Effect of Alcohol Caffeine Concentration on Daphnia Magna

Effect of Alcohol Caffeine Concentration on Daphnia Magna The Effect of Alcohol and Caffeine Concentrations on Daphnia Magna Abstract The target of this experiment was to study the effects of alcohol and caffeine on the heart, using the Daphnia Magna as the test subject. The hypothesis was: Increasing the concentration of caffeine in which the Daphnia Magna is submerged will cause its heart rate to increase, while increasing the concentration of alcohol in which it is submerged will cause its heart rate to decrease. To test this hypothesis two Daphnia Magna were exposed to either alcohol or caffeine and its heart rate recorded by placing it on a microscope slide and counting the number of heart beats. It was deducted that the alcohol and caffeine had a very notable effect on the heart, with alcohol slowing it down and caffeine speeding it up. At the highest concentration of alcohol, the heart rate slowed and in turn the higher concentration of caffeine affected the heart rate by increasing it. I feel that the same concept of the effect of alcohol and caffeine on Daphnia Magna would be the same concept for its effec t on humans also sense alcohol is a depressant it tends to slow down the body as Caffeine is well known for giving our bodies a boost of energy. Introduction It was obvious to test the effects that alcohol and caffeine have on the human heart. The effects of alcohol and caffeine were a distinct interest sense they are drugs that are consumed on a large scale in society. However, because it is difficult to perform experiments of this nature on humans and get accurate results, we decided to use Daphnia Magna as a substitute for a human. Though humans and Daphnia Magna are different organisms, alcohol and caffeine should have an almost identical effect on them. The effect when both organisms are exposed to the same amounts of alcohol and caffeine should be more noticeable in Daphnia Magna because they are much smaller, so in turn the chemicals will flow through the Daphnia Magna’s form quicker and effect each cell more. There are many explanations why Daphnia Magna are commonly used compared to the use of a human as test subject. Firstly, Daphnia Magna are simple organisms compared to humans thus there are less factors that we have no control over what could likely affect the heart rate. Secondly, the heart of the Daphnia Magna is easy to view and examine because of their transparent body form. Thirdly, it is logical to use a Daphnia Magna because the effects of the drug will be observed much more quickly, within moments compared to around half an hour in humans. Also, to get usable results, it would be necessary to supply a human subject with a reasonable large amounts of alcohol or caffeine, which wouldn’t be good for short term health, as well as unscrupulous. The hypothesis under investigation was developed because depressants, like alcohol tend to decrease the activity of the body’s organs, whilst stimulants like caffeine tend to increase such activity. Methods and Materials Two Daphnia Magna specimen were collected from the habitat container and then placed each in their own hanging drop slide carefully so they would not slide all over like they would a traditional flat slide. This way one slide would have one Daphnia Magna testing the varying concentrations of alcohol and the other Caffeine. In caffeine we readied concentrations of 0.25%, 0.05%, 0.75% and 1.0% levels of concentration. One member held a bottle of distilled water to be used in between concentrations. The water allows the Daphnia Magna to rest a moment that way it doesn’t die to quickly from the various concentrations. One member will begin the experiment by tallying its heart beats per seconds to allow for an average heart rate. The group then subtracted the water from the slide and replaced it with the fist concentration of caffeine counting the heart beat 15 seconds again then quickly taking away the caffeine and replacing it back with distilled water. We repeat this process and collect the data until all concentrations have be used and the data compiled. Alcohol there were 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% of concentrations. Using a Microscope as well as a fresh bottle of water to adjust the Daphnia Magna to the stress of the many concentrations makes the experiment a little easier. As we did with the caffeine the group used a fresh Daphnia Magna collected the average heartbeat and began the process of subjecting the Daphnia Magna to the Alcohol concentrations collecting the heart beat data and observing how it changes with each concentration. Results Results demonstrates the profound effect the alcohol and caffeine both have on the heart. As shown in figure 1 and 3 the higher the concentration of caffeine the faster the heart becomes. In figures 2 and 4 Alcohol seems to have the opposite affect and slows the heart rate down increasingly with each concentration. Within our results it can be determined that when humans consume alcohol that they will experience a slowness and often a more depressed feeling. On the flip side when humans are exposed to caffeine it can be seen that there is a burst of energy â€Å"Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Your central nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and the other nerves in your body. Caffeine’s main effect on your body is to make you feel more awake and alert for a while† (FDA, 2007) Table 1: group data for Caffeine concentrations Caffeine Concentrations and how they affect the heart rate Concentration Heart Rate 15 sec Heart Rate (BPM) 0% 53 216 0.25% 42 168 0.50% 39 156 0.75% 28 112 1.0% 31 124 Figure 1: the graph that shows the group average heart rates when exposed to the different concentrations of caffeine provided that the Daphnia Magna heart rate was counted for 15 seconds then calculated to BPM Table 2: Group data for alcohol concentrations Alcohol concentrations and how they affect the heart rate Concentration Heart Rate 15 sec Heart Rate (BPM) 0% 31 133.33 2% 27 108 4% 24 96 6% 12 68 8% 19 76 10% 14 56 Figure 2: the graph that shows the group average heart rates when exposed to the different concentrations of alcohol provided that the Daphnia Magna heart rate was counted for 15 seconds then calculated to BPM. Table 3: Class data for caffeine concentrations Water Control AVG 0.25% Caf 0.5% Caf 0.75% Caf 1.0% Caf KR 216 168 156 112 124 g1 45.3 56 84 96 88 G2 248 448 452 480 508 Jeep 132 208 164 220 188 G5 133.3 120 112 124 136 Average 154.92 200 193.6 206.4 208.8 Figure 3: the graph that shows the class average heart rates when exposed to the different concentrations of caffeine.   Ã‚   Table 4: Class data for Alcohol concentrations Initials Water Control AVG 2% Alc 4% Alc 6% Alc 8% Alc 10% Alc KR 133.33 108 96 68 76 56 g1 54 248 285 236 188 172 G2 205.3 312 240 180 64 48 Jeep 181 148 152 124 124 108 G5 205.3 240 196 232 212 100 Average 155.8 211.2 193.8 168 132.8 96.8 Figure 4: the graph that shows the class average heart rates when exposed to the different concentrations of alcohol. Discussion â€Å"Alcohol affects every organ in the drinkers body and can damage a developing fetus. Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills; heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease.† (Abuse, 2014)

An Analysis of Intercultural Negotiations between the East and West Essay

Executive Summary: This report provides an analysis and evaluation of an intercultural negotiation between USA’s Brown Casual Shoes and China’s Chung Sun Manufacturing, provides a literature review of a prominent theory from the field and suggests recommendation to improve the process of intercultural communication between these two countries and companies. As the Case Study was identified as subpar negotiation, all issues from the Case Study were allocated into Intercultural, Verbal and Nonverbal. Following this, Hofstede’s Cultural Model was introduced in the literature review and critically analysed. This model included five dimensions: 1. Uncertainty Avoidance 2. Power Distance 3. Masculinity vs. Femininity 4. Individualism vs. Collectivism 5. Short Term vs. Long Term Some strengths of the model included a large sample size, indexes for all nations and easily formulated hypotheses. Alternatively, some limitations were an alleged sample misrepresentation, not adequately analysing people on an individual level and a time lapse since dimension formulation. Major issues from the negotiations were then further investigated and included: Rushing the negotiations and failing to form an adequate relationship Causing offence by giving a gift to the Chinese representative Not respecting the hierarchy of the Chinse culture Failing to hire an interpreter for the negotiations Touching the Chinese associates inappropriately Recommendations suggested preventing further intercultural issues and fixing current issues as noted above included: Hiring an interpreter and cultural adviser Translating all written materials into Chinese Creating transparency within the negotiations process by asking for a joint strategy 1 Introduction Intercultural communication is becoming increasingly important within a global context for businesses. In one study within China – the country being analyzed, all respondents to a survey agreed that it is critical to the success of the organization (73.9 strongly & 26.1 moderately) (Goodman & Wang, 2007). In the following report, the success of an intercultural negotiation between China and USA will be assessed to ascertain all issues occurring across intercultural, verbal and nonverbal and how they can be fixed. This will be done by providing recommendations based on current literature in the field. Additionally, The issues of the case will be identified and analysed and a literature view will be undertaken of a relevant prominent theory in the field. 2 Identification of Problems/Issues Within the negotiations between Brown Casual Shoes and Chung Sun Manufacturing, there were several intercultural communication issues that offended the Chinese through what appeared to be a blatant disregard for their cultural barriers. These issues have been partitioned into three sections general, verbal and nonverbal. 1 Intercultural Issues The first error in their intercultural interaction was the letter given by Mr  Brown to Mr Deng. In addition to gift giving in the Chinese business culture being unacceptable due to it being seen as bribery (UONI, 2011), it is especially offensive for a gift to be wrapped in white paper – as red is the norm (Kwintessential, 2013). The fact that Mr. Deng refused the gift three times before opening it aligns with the fact that Chinese may refuse a gift three times before opening it – but not a fourth (Kwintessential, 2013). Another contributing factor is the point that Chinese don’t like to say no, and will often say yes just to save face (World Business Culture, 2013). The following mistake made by Mr. Brown was offering the first toast of the evening. In Chinese cultulre, it should always be the host who makes the first toast of the evening (Kwintessential, 2013). Additionally, Mr Brown’s lack of knowledge on who should leave the meeting first may have caused offence. As per Chinese culture, the foreigner should always leave first when a meeting is finished (UONI, 2011). Mr Browns misunderstanding of this could have caused discomfort for the Chinese. Mr Brown’s perception that the initial meetings with the Chinese would have resulted in a negotiation early was a fundamental misunderstanding – as he failed to realise that the Chinese often forge relationships with individuals before partaking in business (Goodman, 2013). 2 Intercultural Verbal Communication Issue Although Mr Brown and his team participated in lots of small talk with Mr Deng, further small talk could be encouraged to avoid causing offence and giving the impression that the negotiators only care about time – and not forging a lasting relationship (UONI, 2011). An additional verbal error made by Mr. Brown was his failure to hire a interpreter. In China, this is often viewed as a sign of disrespect for their culture (Fang & Faure, 2010). This lack of an interpreter and an overall lack of comprehension of English could have been the reason for the large amount of questions rather than the impression formulated by Mr. Brown that they were not serious about the business (World Business Culture, 2013). Furthermore, the fact that Mr Brown and his team didn’t make the effort to learn any Chinese at all for the negotiation might give off the impression that they are ethnocentric about their culture (Goodman, 2013). 3 Intercultural Nonverbal Verbal Communication Issues Although there were not many nonverbal communication errors, one fundamental nonverbal communication error made by Mr. Brown was his touching of the arm of Mr. Deng. Culturally, Chinese dislike being touched by strangers (Gao et al, 1996). As they were only just meeting and not yet properly acquainted, this may have been perceived as offensive. 3 Literature Review Hofstede’s model has been used as it was utilized a starting point for many additional cultural models. Below, figure one shows the convergence of this model with other notable ones from the field of cultural communication studies. It can be deduced from this that Hofstede’s model is the most diverse and complete framework as it encompasses all factors of other relevant models and shows evidence for the theoretical relevance. Figure 2: Comparison of Hofstede’s cultural framework with other models Source: Soares, Farhangmehr & Shoham, 2007, p. 281 One assumption of this model is defining identity through nation. Many scholars (Steenkamn et al, 1999l Hofstede, 1984; Parker, 1994; Hoover et al., 1978) support this approach. 1 Literature Review Hofstede’s cultural dimension is a model crafted to identify the key differences across different cultural workplace values. Gert Hofstede formulated this model through complex statistical analysis on more than 100,000 IBM employees across the world. The results of this suggested that five dimension anchors could be used to describe most important differences among cultures worldwide. These anchors provide points of comparison for each culture and allow different nations cultures to be contrasted and their disposition measured based on key traits (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011). These anchor points are: Individualism/Collectivism, Power Distance, Masculinity/Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Short Term/Long Term. Figure 1 below shows how this is commonly measured. Figure 1: Source: Hofstede, 2001 The first dimension of the model is Power Distance. Power distance reflects the attitude a society holds on power inequality and authority relations in society. This anchor can influence hierarchy, dependence relationships and organizational context (Soares et al, 2007). A low score is indicative of a society with little respect for unequally distributed power and decisions are often spread through the organisation with feedback to bosses appropriate. Alternatively, a high score shows that the society depends highly on hierarchical structures and may concentrate decision making at the top (Hofstede, 1980). Uncertainty avoidance is the second dimension of this framework. This dictates the extent to which people feel threatened by uncertainty and ambiguity and due to this avoid situations that may cause these feelings to occur (Hofstede, 1991). People with high uncertainty avoidance often have well defined rules for prescribed behaviours (Soares et al, 2007) and if these are not in pla ce for new situations, they will strive to immediately move towards establishing them. Alternatively, those with low scores on this anchor will be less affected by situations that may be ambiguous (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011). The next dimension – individualism vs. collectivism, describes the relationships people have in each culture (Soares et al, 2007). In individualistic societies, people tend to act independently and look after only themselves and their direct families. In collectivist societies, members of the society hold a large degree of interdependence (Hofstede, 1980) and take care of their group in exchange for loyalty. Masculinity vs. Feminity is the scale anchor that differentiates societies where achievement and success is paramount (high – masculine) and those where caring for others and quality of life is more important (low – feminine) (Hofstede, 1994). Feminine societies are ones where quality of life is often more desirable than standing out from the crowd (Hofstede, 2014). Lastly, Long-term vs. Short Term is the dimension, which shows countries preference towards future rewards and perseverance or towards  short-term gain and fulfilling past or present traditions (Hofstede and Bond, 1988). 2 Strengths Some strengths of Hofstede’s model is the thoroughness and time points of his research – which includes 116,000 empirical questionnaires from over 60,000 respondents across seventy countries in various decades (Hofstede, 1984; Hofstede, 1991; Hofstede, 2001). This is the most robust model in terms of sample size and variety (Smith et al., 1996). He links his dimensions with various external and internal factors, such as demographic, geographic, economic and political, and assigns indexes to every nation – a feature unmatched by other frameworks (Kale & Barnes, 1992). In addition, the framework is highly useful in formulating easy hypothesises across a range of purposes and it continues to be the norm used in international marketing, psychology, management and sociology studies (Engel, Blackwell & Miniard, 1995; Sondergaard, 1994). 3 Weaknesses Although some critique Hofstede’s research due to its alleged sample bias and its lack of inclusivity of the richness of cultures due to its sample size being based only on those working at IBM (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011), they fail to take into account further revisions of the model by Hofstede. At the International Institute for Management Development Hofstede administered the test to international managers from over 30 countries from a variety of both private and public organisations. The results yielded in these proved significantly similar to those in his original sample – solidifying his original hypothesis (Geert, 2008). Another prominent critique is the fact that in both of these cases, there was a disproportionate level of males, members of the middle class were over represented and education levels were much higher than average (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011), Additionally, some argue that in the model nation differences only account for 2 to 4 percent of variance in individual values, leaving at least 96 percent- if not more, unexplained. One scholar from the Academy of Management suggested that the model was incongruent with his own knowledge on psychological phenomena and suggests that an  alternative methodology be drafted (Ailon, 2008) to account for this 96 percent. Some academics claim that Hofstede’s culture dimensions are flawed due to their categorizations of people into national stereotypes rather than individual character. This is especially applicable for people living in ethnically diverse countries. (Venaik & Brewer, 2013). Lenartowicz and Roth (1999), however, contend that no single methodology across any model is able to address the inclusive set of criteria relevant to cultural assessment in business studies. Lastly, it could be suggested that due to the time that the initial dimensions were formulated was so long ago they may be out-dated and no longer relevant. Others argue that the change in cultures occurs so slow that significant changes would not likely affect the model for a long perio d (Sivakumar and Nakata, 2001) – perhaps until 2100 (Hofstede, 2001). 4 Case Analysis Five issues have been chosen out of the initial ones identified and have been linked up with their relevant theories. 1 Issue 1 The first issue is Mr Brown’s rush to finalise the negotiation and his final comment suggesting impatience with the negotiations. As China’s culture is predominantly long-term orientated (87 vs USA’s 26) the Chinese representatives may take longer to finalise the negotiations due to having a disposition towards long term relationships (Zhang & Toomey, 2009). In addition to this, Chinese negotiators often need to form a relationship due to their low temperament to individualism – 20 vs USA’s 91 (Hofstede, 2014). This haste showed great disrespect for the Chinese’s efforts to form a long-term relationship with the company, an aspect commonly necessary for business arrangements to succeed in China (Fang & Faure, 2010). 2 Issue 2 As China is a highly particular culture on Trompenaars seven dimensions of culture model (Luthans & Doh, 2009), meaning that deciding on what is right and wrong or acceptable and unacceptable is highly dependant on the exact situation and relationships involved (Trompenaars, 1997) it was a grave issue not to hire a translator to help overcome this barrier. Hofstede provides support for this theory by ranking China very low on the uncertainty avoidance scale (30), meaning that their rules may be very flexible and unique culturally (Hofstede, 2014). 3 Issue 3 As China is a high context society (Hall, 1985), the failed gift-giving incident could correspond with a clash of this high context. Hall notes that within a high context culture messages are often covert and implicit, there is much non-verbal communication and the expression of reaction is frequently reserved and inward. The message that Mr. Deng did not want to accept the gift was most certainly covert and non-verbal and his reaction to the incident stayed reserved and inward – most likely to save face (Goodman, 2013). 4 Issue 4 Hall’s theory additionally links to an important issue within the negotiation process. As Mr. Brown continually touched Mr. Deng’s arm during negotiations, this may have been perceived as breach of Space (Hall, 1985). The proxemics of the Chinese culture dictates that touching is rarely acceptable (Communication Studies, 2014). 5 Issue 5 Another issue arising from the negotiations is both Mr. Brown toasting first at the dinner and him not leaving the dinner first. What he failed to consider when doing this was China’s high power distance (80 vs USA’s 40) (Hofstede, 2014). This suggests that China strongly values hierarchical institutions. Toasting first and disrespecting the Chinese cultural norm of the guests leaving dinner first could be perceive as disrespectful to the order of the Chinese leadership and their subsequent authority. 5 Recommendations Three recommendations have been suggested to improve Brown’s Casual Shoe’s negotiation with China in analysis of the Case Study 1 Recommendation 1 The first and most important recommendation for Mr. Brown would be to hire a corporate communicator or interpreter. Although it would not be wise to hire a complete agent – as it may detract from the personal relationship needing to be crafted between both parties for successful business undertakings, USA negotiators should hire an interpreter at the least or a cultural adviser at best to cut through the high context culture of the Chinese, show the  Chinese that they care about their culture and to offer priceless advice on the negotiation process to ensure an optimal outcome for both parties (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011). 2 Recommendation 2 The USA negotiators should in future hire a translator to succinctly translate all of their written material including business cards, marketing presentations, business proposals, company history, product information and anything else relevant to the trip to Chinese using simplified characters (Fang & Faure, 2010, p. 138). This takes away room for misinterpretation on any element of business and eliminates any concept of ethnocentricity that could have been perceived as well as showing respect for their culture and language (Kwintessential, 2013). 3 Recommendation 3 The final recommendation is to identify whether either parties or both parties will adjust their style of negotiation to the other parties cultural style. Confusion can sometimes arise when both parties are trying to adjust to the others negotiation style (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2011, p. 245). A simple affirmation of whether this will be done can save much confusion and create an air of transparency. In many cases a secure middle ground (sometimes called joint strategy) can be agreed upon. This could be asked through an email or letter prior to negotiation commencement, or if this is not appropriate, they could ask to speak privately with the highest authority of the Chinese party to respect their hierarchical institutions. To do this, you could simply stay around after a meeting and ask personally to speak with the leader to help him save face (Goodman, 2013, p. 177). 6 References Ailon, G. (2008). Mirror, mirror on the wall: culture’s consequences in a value test of it’s own design. The Academy of Management Review, 33(4), 885-904. Communication Studies (2014). Proxemics. Retrieved from http://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/proxemics Dawar, N., & Parker, P. (1994). Marketing universals: consumers’ use of brand, name, price, physical appearance and retailer reputation as signals of product quality. J Mark, 58(April), 81-95. Engel, J., Blackwell, R., & Miniard, P. (1995). Consumer Behaviour. n.p.: The Dryden Press. Fang, T., & Faure, G. O. (2011). Chinese communication characteristics: A Yin Yang perspective. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3), 320-333. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.06.005. Gao, G., Toomey, T. S., Gudykunst, W. B., & Bond, M. H. (1996). The Handbook of Chinese Psychology – Chinese communication processes. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Goodman, M. B. (2013). Intercultural Communication for Managers. New York, NY: Business expert press. Goodman, M. B., & Wang, J. (2007). Tradition and innovation: the china business communication study. The Journal of Business Strategy, 28(3), 34-41. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02756660710746256 Hall, E. T. (1985). Hidden Differences: Studies in International Communication. Hamburg, GE: Grunder and Jahr. Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences: international differences in work-related values. Newbury Park, CA: Sage P ublications. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and organizations – software of the mind. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill. Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions & Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hofstede, G. (2014). China. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/china.html Hofstede, G. (2014). Geert. Retrieved from http://www.geerthofstede.com/geert.aspx Hofstede, G. (2014). United States. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/united-states.html Hoover, R., Green, R., & Saegert, J. (1978). A cross-national study of perceived risk. J Mark, (July), 102-108. Kale, S., & Barnes, J. (1992). Understanding the domain of cross-national buyer-seller instructions. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(1), 101-109. Kwintessential. (2013). China – language, culture, customs and etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/china-country-profile.html. Lewicki, R. J., Saun ders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2011). Essentials of negotiation (5th ed). New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill. Luthans, F., & Doh, J. (2009). International Management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Rubin, J. Z., & Sander, F. E. A. (1991). Culture, Negotiation and the Eye of the Beholder. Negotiation Journal, 7(1), 249-254. Doi; 10.1111/j.1571-9979.1991.tb00620.x Sivakumar, K., & Nakata, C. (2001). The stampede toward Hofstede’s framework: avoiding the sample design pit in cross-cultural research. The Journal of International Business Studies, 32(3), 555-574. Smith, P., Dugan, S., & Trompenaars, F. (1996). National culture and the values of organizational employees – a dimensional analysis across 43 nations. The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 27(2), 231-264. Soares, A. M., Farhangmehr, M., & Shoham, A. (2007). Hofstede’s dimensions of culture in international marketing studies. Journal of Business Research, 60(3), 227-284. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.10.018. Sondergaard, M. (1994). Research note: Hofstede’s consequences: a study of reviews, citations and replications. Journal of Organisational Studies, 15(3), 447-456. Steenkamp, J. (2001). The role of national culture in international marketing research. International Market Review, 18(1), 30-44. Trompenaars, F., & Hampden Turner, C. (1997). Riding the waves of culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill. University of Northern Iowa. (2011). Business Communication with China. Retrieved from http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/inte rnationalbuscomm/world/asia/china/china.html Venaik, S., & Brewer, P. (2013). Critical issues in the Hofstede and GLOBE national culture models. International Marketing Review, 30(5), 469-482. World Business Culture. (2013). Chinese business communication style. Retrieved from http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Chinese-Business-Communication-Style.html Zhang, H., & Toomey, S. T. (1998). Communicating Effectively with the Chinese. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

Motherhood in Sula

Toni Morrison’s Sula revolves around the relationship of her two main characters, Sula and Nel. The childhood friends grow apart with age. Although it is indicated that their friendship is the most important relationship they participate in, they eventually betray each other and lead dishonest lives. Throughout the novel, we see their constantly deteriorating relationship as a result of absence of a family life. Sula is a novel about the influence family may have on the make up of someone’s personality.In particular, the novel examines the effect parents can have on their children and the conscious effort the main characters make to be unlike their mothers. Nel’s maternal grandmother was a prostitute in New Orleans and so her daughter Helene (Nel’s mother) does everything in her power to lead a life that opposes the path her mother took. She holds everyone to the highest standard, sees everyone as the best they can be, and expects everyone else to see her the same way. Those who fall short of these expectations are subject to judgment, in her mind.Helene plays a significant role in the early parts of the novel—she is an important figure in Medallion, described as â€Å"an impressive woman,† who â€Å"won all social battles with presence. † (18) In this first description of Helene, Morrison quickly falls into an epic catalogue, repeating the first words of each short part of a long sentence again and again (â€Å"Helene who†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). This repetition allows the reader to understand the influence Helene has on the town; we see why she is respected. Unlike her mother in everyway, she is well known for the good she has done.She has an esteemed presence. Morrison emphasizes the details of her success to highlight how different she has made her life from her mother’s. There is an episode in the early parts of the novel, however, that keeps everything we learn about Helene in perspective. She is a well-resp ected woman within the Bottom, but on the train trip she takes with Nel, we see that her religious and respectful nature does not protect her from racism. When treated with disrespect by a racist train conductor, Helene smiles â€Å"like a street pup. (21) Her attempt to appease the train conductor confirms his superiority and spurs a sense of anger in the black soldiers that observe the event. This occurrence on the train establishes a sense of place for Morrison’s readers. We see Helene in a new light. She is respected and loved in her town, but to those who do not know her, she is simply a black middle class woman—one of a demographic that in 1920 (and to this day) receives the least respect. After Morrison provides a full understanding of Helene, we meet the woman who has inadvertently shaped her life and clearly, Nel’s mother wants nothing more than to return to the Bottom.Helene plays a minor role in the novel as a whole (she quickly disappears after the beginning). In understanding her character, though, a more complete understanding of Nel can be accomplished. Just like her mother, Nel wishes to be nothing like her mother. Many times during her childhood, we see her attempts to differentiate herself from her mother. Perhaps it is a simple case of the grass is always greener, but Nel’s perception of Sula’s home is indicative of her attempts to become different. Nel loves the unkempt nature of the house.She loves the noise and the people and even the lack of attention that Eva gives to Sula. Although she will grow to live a life that is full of order, as a child, she looks for opportunities to remove herself from that world. Sula is a quintessential example of this escape. She realizes this desire to be different upon her return from the trip. She doesn’t want to be anyone’s child; she develops a sense of â€Å"me-ness,† and likens her mother’s true personality to â€Å"custard pudding,â₠¬  feeble and afraid to challenge societal structure. 29; 28) Most important of all the changes the train trip provides, though, is Nel’s newfound â€Å"strength to cultivate a friend in spite of her mother. † (29) This strength opens the door for Sula to change her life. Nel and Sula’s relationship is a complex one, which allows for the novel to become incredibly in depth and driven by interesting characters. Sula’s relationships with her mother and grandmother are opposite of Nel’s relationship with her mother. This is, perhaps, why their personalities differ so much once they reach adulthood. Both become their mothers.Her mother and grandmother, who obviously favor her brother, essentially ignore Sula. Hannah, her mother, is a very sexual woman who enjoys the company of many men in town to the disapproval of Sula. Because of her mother’s actions, Sula views her with an indifferent and callous sense of hostility. Still, Sula reacts in a n egative way when hears her mother say, â€Å"‘I just don’t like her’† in reference to her daughter. (57) The difference between loving someone and liking someone is made clear here. It develops the idea of a mother’s ambivalent love.When a child is aggravating, it can be frustrating to love them. But for Hannah, she simply does not like the person Sula is becoming. This realization, for Sula, removes her from her childhood. She sees the idea of love in a new light—it can be an overwhelming feeling that commands responsibility and irritation. With this comment, we see Sula as an adult for the first time, exposed to the negative side of human emotion for the first time. Sula’s relationship with her mother comes to a harrowing climax when Hannah is set on flames and Sula stands and watches.She is not shocked, we later learn, but intrigued. This says much about Sula as a person, but it also is interesting concerning her dynamic with her mo ther. She acts as her mother would have in this situation; she is cold and disconnected, and cares little about the person in need. Sula’s reaction to the fire is strikingly similar to the way her mother brought her up. Perhaps all of the disregard Hannah showed towards Sula came back in her death. Sula, with no feeling of love or like for her mother, simply watched her die.Hannah’s words about Sula before she died, that she did not like her, freed Sula, in a way. Because Hannah did not like Sula, Sula felt no need to love Hannah. The connection was lost. Interestingly, at her mother’s death, we see Sula become comparable to her mother for the first time. Sula eventually becomes more and more like her mother, with no emotional connections to anyone. Almost with no regard for the person she cares for most in the world, she sleeps with Nel’s husband. She doesn’t know the real name of the person she participates in her only romantic relationship with. Disconnected and completely unemotional, Sula as the adult she becomes is first seen at her mother’s death. Nel and Sula, much like many people in the world, are defined by their mothers. Any attempt they made throughout the novel to push themselves further from what their mothers were proved futile. Helene’s over-bearing motherhood and incredible need for order resulted in Nel acting out slightly in adolescence but eventually becoming as stable and constant and respectable as her mother.Hannah’s lack of attention towards Sula and constant promiscuity led to Sula acting in the same way, with no love toward the people who cared most about her. Their mothers differ on an incredible number of features and perhaps this is one reason why Nel and Sula’s relationship goes from sister-like to betrayal and hatred. Morrison makes it clear in this novel that we are what our mothers make us, whether we make a conscious effort to do so, like Nel, or if we are so affec ted by the ways in which they act that we simply have no choice but to fall into their past routines, like Sula.

Disability Awareness - 840 Words

Disability Awareness (L22347) My name is Janet Long and I am going to write a case study on Disability Awareness. I have based this case study on one of my clients, Mary, who has a form of disability known as Lewy Body Dementia. In this case study. I will be focusing on the independence value of the social model of care. I will be examining the * The Social Model of Care * Supports that can be put in place * Strategies used by the client to maintain their independence * Recommendations Mary’s dementia has restricted her quality of life and her independence and I will be looking at how we can optimise her independence and hence her quality of life. I have spoken to Mary family and ask them who was involved in Mary†¦show more content†¦This monitoring and support needs to be made up of experienced and trained personnel who will be able to support Mary in her own environment while still allowing Mary to have a degree of independence. I also feel that it is necessary to educate the general public in the issues surrounding mental disabilities and how to help them integrate into society. If people were able to have a better understanding of mental disabilities they would become more tolerant and less fearful. It is the ignorance that creates the fear and if we can remove the ignorance then the fear should be removed. It is important to concentrate on the abilities and not the disability to allow Mary to have a normal life as much as possible. We should not lose sight of Mary’s abilities and rights to use these abilities. Acknowledgements I have obtain my information from my Comfort keepers course materials and MarysShow MoreRelatedAn Awareness Of A Person With A Physical Disability1750 Words   |  7 PagesThe wheelchair assignment was meant for students to develop an awareness of the life of a person with a physical disability. Different barriers that I became more aware of during this excessive include physical and attitudinal. To complete this experience one had to sit in a wheelchair for at least two hours within a public setting. It was preferred that students left Convocation because numerous students, faculty, and staff within the building knew about this assignment. If a student stayed withinRead MoreAn Awareness Of Life Of A Person With A Physical Disability1750 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The wheelchair assignment was meant for students to develop an awareness of the life of a person with a physical disability. Different barriers that I became more aware of during this excessive include physical and attitudinal. To complete this experience one had to sit in a wheelchair for at least two hours within a public setting. It was preferred that students left Convocation because numerous students, faculty, and staff within the building knew about this assignment. If a studentRead MoreDisability Awareness And Early Identification Essay1361 Words   |  6 PagesDisability awareness and early identification: Interview with Mr. Franco Background and Introduction People cannot begin to understand how important its awareness is unless she or he knows how frequently people with disabilities are found now. Approximately 49 million Americans, which means one out of every five Americans, have a certain form of disability. One out of every twelve which is 8% of Irish people also have a disability. Yet, our society is enriched with their valuable contributions asRead MoreThe Awareness Of Children s Perception Of Disabilities And The Resources Of Helping People With Disabilities Essay1230 Words   |  5 Pagesof disabilities, the avoidance of this topic is on the decrease. Less and less parents are not eager to deny that their children could possibly have some kinds of disability when they were suggested to take a test by educator. In fact, more and more of them initiatively took their kids to the test center when they somehow realized their children might show a sign of any types of disabilities or did not achieve certain goals during their growing . We have learned various area of disabilities andRead MoreEffectiveness Of Phonological Awareness Interventions On First Grade Children With Intellectual Disabilities4580 Words   |  19 Pages2013 to 2015 has remained relatively unchanged with one exception – children with intellectual disabilities reading scores have actually dropped (National Report Card, 2015). The purpose of this study was to determine if evidence-based reading interventions from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) would increase phoneme blending and segmenting skills in children who have intellectual disabilities. Two 1st grade special education students, ages 6 and 7, participated in an AB research designRead Morenvq 3 Principles of diversity, equality and inclusion in adult social care settings789 Words   |  3 Pagesshould feel included and be able to actively participate in activities and be valued for who they are. d) Discrimination Discrimination means unfair or unequal treatment to ether an individual or a group on the grounds of race, age, sex, gender, disability, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. It means that they are treat less favourably than someone else in the same situation and unfairly disadvantaged or excluded. 1.2 Describe the potential effects of discrimination Discrimination can affectRead MoreSelf Reflection Essays817 Words   |  4 Pages  Reports   on   Self- ­Ã¢â‚¬ Observations   and   Self- ­Ã¢â‚¬    Reflections    Maximum   1000   words   each   term    The   purpose   of   these   three   reports   is   to   demonstrate   how   you   have   used   the   learning   journal   to    develop   your   self- ­Ã¢â‚¬ awareness   from   term   to   term.   (See   Section   11   about   the   Learning   Journal)    Each   report   is   due   at   the   first   class   meeting   after   each   reading   week.    Guidelines:    The   Reports   should   include   your   reflectionsRead MoreAssignment 46890 Words   |  28 Pagesï » ¿What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself. -- Abraham H. Maslow (Robson, John 2013)† This says to me that in order for a person to change they have to first become aware of themselves and how they perceive and understand themselves in relation to the world. During the following assignment I am going to explore how I myself, through the studying of counselling skills and theory, have developed my understanding of self and how I apply this within whatever environmentRead MoreThe Effect Of Reading Abilities On Dyslexia Over The Past Four Decades874 Words   |  4 Pagesanalyze manifest causes of reading difficulties. The evidence suggests that basic deficits in alphabetic coding would lead to inadequate word identification and which then contributes to reading difficulties. Moreover, both phonological awareness and orthographic awareness have an impact on skills of alphabetic coding. Importantly, casual relationships between word identification difficulties and deficient phonological skills seem more prominent in learning to read in opaque orthographies such as EnglishRead MorePhonemic Awareness921 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual sounds in words spoken.† Phonemic awareness is the â€Å"ability to hear the phonemes and manipulate t he sounds† (p. 41). Phonemic awareness is essential because without the ability students are not able to manipulate the sounds. According to the National Institute for Literacy (2007), â€Å"students with poor phonics skills prevent themselves from reading grade-level text and are unable to build their vocabulary† (p.5) Agreeing with the importance of phonemic awareness, Shapiro and Solity attempted to use