Fidelios Initial Response Essay Example

Fidelios Initial Response Essay Fidelio, Beethovens only opera, is difficult to analyze in the Reception Theory due mainly to the fact that it was released on three separate occasions, changing drastically each time. Its difficult to really understand the general audiences reception to Fidelio, unless analyzing each release separately due to the differences in each piece respectively. Regardless of which form of Fidelio youre discussing, it has become common knowledge that the final version, released in 1814, became widely regarded as an operatic masterpiece over the years. The goal of this paper is to review the general publics response to each of the revised pieces, and attempt to determine when exactly the final work grew to be hailed as a masterpiece. Beethoven took his time over a span of years looking through libretto after libretto to write what he thought would be the greatest opera of the time. Though that sounds a bit arrogant, he was Beethoven; the greatest composer of western music to date, and that was his goal. Finally he stumbled across a libretto inspired by the French technique, which intrigued him, and he jumped at the opportunity. We will write a custom essay sample on Fidelios Initial Response specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Fidelios Initial Response specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Fidelios Initial Response specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By November of 1805, the initial version of what was called at the time Leonora, was ready to be premiered. A key fact to the reception of this piece however lies in history. In late October 1805, Napoleons armies were bearing down on Vienna (Brener 27). By the 30th they had entered Salzburg, leading to the flea of most persons of wealth and nobility (27). These people were who would have normally made up the audience at a premier such as Beethovens first and last opera. So it was under these horrendous circumstances that Fidelio was performed at the Theatre an der Wien (28). The usual audience had either fled or was unable to reach the theater as the city had been closed to the suburbs (28). The initial version of the opera was a very long, drawn out piece, consisting of three acts. Needless to say under the circumstances the first performance was not acclaimed by either the reviewers or the audiences. After three performances Beethoven withdrew the opera in disgust, for further review (28). It is safe to say the initial result was what no one expected as it was ridiculed by audiences and critics alike. After the initial catastrophe, Beethoven went back to work importing a new librettist, shortening the work, and changing some music as well. By 1806 it was ready to be premiered again, and this time to the usual audience. The performance was extremely anticipated, however again failed in the eyes of the critics; however more importantly to Beethoven was the opinion of the audiences. The audience adored the re-release. The great Hector Berlioz states: Some time afterwards, however, it reappeared; modified in several ways, both as to music and text; and furnished with a new overture. This second trial was a complete success; and Beethoven, loudly recalled by the audience, was brought upon the stage after the first act, and again after the second act; the finale of which produced an enthusiasm hitherto unknown at Vienna. The score of Fidelio was, however, none the less subject to varying degrees of bitter criticism (132). Although the second release of Fidelio was certainly better received than the first, and to the correct audience, Berlioz goes on to say, The fact is that, of these three scores, the first is extremely weak; the second scarcely a work of talent; and the third a masterpiece of genius (133). This statement exemplifies the bulk of Reception Theory research found today. Though the second version of Fidelio was rather widely acclaimed and began to play all over Europe at different theatre companies, it was not until the third and final version, released in 1814, that Fidelio could be called an operatic masterpiece for the ages. Many years and many works after the release of the second version of Fidelio, with yet another librettist and more changes including the addition of an overture, the final version of Fidelio premiered on 23 May 1814. This form and performance catapulted Fidelio into a widely acclaimed masterpiece of opera. Critics and audiences alike would praise the work for years and years to come, as it is still acclaimed as one of the great operas of the time today. Beethoven in response to the much awaited success wrote in his daybook, It is certain that one writes best when one writes for the public (Brener 31). The Reception Theory combines a variety of thoughts on a piece with its reception by the critics and general public at the time, and when the piece is widely acclaimed, which could be much later in time. Often times works that are experimental in one era become hailed as masterpieces in another, thats the whole point of the Reception Theory, to determine when a work makes this crossover. Beethovens Fidelio had the perfect timing as far as this approach states. With the final changes to the piece, it became praised as one of the all-time masterpieces almost immediately. One can only guess at the depth of Beethovens frustration upon being repeatedly told, by even the most well-meaning of his admirers, that he was writing for the future and that he could not be understood in his own day (Brener 31). What Fidelio, accomplished upon completion and acclaim was prove to Beethoven that as often as his pieces were based on where music was going, he could still write for the people of the time, while moving in the direction of the future. What is found upon further research is that Fidelio has grown like a fine wine, though highly praised in 1814 at the conception of the final version; it has only grown in the publics appreciation over time. There is not exact date in which the work crossed over to a masterpiece, essentially from the final versions premiere it was a fact understood by the audience, that this was and would be a great opera for a lengthy period of time.

Woman in Midcentury essays

Woman in Midcentury essays In 1840 leaders of the antislavery movement gathered in London, England. Among the Americans attending were woman. Yet, when they tried to take part in the actual meeting, they found themselves ignored and silenced. Men angrily claimed that it was not a womans place to speak in public. They voted not to allow woman delegates to play a role in the meeting. Instead, the woman sat and said nothing. Today, this sounds like discrimination, but in the beginning of the antebellum years, this outlook towards woman, by men, was not unusual. Many people believed that woman should not play a role in public life. Their role was supposed to be in the home, washing clothes, fixing dinners and attending to children. Women were not supposed to be speaking their minds or participating in voting. Woman could not vote, sit on juries, or hold public office. Many laws treated woman as children. In most states, a husband controlled any property his wife inherited or any wages she earned. A husband could also punish his wife, as long as he did not seriously harm her. Most women of this period accepted their role without complaint. Society however was changing and new roles for women were developing. Nevertheless, some woman felt stifled, and they launched a major new movement to win a new role in society. But what exactly was this new role and what did this movement actually move the woman to? The antebellum time was a time of many social and political changes. American men and woman became closer emotionally in the early 1800s, and thus more women married for love. At the same time though, husbands and wives were leading completely different lives. In colonial times the home and workplace had usually been one and the same. Husbands and wives worked along side each other. As factories and other business opened up Americas cities, the home and the workplace became separate. Husbands left home and woman ran the households. ...

Fraud, Murder and Bribery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fraud, Murder and Bribery - Essay Example The other fundamental questions have been should American firms engage in these practices while in business abroad? This is because firms’ ability to effectively compete in the global economy has been affected mainly by these unethical practices. It is not proper to engage in unethical business practices even if a firm is in countries where their practices are tolerated. Ethical decision-making is important to the success of any Company. Some business decisions are easy and obvious to make; others are not. When a firm is faced with a tough situation, asking various operational questions can help them make the correct ethical decisions. Likewise, it is essential for firms to obey the spirit and letter of the laws within and out of the country at all times. Furthermore, wherever they live or work, they should respect the values that are ethical to protect their reputation both at home and abroad. Every country where they operate or do business has their own laws, regulations, and culture. Many times there are significant deviations from one place to another or between regions. However, no matter where a firm works, they sho, and be all responsible for respecting all applicable laws and do business in the most ethical manner. However, firms in America are not allowed by law to engage in these unethical practices. Despite the desire of a particular firm to engage in such practices, they are prohibited by the law. It is in public domain that the United States firms, unlike in many other countries around the world, has to contend with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977 that tries to address the issue of unethical business practices such as bribery for U.S. companies (Loughman & Sibery,2012).  

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness - Essay Example But there are various degrees of madness that lead to this total madness, as this essay will show. The first example of madness is in fact within history, more than 1800 years ago, as the Romans invaded Britain. Marlow reflects on those distant times when England "was one of the dark places on earth." Dark and savage Britain was a dangerous but fascinating terrain that they sought to take from the British but at the same time often went mad in the process. Part of the reason for this madness, and through allusion it is what was happening in Africa at the time the novel was written, is that conquest of a land means "taking it away from those who had a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves . . . is not a pretty thing." (Conrad, ) The reaction of Europeans to Africa seems to revolve around different types and degrees of madness. Thus there is the futile action of the gunboat as it fires constant, random shots into the jungle. It is not aiming at anyone in particular, or indeed, at any thing in particular. The people in control of it are essentially mad because they feel that they are actually achieving something through the very action. Doing something, however pointless, is always better than doing nothing within this type of madness. This ship and its occupants however remain reasonably remote from the reality of Africa, they are after all firing into it rather than going into it. A different kind of madness occurs for those who actually take on African through going into it. Kurtz remains at one extreme of madness - total, partly because he has lived in the very interior, at "the very bottom of there" (Conrad, ). Marlow, who is only a little mad as he makes his way into the heart of Africa, recognizes that Kurtz is totally mad, and recognizes why he has ended up in that state. One moment where Marlow sees the strange fascination of being seduced by madness in Africa is when he hears a native screaming, "the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise" (Conrad, ). Part of Kurtz's madness stems from the fact that he regards himself as "extraordinary" (Conrad, ) and thus is not subject to the rules that the others must adhere to. The Russian excuses him by saying "you can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man" (Conrad, ). Kurtz wanted to educate and civilize the natives of Africa, which within the terms of reference of the book, is essentially a type of madness because it is such a futile attempt. He is breaking the rules through trying to do something good for the natives, but continues to do so as the darkness wins and he essentially becomes savage. His madness is savage, and his savagery is mad: they are linked together within a kind of mutually parasitic relationship that takes Kurtz further and further into insanity. Essentially the whole book deals with a voyage into the "heart of darkness" which is essentially madness. Marlow realizes that he is discovering the "wild and passionate uproar" at the heart of all human beings. Heart of Darkness suggests that it is savagery of Africa that most perfectly encapsulates this "uproar" and that the European should avoid too much contact with it if he is to avoid madness. In conclusion, nearly all the characters in Heart of Darkness are mad in one way or another. Kurtz is mad, the natives are

Developmental Stages Matrix Essay Example for Free

Developmental Stages Matrix Essay Physical growth is at the fastest rate during infancy. Young infants learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk within 12 to 15 months of birth. Uses the Sensorimotor stage of development. The infant uses sensory and motor contact to explore and understand the world around them. During infancy is when a child develops the bond with his or her guardian. An infant will learn who the guardian is and feel emotional attachment when their guardians are present or absent. Early Childhood Children continue to develop motor skills during early childhood. Things like stacking blocks, walking without help, and Push or pull things begin to develop during the early childhood stage. Uses the Preoperational stage of development. The child is able to use words and images to convey the world around them. They are still not able to assign logic to events that occur around them. This is the stage when most children become socially interactive with other people. This is when the child will begin to explore the world around them and either feel a sense of excitement or fear. Middle Childhood This is the stage of increased growth. The child sees the most physical growth during this stage. Uses the Concrete Operational Stage of development. The child is able to think logically and assign logic to situations or events. During this stage the child begins to develop a minimal sense of independence. The child can go off on his or her own to school or out to play without feeling a sense of anxiety from separation of  the parents. This stage is when the child begins to form bonds outside of the immediate household.

Study on Minority Status Stress and Psychological Distress

Study on Minority Status Stress and Psychological Distress PAGE SUMMARY Recent findings show that some high-achieving individuals are unable to accept their success. These individuals have feelings of inadequacies that are pervasive and persist regardless of how successful they become. Impostor syndrome/feelings is the feeling of internalized chronic self-doubt and intellectual fraudulence that causes individuals to feel as though they are not successful or competent. Impostor syndrome/feelings were originally researched in White, middle and upper middle class high-achieving women. Though evidence shows otherwise, these women tend to attribute their success to coincidence or error, not their hard work. Impostor phenomenon has been tied to clinically significant mental health symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety, and low self-esteem. Several board members of Fortune 500 companies have stated that, in the past, they thought that they would be escorted out of their building and fired from their jobs. This is mainly because they feel that they would b e found out as frauds even though they might be qualified for the job. Minority status stress, simply put, is the stress associated with being a minority in spaces with a low minority population. This particular study distinguishes between minority status stress, impostor syndrome, and their involvement with mental health. Research finds that minority status stress negatively affects mental health outcomes, such as general psychological distress and depressive/anxiety symptoms. Per the study, African Americans face the greatest risk of stress related to ethnic minorities. Further research involving other minorities are currently under way. The link between minority status stress and psychological distress seems to stem from the fact that ethnic minority groups are evaluated more negatively than European Americans. African Americans and Latino Americans are ranked last in intelligence rankings and high for laziness. Because of this perception, these minorities are vulnerable to stereotype threat and heightened anxiety in testing situations. Stereotype threat is the perception that a person is conforming to the stereotypes of their social or ethnic group. These minorities experience anxiety in testing situations because they believe they must be exceptional and score well to offset the negative stereotypes of their ethnic group. While the African American and Latino groups have stressors related to overcoming laziness and seeming unintelligent, Asian Americans have stereotypes of overachieving. Asian Americans are stereotypically thought of as the model minority. These individuals are believed to be intelligent, hardworking, and high achieving, with no emotional or adaptive problems. This is problematic because it perpetuates the stereotypical shy, soft-spoken, unassuming Asian person. It is also problematic because Asian Americans are expected to perform well on tests. This causes anxiety becaus e if an Asian person does not perform well, this potentially brings dishonor to their community. Disappointing the community is a stressor and produces anxiety for some Asian people. The study was done at a large southwestern university. Ethnic minorities made up approximately 36.6% of the student body. Individuals age ranged from 17 to 39 years old. Those minorities tested were Latino (76 people) , Asian (111 people), African American (50 people), and American Indians. Three individuals identified as biracial. Of the 240 individuals tested, 90 identified as men and 148 identified as women; 2 individuals did not specify their gender. Of those tested, 13 were freshmen, 54 sophomores, 63 juniors, and 108 seniors. 2 individuals did not identify their year in school. The mean GPA of everyone tested was 3.07. 51 individuals identified as working class, 127 middle class, 57 upper middle class, and 5 upper class. These individuals came from a pool of subjects in the educational psychology department. Those selected was sent a SurveyMonkey.com link where they could take the assessment. Specific measures tested for various signs of minority stress, imposter feelings, and mental well-being. The Minority Student Stress Scale (MSSS) tests for minority status stress. This assessment measures for specific stressors related to minorities and what stressors exacerbates ethnic minority status. The Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) is a 20 item scale that measures feelings of being an imposter. The Mental Health Inventory (MHI) measures mental health. For mental health, higher scores on psychological distress indicates poorer mental health. Higher scores on the psychological well-being index indicate better mental health. According to the data collected by sociologists and demographers, African Americans had more stressful experiences when it comes to adjusting to being a minority in a predominantly White university. Other ethnicities report their stress at a much lower rate. The higher stress reported by African Americans often led to lower feelings of well-being. Data also shows that Asian American students experienced higher imposter feelings than any other ethnicity studied. Per the research, researchers found the results counterintuitive because they believed that highly stigmatized and stereotyped students would struggle with imposter feelings. This is mostly because Asian American students must deal with the stressors of the model-minority stereotype and high parental expectations. Furthermore, the model-minority stereotype may, in fact, produce increased anxiety and distress, particularly for those students who do not possess the intellectual  capacity or whose interests differ from those pr esented by the stereotype. According to the data, minority status stress and impostor feelings were both significantly correlated  with psychological distress and psychological well-being for all of the  ethnic minority groups. The correlation results support research by Jones et  al. (2007), which found that stress related to race or minority status was an  important correlate of mental health outcomes. Minority status stress was a  significant negative predictor, but it did not significantly predict psychological  well-being. Impostor feelings significantly predicted both psychological distress  and psychological well-being; in fact, it was a much stronger predictor than  minority status stress. These findings provide potential insights into ethnic  minority students mental health. PAGE CRITIQUE This piece of research studied mental wellbeing in the realm of minority status stress and imposter syndrome/feelings. The scope of this study may have been too large because only a small selection of minorities were selected. The sample only consisted of African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. Ethnic minorities such as Arab Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan native populations were not included. Biracial students were recognized but their data was not included in the mean. It would be interesting to see how researchers would handle biracial students. Placing them in their own group might not be ideal but asking them which ethnicity they mostly identify as would defeat the purpose of them stating that they were biracial. It would also be interesting to see how mental well-being and minority status stress affect those who benefit from the privilege that comes from assimilating into the majority. This research had an adequate sample size, with 240 minorities surveyed. However there was a large population of Asian Americans with 111 individuals surveyed, followed by 76 LATINOs, 50 AFRICAN AMERICANS, and 3 BIRACIAL INDIVIDUALS. I understand that the study was focused on minorities and their feelings within PWIs, but I believe a more robust sample and statistic would form if the survey was sent to every institution in the area. This way, we can see levels of well-being and imposter feelings and how they compare to minorities who go to PWIs versus minorities who go to HBCUs and members of the majority who go to HBCUs. To provide anecdotal evidence of the need for this expansion, I graduated from an HBCU prior to going to a PWI. I was afforded the opportunity to be a part of an advanced curriculum. In certain classes there were more White students than there were African American students. Though I did not recognize it at the time, the White students had imposter feelings. They wo uld often say how, because of who they are or who they know, they advanced through school with little resistance. They also states that they only reason they enrolled into the HBCU was because they were offered scholarships to play a particular sport. By the time we all graduated, I believe the imposter feelings subsided. I even believe that the mental well-being was good because they joined the fraternities and sororities and embraced the culture and climate of the HBCU. Having a larger number and a wider pool of applicants would allow for stories like that to be told and for their data to be counted. The study states that there is only a correlational connection between minority status stress and imposter feelings and psychological distress and lower psychological well-being. However, I believe that it is intellectually dishonest to try to pinpoint only one cause of psychological distress and lower psychological well-being. The summation of all stressors can lead to these issues. Having a larger sample and a more indepth survey could push the data more toward causal instead of correlational. As the individuals in the anecdotal example, school counselors often suggest engaging different ethnicities and joining groups of similar interest. Joining these groups may help to alleviate the stress associated with being a minority. Counselors even suggest opening a form of dialoge so that every ethnicity voices their opinions and has a voice that is positive and progressive.

Development and frameworks support development influence current practice Essay

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development focusses on how children acquire knowledge and learn. He believed that when a child and an adult are given the same logical question children gave less sophisticated answers, not because they were less competent than the adults but because children are born with an extremely simple mental structure which is the basis for the child’s knowledge and learning ability. He suggests that children go through four stages of intellectual growth: 0-2yrs – Sensorimotor, i.e. motor control and learning about objects, the child explores the environment around them using their senses; 2-7yrs – Preoperational, verbal skills development, the child understands the use of symbols and language; 7-11yrs – Concrete Operational, beginning to grasp abstract concepts, shows logical thinking; 12yrs to adulthood – Formal Operational, logical and systematic reasoning skills, is able to work through abstract problems. One of the basic components of Piaget’s theory is ‘Schemas’. Each schema is a building block of intelligent behaviour and a way of a child’s brain organising the knowledge they have gained. Children will develop new schemas as they learn and experience more to allow them to retain this knowledge, as well as modifying their existing schemas as new information about them emerges through additional knowledge. We can effectively plan the development of a child by taking his ideas of ‘schemas’ into practice and using Piaget’s stages we can assess where and how a child is currently learning. From assessment it becomes possible to plan activities to help them to develop onto the next stage. Psychoanalytical Sigmund Freud (1856 1939) An Austrian neurologist Freud believed that each stage of a child’s development directly related to specific needs and demands, each based on a particular body part and was rooted with a sexual base. Freud outlined these stages as oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. Each stage involves the satisfaction of a desire and can later play a role in the adult personality. Freud suggested that if a child does not successfully complete a stage, they could develop a fixation that would later influence adult personality and behaviour. According to Freud the mind can be split into two halves, the conscious (mental processes we are aware of) and the unconscious mind (mental processes we are unaware of), and has three separate aspects – the Id (the conscious mind), Ego and Superego (unconscious mind) which all need to be balanced to have good mental health. The Id is about basic needs and feelings, the pleasure principle. The Ego is the reality principle and the Superego is the moral part of the mind. Freud’s theories about unconscious actions can still be witnessed, for example when a child is caught hurting another child. The aggressor may deny it and tell a lie, but may start to cry because he knows what he has done is wrong, and that he has lied about it. Whilst Freud’s psychosexual theories do not fit well with today’s more scientific standards and are considered not to be very accurate, they have been influential because it was original thinking about human development, and many other theorists used his ideas as a starting point. He has also helped those working with children by understanding there is a link between our conscious and unconscious actions. Humanist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) An American psychologist Abraham Maslow was a humanistic psychologist who is most famous for his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, which is relevant to all ages, not just for children. The five-stage hierarchy of needs is often visually displayed as a pyramid with the largest most important needs at the bottom and the more advanced needs at the top We are born with basic needs for survival, food, water, shelter and sleep which is represented in the first layer. Without these nothing else is possible. Once these needs are met we can progress to the next level which consists of a need for feeling safe and secure. We seek safety from others and strive to be in an environment that keeps us safe and free from harm. The third level is our need for love, our desire for acceptance and our need to fit in. At this level we seek out love, friendships and intimacy. The fourth level is our need for esteem, achievement, education and respect. At this level we focus our attention on self-respect and respect from others. We seek information and knowledge through education, strive to make advancements in our careers and work towards an overall higher self-worth. The fifth and final level in the hierarchy is our need for self-actualisation, the need to reach our fullest  potential with complete understanding of ourselves. According to Maslow very few people if any, master this level. Our basic needs (1st level) are essential for our survival. We need to feel safe (2nd level) before we can develop friendships which will give us a sense of belonging (3rd level). Once we have developed friendships we seek the esteem of self and others (4th level). This demonstrates how each layer must be fulfilled before moving up to a higher level. Maslow’s theories are very relevant to child development and care. Based on his hierarchy of needs a child would find it very hard to learn if their basic needs are not being met, for example a hungry or thirsty child would find it difficult to focus their attention to learn as the most basic need must be met first. A simple solution of snack time in between lessons and having drinking water available would help to overcome this problem. Addressing a child’s most basic needs will help them to grow, learn and develop. Social learning Albert Bandura born 1925, an American psychologist Bandura states that behaviour is learned from the environment, i.e. behaviours of others, and then imitated. His famous experiment in 1961 – the Bobo doll study – involved a film being shown of an adult beating up a Bobo doll and shouting aggressive words. This was then shown to a group of children and after watching the film they were allowed to play in the room that held the Bobo doll. All the children began to beat up the doll and were physically and verbally aggressive towards it, even though nurturing toys were available to play with the doll. They were apparently imitating the actions of the adult they had seen in the film. This was seen as an important break away from the behaviourist theory that behaviour is directed by reinforcement or rewards. The children simply copied the adult’s behaviour. They received no encouragement or reward. Bandura’s theories have an influence on current practice today in the form of positive role modelling. Recognition that child carers have a responsibility to demonstrate positive role modelling, as children will often imitate their behaviour. If aggressive behaviour or frustration is exhibited by the adult it is likely to be imitated by the child. Learning  is acquired by observation and imitation. Operant conditioning B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) An American psychologist. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning can be described as a process that attempts to modify a behaviour through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. The child will make the association between a particular behaviour and a consequence. The fundamental idea behind this is that behaviours that are reinforced will tend to continue while behaviours that are punished will eventually stop. Positive reinforcement is when a desired behaviour is rewarded positively: for example, when a child completes a set task they would receive a positive response e.g. a sticker, positive praise or maybe free play. Negative reinforcement is more about focussing on the negative behaviours that are to be changed and instilling a sanction or removal of a positive event: for example, a child that is continually exhibiting a negative behaviour, such as disobeying house rules will be told that if this behaviour continues they will lose their gaming machine or similar sanction. In summary if we reward good behaviour we expect that behaviour to continue and if we punish negative behaviour we hope that behaviour will cease. Importantly adults using this theory must make sure that they consistently carry out what they have intended otherwise the system becomes completely ineffective. Skinner’s theories are used widely in childcare today, we actively praise children for positive behaviours and for performing actions correctly; additionally we use the ‘time out’ method for negative behaviour. Behaviourist John B Watson (1878-1958) An American psychologist. Watson believed all learning was gradual and continuous. Development is a sequence of specific conditional behaviours with the main emphasis on the environment not heredity. Observable behaviours were considered to be more important rather that internal events such as thinking because external/observable behaviours could be witnessed and monitored. Watson believed that everyone is born as a ‘blank canvas’ and with the same abilities as each other and that they can be taught and trained to become anything they wish to be. Individuals can be trained to behave in a certain  way. He believed all behaviour is a result of the environment and a response. His work was heavily influenced by physiologist Ivan Pavlov who is famous for his theory based on dogs. Pavlov learned that dogs would begin to salivate in response to seeing a care giver in anticipation of food, rather than just in the response of receiving food. He named this response the ‘Classical Conditioning Theory’. It was Watson’s and Pavlov’s ideas which impacted on that of Skinner’s. We use Watson’s theories today by rewarding good behaviour and punishing negative behaviour. Good behaviour in our classrooms today is often rewarded with stickers, privileges or other positive motivators. To discourage negative behaviours often a stepped warning system is used. A system of planned ignoring is beneficial and often used for dealing with attention seeking behaviour. Social pedagogy Social Pedagogy is a framework that influences current practice by creating a holistic way of working with children by seeking to bring together theories and concepts from education, psychology and sociology. It aims to treat the child as a whole, making sure all their needs are met especially those children with additional needs.

American Home Products Corporation Essay

1. How much business risk does American Home Products face? How much financial risk would American Home Products face at each of the proposed levels of debt shown in case Exhibit 3? How much potential value, if any can American Home Products create for its shareholders at each of the proposed levels of debt? A combination of business risk and financial risk shows the risk of an organization’s future return on equity. Business risk is related to make a firm’s operation without any debt, whereas financial risk requires that the firm’s common stockholders make a decision to finance it with debt. a) American Home Products has been operating on four main lines of business that are less uncertainty about product demand; for example, one of its business lines is food products because whenever people buy foods. It means that AHP’s business risk is low. As mentioned above, if a firm does its operation activities regularly without leverage, it means that its busines s risk is not significant high. Thus, ratio of cash to total assets is calculated by following: According to Figure 1, AHP’s cash was about 23% of total assets, rose constantly since 1978 to 1981, and reached 28.2% in 1981; thus, it has enough cash flow to finance its daily operation.  Also, return on assets can show that a firm’s ability to cover its operating cost by generating income. According to the calculation below, American Home Products Corporation’s ROA was stable and approximately 19.2 % in 1981; consequently, AHP earned sufficient amount of income to cover its operating cost. Figure 2 Return on Assets of Amercan Home Products Corporation, 1972-1981 ($ in millions) Add to these above explanations, Exhibit 1 shows that AHP’s peak annual growth in sales was 14.1% in 1978 and compare to it, annual growth in sales decreased by 5.3% in 1981; as a result, it became disadvantage to AHP because consumers started to interest into competitors’ products. Risk aversion was the most fundamental component of AHP’s culture; consequently, they prefer to acquire or take license of previously developed goods or produce similar products with its competitors rather than to develop new-products. Although it seems to save R&D expenses, acquisition cost or a cost of time response to steal other’s innovation would be still appeared. Thus, AHP should try to improve its sales. b) Financial risk is related to business risk, so we measured NOPAT, ROIC, ROE whose uncertainty future can determine a firm’s business risk in Figure 3. Figure 3 Pro Forma 1981 Results for Alternative Capital Structures ($ in millions except ratios) Above pro forma illustrates that total debt and financial risk have straight correlation with each other and AHP’s total debt increased, so its financial risk would rise. Then if American Home Products Corporation could not pay its loan and interest by schedule, it would meet the financial risk and the risk of bankruptcy. According to Exhibit 4, AHP used excess cash of 233 million dollars on each of the proposed levels to repurchase stocks and remaining amounts were financed by debt; thus, its common shares outstanding would decreased by 19.8 million shares on 30% dept ratio and 36.6 million shares on 70% debt ratio. It means that equity will goes down, so its return on equity will rise. AHP should consider about financial risk to change the capital structure. American Home Products Corporation can save taxes to pay by increasing debt. Figure 4 illustrates that its taxes savings can be advantage to AHP if it uses heavier capital structure. Figure 4 Pro Forma 1981 Taxes Savings ($ in millions) According to Figure 4, if the company’s capital structure is 70% debt to total capital, comparing to 30 % debt to total capital structure, it can save approximately 1.9 times greater money; thus, its shareholders would benefit from it. 2. What capital structure would you recommend as appropriate for AHP? What are the advantages of leveraging this company? The disadvantages? How would leveraging up affect the company’s taxes? How would the capital markets react to a decision by the company to increase the use of debt in its capital structure? Most appropriate capital structure for American Home Products is 30% debt to total capital. Several reasons will explain the reason why this structure gives advantage to AHP. The first, as using 30% debt ratio, the company would be able to be recapitalized; hence, common shares outstanding of 19.8 million can be repurchased. The second, according to Figure 4, AHP would have advantage to save taxes of 37.8 million dollars and its sha reholders benefit by getting more values. Exhibit 2 shows that Warner Lambert company’s debt ratio is approximately 32% and its bond rating is AAA or AA. It means that if AHP uses 30% debt and 70% equity, its bond rating will be same as Warner Lambert; consequently, bond interest to pay will not increase much due to bond rating. Addition to these reasons, AHP would face less risk to compare heavier capital structures. Finally, AHP’s annual growth in sales decreased in 1981 by 2.9% from previous year, so getting debt could be helpful to manage its operation effectively and increase its sales growth. Besides above advantages, using 30% debt and 70% equity capital structure has disadvantages. First of all, if a firm has a loan, it has to be responsible to pay its principle and interest as a schedule; otherwise, it would be reason to bankruptcy; thus, same rule works on case of AHP. In addition to the risk of bankruptcy, if the company’s daily operation requires more investment after recapitalization, gettin g new loan for it would be more difficult. In final, using debt can be reason to increase its financial risk, so it has to be more careful to manage its operation. According to Figure 4, leveraging the company by using 30% debt to capital structure would decrease its taxes of 37.8 million dollars to pay. The capital market would react positively to a decision by the company to use of 30% debt in its capital structure. The company had almost no debt and had excess of cash or higher liquidity and Mr. Laborte who was chief executive of the company was near to give his position because of retirement, so most analysts expected the company to change its conservative capital structure. Also, Figure 5 shows the market positive reaction on the stock price. Figure 5 Stock Price of AHP ($ in millions except per share datas and ratios) According to Figure 5, AHP’s stock price will increase to 31.5. In order to calculate new stock price, we used average price/earnings ratio of both American Home Products Corporation and Warner Lambert Company in Exhibit 2 because exhibit 2 illustrates that while P/E ratio of AHP is 10.6%, 8% for Warner Lambert and unlike Warner Lambert, AHP has less financial risk. All though AHP’s risk will increase after getting leverage and its P/E ratio will decrease, AHP would have better financial position than Warner Lambert, so investors would be interested to buy AHP’s stock rather than stock of Warner Lambert. 3. How might AHP implement a more aggressive capital structure policy? What are the alternative methods for leveraging up? AHP should use heavier capital structure which means that increase to use more debt instead of conservative capital structure; consequently, AHP’s capital structure might be more effective and aggressive. The alternative methods for leveraging up are innovating new products, using better technology, and motivating labor. 4. In view of AHP’s unique corporate culture, what arguments would you advance to persuade Mr. Laporte or his successor to adopt your recommendation? According to Mr. Laporte, his company works in order to increase shareholders wealth, so as using 30% debt to capital would give possibility to save 37.8 million dollars from taxes; thus, its shareholders would benefit getting higher dividends per share. Even though after using debt, its price/earnings ratio might be decreased, its attraction of investors will be still powerful because of stock price increase. Also, if the company uses more debt to the operation, it will be possible to repurchase common stocks of 19.8 millions of shares from market.

Dumont Surname Meaning and Family History

Dumont Surname Meaning and Family History Dumont is a French topographical surname meaning from the mountain, from the Old French du mont, meaning of the mount. Dumont is the 46th most common last name in France. Dumond is a common variant. Surname Origin: French Alternate Surname Spellings: DUMOND, DUMONTE, DUMONDE, DUMONTET Famous People with the Surname Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont -  Brazilian aviation pioneerEleanore Dumont  - one of the first known professional blackjack players in America; known by the pseudonym Madame MoustacheJean-Franà §ois-Benjamin  Dumont  de Montigny - officer in the French colonial military; Louisiana historianAllen Balcom DuMont - American electronics engineer,  scientist  and  inventorGabriel Dumont  - Canadian indigenous leader of the Mà ©tis peopleJules Dumont dUrville  - French naval officer and explorerMargaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker) - American stage and film actress Where the Dumont  Surname Is Most Common According to surname distribution from  Forebears, the Dumont surname is most prevalent in France, where it ranks 57th most common in the nation, but there are more Dumonts in Belgium (ranked 40th) based on the percentage of the population. Dumont is also fairly common in other countries with French-speaking populations, such as Canada (342nd) and the Ivory Coast (432nd). Surname maps from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  indicate the Dumont surname is especially common along the border of France and Belgium, including the French regions of Picardie, Haute-Normandie, and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, plus the Belgium region of Wallonie. Dumont is also somewhat common in Luxembourg, Canada, and Switzerland. As it is of French origin, Dumont is also fairly prevalent in Quebec, Canada, as well as the U.S. states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Genealogy Resources for the Surname Dumont French Surname Meanings and Origins: Does your last name have origins in France? Learn about the various origins of French surnames and explore the meanings of some of the most common French last names.How to Research French Ancestry: Learn about the various types of genealogical records available for researching ancestors in France and how to access them, plus how to locate where in France your ancestors originated.Dumont Family Crest - Its Not What You Think: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Dumont  family crest or coat of arms for the Dumont surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.DUMONT  Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Dumont  surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Dumont query.FamilySearch - DUMONT Genealogy: Explore over 700,000  results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Dumont surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DistantCousin.com - DUMONT  Genealogy Family History: Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Dumont.GeneaNet - Dumont  Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Dumont surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Dumont Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Dumont  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Essay 2

Essay 2 Essay 2 Lindsey Blackwell 04/15/14 186110 Ever watch a romantic movie and think to yourself, â€Å"Oh no, not this typical plot.† Over the years, I have recognized that the same men tend to show up in movies. Just like in the essay â€Å"Types of Women in Romantic Comedies Who Are Not Real† by Mindy Kaling, I believe men from movies such as action and romantic comedies can also be classified into groups: the trouble maker, the high school sweetheart, and the Mr. Perfect. Women in movies are constantly being wooed by trouble makers, the man who all the ladies gawk over when he shows up riding a Harley. The man who uses cheesy pick up lines like, â€Å"Hey baby, do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?† If that pickup line didn’t work, that overconfident man would probably then ask her to marry him. In which case by the end of that conversation the woman has already convinced herself that she should give the man of the night her number and see what he’s all ab out. No surprise, she more than likely on date number four is convinced that she is just what that trouble maker needs to change his ways. Whether he constantly gets in fights or can’t help but flirt with other women. Unfortunately, she always seems to learn the hard way. High school sweethearts have always been portrayed as the ideal love. Everyone knows that on and off again couple in high school, who swears they will go to college together and live happily ever after. Then the man realizes his options at college are endless; with temptation practically knocking at his dorm room. Not a surprise that he admits to his girlfriend, that he needs to explore his options. While on the woman’s side, she has no idea what life is like without him. She finds herself in bed with Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream for the next month, while her girlfriends beg her to go out and party. Reluctantly, after time she manages to bring herself together and move on just like he did. Women in movies are also constantly melted by

Ethics memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethics memo - Essay Example Instant messaging might be considered as a source of enhancing the productivity of Texas technologies. This is because IM allows the employees to perform multiple tasks in an effective manner. However, a major issue linked with this feature is that the security and privacy risks as well as legal issues of the employers can be made an increased subject of exposure. it should be concern that if no strict policy is not put into practice, the Texas technology would result in a lack of control over their employees and inevitably into a disastrous end for the company. A major concern is that the most of the employers are unaware of the pervasiveness of the use of instant messages within the company. This is mainly because the employees at Texas technology are set up IM accounts without the knowledge of the company. In order to put a stop to this issue within the Texas technology it is important that effective policies should be enforced and the employees should be educated on the matter. Certain guidelines for appropriate and suitable personal as well as business use must be enforced and set so as to ensure that the employees are utilizing the feature of IM in a professional manner at Texas technology. By educating the employees regarding the proper IM usage will lead to minimized employers risk. Due to the fact that the IM accounts are an easy target for hacker penetration, the technology should be in place because this is allow the identity of the person they are in communication with to be confirmed. The employers must be made aware of certain legal issues which result from using the instant messaging within the company. Closing: it can thus be summarized that the use of instant messaging certain employees consider as a type of break can result in disastrous effect for the company. This can be done by appropriate IM management. Defense against liability for the behavior of the employees on IM can be accomplished

HUMAN SIMULATORS TO TEACH STUDENTS AND RNs Research Paper

HUMAN SIMULATORS TO TEACH STUDENTS AND RNs - Research Paper Example It shall first present a description of the topic selected. It shall also discuss why this topic was selected and how it involves informatics. It shall also discuss the impact of human simulators and how they improve or deter patient care, and how they improve or deter nursing education. This research is being carried out in order to conceptualize a thorough and comprehensive understanding of human simulators as a teaching aid. Discussion Human patient simulation (HPS) is a teaching method which â€Å"allows nurses and other clinicians to refine and apply their skills in realistic health care situations and participate in learning experiences tailored to their education needs† (Beyea and Kobokovich, 2004). Human patient simulation is a new technology which was borne out of the advancement in informatics and computer technology. This new technology uses computer life-sized mannequins which can formulate life-like situations which can be adjusted accordingly in order to comply w ith instructor’s educational goals (Pacsi, 2008). The very first human patient simulator was seen in the late 1950s and was known as Mrs. Chase; it was basically a model with a torso and a separate computer software (Herrmann, 1981). This model was used to assist nursing students in their physical assessment process. The Harvey Model was seen in the 1960s and it model was built with simulated heart and lungs; and it assisted students in distinguishing between normal and abnormal cardiopulmonary indications. A fully equipped computerized human simulator Sim One was then built in order to simulate endotracheal intubations in order to teach medical and graduate nurse anesthesia students (Gaba and DeAndra, 1988). The simulators which are now being used (MetiMan, Laerdal SimMan, and BabySim) are equipped with computer software and can be connected to laptops and desktop computers. Some of these models are able to speak and blink; they have chest walls which expand on inspiration a nd then relax on expiration; and they also exhibit programmable audible lung and heart sounds (Pacsi, 2008). They can be intubated and can receive bag and masks for ventilation. When these devices are plugged into monitors, teachers can then program the heart rates, pulse oximetry readings into these machines (Pacsi, 2008). These simulators can also be programmed to exhibit human-like responses to different diseases and to the reactions to interventions, including administration of IV meds, intubation, ventilation, and CPR. Computers have now been used in classrooms in order to manage communication and the gathering of knowledge. The current computer applications now offer features which help facilitate and support clinical learning (Pacsi, 2008). Colleges and universities have established simulation centers in order for students to practice and develop their technical skills and to develop their critical thinking, decision-making, delegation, and coordination skills. Simulations ar e technologies which have been made possible with the availability of technology-equipped mannequins (Pacsi, 2008). With the hands-on availability of these technologies, students have been exposed to different scenarios; moreover, these simulations can also present students with different situations they may meet during their clinical experience. In effect, the students are able to come up with treatments and interventions and