table to allow the artists to trace the image into paper. The idea of copying human motion for animated characters is of course, not new, they decided to use rotoscoping to create realistic human motion. Motion capture started in bio mechanic research then moved to education, sports, computer animation, and finally video games as technology evolved and is s till evolving until now. Rotoscoping today is still being used in visual effects and character animation. It was originally developed in the early days of cell animation; it can be considered a form of time-delayed motion capture. (Kerlow, 2003, p.338). Two dimensional rotoscoping is used for hand drawn cartoons, while the three dimensional rotoscoping gave birth to what we now call motion capture. Motion is anything that forms a before and after position, without this, motion is not even possible. Motion capture first requires a motion that is recorded for the skeleton fitting post-processing, second the artist will repeat and repeat the motion that should be taken until the director is satisfied, third is the post processing which its first stage is motion tracking which is used to detect the motion through the joints, and the last stage is the anatomic conversion, it produces the character s motion without interrupting the original motion. There are twocategories of human motion: pose estimation and tracking. Pose estimation is formulated as the inference of the articulated human pose from a single image. (Sigal, 2006, p. 3) Tracking is formulated as inference of the human pose over a set of consecutive image frames throughout the image sequence. ( Sigal, 2006, p.3)Motion capture cannot be produced when the human character cannot exhibit that certain motion, and if the motio n was not captured. Once the captured session or data did not meet its requirements or standards, it cannot be fixed for motion capture can only produce and capture live motion, instead the user should recapture the motion where the data went wrong. Captured motion must first be developed in many ways before being applied to robots that are human like. Proper alignment of body parts is essential in order to get the proper animation of the model, or else something might go wrong in the future. Motion capture is a software that captures human motion to make computer games and computer animation more realistic and true to life by requiring the user or the character to place magnetic sensors in any part of the body that detect individual position and orientation relative to the generator. There are different types of motion capture system: Electrical motion capture, Magnetic motion capture, and optical motion capture. Electrical motion capture uses technology that tracks motion from sensors using magnetic fields, normally one sensor per body part is enough, a magnetic motion capture, on the other hand, is a technique that is based on receivers that detect magnetic fields. In order to capture the human character s motion, magnetic motion capture uses magnetic sensors that measure relationships in space to a nearby transmitter magnetically,a magnetic sensor measures the position and orientation that is in relation to a transmitter, it requires the human character to wear magnetic sensors around his/her body that are capable of measuring their relationship to a centrally located magnetic transmitter (Alonso, N.D, p.55), and lastly, optical motion capture system, it is a motion capture system that is very accurate and is typically based on a single computer. It is usually used for medical applications and is usually places near the joints for humans and animals. An optical motion capture system does not need wirings because they depend on optical markers that are tracked visually. Optical systems plan positions of cameras in order to track down information. All most all of the optical capture systems can track reflective markers. An optical marker is a reflective ball that allowsa camera to track motion in space. In order to create the 3D position of the object, the system combines information of the different shots taken from different views from different cameras. Optical motion capture has been used to recover the fidelity of the motion of strolling adults, playing children and other lifelike activities. (Boulic, N.D. p.1) The motion capture system is also classified as the outside-in, inside-out, and inside-in system. These systems are where the capture sources and sensors are placed. The outside-in system is placed on the body and by collecting data; it uses external sensors, examples of which are camera based tracking devices. The inside-out system on the other hand collects external sources from sensors that are placed on the body. Lastly, the inside-in system, which sensors and sources are placed on the body, examples of which are electromechanical suits. Applications that have big benefits from motion capture are industries like medicine, sports, entertainment, and the law. Motion capture is also used in other fields like crash test dummies wherein motion capture is required for automobile safety tests. Non-entertainment applications for motion capture on the other hand are sports, medicine, and physical rehabilitation. Motion capture in medicine is used for gait analysis, which is useful in medicine for it makes it easy to detect certain abnormalities and changes by accurately separating the different mechanism during the cycle ofwalk by generating biomechanical data. Gait analysis is also used to determine treatment for pathological conditions. It is also used in applications like joint mechanics, sports medicine, prosthetic design, and analysis of the spine. Motion capture in sports is used to improve the performances of the athletes to analyze and study their movements to improve them and reserve them for future use. There are some motion capture studios that specialize in capturing motion for anything sport related especially for golf, which is very essential to golfers because every inch of his/her swing is analyzed to find and improve on areas, also is compares his/her swing to that of a professional. Motion capture in sports is better than actually videotaping the movement because the normal speed of a video tape is at 30 frames per second, while motion capture is capable of recording higher frequencies, meaning much more motion is recorded. Motion capture in the entertainment industry is the segment with the highest (of not the largest) profile especially for video games which is the most widespread and the most accepted in the entertainment application. Motion capture for video games is a very used system that requires live human motion. As game engines become faster, motion capture is also maturing. (Menache, 2000, p.34). Motion capture for films mainly involves stunts that are not humanly possible, by using realistic motion and extras like large crowds which are digitally generated to simulate a large number of crowds. Motion capture in law, on the other hand, is mainly used for evidence. The evidence used provides aid and support to help the jury understand the statement of facts and opinion form the witness, by means of action and facial expressions in order to get the case solved. Out of 50 people, 8 disagreed to the statement that motion capture is useful in fields like medicine and the entertainment industry, 6 people agreed, and 21 people were uncertain. This is probably because people do not know much about motion capture that they don t notice it in certain field. Before deciding to use motion capture, the user should think if the decided motion is possible for a human or an animal to handle. Also, the user should state the expectations and the demands as early as possible so that all of the user s concerns are addressed. The user should also think about the amount and size of markers to be used depending on a given situation so that the markers won t fall off or move around during the session knowing that a performer needs to wear markers that are near joints to easily identify motion. In order to capture simultaneous motion information, the user should equip the human character with the typical tight fitting black motion capture suit so that the markers will not move rather than just attaching invisible adhesive tape to get the natural look of the clothes as it moves. In order to create a virtual character, one must first identify the performer s motion. Always remember that motion capture takes time to produce and that you cannot fix a mist ake, instead you must redo it. If you decide to do facial and body motion for a character, you will need two separate setups, but you may also have one setup for each character, always remember that motion capture requires a frame of reference. Before getting a human actor to perform all the motion for the motion capture, a script and a blue print must be done first. After which, provide the human actor with the script and the blue prints in advance and tell everything about the character to the human character to avoid misunderstandings in the future. Rehears the motions first without the motion capture sensors so that the human actor will get familiarized and comfortable with his/her role; once the actor is already comfortable and is familiar with the role, get the human actor comfortable with the motion capture sensors that will be all around his/her body soon, always remember that preparations are still needed whether you have an in-house system or are hiring service provider. (Menache, 2000, p.88) in order to create motion capture, one needs to have experience. Out of 30 people, a majority agreed to the statement, while a minority either disagreed or were uncertain about the statement.This is probably because when crea ting something, one must have an experience, or else nothing productive will happen. Motion capture must be and must always be precise about the sizes of the character. If the computer model has different proportions from the subject, weird things may occur, an example is that a feet entering the floor because the characters legs are longer than that of the human actors legs. Motion capture requires motion that follows the laws of physics, otherwise it cannot be presented.12 out of 30 people are uncertain about this statement, this may imply that they are not sure whether it is possible to make motion out of anything that do not follow the rules of physics, 16 out of 30 people on the other hand agreed that movements that do not follow the laws of physic cannot be presented maybe because they believe that there will be a lot of errors if this happen, and 5 out of 30 people disagreed thinking that motion capture can generate any kind of motion impossible or not. Motion capture requires live motion, meaning it can only work in real time, although 9 out of 30 people were uncertain whether this statement is true or not, this is probably because some people do not know how motion capture works, but a whopping 23 out of 30 people agreed that motion capture only works in real time.Motion capture system is very expensive and 23 out of 30 people agreed so, it requires hard work and is time consuming for the actors and the technicians, although 21 out of 30 people were uncertain on whether motion capture is easy.Dogs, horses or any animal with four feet can be difficult to capture. 18 out of 30 people agreed that applying motion capture to 4 legged animals could be hard because animals don t actually perform all the time the way we want them to because animals, even tamed one are still considered wild and unpredictable, although 12 out of 30 people were uncertain and 3 out of 30 people disagreed thinking that animals obey every command as long as you treat them well and give them a doggie treat every time they do things correctly. Motion capture technique s are well known for preserving the distinctive signature of the real movement (Amaya, 1996, p.1) coming from the human actor. In spite of this, motion capture involves the use of special equipments; this requires the entire motion session to be recapped once a motion session is different from the already captured one. What I basically did was I looked for scholarly articles on the internet, gave out surveys, looked for books in the library that were related to my topic, and placed interesting or related texts on my note cards and paraphrasing them so that writing the actual research paper would be easy considering that you will just copy what is on the back of the note cards. A majority of the people who took part in my research paper were students from Computer Science in De La Salle University, and a minority came from Psychology Students from the same University. The results were reasonable and I would have said the same randomly if I did not research about the topic. The result s mean that motion capture is applied in our everyday lives whether we know it or not. Compared to the 2nd research, the 1st research was all about the opinion of other people on how they know about motion capture. Though impressive in its ability to replicate movement, the motion capture process is far from perfect. (Boulic, 1998, p.1)

Batman: Through the Years Essays -- Media Fiction Super Heroes Papers

Batman: Through the Years The Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne, these are all aliases for an enigmatic character in popular culture most commonly known as Batman. While having his humble origins in the pulp magazines of the late 1930’s, over the span of his existence, he has expanded into a full-blown franchise. There have been 3 TV shows on him, 4 movies (1 more still in the making), various videogames, and over 20 comic book series that currently feature his name. Even after 60 years of being in print, it was a Batman issue that was the highest selling comic book of the last week of November, 2004. It is the aim of this project to explore the reasons why this one particular comic book superhero has managed to keep his relevance where so many others have faltered, with a focused look into how Batman artwork has changed over the sixty years of his existence. Who is Batman to you? Almost everybody knows something about Batman, from my Sunday school teacher (who confiscated my Batman comic book calling him ‘devilish’ and ‘violent’) to my little cousins who play the new Batman videogame incessantly. What many people fail to realize though is that the character of Batman has always been evolving, always being modified to fit the purposes of both the medium and the audience. Take for example the Batman television series that lasted from 1966 till 1968. Adam West as Batman, a little lumpy in his Batsuit, would fight crime accompanied by his faithful sidekick, Robin (Burt Ward). They would awkwardly beat up their enemies, (Listen to the classic soundtrack)accompanied by the classic POW! BIFF! WHAM! sound effects and use goofy phrases like, â€Å"†¦if two plus two equals four†¦Quick Robin, to the Batmobile!† In all t... ...ewer is interested in; Bruce Wayne is an after thought. But with a movie, the viewer is forced to see the Bruce Wayne character and on a sub-conscious level is forced to connect that character with the traits one already has of the actor from previous experience, which reduces the mystery of the Batman character. Concluding Thoughts: While the Batman character grown into an international franchise, many of his fellow superhero peers have fallen by the proverbial road side. Riding on his mysterious and dark persona, he is one of the most famous fictional characters of modern times. It is a unique blend of super-hero fantasy and realism that has allowed him to be accepted by such a wide audience, and it is to the credit of his producers that they have been able to mould the character the character to fit their needs while capitalizing on the character’s essence.

Martin Eden :: essays papers

Martin Eden Jack London, prestigious author of Martin Eden writes his opinions into his work. Aspects of different societies are prevalent throughout his work and the class struggle between different classes of characters is apparent in his writing. Although not an autobiography much of his writing can appear to include his personal views on life. Martin Eden, the protagonist created by London begins as a petty seaman works his his way to the upper class of society. Through self-determination and self-education he is able to become a member of the bourgeois. Writers with styles similar to London in that they all write in the same style in that shows the struggle of the poor and their climb to the upper class only to see that it reveals a faux ideal. Alice Hoffman author of Here On Earth appears to hold many of the same beliefs as Martin which are seen throughout her novel. Martin Eden was forced to make his own living. Eden was never given anything and had to work to gain everything he wanted. Everyday struggles included finding the simple necessities of food and shelter. As a poor sailor, Eden looked around and saw the ideals of the bourgeois. Through the eyes of Eden the Bourgeois were the educated, wealthy, and were what Martin desired to become. He dreams of becoming educated and belonging to the upper class; ultimately he finds one small connection that opens up a new world to the once struggling seaman. Although later disproved, his first impressions of this class were seen from an outsider^s view as perfect. ^Here was intellectual life, he thought, and here was beauty, warm and wonderful as he had never dreamed it could be.^ (p. 40) Martin comes into contact with a family that introduces him to this new world. The Morse family was all Martin dreamed of, he viewed them, as them part of a perfect society and Ruth was the focal point of it.! Ruth was heavenly like a flower; her culture and sophistication stimulated him. Introduction to this new class surprised Martin. The library, a new idea to him, becomes his new haven. Although he lacked both the time and money necessary for a traditional education between sailing he began his way to self-education. In the beginning Martin was separated from Ruth because of their class difference, but as this yearning for education developed he and Ruth become involved. ^He wasn^t of their tribe, and he couldn^t talk their lingo was the way he put it to himself. He couldn^t fake being their kind.^ (p. 51) Although he wasn^t born any with any of these ^privileges^ he made it his business

Malware Discussion Essay

The use of malware is a way for attackers to gain access to person information from a personal computer or company information from an organization. There are several types of malware which include virus, rootkits, and worms. Each malware serves different purposes to achieve the goal of an attacker. An attacker could be envious of a past lover and could send a virus to their email to shutdown the operations of their computer. A disgruntle employee could send a worm to their old company and slow down production of the company. A random person looking for a thrill could set up a rootkit on a company’s network to gain access to company secrets. Each malware is given a name specified for its cause, for example the Trojan Worm. The name is given to this virus because of the activity that happens once it is executed. Viruses are named by antivirus companies who avoid using proper names. The Melissa virus was named by its creator, David Smith, for a Miami stripper. This paper will discuss 5 different types of malware and inform the targets for these attacks. Discussion of Malware The first malware that will be discussed is the Melissa Virus. This virus was detected on the 26th of March 1999. This virus is a Microsoft Word macro virus that is delivered as an E-mail attachment. The virus is activated when an attachment named, list. doc is opened. When it is activated, the Melissa virus searches the Microsoft Outlook address book and sends a message to the first 50 names. This virus proliferates itself as users open the attachment. Melissa doesn’t work on Outlook Express, just Outlook. The message appears to come from the person just infected, which means that the message will seem to come from a recognizable email address. Melissa doesn’t destroy files or other resources, but has the possibility to immobilize corporate and other mails servers. The origin of the Melissa virus is from an Internet alt. sex newsgroup and contains a list of passwords for various Web sites that require memberships. Melissa also has the ability to disable some security safeguards. Users of Microsoft Word 97 or 2000 with Microsoft Outlook 97, 98, or 200 are most likely to be affected. When the virus attacks, it can infect the copy of Microsoft Word that is installed as well as any following Word documents that are created. It can also change the setting of Microsoft Word to make it easier for the computer to become infected by it and succeeding macro viruses. Users of Word 97 or 2000 containing any other E-mail programs can be affected also; the difference is that Melissa will not automatically redistribute itself to the contacts through other E-mail programs. It can still however infect the copy of Microsoft installed on the machine. This infected copy can still be shared with others if a document is created in the infected copy and distributed through E-mail, floppy disk, or FTP. Although the virus won’t appeal to the mailout on a Mac system, it can be stored and resent from Macs. To avoid this virus, it is suggested to not double-click any file, such as an E-mail attachment, without scanning it first with antivirus software, regardless of who it is from. The next malware to be discussed is SQL injection which is an attack where malicious code is placed in within strings that are shortly passed on to an example of SQL Server for parsing and implementation. A form of SQL injection consists of direct placing of code into user-input variables that link with SQL commands and executed. An attack that is not as direct, inserts malicious code into strings that are intended for storage in a table or as metadata. The malicious code is executed once the stored strings are linked into a dynamic SQL command. In SQL Injection, the hacker uses SQL queries and ingenuity to get to the database of susceptible corporate data through the web application. Websites with features as login pages, support and product request forms, feedback forms, search pages, shopping carts and the general delivery of dynamic content, shape modern websites and provide businesses with the means necessary to communicate with prospects and customers are all vulnerable to SQL Injection attacks. The reason behind this is because the fields available for user input allow SQL statements to pass through and query the database directly. SQL Injection flaws are introduced when software developers create dynamic database queries that include user supplied input. There have been several reports of SQL attacks, dating back to 2005. The websites that have became victim to these attacks range from Microsoft U. K. to Lady GaGa’s website. To avoid SQL injection flaws, it is suggested that developers need to either: a) stop writing dynamic queries; and/or b) prevent user supplied input which contains malicious SQL from affecting the logic of the executed query. The next malware discussed will be Stuxnet. Stuxnet is a computer worm that targets Siemens industrial software and equipment running Microsoft Windows, and was discovered in June 2010. Although Stuxnet isn’t the first attack to target industrial systems, it is however the first discovered malware that actually moles on and weakens industrial systems. Stuxnet is also the first malware to include a programmable logic controller rootkit. Stuxnet is designed to target specifically Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. The PLCs are infected by Stuxnet weakening the Step-7 software application that is used to reprogram these devices. Stuxnet is different from other malware as it only attacks computers and networks that meet a specific configuration requirement. Stuxnet contains a safeguard and if Siemens software isn’t discovered on the infected computer will prevent each infected computer from spreading the worm to more than three others, and to erase itself on June 24, 2012. Along with other things for its victims, Stuxnets contains code for a man-in-the-middle attack. Stuxnet will spread through removable devices such as an USB drive in a Windows operating system by using a four zero-day attack. After it has infected the removable drive, it uses other utilizations and techniques to infect and update other computers inside private networks. Stuxnet infects Step 7 software by infecting project files belong to Siemen’s WinCC/PCS 7 SCADA control software and weakens a key communication library of WinCC called s7otbxdx. dll. It is recommended by Siemens to contact customer support if and infection is detected and advises installing Microsoft patches for security vulnerabilities and prohibiting the use of third-party USB flash drives. Next, Zeus, also known as Zbot virus will be discussed. This virus is geared toward financial institutions such as banks. Zeus was first discovered in July 2007 after being used to steal information from the US DOT. Zeus is set up to infect a consumers PC, and wait until the log onto a list of targeted banks and financial institutions and steal their credentials and sends them to a remote server in real time. Zeus can also inject HTML into a page that is provided by the browser, this displays its own content instead of the actual page from the bank’s web server. By doing this, it is able to obtain users information such card numbers and pins. According to SecureWorks, ZeuS is sold in the criminal underground as a kit for around $3000-4000, and is likely the one malware most utilized by criminals specializing in financial fraud. According to Lucian Constantin, Zeus is one of the oldest and most popular crimeware toolkits available on the underground market. Up until this year the Trojan could only be acquired for significant sums of money from its original author. However, a few months ago the source code leaked online and now anyone with the proper knowledge can create variations of the malware. Also according to SecureWorks, The latest version of Zeus as of this date is 1. 3. 4. x and is privately sold. The author has gone to great lengths to protect this version using a Hardware-based Licensing System. The author of Zeus has created a hardware-based licensing system for the Zeus Builder kit that you can only run on one computer. Once you run it, you get a code from the specific computer, and then the author gives you a key just for that computer. This is the first time they have seen this level of control for malware. The CTU recommends that businesses and home users carry out online banking and financial transactions on isolated workstations that are not used for general Internet activities, such as web browsing and reading email which could increase the risk of infection. The last malware that will be discussed is the Blaster worm also known as Lovsan, Lovesan, or MSBlast. The Blaster worm spreads on computers that have Windows XP and Windows 2000 as an operating system and was detected in August of 2003. The creator of the B variant of the Blaster worm, Jeffrey Lee Parson was an 18 year old from Hopkins, Minnesota. He was arrested on August 29, 2003, admitted to the creation of the B variant, and was sentenced to 18-months in prison in January 2005. A Windows component known as the DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) interface which is a known vulnerability of Windows is taken advantage of by Blaster. The DCOM handles messages sent using the RPC (Remote Procedure Call) protocol. Vulnerable systems can be compromised without any interaction from a user, according to Johannes Ullrich, chief technology officer at the SANS Internet Storm Center, which monitors threats to the Internet infrastructure. According to Mikko Hypponen, manager of antivirus research at F-Secure in Helsinki, Blaster unlike the Code Red worm, which contained code for a similar attack against the IP address of White House’s main Web server, targets the windowsupdate. microsoft. com domain, which prevents Microsoft from changing the address of the domain to sidestep the attack. Blaster’s code is small and can be quickly removed using free tools provided by F-Secure as well as other antivirus vendors, Hypponen said. However, customers should patch their systems before removing Blaster to prevent from getting infected again from the worm, he said.

PA module

You will notice that the self-test and demonstration case solutions provided in this module and other modules attempt to cover all possible solutions and to provide an example of an â€Å"exceeds† solution. They may, therefore, be longer than would be required in an examination situation. You may wish to use the Competency Area Checklist to help you sort through the case data. Once you have determined which competency areas are relevant, consider the specific issues that need to be addressed. At times, the course materials use generic dates rather than real dates.When you come across instances of generic dates, consider the date to correspond with standards that are currently In effect. Overview In keeping with your role as an accountant, your ability to communicate effectively is a professional quality and skill that you are expected to demonstrate in all of your assignments, whether for study or for work. You will also be expected to demonstrate several communication compete ncies on the PAP examination. The module provides practical suggestions for enhancing your writing skills and opportunities for self- assessing your writing ability.This module introduces the case analysis process. It gives you to a step-by-step framework for approaching case questions and provides tips on how to avoid common errors in responding to case questions. The framework is designed to enhance your case analysis skills as you practice with self-test cases and prepare your responses to assignment cases. You learn about different forms of analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, and review strategies for generating alternatives and selecting decision criteria. The evaluation of alternatives and final recommendation

Benefits of intership

The benefit of Inter-agency partnerships Is working refers to when two or more agencies that deal the same Issues for example health Issues where Hospital can work with the GAP. Some agencies could have some information about a person that another doesn't or when a person is at an age where they can be cared for better by one agency, this relationship allows them to be transferred.Be treated by different services can benefit the service users because the service users can be sure that he as been checked by two deferent person and can be treated quickly. This could be a benefit for the service providers as well because the second partnership can get all information about the person without asking the person, they can get all Information about the person from the first partnership. Inter-agency partnerships for Elizabeth This report is based on Inter-agency working together to provide Elizabeth support to deal with her Alchemist's disease.The reason why Inter-agency are working is to h elp Elizabeth and help her family with Alchemist's and to provide support for both of hem. Agencies working together Health Visitor Health visitor for older people is to promote the health and independence of older people living at home with difficulties. Elizabeth would need the support off Health visitor because of her family that doesn't understand her and that they are no longer interested In her well-being. The main role of health visitor Is to provide a supportive health assessment and referral service for old people like Elizabeth.They also work with GAP and health care services. The Health Visiting Service for Older People aims o: Support old people health and well being Help prevent ill health and its consequences Support patients living with long term conditions to facilitate Independence Provide up-to-date Information about help and services available so that patients, their families and careers can make Informed decisions Access health needs and refer to additional servi ces if required Provide careers with advice about the support that is available to them General practice (G.P) G. P are here to work for primary care and are part of a clinical commissioning group which have responsibilities for helping with healthcare from secondary healthcare providers, such as hospital and community and also Alchemist's society. Elizabeth would need the support of a General practice working with the Health visitor. Alchemist's society This is an organization that will work and support people with diseases such Dementia. They are all volunteers who are helping old people with Alchemist's.Elizabeth would need their support and help for her disease. This society will also work with the both General practice and Health visitor to malting Elizabeth health Elizabeth with every aspect and understanding diagnosis and assessment to dealing with the financial challenges that she might be encounter as she no longer lives with her family. Benefits The benefits of inter-agenc y partnerships working together for Elizabeth are that Alchemist's society, the G. P and the health visitor are all working for her.This will benefits her and the all three social and care system because they can get information about Elizabeth without her help. This will also benefit Elizabeth because she can get all the support by three different agencies and get treated quickly. Elizabeth will get all the support and help from different health service this will benefit her. Factor that preventing The main factors that prevent inter-agency collaboration relate to Elizabeth Alchemist's might be communication within and between agencies, professional values and power relationships.Partner agencies in collaborative situations need to be treated as equals. Communication can be one of the factors that could prevent agencies working together, lack of communication, example if the health visitor doesn't give information and doesn't communicate with the two other agencies that loud cause issues for Elizabeth, issues like the agencies can't get enough information and Elizabeth can't get in a good condition situation because agencies will delay the treatment because of one agency.Agencies might have difficulties in sharing information; particularly confidential information as well as cultural and professional differences between agencies can prevent them working together. Other factors that can prevent agencies working together are that if one agency gives only limited information about Elizabeth that can prevent agencies working together as hey won't get enough information about Elizabeth. Another reason which can prevent agencies from working together might be the funding which can cause problems, like lack of money and couldn't help Elizabeth with her needs.If one of the agencies can't co-operate with other agencies because of any reason and this can prevent them working together example if the General practice doesn't feel well and can't come work with the other a gencies. How to overcome and consider them Communication needs to be developed at all levels of operation both within each agency working with Elizabeth. Agencies need to find ways to improve face to face and written communication.Procedures and practices should be integrated between agencies and Elizabeth. Discuss about the health improvement of Elizabeth. Be equal and don't give preferences to one agency than the other. Conclusion Elizabeth had the help of the 3 agencies that worked together to support and help her with Alchemist's. She had all the benefits of the agencies with her and agencies had benefits between because they have worked together for Elizabeth. They have overcome of what had prevented them working together.

Emily: A Case Study in Adolescent Development Essay

Abstract This case study details the developmental milestones of an adolescent girl named Emily. Emily is 12 years old and lives with her mother who is a single parent. According to many theorists and researches, because she is being raised by a single mother, Emily is an at-risk adolescent who may have trouble properly hitting developmental milestones along with her peers. After observing Emily in her natural environment, then spending time interacting with Emily and interviewing her mother Elizabeth, I found that Emily is a typically developing adolescent. Emily has developed before or along with her peers physically, cognitively, and psychosocially. Emily appears to be developing a healthy sense of independence and self concept. Finally, Emily is healthy and appears to be progressing through puberty at a normal rate. Emily: A Case Study In Adolescent Development Emily is a 12-year-old girl. Since birth she has lived with her mother Elizabeth in a small South Carolina town – population 60,000. She was an only child until three years ago when her brother Wade was born. Emily’s mother Elizabeth is a single mother. Emily has never met her own father but had grown close to Wade’s father, her step dad, when he died nine months ago from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Emily’s mother According to Milstead and Perkins (2010), a child’s family is central to their successful development. Their research suggests that children who are raised in non-traditional families are at a disadvantage is all areas of development as well as socioeconomically. This case study will examine typical physical, cognitive, and psychosocial milestone of adolescent children and if 12-year-old Emily has been negatively affected in these areas as a result of her living in a single parent home. LITERATURE REVIEW At 12 years old Emily is entering adolescence. It is during adolescence that puberty begins. The time of adolescence is a time of rapid changes and physical growth in children. Rapid growth occurs in the bones and muscles, changes in body shape and size occur, and sexual maturation begins, essentially ending childhood. Beginning with hormonal changes, including an increase in estrogen and progesterone, girls typically begin experiencing pubescent changes at the approximate age of eight. Soon after, the uterus and vagina begin to grow larger and girls begin to develop breast buds. Around the age of eleven, girls begin to develop pubic hair. Girls can expect their weight and height to increase during this time as well. As girls a girl’s body begins to prepare for menarche, their hips will become wider. The first menstrual period typically occurs around the age of twelve; however, this can happen earlier for some girls and much later for others. Puberty continues through the age of 18 as girls breasts fully develop and their first ovulation occurs (Berger, 2011). In addition to sexual development during puberty, adolescents develop physically as well. A growth spurt occurs during adolescence where nearly every body part grows, most notably at different and uneven rates. According to Berger (2011), the fingers and toes of an adolescent grow longer before the hands and feet. The hands and feet grow longer before the arms and legs, and the arms and legs grow longer before the torso. It is not uncommon for an adolescent’s body to appear unsymmetrical. â€Å"One foot, one breast, or even one ear may grow later than the other,† (Berger, 2011, p. 393). The hormones responsible for puberty and growth spurts in adolescent girls are also responsible for emotional changes. It is not uncommon for girls experiencing these hormone changes to have sudden outbursts of anger, sadness, or even lust. Neurological changes occur as the â€Å"limbic system, responsible for intense fear and excitement from the amygdale, matures before the prefrontal cortex, where planning ahead, emotional regulation, and impulse control occur,† (Berger, 2011, p 400). These neurological changes often lead adolescents to throw caution to the wind, especially in social situations. Adolescents are more likely to act impulsively. Their impulsive behaviors coupled with their increase in hormones and interest in  sexual activities puts adolescents at risk for sexual abuse and early pregnancy (Berger, 2011). During adolescence, physical and hormonal changes aren’t the only changes occurring. Brain maturation also occurs and cognitive growth increases. Adolescent children will experience increased independence, a heightened sense of self-consciousness, the ability to think more abstractly. According to Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher, Jean Piaget, adolescents develop the ability to use abstract logic, in contrast to children in early and middle childhood who primarily only have the ability to think in concrete terms (Goncu, & Abel, 2011). In addition, during adolescence, identity struggles often begin. Developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst, Erik Erickson, described this stage of development as identity versus role confusion. According to Erickson, an adolescent’s mission during this state is to unearth who they are as individuals, apart from their families and as members of society at large. Futile navigation of this stage, according to Erickson, results in role confusion and upheaval. Adolescents develop a sense of personal identity through many avenues including religion, politics, natural abilities, and gender. Merging childhood events, social ideals, and their distinctive ambitions, identity is developed. However, according to Erickson, adolescents seldom reach identity and role confusion is more probable (Boddington, 2009). OBSERVATION AND INTERACTION Emily is attending a birthday party for one of her peers at school. The party is being held at a local church, in the church’s social hall. According to Emily’s mother this is not the first birthday party that Emily had attended where both boys and girls are present; however, it is the first co-ed party that she has attended since she began showing an interest in boys. Most of the girls are wearing dresses and shoes with modest heels; their hair perfectly tended to with hints of gloss on their lips and blush on their cheeks. Emily wears blue jeans, a blue and white stripped long sleeved shirt and boat shoes. Her normal blond curls have been flattened with a straightening iron, according to her mother. Emily likes her hair better  straight and she hates dresses. Emily is tall, standing at 5 feet 6 inches tall. She weighs 150 pounds. Her body is well proportioned and she does not appear to be overweight. Emily has developed breasts and she has the appearance of some acne on her chin and forehead. The overhead fluorescent lights are dimmed in the social hall but the area is lit well with blue, red, and green lights which flash in sync with the music playing over a pair of large speakers. A DJ encourages the 28 eleven and twelve year olds to join the only two boys on the dance floor. The room is divided. Girls stand near a row of metal folding chairs lining a wall. The boys gather near a stage on the far end of the room. Emily’s mother Elizabeth is also attending the party as a chaperone. Elizabeth motions for Emily to come to her three times during a thirty minute period in an effort to encourage Emily to join the others on the dance floor. Each time Emily ignores her mother’s encouragements. The third time Emily’s eyes grow wide and from across the room she mouths the word â€Å"stop† to Elizabeth. Nearly an hour into the party, the girls scream with delight when a popular song begins to play and several rush to the dance floor. Emily rushes to the dance floor with a number of other girls and they begin to dance to the music. Song after song, Emily and her group of friends stay on the dance floor. They stop occasionally to chat with one another but never leave the dance floor. Emily dances and laughs with her female friends for nearly an hour before the group is called to have birthday cake and watch as the birthday girl opens presents. While the children are eating Emily socializes with both her female and male friends. She is particularly friendly with a male named Dawson. The two stand beside one another and talk while their friend opens her birthday presents. She playfully hits him on the arm six times during their exchange. She blushes as he playfully hit her back. Soon the group of adolescents is back on the dance floor for another half hour of dancing before the party is over. This time both the boys and girls are on  the dance floor together. Emily dances alongside both her female and male friends for the remainder of the party. As the party comes to close, Emily hugs each one of her female friends’ goodbye as they leave. When Elizabeth summons Emily to leave the party, Emily shouts out to Dawson, telling him goodbye. On Sunday afternoon, Elizabeth welcomes me to spend time with Emily in the family’s home. Emily’s family lives in a modest three bedroom, two bath house in a popular neighborhood on the North side of town. Their large fenced in back yard is filled with bright colored, plastic play-things belonging to Emily’s younger brother Wade. Emily’s purple Next bicycle leans against a wall in the home’s garage. The bicycle is much too small for her growing stature and Emily readily admits that she hasn’t ridden the bike in at least a year. Nothing else in the yard or garage suggests that a young girl live there but inside the home tells a different story. On the kitchen counter lays a knotted green ribbon with long blonde hairs tangled within the knot. Emily explains that she wore the ribbon on St. Patrick’s Day this year because she had no other green in her wardrobe. Lying on the family couch is a blue and purple fleece blanket and a fuzzy heart -shaped fuchsia pillow donning the words â€Å"Drama Queen.† It’s Emily’s favorite pillow. The floor in the living area is scattered with green toy tractors and an incomplete train set. Leaving the living area and entering the long narrow hallway, Emily’s bedroom is the first room on the left. Her doorway stands open but a handmade foam door hanger hangs from the door knob reading â€Å"Do Not Enter.† Emily’s room is pink and while with accents of black and grey. Her hot pink sheets peek out from under the wrinkled black and white polka dot comforter on her bed. Her bedroom walls are adorned with pictures of her favorite singers, Cody Simpson and Selena Gomez. A large bean bag chair takes up much of the floor space in her bedroom. A large bookcase runs nearly the length of one wall while a keyboard and microphone stand sit against the opposite wall. Emily loves to sing and often spends a great deal of her time singing along with her favorite musicians on her karaoke machine. A framed piece of child-drawn art hangs to the right of her bed. Emily says she completed the work in third grade. It depicts a boy who is seemingly stuck inside of a glass bottom room. Emily explains the technique  she used is called foreshadowing. When asked if it has an underlying leans, Emily whips her hair and nonchalantly replies that it does not. Emily is welcoming and excited to show off her space and her things, including her three dance trophies and her second place youth photography ribbon she won at last year’s South Carolina Festival of Flowers. Emily is creative and has an artistic side through her love of music, photography, drawing and painting, and dance. I inquire more about Emily’s art work and she pulls from her closet several pieces of art work sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard. She carefully pulls out several pieces of art and tells me how old she was when she completed it. Before we can finish, Emily’s phone alerts her that she has a text message. For the next 15 minutes Emily sends and receives text messages from her cell phone. She tells me that she is discussing an upcoming school trip to Philadelphia with her friend Jenny. They are discussing room arrangements. After texting with Jenny, Emily shows me information she has printed from the internet pertaining to her trip to Philadelphia. Emily says she is excited about the trip as she has never been away from home for more than two or three days at a time. She will be in Philadelphia for six days. Emily says she cannot wait to go and excitedly explains how she will be staying in a hotel room with three of her female friends, without an adult. Emily explains that the girls will stay on the third floor of the hotel while the boys will stay on the second floor. Emily receives another text message just as I am leaving. She says goodbye without looking up from her cell phone. INTERVIEW Elizabeth is a thirty-two year old mother of two. She gave birth to Emily at the age of nineteen. Emily was born December 10, 1999 by cesarean section after a full term pregnancy. Emily’s mother Elizabeth reports no prenatal problems and no complications during labor. At birth Emily weighed seven pounds and eleven ounces. She was twenty one inches long. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2000) Emily’s weight put her in the thirty sixth percentile for newborns and her height put her in the ninety third percentile for newborns. As an infant, Emily was breast fed for seven months, according to Elizabeth. Elizabeth explains that as an infant, a  toddler, and a young child, Emily hit all of her developmental milestones early, including puberty which began for Emily around age nine. Emily’s father is not active in Elizabeth and Emily’s lives. Emily has never met her father. Elizabeth explains that Emily’s father attended college with her. They were casually dating when Elizabeth became pregnant. Emily’s father did not want anything to do with Elizabeth after she told him she was pregnant. After finding out that she was pregnant, Elizabeth quit school until she gave birth to Emily then quickly returned to finish her degree. Elizabeth obtained a four year degree in marketing from a local college when Emily was three. She now works for a major hotel chain as their director of communications. Elizabeth earns $43,000 annually. She has no other income. Elizabeth grew up in the Catholic Church but left the church as a teen. Today she is a member of a local Presbyterian church. Elizabeth considers herself an authoritative parent. She says that while she has great deal of expectations for her children, she also has a close and warm relationship with each of them. She says her relationship with Emily has become closer since Emily has begun middle school. Elizabeth believes that it is most important that her children trust her. She explains that she wants her children to feel as if they can talk to her about anything. Elizabeth expects Emily to perform well in school and says Emily has not ever been in trouble at school because Elizabeth does not tolerate disobedience, especially in school. Elizabeth believes she holds the three traits that she says make a great parent: she commands respect; she works constantly to ensure good communication with her children so that they trust her, and she has clear expectations of her children. Elizabeth says that if she were to give new parents three pieces of advice she would impress upon them how quickly time passes. â€Å"Enjoy every minute, and don’t take one second for granted,† she says. Elizabeth says she would also tell new parents to make sure they make time for themselves. Finally, Elizabeth says she would tell them to be honest with their children. â€Å"Share your life experiences with them. Tell them the things you did right and the things you did wrong. Tell them about the lessons you’ve learned. Children learn to respect you and trust you in that sense.† FINDINGS Emily is nine months shy of her thirteenth birthday. Emily is five feet, six inches tall. She weighs one hundred and fifty pounds. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2000), Emily’s height is greater than the ninety seventh percentile for height. Emily is at the ninety seventh percentile for weight. Although Emily is taller and heavier than more than ninety five percent of her peers, according to her mother, Emily has hit developmental milestones earlier than her peers since she was an infant. Furthermore, Emily is currently experiencing puberty, an expected occurrence at her age. She has developed breasts and she has had her first menstrual period. Emily is not sexually active, according to her mother and therefore she is currently not at risk for early pregnancy. Cognitively, Emily is progressing as a typical 12 year old girl. She displays eagerness to establish a sense of independence from her mother with her upcoming school trip to Philadelphia. She looks forward to being away from her mother, and proving to both her mother and herself that she is maturing in the ability to make her own choices. Emily’s cognitive development is also apparent in the choices she made when dressing and styling her hair for the birthday party she attended. Emily’s mother explained that Emily used a straightening iron on her hair because she was not fond of her naturally curly hair. This demonstrates that Emily has developed a sense of self-consciousness. Lastly, Emily’s psychosocial development is apparent in that Emily is working to develop her own identity. Although Emily’s friends wore dresses to the birthday party, Emily opted for blue jeans and boat shoes. Emily chose to wear what she was comfortable wearing instead of what social norms would have her wear. In addition, Emily knows what she loves. She immerses herself in her art, her music, and her photography. While her friends are participating in sports and trying out for cheerleading, Emily is comfortable in her own vocation and does not seem eager to change. SUMMARY Emily is a typically developing 12 year old girl. It does not appear that her physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development has been negatively affected by her growing up in a single parent home. While Emily’s development is far from over, for now she appears to be progressing well, and developing into a healthy, secure and socially responsible young woman. REFERENCES Berger, K. (2011). The Developing Person Through the Life Span, eighth ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Boddington, E. N. (2009). _Cognitive Process of Development in Children_. Online Submission. Goncu, A., & Abel, B. (2011). The child’s conception of the world: A 20th-century classic of child psychology, Second Edition. Edited by Jean Piaget, Forward by Jacques Voneche. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, Lanham, MD, 2007. pp. 432. Price:  £19.99, â‚ ¬31.48†¦ Infant & Child Development, 20(2), 246-248. doi:10.1002/icd.719 Milstead, K., & Perkins, G. (2010). Family Structure Characteristics and Academic Success: Supporting the Work of School Counselors. Academic Leadership (15337812), 8(4), 19. National Center for Desease Control and Prevention (May 30, 2000). CDC growth charts. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c022.pdf.