Who I Am as a Teenager

Who am I? This uncertainty has to be one of the most common to go through a teenager’s brain. As a regular teenager, I make mistakes, laugh, cry, smile and love. Every experience in my life good or bad, happy or sad makes me stronger. Each step in my life and each passing moment make me grow into the person I want to be. To understand who I am, I have to talk about things that help to shape my identity like my past, the culture where I come from, the environment where I grow up and my family Our history influences our patriotism and our nationalistic tendencies. As I have been growing up, I notice that my entire background have influenced in who I am. My history helps me to remember where my ancestors came from. By remembering that, I will understand my heritage, more about me, and how I should live my life the best I can. History is not only telling me about how my family’s ancestors lived their lives, but also show me my culture, my tradition, and the way that I think. The family history of everybody marks their past, their present, and their future, because the consequences of the actions remain in time. Our culture influences, to an extent, everything in our lives, from how we are schooled, the morals we are taught and other influences on our lives such as sports we play, foods we eat, clothes we wear, music we listen to and how we feel. All these examples represent my culture. It makes me different and identifies me with my birthplace, and I feel important in this world because of these differences. I was born in a small city in Vietnam, and I did not have any brother or sister. As the only child in my family, I grew up in a very loving, caring and educating family environment. However, grew up in that type of sheltered environment prevented me from seeing the outside world. My only friends were my toys, so when I started pre-school, it was really different for me because there were a lot more kids than I was used to seeing. Since I did not know anyone, I didn’t talk very much. As I grew older and moved through school, I began to have more friends than I did back in pre-school. I was starting to talk more and be more active. I realized that the environment where I grew up had influenced who I am as a person. All this parts of my background make the person that I am. Another aspect of who I am is the hobbies that I enjoy doing. I like to listen to any kind of music except rock and rap. I enjoy playing sports such as soccer, basketball and football with my friends. I also enjoy off-road adventures, and playing with my two three-year old nephews. Another one of my hobbies is reading books especially medical books because I want to be a doctor like my parents. My family is probably the largest reason that makes me who I am today because it decides my personality, bias and character flaws. My dad and my mom are both dentists and although they are busy with their job, they always spend most of the time to take care of me. Being a working housewife, my mom tries very hard to be a good homemaker. She is an adventurous cook, and she is good. Unlike many of my dad’s contemporizes, he is a picture of health and vitality. I admire his dedication to his patients and work. Although my father is a strict disciplinarian, he can be jovial and caring at the same time. When I was sick, my parents would take off work and spend the whole day to pampering me back to health. My dad used to tell me that â€Å"as a human being, everybody made mistakes. Some people would deny to facing it but the smart people would have the courtesy to learn from them and not made them twice. † He also taught me how to be strong. He told me to except things as they happened and moved on. If I spent all day thinking about it, I could miss the things that made me happy. Not only did they teach me good moral values, but they also provided me with examples of good behavior and how to support my family. I was taught that my most important goal in life was to have a good education. My parents used to say that someday they would not be with me anymore, and if I wanted to have an economic independence, I had to have a good education. Then I started to think about that, and I decided to study abroad in America. I knew more friends and got more independent. Through that experience, I had a chance to experience both traditional Vietnamese culture and innovation American culture. I learned how to use my Asian background as a beneficial tool and to see myself as a unique person rather than as a vagrant. I was able to know and learn about each person and their culture; my personality changed from introverted to sociable. Henry Ford once said, â€Å"Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. † Each one of us is unique in the way that we interpret the influences on us and decide whether or not to accept these outside interventions in our self-molding. My history, my culture and my family’s environment are the most important parts of my life. They are things that help to shape who I am. I love being me and the person that I am. I am not perfect, and don’t try to be. I go through life with an open mind and take things in as they happen. I am me and that all I can be.

Psychodynamic and Behavioural Essay

Introduction In this essay I’m going to describe and evaluate the core theoretical perspectives in counselling, behavioural, cognitive behavioural, humanistic and psychodynamic theories, the view of the person in therapy, the blocks to functioning of the person in therapy and the goals and techniques of each theory. I will compare and contrast the approaches looking at the similarities and differences between the counselling perspectives and how the counsellor in each theory differ in their techniques to counselling their clients. This essay will present and contrast the workings of the four major theories of counselling psychology mainly – psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and person-centred. First I will describe what counselling entails, introducing each in turn. My discussion will examine the four theories or approaches for a history of the founder and a rationale for why they were led to introducing a new therapy approach and a sketch of the key concepts. Further, I will look at methods and processes employed by each theory, the respective roles played by the therapist and the client and the various situations to which the theory can be applied. Finally I will examine the limitations of the theory and how well it integrates with other approaches. Throughout this paper I will offer my own view of the issues at hand and in so doing attempt a synthesis of the four theories The aim of writing this essay is to widen my knowledge and insight of the four theories, their backgrounds and development, their ideologies and how they influence human behaviour. This academic essay is going to form part of the requirements for the award of Diploma in counselling studies at the Kenya Association of Professional counsellors in Kisumu. Counselling The function of counselling is to help people to resolve problem areas in their life. Counselling provides an opportunity for the person to explore the difficult feelings, thoughts and behaviours that have blocked the way to satisfying relationships, personal happiness. The purpose of counselling is to help clients achieve their personal goals, and gain greater insight into their lives. One hopes that by the end of this process one will be more  satisfied with his or her life. Counselling is not a process where the counsellor tells the client what he or she should do or decides choices for the client to make. Rather it is an opportunity for the client to come to a greater understanding of the person that he or she is with the help of the counsellor. Counselling is to assist individuals through a helping relationship to make changes and adjustments in their lives to alleviate stress and reduce unrest. To create and discover choices those are available to counsellor in order to eliminate negative responses from challenging situations. The client relationship with their counsellor is confidential. No information concerning the client will be released without their consent. Counselling does not provide instant answers. The frequency of the person visits will be determined by the client and their counsellor. Living in the modern world, surrounded by confusion and at times apparent chaos, we are all often exposed to difficulties and challenging situation. We all encounter problems such as relationship difficulties, work demands, financial obligations, unemployment, divorce or other pressures we may face on a daily basis. Psychodynamic Theory Psychodynamic theories relate in some ways to the way we feel and behave as individuals and seek to provide a framework for us to understand these aspects of our personalities often our experiences in childhood and particularly our early relationships. Much of psychodynamic thinking from Freud’s theory of psychosexual development (Freud, 1905) to Winnicott’s work with children there is a recognition that we develop patterns in behaviour early in our lives that will shape the way we relate to the world as such these theories are known as developmental theories (Spurling, 2004, pg. 2). Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) The psychodynamic theory was first postulated by Sigmund Freud as psychoanalysis in essence learned in overcoming his emotional pain, the dynamics of personality development (Corey, 2000) He developed an interest in hypnosis which was an early precursor of psychotherapy. First Born of a Viennese family of three boys and girls, he graduated from medical school and became a psychotherapist Basic Assumptions and Key Concepts The counselling theories all encompass therapeutic techniques as well as a model of the human personality. Freud’s views of human nature was that the human beings was controlled by irrational forces and instinctual drives established in childhood whereby people are products of their environments and innate unconscious forces. These instincts serve as a meaning of survival for the individual where the goal of life is to enhance pleasure and avoid pain. The reviewed human personality as comprising of three elements The ID The primitive, it is instinctive, illogical, lacks organization, seeks pleasure. Hereditary factors are represented by the ID.the Id has no judgement value (good vs evil) and has no morality. The EGO Refined by the contact with the outside world the ego is realistic, organized and logical. Super Ego Representing the authority figures, the super ego is judgemental, ideal, strives for perfection and informs the person’s moral code. It represents reality of the external world. Freud believed that for psychological health all three had to be in balance (Hough, 2002) the ego’s role was to balance the conflicting demands between the id and the super ego that led to tension in order to protect the ego from negative energy defence mechanisms develop; these include denial, repression, regression and others. He saw human development through stages denominated by changing awareness and attitudes towards human sexuality organs. Accordingly, he devised the notion of libido which he refers to as the energy of all life instincts. This energy then is the motivation that drives us to the central goal of life which is to enhance pleasure and avoid pain. Later he came up with the death instincts that accounts for human aggression in his view, those unconscious drives determine how people act (Corey, 2000). Defence Mechanisms According to psychoanalysis, when an individual faces a conflict among the ID, ego and super ego over the control of psychic (mind) energy, he adopts several defence mechanisms to cope with the challenges. While all defence mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. The greatest problems arise when the defence mechanisms  are over used in order to avoid dealing with problems. [Class notes, certificate in counselling studies, 2014] Anxiety There are three types of anxiety, one being reality anxiety which is in touch with reality threat, second is neurotic anxiety which is concern those instincts that will get out of hand and thirdly moral anxiety which is fear of own conscience . So when anxiety state is in excess, one goes into ego defence mechanisms to be able to cope. This happens mostly at the unconscious level and the aim is to either deny or distort (class notes, diploma in counselling studies, 2014, pg. 65) Reality examples of defence mechanisms include repression which acts to keep information out of conscious awareness. However these mechanisms don’t just disappear they continue to influence our behaviour. E.g. a person who has repressed memories of abuse as a child, may later have difficulty forming relationship Displacement Taking out our frustrations, feelings and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening egg if a boss has annoyed a person since he/she cannot argue with the boss he/she instead expresses anger towards a person or object that poses no threat such as spouse, pet or children or house maids. Sublimation Diverging sexual or aggressive energy to socially acceptable behaviour, for example a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kickboxing as a means of venting frustrations, Development Stages Freud linked different kinds of conflicts to specific stages of a child’s development, he classified these in terms of areas of the body, he believed to represent the source of child’s libido on sexual instinct at the time he termed them oral, from birth to 1 year, anal from 1 year to 3years, phallic from 3 to 6 years, latent from 6 to 12 years and genital from 12 to 18years. Freud believed that if a child does not negotiate any of this stages, they get fixated that is they psychologically remain in that stage and do not move effectively to the others. For example you may find a 12 year old still sucking the thumb, a characteristic of the oral stage. The adolescent is in  turmoil as she/he discovers the self. Goals The goal is psychodynamic theory is one to modify individuals character by making the unconscious conscious and two to strengthen the ego so that behaviour is based more on reality than on instinct. Techniques There are many techniques used to facilitate the clients to gain insight into their behaviour and meaning of symptoms and they include, free association whereby clients are made to relax so that they can reflect whatever comes to their mind uncensored even if it is disagreeable or if it seems meaningless and this is to bring forth material from unconscious mind (Jones, 2006) another one is dream analysis where during sleep the defences are lowered and repressed feelings surface. These may point to some unresolved issues, and in transference analysis, transference manifest itself at the point when a client’s unfinished business causes them to distort the present reality and to react to therapist as they did to the father, mother as significant others. Through Freudian slip or slips of the tongue, unconscious thoughts and feelings can be transferred to conscious minds. Freud believed that slips of tongue provide an insight into the unconscious mind and not accidental and every behaviour including slips of the tongue was significant thus determining behaviour (Corey, 2001) Limitations and Weaknesses Some of the ideas (penis envy, Oedipus) are outdated in terms of our contemporary world, and it is questioned by some theorists/practitioners whether these concepts are clinically useful It takes a long time commitment in terms of time and resources to complete the psychoanalytic therapy and process. His fellow proponent Carl Jung maintains that our behaviour is not merely shaped by our past events only but by the present as well as the future. Erik Eriksson Freud did not tolerate divergent views from himself and this led his contemporaries and students establishing their own theoretical approaches, these included Alfred Adler (1870-1937) who introduced what he calls (individual psychology) in 1911 another one was Erik Eriksson[ 1963] extended his theory of psychosocial perspective by stressing the  psychosocial aspects of development beyond childhood. His theory of human development holds that both psychosexual and psychosocial growth take place together and that each stage in life we face the task of establishing equilibrium between ourselves and our social lives. He describes development in terms of the entire lifespan divided by specific crisis to be resolved. He describe the crisis as turning point in life when we have the potential to move forward or regress. To large extend our life is as a result of the choices we make at each of these stages. Behavioural Theory Behaviour therapy, lie its name implies is the psychotherapy that focuses on the change or improvement of behaviour rather than the healing of the heart or the mind as Jan Ehrenwald called it ‘psychotherapy without psyche’ (Ehrenwald, 1976) although its main focus is on the behaviour only, however, in its clinical approach, behavioural therapy has been used to treat variety of disorders such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders and sexual disorders etc. besides the clinical approach behaviour therapy has been used in the area of business, schools and rehabilitation centres. Furthermore behaviour modifications, though slightly different approach but based upon similar techniques and assumptions are also used to correct undesirable behaviour and promote adaptive behaviours in our daily life. As an overall theory the distinctive emphasis is on overwhelming role of environmental contingencies in influencing the acquisition and maintenance of behaviour (Jones, 2006) Pavlov’s classical conditioning. Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936) research on the digestive system of dogs led to his discovery of the classical conditioning process which demonstrated that the learning process could be used to make an association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus the underlying belief in classical conditioning is that behaviour can be controlled and that human beings can be made to do things without being aware of them just as Pavlov was able to condition a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. This experiment shows that the environment can be manipulated to produce the desired behaviour or response, for example in counselling the client can be conditioned to produce the desired result for example to undo a negative practice such as fear. Pavlov’s researches into  conditioned reflex were essential to the founding of behaviour therapy (Jones, 2006). Skinners Operant Behaviourism B.F Skinner (1904-1990) was born in Susquehanna Pennsylvania. He came up with the concept of operant conditioning which demonstrated the effect of punishment and reinforcement on behaviour. According to him, reward and punishment make people behave in certain ways, positive reinforcement aims to increase the frequency of a response by filling it with a favourable event (rewards) while negative reinforcement makes use of punishment, withdrawal of the rewards. The term ‘operant’ emphasizes the fact that behaviour operates on the environment to generate consequences. Thus the consequences define the properties with respect to which responses are viewed as similar He acknowledged that Pavlov called all events that strengthened behaviour in his dog ‘reinforcement’ and the resulting changes their voluntary behaviour ‘conditioning’. However, the critical difference is that in Pavlov’s work, the reinforced is paired with stimulus, whereas in operant behaviour it is contingent upon a response. Classical and operant conditioning are the only two possible kinds of conditioning. (Jones, 2006) Albert Bandura‘s Social learning Bandura(1925) was born and raised in Mundare in Northern Alberta, Canada he graduated from the university of British Colombia with a psychology major and later received a doctorate in clinical psychology from university of IOWA and it was there that he came under the influence of behaviourist tradition and learning theory. He propagated social learning theory. It postulates that people are capable of learning vicariously by observing behaviourism of others as well as its consequences and imitating that behaviour. The key learning aspects include observation, retention, and motivational imitation. (Jones, 2006) Goals Main goal is to create new condition for learning. The behavioural approach helps produce effective ways of managing conditions of the client through behaviour modifications techniques and the principles of reward and punishments. It is assumed that such learning experiences can restructure behaviour. Assumptions The main assumption of behavioural approach is that behaviours learnt can be unlearnt for example the unacceptable behaviour such as smoking can be stopped. Techniques  Behavioural approaches use a variety of methods and techniques which include; relaxation training, systematic desensitization, token economies just to mention a few. These training methods are often utilized to help people learn new ways and overcome maladaptive behaviours. Relaxation training method aims at achieving muscles and mental relaxation, it is a useful experience in releasing physical and mental fatigue. While systematic desensitization is based on the principle of classical conditioning and is used to address anxiety based on maladaptive behaviour or avoidance reaction (Corey, 2001) Limitations and Weaknesses Behaviour Change is based on the idea of learning and that behaviour can be learnt and unlearnt and re-learnt contrary opinions show that some behaviours are hereditary (genetic) also behavioural approach deals with a client’s current problems and the factors that influence them rather than the reasons leading to the problem or historical determinants. The counsellor assumes that the client’s problems are influenced by present conditions for example at time it ignores the important relational and historical factors of present behaviour. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy In its simplest form, cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT as it is referred) refers to the approach of changing dysfunctional behaviours and thoughts to realistic and healthy ones. CBT encompasses several types of therapy focusing on the impact of an individual’s thinking as it relates to expressed behaviours. Such models include rational emotive therapy(RET),rational emotive behavioural therapy(REBT), behavioural therapy (BT), Rational Behaviour Therapy (RBT), schema focused therapy and Cognitive therapy (CT).Most recently a few other variations have been linked to CBT such as an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectic behavioural therapy (DBT) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy ( MBCT) (Harrington and Pickles,2009). The main aspect that all these branches of therapy share is that our thought relate to our external behaviours. External events and individuals do not cause the negative thoughts or feelings. But instead the perception of events and situations is the root cause (National Association of Cognitive Behavioural therapists 2010) Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) Albert Ellis (1913) was born in Pittsburgh he combined humanistic, philosophical and behavioural therapy to form rational emotive therapy, (now known as rational emotive behaviour therapy or REBT) Ellis can be referred to as the grandfather of cognitive therapy. Ellis became dissatisfied with practicing psychoanalysis and psychotherapy and began to focus more on philosophical beliefs including those that clients could change self-defeating behaviours by changing their points of View (P.333, Sharf, 2012) Ellis was the first to connect the impact of thoughts as they relate to behaviour when he published in 1962, Reason and Emotion psychotherapy (Walsh, 2010) Ellis work asserted that an individual’s underlying thinking about him/herself directly affected his/her behaviours and as a therapist his goal was to help the clients become more reasonable in thoughts and ultimately followed behaviours. Assumptions The basic assumptions of REBT is that people contribute to their own psychological problem as well as to specific symptom by the way they interpret events and situations. The approach views human problem as stemming from disturbances in the thought or cognitive process which people are disturbed not by events themselves but by their view of events. Emotions are derived from our beliefs, evaluation, interpretation and reactions to life situations and that changing these will lead to a change in how we feel about things and consequently how we behave or the actions we take (Corey 2005) The approaches teaches individuals to become rational in thoughts in order to eliminate irresponsible behaviour Ellis created the A-B-C theory based model to create changes which simply states that emotional and behavioural consequences (C) are the results activating events. (A) And irrational beliefs (B) of those events. Later D and E are bought into play with (D) representing the detecting and disputing element and (E) becomes the new effect or behaviour. Other techniques used in REBT that are major component of CBT are visualizations, skill training, homework and role  playing many believe that Elli’s REBT and Beck’s cognitive are very similar, however, Ellis disputes this and argues that there are significant differences, as do some therapists who take the side of Beck and favour cognitive therapy (Padesky and Beck, 2003,2007) Cognitive Theory Aaron T. Beck (6 1921) was born in Providence, Rhode Island. His childhood was characterized by adversity. Aaron Becks is widely renowned for his contribution to CBT. In the 1960s Becks, who initially was interested in depression, found the depressed individuals carried many biases in their cognitive processing leading him to create Cognitive Theory (C.T) (Burns, 1999.) Beck noticed that individuals exhibit an â€Å"internal communication system within themselves, from which they formed their beliefs† or what Beck called schema (Shard, p371). An individual’s schema represents their distorted thinking patterns and determines how they view or perceive events. For those that are depressed, the schema often consists of negative thoughts along with self-criticism and self-blame. More specifically, this cognitive schema presented â€Å"three basic themes of personal ineffectiveness, personal degradation, and the world is essentially an unpleasant place (Walsh, 2010).† This type of thinking commonly resulted in individuals prophesying failure and disaster for themselves. He also noticed during therapy that his depressed clients consistently dismissed positive thoughts in order to focus on the negative thoughts. Many of such thoughts seemed to be automatic and spontaneous, leading him to coin the phrase ANTs better known as automatic negative thoughts. Such thoughts, ideas and beliefs resulted in clients believing that they were unlovable, worthless, and despicable. In 1976, Beck published Cognitive Therapies and the Emotional Disorders leading others to take notice of this concept. He also contributed to the field greatly with some of the most well-known and utilized assessments such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and Beck scale for suicidal ideation (BSS), Beck anxiety scales (BAI), and the Beck youth inventories of social impairment (BYI). Goal Cognitive therapy teaches clients how to think about their thinking so that they can correct faulty cognitive processing and develop assumptions that  allow them to cope. It also aims to impact behavioural skills relevant to client’s problems for example listening and communication skills for distressed couples and assertion skills for shy people (Jones, 2006) Technique Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is directive and persuasive and even confrontive, though it can also be reflective and structured in its approach (Corsini and Wedding 1995) the therapists takes on the role of a teacher pointing out distorted thinking helping the clients identify and process emotions and practicing new skills by way of role play. In cognitive therapy, There is a heavy reliance on homework assignments and it is very much skill based method. Limitations CBT does not suit everyone and it is not helpful for all conditions. You need to be committed and persistent in tackling and improving your health problem with the help of the therapist. It can be hard work. The homework may be difficult and challenging. You may be taken ‘out of your comfort zone’ when tackling situations which cause anxiety or distress. However, many people have greatly benefited from a course of CBT. In order to benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) you need to ensure that you give a considerable level of commitment and involvement. Due to the structured nature of CBT, it may not be suitable for people who have more complex mental health needs, or learning difficulties. Cognitive Behaviour modification Donald Meichenbaum was another major alternative to rational emotive behaviour (CBM) which focuses on changing clients self-verbalization, according to Meichenbaum (1977), self-statements affect a person’s behaviours in much the same way as statements made by another person the therapeutic process consists of training clients to modify the instructions they give to themselves so that they can cope more effectively with the problems they encounter. Emphasis on acquiring practical coping skills for problematic situations such as impulsive and aggressive behaviour, fear of taking tests, fear of public speaking. On how behaviour changes, he describes three phases one being self-observant, here clients observe their  behaviours by listening to themselves then phase two is for starting a new internal dialogue, here clients learn to notice the maladaptive behaviours and begin to see opportunities for adaptive behavioural alternatives. Phase three for learning new skills. Then modif ication process consists of teaching client more effective skills. Assumptions Meichenbaum operates on the assumption that there are multiple realities and one of the therapeutic tasks is to help clients appreciate how they construct their realities and how they author their stories (Corey 2001). Humanistic Theory Humanistic theory focuses on the positive attributes to what they considered it is to be human. To better understand some of the attributes and notions of humanistic theory the following paper analysis’s two humanistic theories in turn; specifically Maslow’s conception of self-actualization and Rogers phenomenological based personality theory. This is followed by discussing some strengths and limitations to humanistic theories in understanding relationships, others and the self. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs According to Abraham Maslow our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs using a pyramid model to display the hierarchy of human needs he suggests that people are motivated to fulfil the basic needs before moving on to other more advanced needs. Needs at the bottom of the hierarchy are basic physical requirements including need of water, sleep, air and warmth. Once this lower level needs have been met. People can move to the next level of needs which are safety and security.as people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. So once the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority, Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization which is a process of growing and developing as a person in order to achieve individual potential. This Hierarchy of needs was presented in the formation of a triangle Person-Centred American psychologist Carl Rogers (1902-1987) is often considered to be  founder of this school of thought. Carl Rogers was born January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois. Carl was the fourth of six children. He maintained there were three conditions which constitute the climate to promote the personal growth Genuineness: this is the realness and congruence. According to Rogers the more a counsellor is real and true in the relationship and is not putting up personal faà §ade and professional face the more the client will change positively. Unconditional Positive Regard: This is the simple act of accepting all traits and behaviours in the client as long as it does not entail causing significant harm to others. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the client does wrong or makes a mistake Empathy: Rogers believed that the counsellor should experience an accurate understanding of the client’s awareness of his own experience and show this understanding to the client. Carl Rogers believed that the client by establishing a productive relationship with an understanding counsellor can resolve difficulties and gain the insight necessary to restructure their life. Assumption The main assumption is one that human beings are good and moving towards good provided the environment is supportive and two ,people have the capacity to solve their own problems through the self-actualizing tendency and thirdly human beings are unique, singular and individual. Techniques Humanistic counselling is aimed at helping the counselling client make different choices. This type of counselling gives the client as much freedom to be himself in the counselling setting as possible. The counsellor’s role is to accept the client as she is and direct her to view her choices objectively, but not to impose choices on her or direct her behaviour in any particular manner. Humanistic counselling includes active listening, gestalt techniques and no confrontational questioning. Active Listening Active listening helps the client identify his own thoughts and feelings by summarizing for him the content or subtext of what he says. For example, if the client says he feels uncreative lately, the counsellor might comment, â€Å"You’re really having a dry spell,† or â€Å"It must be frustrating not to have any ideas when you want to work.† This gives the client a sense of visibility–the counsellor sees, understands and accepts who he really is–as well as putting a specific name to what he is experiencing. In some  cases, this gives the client new abilities to identify his own feelings outside of the therapy room. When using active listening, counsellors should be careful to reword emotional content rather than repeating it verbatim, as the latter technique can come off as glib or â€Å"not really listening.† Gestalt Techniques Gestalt techniques are a subset of humanistic counselling aimed at helping the client integrate her thoughts, feelings and experiences so her behaviour is consistent with her values and emotions, according to Psychology Today Treatment Centre. Common gestalt techniques include free association and psychodrama. In free association, the client is asked to say the first word or phrase that pops into her head in response to a word, phrase or incomplete sentence. Psychodrama involves dialoguing with aspects of the self, such as the inner child. Clients may be asked to switch from one seat to another in order to speak from the point of view of each such aspect or to write out dialogues between these aspects. Open-Ended Questions Asking open-ended questions helps the client delve deeper into his own thoughts about an issue. These questions provide a starting point for deeper thought without expressing the counsellor’s point of view, which could unduly influence the client. The questions require the client to say something more than â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† and avoid language that might lead him to a particular answer. Strengths and Weaknesses of Humanistic Theories As with every theory designed for application in the understanding of mankind, Humanistic theories have both strengths and many weaknesses. Thus the following section will address the major strengths and weaknesses of Humanistic theory in turn. One of the major strengths attributed to Humanistic theory is the idea that the subject is fully accountable and in control of their actions. This is in stark contrast to the notions behind psychoanalysis. Leading from this assumption is the notion that humanistic theories promote the idea of being human, self-fulfilment and realistic and observable goals that can be obtained. A final strength to Humanistic theory is the idea that from a clinical perspective it offers an open space in which a patent can express any feeling of thought without being led down a  path to revisit traumatic events which they may not feel comfortable discussing. One of the major weaknesses with Humanistic theories is lack of empirical evidence to support its claims. Academics such as Maslow have been widely criticized in this respect in terms of an absence of scientific empirical evidence. A further and related criticism of Humanistic theories is their inability and unsuitability to be used within a metaphysical arena. While Freud and contemporary Freudians managed to move towards ethics and morality through the same criticism of lack of empirical evidence, Humanistic theories have yet to encroach on the metaphysical subject area. A final criticism of Humanistic theories is that many professionals view this discipline as motivated by the cold realities of psychoanalysis and is a discipline which is based on the resistance of the unconscious; furthermore the discipline has seemed to be in decline in recent history. Conclusion I have come to the conclusion that all the four techniques are complementary and one can draw from each, and that the four approaches of psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioural, behaviourism, and humanistic psychology, represent the fundamental ways of viewing human beings and their behavioural problems. It is therefore important to get an understanding of all the techniques so as to know how to help clients with varied problems solve them. I therefore prefer Eclecticism as it acknowledges the human being is a complex being and a single approach cannot be sufficient enough to cater for this complexity. I recommend that a therapist/counsellor gets proper knowledge and training of all the theories in order to be able to counsel a client effectively. Cognitive behavioural approaches deals mainly with what is conscience and evident to the client in my view more research needs to be done and the emphasis should be more on exploring past emotional painful feelings experienced during development period. Which I believe will help the client experience them afresh, address and work on them and in so doing resolve the issues by changing their defective thinking and behaviours. References 1. BAC, 2009. The BACP definition of counselling [online] Lutterworth,Leicestershire: BAC 2. British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 1986, â€Å"Counselling-Definition of terms in use with expansion and rationale (Information Sheet 1)†, Rugby: British Association for Counselling. 3. Burns, D. D. (1993). Ten Days to Self-Esteem. New York: Quill. 1999. Revised edition. 4. Corey, G, (2005) Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 7th Edition, Belmont: Brooks/Cole. 5. Corey. (2001). Case approach to counselling and psychotherapy (5th. ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole. 6. Corsini R.J. & Wedding D, eds, (1995) Current Psychotherapies, 5th Edition, Itasca: F.E.Peacock. 7. Corsini, & Wedding. (1995). Current psychotherapies (5th ed.). Itasca, Ill: F.E. Peacock Publishers. 8. Douglas Woods, (2011) â€Å"What is Counselling†http://www.dougwoods.com/counselling.html 9. Wikipedia contributors. â€Å"Sigmund Freud.† Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopaedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. 10. Freud, S. 1933. New introductory lectures on Psychoanalysis. Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works .New York: W.W. Norton. BF173 .F645 1966 11. Freud, Sigmund (19 62). Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, trans. James Strachey. New York: Basic Books 12. Richard Nelson Jones (2006). Theory and Practice of counselling and Therapy : Sage Publications 13. Hansen, J.C., Rossberg, R.H., Cramer, S.H (1994) Counselling Theory and Process, 5th Edition, Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon. 14. Hough M, 2002; A Practical Approach to Counselling, 2nd Edition, Harlow: Pearson. 15. Rogers, C. R., & American Personnel and Guidance. (1980). Inner world of counselling with Carl Rogers. New York: Insight Media. 16. Rogers, C. R., & American Personnel and Guidance. (1980). Inner world of counselling with Carl Rogers. New York: Insight Media. 17. Spurling, L. (2004) An Introduction to Psychodynamic Counselling London: Palgrave.

Hydraulic fracturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hydraulic fracturing - Essay Example After hydraulic fracturing, the pressure in the well is dropped and the water containing unconfined natural gas flow back to the well head at the surface leading to the formation of dykes and veins. Moreover, devoid of hydraulic fracturing, shale deposits would not generate natural gas and most low-permeability deposits would not be economical. Concerns about the excessive use of hydraulic fracturing have been raised by the public in the United States, and world wide due to the large volumes of water needed, the chemicals added to fracturing fluids, and the need to dispose off the fluids after wells have been accomplished. Consequently, the environmental impacts of â€Å"hydraulic fracturing† include contamination of aquifers and ground water. By far, this is the most serious local environmental concern and possibly the most controversial concern. The potential threat to ground water comes from two sources namely the pumped fluid comprising of the mixture of water plus chemical, surface spills and the released natural gas. Secondly, chemical additives impact. Indeed, defining the acidic level of additives used in the fracking phase should be rather modest and measurable scientific duty; nevertheless, in some countries fracking enterprises are under no lawful obligation to proclaim the correct alignment of this mixture. The third impact is blow outs whereby if the liquid pumped does not break the rock volume around the bottom of the well as projected. As a result, the high fluid pressure drives the fluid into other open and other leaking paths. The paths include the pumping well bore, as well as other boreholes in the surrounding area that are not ceiled fully to accommodate the high pressures. This results to, explosive outbreak of drilling fluids and/or oil and gas from the adjacent wells resulting to pre-existing pervious connectivity at depth. The fourth

The British museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The British museum - Essay Example Most of all, the analysis derived important lessons for future event managers. Ideally, the paper derived new understandings on BM’s operations, existence, and global presence. I find that better management tools, competent and diverse staff, corporate partners, enough funding, diverse membership, and technology are pertinent factors that determine successful attraction management and operations. We need resources to support diverse events targeting different audiences. Indeed, an event should target a specific population. The modern technology, new collections, and globalization offer new opportunities for the audience, sponsors, and partners to subscribe to the event. With respect to the tourism industry, I recommend that government’s increase funding to museums. Governments should hire competent operation managers and employees to design temporary events and specific exhibitions for purposes of promoting visitors performance. The tourism industry should adopt modern technologies to market, manage, and attract visitors to

Modern Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Design - Assignment Example The proclamation also described the utopian craft guild that combined architecture, painting and sculpture into a single but creative expression. The craft-based curriculum used at the Bauhaus was designed to turn out designers and artisans into beautiful and useful objects that are appropriate for the new system of living. The Bauhaus was designed to combine the elements of design and fine arts education. The curriculum started with a preliminary course that provided a brief background to the students who were admitted from a wide range of social and educational framework. The preliminary course was taught by veteran visual artists such as Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Josef Albers among others. The immersion of the students in the Bauhaus educational framework allowed them to participate in specialized workshops. The workshops often included cabinetmaking, metalworking, pottery, weaving, wall painting and typography (Raizman 188). Even though the initial aim of the Bauhaus was to unify the arts through craft, the aspects of the approach proved financially impractical. Gropius found it important to maintain the aim of the Bauhaus and decided to reposition its goals in 1923. He stressed on the benefits of designing for mass production and encouraged the school to adopt the â€Å"Art into Industry† slogan. The Bauhaus later moved from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius set up a new building to accommodate the school. The building contained several features that later formed the hallmarks of modern architecture. The modern architecture included a glass curtain wall, steel-frame construction, and pinwheel plans among others. Today, the Bauhaus is still an experiment al design and research and teaching which are dedicated to the development and communication of the Bauhaus legacy. It also seeks to work on contemporary issues affecting the urban sector. The Russian constructivism was the last but most

Federal law enforcement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Federal law enforcement - Essay Example he study is to be able to present the actions and improvements in security measures that are done by the different bureaus that are in charge of the law enforcement in the United States concentrating mainly in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency. In the United States, it can be observed that the law enforcement is dependent on the jurisdictions of the different groups that are responsible for implementing the laws that can be classified on the basis of the locality, the state and national concerns. In the study undertaken which is directed to the attack in the World Trade Center, being a national and international concern, the major law enforcers of the US are put into focus and scrutiny. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency are the main groups that are responsible for keeping the American land and the population residing in its territory safe and free from harm specifically terrorism. In the event of such tragedy, the sufficiency of the actions and measures that are undertaken to fight crimes such law enforcement groups is in question. For that matter, a study on the actions undertaken to improve the security implemented is in need not only to determine the efficiency of the said groups but to improve the confidence of the population. The specific functions and actions on the improvement of the said bureaus are then the main issue explored in the study. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is one of the most important divisions in the US Federal Government with the main mission to uphold the law and protect the people from different types of threats. For that matter, it is considered as one of the main responsible authorities in the September 11 World Trade Center attack due to the expressed priority of the said group to protect the United States from attacks of the terrorists (â€Å"Quick Fact† FBI). Based on the study

School Nurse Roles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Nurse Roles - Research Paper Example In fact, only 93 (22.63%) respondents out of 411 were not nurses yet they were in one way or another in the allied health profession. Some were still working on their certification in nursing or have an undergraduate degree in allied health sciences . Also, the survey appears to have drawn a bigger participation rate in smaller districts with 1-4 schools in the district (47.32 %). The questions were sent through IASN list serv which reached over 625 people. Upon analyzing the data , it was surprising to learn that out of 409, respondents only 52.81% of the schools in the district have a Registered Nurse. This is quite disturbing since some schools in the district have enrollment rates as big as 40,000 students. As previously mentioned, the schools in the smaller districts were even more staffed with RN than those schools belonging to larger districts. Also, most of the school nurses are also responsible for other schools in the same district. Moreover, most of the schools have only 1 RN with no health aide (CNA) to support the nurse. Although some have CNAs to assist them, others have only secretaries or clerks to support the medical staff . Unfortunately, even the assistants work on a part-time basis and perform different roles in the school too The survey also revealed that smaller districts have even more nurses than those of schools in larger districts.

Segregation of Schools on the Basis of Gender Research Paper

Segregation of Schools on the Basis of Gender - Research Paper Example Smyth (47) observes that several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, continue to have a sizeable number of single-sex schools, where boys and girls receive education at separate classrooms. However, some of the educational centers vehemently turn down any possibility for the mixing of genders at schools. Consequently, they recommend and enforce segmentation of the children on the basis of their gender. In few of the most developed countries, such as the UK, USA, Canada, and India, the students obtain learning classes under one roof without their segregation on a gender basis. The co-educated schooling is actually exercised on the foundation of the Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments as of 1972, which vehemently outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programmes receiving federal funds (Halpern et al.) Thus, the U.S. law absolutely rejects the possibility of segregating the schooling of the children in the light of their gender difference s. Theorists maintain different opinions about the co-education and segregated patterns of education for adolescents and young students. Some of the critics declare segregation of educational centers on gender basis as strictly against the norms, values, traditions, and customs which have been prevailing in the contemporary world for the last several decades. They also cite the example of the division of society on the basis of race, ethnicity, and religion, where people get their children admitted to the schools that belong to their own ethnic-racial background. They stick to the opinion that segregation of boys and girls at schools not only paves the way towards the further splitting up of the already divided society but also disables the young generation from comprehending the challenges they are to undergo as professionals in future. The supporters of co-education schooling declare segregation of the students on the basis of gender as strictly against the principles of gender eq uality. Since the statutes of law condemn the practicing of any ethnic, racial, religious or gender discrimination, depriving the children of getting admission into the schools of their choice is absolutely against the basic rights the Human Rights Charter bestows upon them. Since all boys and girls are free to enjoy their human rights and their potential as individuals in economic, socio-cultural, civil and public life, no law can forbid them to enter into the learning process of their choice altogether. In addition, since boys and girls are to become partners at domestic and career life, they have to be able to enter into decisions making in collaboration with one another so that to secure peace and harmony in their homes, communities, and societies. Schools have an important role to play in preparing girls and boys to listen and communicate effectively with each other in order to build this respectful partnership (UNESCO, 2007). Thus, since men and women are to perform all obliga tions and activities, in political, economic, social and cultural fields, they should learn to behave with each other under healthy and competitive environment principles.

A crisis during a The Cold War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A crisis during a The Cold War - Research Paper Example The â€Å"cold† part of the nomenclature is a reference to the fact that there was no direct warfare between the two primary sides (the US and allies and the various segments of the Soviet Union) during the time period specified (Gaddis, 2005) The â€Å"war† part of the name comes from the conflicts expressed through arms races, sports rivalry, military coalitions, espionage and propaganda. The end date of The Cold War, 1991, refers to the end of the Soviet Union, rather than any particular end of this quasi-stalemate warfare (Maus, 2003). This paper will illustrate the crisis during The Cold War by exploring the viewpoints of the United States (and allies) and the Soviet Union, and discussing some key events and powerful figures of The Cold War. There was no clear start to the situation - tensions began between the USA and the Soviet Union long before 1947. The Bolshevik revolution in the early part of the 20th century ensured that the Soviet Union found itself isolate d from international diplomacy, and this was compounded by the rule of Stalin, who considered the union as a ‘socialist island’ (Gaddis, 2005) The Bolsheviks completely opposed capitalism which the United States was seen as exemplifying – this distress was only compounded by the Western support of the White movement (an anti-Bolshevik movement). These tensions were exacerbated by several more actions on both sides, but a semi-permanent alliance was formed between Western powers and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. ... The railway blockade was formed by the Soviets who believed that having complete economic control over the city by preventing any Allied forces delivering supplies to Berlin would result in Germany becoming part of the USSR. The crisis was solved with an airlift by British air forces (Miller, 2000). The Korean War occurred between 25th June 1950 and 27th July 1953, and was the first proxy war held as part of the Cold War. The Korean War was another example of a communist/capitalist conflict, with the two sides being North Korea (backed by China) and a UN-supported Republic of Korea. President Truman was an influential figure in the war, stating that the Republic of Korea required US help via a police action. The Berlin Crisis occurred within a few months in 1961, and refers to another conflict about the status of Germany within Europe. Both Allied and Soviet forces were still present in the city, and in 1958 Khrushchev (the leader of the USSR at the time) gave an order that Berlin wa s to be a city free of military occupation and required that all Allied forces remove themselves from the city within a few months. When this did not occur, several events led to the building of the Berlin Wall, splitting Berlin between a Soviet controlled East Germany and a Western controlled West Germany. The Vietnam War, another proxy war, took place between 1955 and 1975 and again was a conflict between a North and South controlled by two separate political ideologies, communism and capitalism. President Kennedy was a major player particularly during the initial part of the Vietnam War, having several disagreements with Khrushchev about the country. Like Germany, Vietnam was a country split into halves by separate political ideologies (Murray, 2005). One of the later

Explain the events and circumstances that led to the construction of Research Paper

Explain the events and circumstances that led to the construction of the Berlin Wall - Research Paper Example Approximately 2.5 million people had migrated to West Berlin since the year 1949. The wall was hence constructed mainly to stop the migration from GDR (German Democratic Republic). The Berliners woke up on August 13 only to find themselves alienated from family, work, friends, and even homes. In the weeks and months which followed the barrier got strengthened with guard towers and concrete walls. The entire wall comprised of a concrete section of 66 miles and a height of 3.6 meters. It also had 41 more miles of a barbed wire fence and over 300 manned watch towers. The wall did not just passed through the city center but it circled West Berlin completely which was encircled by GDR communist (Sky news par.2). The document below analyzes the events as well as circumstances that contributed to the construction of the berlin wall. There several circumstances and events that took place prior to the construction of the berlin wall which contributed to its construction. These events which gave rise to the construction of the Berlin wall started in the Second World War. The Nazi Germany was allied originally with the communist Russia against the United States, Britain and France that were also allied. Adolf Hitler, however, violated his treaty with Josef Stalin, the Russian ruler, and invaded Russia. This pushed the soviets into an uncomfortable alliance with other allies. The soviets, however, had varying ideologies with its allies even though they were on the same side in the battle field. The Soviet Union could be referred as a communist nation. This was a system whereby the individual rights were subverted for the nation’s benefit. It was a totalitarian system as well that meant that the government was in control of everything and no elections that were held. Germany finally surrendered the war in the year 1945 while Hitler had just killed

History of Circular Saw Essay Example for Free

History of Circular Saw Essay Circular Saw- As changes in the economics of the industry occurred, developments in powered machinery began that had an impact on both preparing and assembling. In 1805, Brunel took out a patent for large circular saws particularly associated with veneer cuttingand in 1807 developed the saw further in association with block-making machinery. However, one of the most important developments was not on this scale at all. The small circular saw of up to seven inches diameter, often operated by a treadle, was one of the keys to the success of small-scale furniture makers. This saw enabled makers of cheap furniture to square up, mitre and rabbet cleanly, accurately, and quickly, allowing the frames of cheap carcase work to be simply rebated and nailed. This method of rebating, using a circular saw, was particularly useful for drawer-making which was traditionally a place for using dovetail joints. The advantage of this cheap method was that a dozen drawers could be made in the time it took to merge joint just one. History behind the chair- Thomas Lee was the first to build and found the Adirondack Chair. He made it simply for relaxation for his family members. It was a great success and all his family members really liked the chair. He decided he would show it to a carpenter named Harry Bunnell. Bunnell really liked Lee’s chair and decided that he should start making them more than just for family but for a profit. Without Lee’s knowledge he patented the chair idea and began making his own Adirondack chairs with the same design as Lee’s. It was a big hit around the region and soon in the history of furniture. Originally it was named the Westport chair but then later on it was renamed the Adirondack Chair. Bunnells Adirondack chairs were made of hemlock, painted in either dark brown or green, and signed by the carpenter himself. Today, Bunnells original chairs come at a hefty price, about $1,200 each and he sold them for only $4.00.

Democratic Unionist Party: History and Ideology

Democratic Unionist Party: History and Ideology James Montgomery Part A Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. As well as being the largest party in Northern Ireland, they are also currently holding eight seats at Westminster and 38 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It also has one seat in the European Parliament, where its MEP, Diane Dodds, sits as a Non-Inscrit. History of the Democratic Unionist Party The party was established in 1971 by Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal and other members of the Protestant Unionist Party. Since its foundation it has won seats at local council, province, national and European level. It won eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly of 1973-1974, where it opposed the formation of a power-sharing executive made up of unionists and nationalists following the Sunningdale Agreement. The establishment of this political party arguably stemmed from insecurities of the Protestant working class. The Ulster Unionist Party and the DUP took increasingly divergent stances in multiparty talks in the mid-1990s, and the DUP boycotted the talks when Sinn Fà ©in was admitted in 1997. The product of the talks, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) on steps leading to a new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, was rejected by the DUP, which denounced the new Northern Ireland Assembly as a dilution of British sovereignty and objected to the inclusion of Sinn Fà ©in in the assembly and the new executive body (the Northern Ireland Executive Committee) and to the release of paramilitary prisoners. Paisley was then elected as one of Northern Irelands three European Parliament members at the first elections in 1979 and retained that seat in every European election until 2004. In 2004 Paisley was replaced as the DUP MEP by Jim Allister, who resigned from the party in 2007 while retaining his seat. It has long been the principal rival to the other major unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (known for a time in the 1970s and 1980s as the Official Unionist Party (OUP) to distinguish it from the then multitude of other unionist parties, some set up by deposed former leaders). However, the DUPs main rivals are currently Sinn Fà ©in. Ideology The DUP describes itself as â€Å"right wing in the sense of being strong on the constitution,† but â€Å"to the left on social policies,† though it has regularly adopted conservative positions on most social issues. Its constituency spans rural communities in Northern Ireland and inner-city working-class areas and includes some deeply religious groups, a fact that reflects the fundamentalism and anti-Catholicism of the party’s leader. The DUP staunchly supports union with Britain. Citing the territorial claims in the Irish constitution, which the party viewed as illegal and a threat to the security and religious freedom of Protestants in Northern Ireland, the DUP traditionally avoided all contact with the Irish government. In the early 21st century, however, the party moderated its stance on a number of issues, most notably its long-time opposition to Sinn Fà ©in’s participation in any power-sharing institution. Democratic Unionist Party Policies Housing The case for investment in housing is a compelling one. House building has a hugely positive impact upon the local economy, creating and sustaining jobs not just in the construction sector, but also in professional services and retail. A safe, secure and warm home also produces health and educational benefits. The DUP say they would seek to: â€Å"Examine how a single regulator for the whole housing sector could be created† I actually disagree with this policy as I believe multiple regulators would be rather more successful and fortuitous in the long term. I don’t see any benefits from having just a single regulating group for this sector. Wouldn’t the roles and responsibilities be better carried out and completed if they were given to individual specialists? â€Å"Seek to extend the programme of installing carbon monoxide monitors in social homes† As recent building regulations in Northern Ireland dictate, all new homes must be built with carbon monoxide alarms, due to the large number of fatalities that the poisonous gas is causing, especially in Northern Ireland. The DUP have made this a policy of theirs which will either stricken the regulations or expand them, ensuring every household with in â€Å"x† number of years has at least one. This policy could only be seen as a positive and really a necessity. â€Å"Engage with telecommunications companies with a view to developing a roll out programme to provide affordable broadband access in social housing† â€Å"Assist first time buyers including through a graduate home loan scheme for those with degrees in subjects crucial to improving our economy such as STEM, finance and business† Environment The DUP’s environmental policy places emphasis on promoting renewable energy, reducing pollution and preserving the Province’s countryside and wildlife. As well as the DUP saying they plan for Northern Ireland to reach a carbon neutral state they also mention that that their ministers would seek to: Aim to secure 40% of our energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, assisting small scale renewable energy generation, ensuring simplified processes to secure approval for renewable projects, publishing a Northern Ireland Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy and seeking to establish the Province as a renewable manufacturing hub â€Å"Support Research and Development in renewable and low carbon technologies† â€Å"Increase the number of schools involved in the Eco-Schools programme† â€Å"Promote low energy lighting and fittings in public buildings† Planning The DUP aims to improve quality of life across the Province through measures that will empower communities to help themselves, assist the most disadvantaged people whilst also in the process of regenerating urban areas. They also point out that just one poorly maintained property can drag an entire estate or area down so they claim that they will explore means for agencies to carry out any necessary work and be compensated retrospectively when individuals persistently fail to maintain acceptable standards. They also plan on: Working with housing associations to scope out the potential to enhance their role in developing affordable housing and regenerating communities, whilst seeking to achieve optimum efficiency through consolidation and procurement Economic The last Programme for Government prioritised the economy. The DUP say that they will pursue the same approach over the current Assembly term, as they seek to assist the Province to emerge strongly from the recession. The DUP also say that they will have the economy and employment as two of their key priorities for the incoming four years, as they claim they will focus on: â€Å"Seek to increase exports by 50% over the next decade by supporting first-time exporters and assisting companies to diversify into new markets† â€Å"Seek to increase exports by 50% over the next decade by supporting first-time exporters and assisting companies to diversify into new markets† â€Å"Encourage firms from the Far East and elsewhere to locate European bases in Northern Ireland† â€Å"Offer student loan relief for individuals who commit to working in the Province for ten years† â€Å"Maximise benefits from the significant capital investment in tourism, particularly in 2012 with the Titanic and Ulster Covenant anniversaries and the opening of a new Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, and Londonderry’s Year as the UK’s City of Culture in 2013†

Reflective Essay on the US Healthcare System

Reflective Essay on the US Healthcare System What is right with the U.S. Health Care System Marina Bukhrashvili The national strategy presented in The Affordable Care Act (ACA) seeks to fund prevention and public health. This is an important goal in our nation’s health care system. Prevention services, which include wellness, research, health screening, educational campaigns for preventive benefits and immunization programs, may have a positive effect on decreasing health care costs. To me, this first mandatory fund, also known as the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), is very important since as I am planning a career path that involves public health and the health of the community. Seventy-six percent of the U.S. health care expenditure are spent on treating preventable chronic diseases (The Hasting Center, 2010). By law, the Prevention Public Health Fund must be used to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public health care costs. (American Public Health Association, 2010). I work in a skilled nursing facility which provides acute rehabilitation services to an elderly population following hospitalization. During an intake interview last winter, I asked an 82 year old female about her immunization history and she reported that â€Å"she never took a flu shot in her life.† And she doesn’t remember ever taking any type of vaccinations. She said that she was afraid that a vaccination would infect her and make her sick and that her sister â€Å"got sick from the flu vaccine.† It has been my experience that a great majority of our patients receive important immunizations for the first time during their stay at our facility. This finding is in line with research that shows that less than 50 percent of adults’ age 65 years or older were up-to-date with immunizations regardless of regular checkups (Department of Human Health Services, 2010). This is the case even though these services are paid for by almost all insurance plans, includ ing Medicare and Medicaid, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2011). Based on this experience, I feel that the PPHF maybe providing the necessary resources to promote the health of communities and contain health care costs that would arise from treating acute infections. Even though influenza and pneumonia are the fifth major causes of deaths in the country (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013), the immunization rates are still moderate. Despite all efforts to control health care across, racial, gender and age, the differences in influenza coverage persist. As the focus of health care shifts from post-diagnostic treatment to preventive medicine, making immunizations a part of every person’s health care plan is an essential first step in achieving this goal. Doctors’ offices that treat adult population seem to be a good choice for promoting vaccination but this strategy is not effective in increasing immunization rates for adults since most physicians have busy practices which mainly focus on treating acute illness versus seeing healthy patients for preventive medicine. In addition, according to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2009), the leading causes for low immunization rates in the last few years were the high cost of screening, insufficient funds to cover the co-payment or deductibles; lack of knowledge of what health insurance would cover; and lack of health insurance. In addition, many older adults may not have a regular doctor or do not go for a check up on a regular basis. The prohibitive cost was addressed for Medicare beneficiaries by the ACA (2010) to some extent, which broadens the Medicare coverage for preventive services suggested by the USPSTF and eliminates out-of-pocket costs. There is no payment for influenza, pneumococcal and hepatitis B vaccines (Cassidy 2010). Although compliance with influenza vaccination has increased dramatically after Medicare began paying for influenza vaccines for the nation’s older and disabled population and after health reform in 2010, the proportion of older persons receiving this vaccine is still considerably low in elderly populations (CDC, 2013). According to the research (Eurich et al., 2008) some patients benefited from receiving influenza vaccination before they were hospitalized for pneumonia. As a result of passage of Affordable Care Act, most health insurance now covers co-payments for recommended clinical preventive services, which reduces financial cost to beneficiaries, however, the challenge remains to make older adults aware of the value of preventive services and encourage them to get the services they need. All efforts should be made to expand awareness in the community about clinical preventive services and benefits. . Nurses could send reminders to the health care providers to notify patients when the vaccinations are due. Such reminders could be issued on seasonal basis to educate patients about importance about vaccinations during patient encounters such as the registration interview. Educational Seminars can be conducted across various community centers before immunization season begins. Interactions focusing on different ethnic groups may help to find and address their misconceptions about immunizations, if there are any. Nurses will play a key part in the f ulfillment of the mandate of ACA and their expending scope of practice is already shaping the future of healthcare. References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. National Healthcare Disparities Report 2008. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2009. Available at: www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr08/nhdr08.pdf American Public Health Association (2010). Prevention of Public Health Fund. Available at: www.apha.org/advocacy/Health+Reform/PH+Fund/ Cassidy 2010: Cassidy A., Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Health Policy Brief: Preventive Services Without Cost Sharing, Health Affairs, December 28, 2010. Available at: www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=37 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The State of Aging and Health in America 2013. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2013. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2020, Older Adult Section, December 2010. Available at: www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=31 Eurich, D. C., Marrie, T. J., J, J., M, S. R. (2008). Mortality reduction with Influenza vaccine in patients with Pneumonia outside â€Å"flu† season. American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, 178, 527-533 The Hasting Center. Health Care Cost Monitor. Projected Costs of Chronic Diseases, January 22, 2010. Available at: http://healthcarecostmonitor.thehastingscenter.org/kimberlyswartz/projected-costs-of- chronic-diseases/ The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Section 4002: Prevention and Public Health Fund. 111th Congress. Enacted March 23, 2010. Available at: http://housedocs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon.pdf U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. USPSTF A and B Recommendations. Available at: www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsabrecs.htm

Essay on Internet Privacy - Carnivore May Threaten Privacy

Carnivore May Threaten Internet Privacy      Ã‚   Abstract: In 1999 the FBI launched a new tool, Carnivore, to help it conduct Internet surveillance on criminal suspects. The systems, which are installed directly on Internet Service Providers' networks, process and filter all data communication passing through. This is alarming privacy advocates.    The FBI now has the ability to monitor email through a network snooping scheme known as "Carnivore"i. Carnivore may be used as a surveillance mechanism in investigations by intercepting packets of data sent over the Internet. These data packets include private email sent back and forth between unsuspecting criminals, but may also include the regular law abiding citizen. Privacy advocates have not hesitated to publicly express their fear that Carnivore will give the FBI unlimited, unrestricted access to everyone's emailii. As we speak, Internet wiretapping is unchecked by the law, as it is not prohibited or allowed specifically.    Carnivore functions as an Internet wiretap, typically installed directly on the networks of Internet providers.   The system was dubbed Carnivore for its ability to get to "the meat" of what would otherwise be an enormous quantity of data. Like previous wiretap methods, it intercepts all digital communications and records sent to or from the target of an investigation.   Carnivore's specialty is that it can filter out irrelevant data such as online banking and web surfing, leaving only specific kinds of communications like e-mails. Furthermore, Carnivore only scans the identifying addresses in the 'to' and 'from' fields, not the entire content of electronics messages. The FBI likens it to looking at the front of an envelope.    Carnivore... ...politics/0,1283,37470,00.html 3:00 a.m. Jul. 12, 2000 PDT    vii "ACLU Needs 'Carnivore' Fix" by Chris Oakes Hotwired Magazine http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37470,00.html 3:00 a.m. Jul. 12, 2000 PDT viii "ACLU Needs 'Carnivore' Fix" by Chris Oakes Hotwired Magazine http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37470,00.html 3:00 a.m. Jul. 12, 2000 PDT ix "Telecoms miffed at FBI Meddling" by Declan McCullogh Hotwired Magazine http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37448,00.html 3:00 a.m. Jul. 8, 2000 PDT x "ACLU Needs 'Carnivore' Fix" by Chris Oakes Hotwired Magazine http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37470,00.html 3:00 a.m. Jul. 12, 2000 PDT xi "FBI system covertly searches e-mail" By Neil King Jr. and Ted Bridis, WSJ Interactive Edition. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2245549.html July 11, 2000 6:01 AM PT

Importance of Bridging the Digital Divide Essay -- Technology Society

Children today are not born with an umbilical cord, but a computer cord. Kids aren’t the way they use to be. How many times have you caught yourself thinking or saying this? Theories today believe that children form these generations are actually different, meaning their brains are different from when we were children. What can we do about it, or should we do anything at all? This paper will examine children today and the difference between the generations. Secondly, due to the difference in generations, the importance of maintaining social interaction, critical thinking and problem solving skills, which, are just as important as technical fluencies for the 21st century. In order to maintain the â€Å"humanity† skills, I will discuss the importance of Daily Physical Activity (DPA). Furthermore, the paper will also examine the importance of building a bridge between the digital divide. It is necessary to examine the educational system and the digital divide. Chi ldren are engulfed in a digital world and have different experiences and environment. How do we build a bridge between the technical fluencies and the humanity skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century? Digital Residents are they really different? Mark Prensky (2001) has coined the phrase Digital Natives versus Digital Immigrants. To put it simply, Digital Natives (DN) have always had the new technology (cell phones, video games, digital music, computers) while Digital Immigrants (DI) have come into these things later on in life and have had to learn â€Å"it† above and beyond the old ways they had of doing things. Is there a difference? Children today are born into a digital world and use technology from a young age. The Digital Natives/Learner finds technol... ...talKids.pdf Ministry of Education, Education. (2005). Daily physical activity (ISBN: 0-7794-8884-9). Ontario: Queen's Printer of Ontario. Pink, D. (2010). Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us. Proceedings of the RSA animation, www.youtube.com Prensky, M. (2008). The role of technology. Educational Technology, Nov-Dec. Prensky, M. (2008). Turing on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6) Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part ii. On the Horizon, 9(6), Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), Robinson, K.(2010). Changing education paradigm, [Web]. Retrieved from http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/watch Small, G, & Vorgan, g. (2008). ibrain: surviving the technological alteration of the modern mind. New York: Collins Living.

Dark count or Dark Current is one of the most important CCD specifications, :: Computer Science

Dark count or Dark Current is one of the most important CCD specifications, along with resolution, quantum efficiency and noise figure. Dark count or Dark Current is one of the most important CCD specifications, along with resolution, quantum efficiency and noise figure. Dark current causes an output to occur without the previous introduction of an input. This is caused by the thermal generation and then diffusion of charge. This Dark Current is generated at different locations in the CCD, but the cause of this charge generation is basically the same in all locations. This is because all cases are to do with irregularities in the fundamental crystal structure of the silicon present in CCDs. Examples of these irregularities include metal impurities such as gold, copper or iron, and crystal defects such as dislocations and stacking faults, all of which are known to be thermal generation sites of charge carriers in silicon. THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHERE THIS DARK Current can be located is at the Silicon Oxide to silicon interface of the MOS capacitor (which is the main building block of a CCD) . This is due to the fact that this is where the largest irregularity in the silicon crystal structure occurs. However, it can also be located in the in the bulk of the silicon both inside and outside the depletion layer, which is defined by the CCD potential wells. To give an example of the amount of Dark Current, which is induced A Kodak KAF-0400 and KAF-1600 sensor is specified to have a Dark Current of 50 electrons being induced per second at 25 degrees c. Taking a one-minute exposure at this temperature would generate 3000 electrons of thermally induced charge, which is calculated by 60secs times 50 electrons. In theory the average Dark Current value can be subtracted from the output value to provide the signal due to photoelectrons. However in reality there are fluctuations in the Dark Current called Dark noise, and this cannot be accounted for in the same way. Noise occurs in different forms such as shot noise and trapping noise which both appear in the CCD channel. It also occurs at the input and output stages as KTC noise, but my main focus shall be on shot noise as it is closely associated with Dark Current. We know that the generation of Dark Current is a totally random process, due to the fact that the generation sites are randomly distributed and perhaps more importantly, the Dark Current generation process is random as a function of time. The number of electrons generated and then collected in a charge packet travelling through the

Heat of the Day By Elizabeth Bowen Essay

â€Å"Heat of the Day† by Elizabeth Bowen is the reflection of the complexities in the relationships across the generations, in love and war, set at the backdrop of 1942 World War. The story is about a life of Londoners and the traumatic experience they had to undergo when the city was being bombarded during war. â€Å"The Heat of the Day† sees the city being shattered and in this scenario of devastation, how the people try to make the sense of their lives? â€Å"The Heat of the Day† follows with same intensity the flow of the wartime stories written by Bowen in 1945. The story is though about warfare yet there is very little description about the war and that only one instance of the air raid, which happens close to the end of novel. The description of impressions of war and the London has been explicitly referred through the voice of characters with the reality transformed through visionary approach of the city. As described by Neil Corcoran, â€Å"The ‘Heat of the Day’ is a novel in which the panic of possibly losing identity, and of others deceiving you about their identities, operates not only as an agency of plot but as the very texture of style.† (Corcoran, 169) Within the context of the centrally located story is woven several others stories told by protagonists to one another with the purpose to retain their identity which they themselves had found in peril. Stella herself tells false story about her marriage to Roderick, as she wants him to believe that his father Victor was the abandoned party rather than she herself. She does so partly to increase the image of his dead father in the eyes of Roderick and secondly to make herself appear as a femme fatale instead of being a victim. The impression of the war scene can very well be seen in one of the scenes where Harrison is standing in the street and the flames appearing from the distance are helping him to read Stella’s address mentioned on the envelop. The depiction of the fire has been made through the use of image chandelier: â€Å"the Chandelier flare makes the street like a mirrored drawing-room† (Bowen, 315). Inside the flat when the two characters are involved in the conversations, the sounds of guns can be heard seeming to be welcomed, as they made Stella to remain quite. â€Å"The guns rested her by opening up once more† and soon they faded, â€Å"The guns, made fools of, died out again, askance† (Bowen, 319). The importance of war seems to be considered very less with Stella and Harrison being hardly aware of any danger. The language has been used in a very poetic way giving a vivid, lucid and a very realistic touch to the nature and the objects surrounding the characters. Bowen penetrates into the physical objects and events manifesting in the human behaviors and their dreams and missions. With great subtlety, complexity and force, she is able to make characters come alive making them have real experience of the terrific upheavals of the warfare. Her prose is beautifully contrived to give meaning and depth to life experiences of the characters, which continues to follow us after the last page has been read and has been placed down. At many occasions, the scenes are shifted from war torn London to the peace and tranquility of the countryside. The difference is clearly seen between the country life in England around the Victorian hulk and in the neutral Ireland. While reading it, we are made to remember about the blackouts, characters forgetting the names of the places during their train journey, continuous alike confusions between the friend and foe, and the direction to which war is taking in the passing years. Amidst this scenario lies the gripping version of the story of woman and the way she comes to term and understanding of the intolerable situations. In the first chapter itself, we are introduced to Harrison and his rude behavior towards woman who is trying to have a casual conversation with him. From the second chapter onwards, we are introduced to the heroine and with that her ongoing situation of crises and dilemma she has to undergo and her interaction and influence of Harrison on her. Their relationship with each other cannot be judged very easily but when the scenes are read carefully then only the realization of the base on which they are building their terrible relationship is felt that even before Robert makes his entry. The relationship between Stella and her son Roderick is also very beautifully carved while he takes over the Irish inheritance. On the other hand Robert’s mother and sister are both very confusing personalities making fuss all the time on whom Stella would never be able to leave good impression according to Robert. All the characters are very wonderfully drawn. There is also a scene where two women are sharing one apartment at the same time enjoying each other’s company and exchanging own tales of woes to each other. They contribute their bit in easing tension of the main protagonists. Amidst all the surviving lives of the protagonists, tensions ensue, as it becomes known that Robert is giving his support to the opponents. His disillusionment with Dunkirk induces him to adopt the title of a traitor. Climactic is the reason given by Robert for this decision of his, and on the other hand wants to enlighten himself with the most meaningful future by the war ends. In the last chapter, we are introduced to Louie who is artless girl at the Bandstand. She is a widow as her husband succumbs to the vagaries of the war. She with her child now would like to spend rest of her life at the devastated seaside where she had spent all her life as a child. An essence of the reality being transferred can be felt by the way characters have been visualizing many places in the city. All through the novel, Bowen has made special reference to the seasons, time and the lucid description of light. This aspect shows her creative spree in impressionistic technique. How the way Stella is mystified can very well be seen in the following scene: The two stations also, in Stella’s mind, became epitomes of the two most poignant seasons — in spring, in autumn everything telegraphs its mystery to your senses; nothing is trite. And more: in these years the idea of war made you see any peaceful scene as it were through glass (Bowen, 104). This passage is a manifestation of the transfer of reality in the form of metaphor. With the help of the impressions and metaphors, Bowen gives vivid description of the city London after the bombardment. The whole city is broken with almost several of the landmarks lost. As critics said there is great exposure of irony in the fiction retold and the sense of solidity and individualization in characterization increase the credibility of the most sensuous fiction. Bowen has captured London with such a great dexterity and with greatest blitz that even after reading the whole novel, the memories of this wartime London would haunt the readers for a long time.

Amy Lowell by Marcia Dinneen Essay

Amy Lowell’s Life and Career Marcia B. Dinneen (http://www. english. illinois. edu/maps/poets/g_l/amylowell/life. htm) Amy Lowell was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the daughter of Augustus Lowell and Katherine Bigelow Lawrence. Both sides of the family were New England aristocrats, wealthy and prominent members of society. Augustus Lowell was a businessman, civic leader, and horticulturalist, Katherine Lowell an accomplished musician and linguist. Although considered as â€Å"almost disreputable,† poets were part of the Lowell family, including James Russell Lowell, a first cousin, and later Robert Lowell. As the daughter of a wealthy family, Lowell was first educated at the family home, â€Å"Sevenels† (named by her father as a reference to the seven Lowells living there), by an English governess who left her with a lifelong inability to spell. Her first poem, â€Å"Chacago,† written at age nine, is testament to this problem. In the fall of 1883 Lowell began attending a series of private schools in Brookline and Boston. At school she was â€Å"the terror of the faculty† (Gould, p. 32). Even at Mrs.  Cabot’s school, founded by a Lowell cousin to educate her own children and the children of friends and relations, Lowell was â€Å"totally indifferent to classroom decorum. Noisy, opinionated, and spoiled, she terrorized the other students and spoke back to her teachers† (Heymann, p. 164). During school vacations Lowell traveled with her family. She went to Europe and to New Mexico and California. On the latter trip she kept a travel journal. Lowell enjoyed writing, and two stories she wrote during this time were printed in Dream Drops; or, Stories from Fairyland (1887), by a â€Å"Dreamer. The volume was published privately by her mother, who also contributed material, and the proceeds were donated to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Lowell’s schooling included the usual classes in English, history, French, literature, and a little Italian. As Lowell later noted, â€Å"My family did not consider that it was necessary for girls to learn either Greek or Latin† (Damon, p. 87). She would also describe her formal education as not amounting to â€Å"a hill of beans† (Benvenuto, p. 6). School ended in 1891, and Lowell made her debut. Described as the â€Å"most popular debutante of the season,† she went to sixty dinners given in her honor. Her popularity was attributed to her skills in dancing and in the art of conversation, but her debut did not produce the expected marriage proposal. Although Lowell had finished formal schooling, she continued to educate herself. Unfortunately, higher education was not an option for Lowell women. She put herself through a â€Å"rigorous† reading program, using her father’s 7,000-volume library and the resources of the Boston Athenaeum (her great-grandfather was one of the founders). Later Lowell would successfully speak out against the proposed relocation of the Athenaeum; this would also become the subject of a poem. Lowell’s love of books themselves began with her first â€Å"Rollo† book, Rollo Learning to Read, which her mother gave her when she was six. This gift marked the beginning of an enthusiasm for book collecting that would last throughout her life. In 1891 she made her first major purchase of a set of the complete works of Sir Walter Scott with money she had received as a Christmas gift. It was, however, her collection of Keatsiana, including a rare first edition of Lamia inscribed to F. B. from J. K. (Fanny Brawne from John Keats), that put her in the forefront of international book collectors. Following her debut, Lowell led the life of a prominent socialite, visiting, going to parties and the theater, and traveling. Her mother, who had been an invalid for years, died in 1895. A disappointment in love prompted a winter trip to Egypt in 1897-1898. Lowell had accepted the proposal of a Bostonian whom she loved, but before the engagement was formally announced he â€Å"became entangled elsewhere† (Damon, p. 120). â€Å"The family could do nothing to protect her except guard tenaciously the name of the errant suitor† (Gould, p. 65). The trip was also for â€Å"health† reasons. Doctors felt Lowell’s obesity could be cured by the Egyptian heat and a diet of nothing but tomatoes and asparagus. The regimen almost killed her and resulted in a â€Å"prolonged nervous collapse. † In 1900 Lowell’s father died, and she bought Sevenels. She also bought a summer home in Dublin, New Hampshire, that she named â€Å"Broomley Lacey. † The area was home to the MacDowell Artists’ Colony as well as to other notable painters and sculptors. In Brookline Lowell assumed her father’s civic responsibilities. Early in 1902 she spoke against the reappointment of the elderly superintendent of the Brookline public school system. She was the â€Å"first woman in the Lowell family to make a speech in public† (Gould, p. 77). Initially booed, Lowell continued to speak with her usual forthrightness and, at the end, won applause as well as her point. Lowell became a member of the executive committee of the Brookline Education Society and chair of its Library Board. In October 1902 Lowell became a poet. Her interest in verse had been growing beyond her childhood enthusiasm, fueled by her reading Leigh Hunt’s Imagination and Fancy; or, Selections from the English Poets,which she had found â€Å"near the ceiling† in her father’s library. The volume was a revelation to her, opening a â€Å"door that might otherwise have remained shut,† Lowell remarked (Gould, p. 51). She had become enamored of poetry and the poets Hunt discussed, particularly Keats. After she saw Eleanora Duse perform one October night she wrote her first adult poem, â€Å"Eleanora Duse. † Although some critics say that she was being too hard on herself, Lowell described the 71-line poem as having â€Å"every cliche and every technical error which a poem can have. † Yet she also said, â€Å"It loosed a bolt in my brain and I found out where my true function lay† (Damon, p. 148). At age twenty-eight she had discovered her calling: to be a poet. In 1910 four of Lowell’s sonnets were accepted for publication by the Atlantic Monthly. â€Å"A Fixed Idea,† published first, appeared in August of that year. By 1912 she had published her first book of poetry, A Dome of Many-Colored Glass; the title came from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Adonais, his elegy for Keats. It was not well received by either the public or the critics. Louis Untermeyer wrote that the book â€Å"to be brief, in spite of its lifeless classicism, can never rouse one’s anger. But, to be briefer still, it cannot rouse one at all† (Damon, p. 92). Yet 1912 was also the year that Lowell met actress Ada Dwyer Russell. The friendship between the two women has been described as platonic by some, as lesbian by others; it was, in fact, a â€Å"Boston marriage. â€Å" They lived together and were committed to each other until Lowell’s death. Russell was Lowell’s companion, providing love and emotional support, as well as the practical skill of organizing Lowell’s busy life. Biographer Richard Benvenuto observed that Lowell’s â€Å"great creative output between 1914 and 1925 would not have been possible without her friend’s steadying, supporting presence† (p. 0). The following year Lowell discovered some poems in Poetry by Hilda Doolittle, signed â€Å"H. D. Imagiste. † Lowell felt an identification with the style of H. D. ‘s poetry and determined to discover more about it. Armed with a letter of introduction from Poetry editor Harriet Monroe, Lowell traveled to London to meet Ezra Pound, head of the imagist movement. In London Lowell not only learned about imagism and free verse from Pound, but she also met many poets, several of whom became lifelong friends. Over the years Lowell would develop many literary friendships that resulted in an enormous volume of literary correspondence, requiring Lowell to employ two full-time secretaries. Lowell not only supported and encouraged other poets with her writing, such as her favorable review of Robert Frost’s North of Boston in the New Republic (20 Feb. 1915), but also with money and gifts. Lowell’s poems began to appear in increasing numbers in journals, and she was becoming a prolific writer of essays and reviews. Pound had requested the inclusion of her poem â€Å"In a Garden† in his anthology Des Imagistes(1914). Later Lowell and Pound would have a falling out over the direction of the imagist movement, and Pound would call the movement, as adapted by Lowell, â€Å"Amygism. † Lowell became the spokesperson of imagism, leading the fight for the â€Å"renewal of poetry in her homeland† (Francis, p. 510), and her efforts were tireless. She traveled throughout the country, â€Å"selling† the new poetry. Her own volume Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914), written in free verse and polyphonic prose, a Lowell invention, â€Å"brought her an instantaneous phenomenal rise to fame† (Gould, p. 139). Lowell’s first book of criticism, Six French Poets (1915), based on a series of her lectures, was also well received. Lowell was publishing a book a year, alternating between volumes of short verse and longer poems. Men, Women and Ghosts (1916) was highly regarded and contained â€Å"Patterns† one of her most famous poems. In it an eighteenth-century woman, walking in her garden, contemplates a future that has suddenly become empty because of the loss of her fiance in battle; she mourns the fact that the â€Å"Patterns† of her role required her to remain chaste before marriage. The next year she published another critical volume, Tendencies in Modern American Poetry, which included essays on six contemporary poets: Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Frost, Edgar Lee Masters, Carl Sandburg, H. D. , and John Gould Fletcher. Lowell also published anthologies of imagist poets in 1915, 1916, and 1917. Her next volume of poetry, Can Grande’s Castle (1918), included four long poems; the title was taken from the name of the refuge where Dante, the Florentine exile, wrote portions of his Divine Comedy. Inspired by her lifelong interest in the Orient, Pictures of a Floating World (1919) is a translation of the Japanese word ukiyo-e, a term commonly associated with a form of eighteenth-century Japanese painting. It includes 174 short, free verse lyrics, considered by some as â€Å"overtly erotic. † For example, â€Å"A Decade† and â€Å"The Weathercock Points South† are described as a celebration of lesbian devotion. Legends (1921) contains eleven longer poems, and Fir-Flower Tablets (1921) is a collection of poems based on translations of ancient Chinese verse. Since Lowell did not read Chinese, she was dependent on English translations by Florence Wheelock Ayscough, which Lowell then turned back into poetry. A Critical Fable (1922) is a long, humorous poem, evaluating the state of contemporary poetry. Originally published anonymously, the poem pokes fun at fellow poets and at Lowell herself in lines of rhymed couplets. The poem was modeled on James Russell Lowell’s A Fable for Critics (1848). Her last publication was the momentous biography , John Keats (1925). In 1921 Lowell had given an address at Yale honoring Keats on the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth. The lecture stimulated her to write the book, which minutely examines Keats’s life and corrects some long-standing misconceptions about him. Lowell was also the first biographer to see Fanny Brawne in a favorable light. The book was well received in the United States but not in Britain, where she was accused of writing â€Å"a psychological thriller† rather than a literary biography. Lowell was angry and heartbroken but in typical fashion determined to confront the critics on their own turf.