Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous

Introduction Alcoholism is one of the issues that have affected mankind for a long time. Millions of dollars have been spent on alcohol and alcohol related issues. Thousands of families have been adversely affected, not to mention the talents that have been lost or not fully exploited due to taking of too much alcohol.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More We are not in a position to measure all the impacts that indulgence in alcohol has on mankind. The society understands the weight this issue has and different approaches have been taken aiming at helping the people who are struggling to stop taking alcohol. Scientists, theoreticians, philosophers, doctors and counsellors have all come up with suggestions meant to help people struggling to stop taking alcohol. Many theories have been developed in an attempt to find strategies which can help alcohol users to quite taking alcohol. Motivational theories are widely used to explain how motivation can be used to address the alcoholism issue. Motivational theories have been developed by different psychologists over time and most of the alcohol recovery programs indeed use at least one or a combination of motivational theories to help victims recover from alcoholism. Alcoholic Anonymous is one of the widely renowned alcoholism recovery programs operating in almost 200 countries and helping millions of alcohol addicts recover from alcoholism. This paper discusses Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) motivational program, motivational theories and then analyses how successful or not the AA program has been basing on the motivational theories. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) The history of AA can be traced from a group called the Oxford Group which was a Christian organisation. Its purpose was to help men struggling to quite taking alcohol possible. It is believed that their concept of dealing with alcoholism was more of a spiritual approach as they believed that surrendering to God would help solve the sinful nature of alcoholism. AA is said to have been formed in 1939 by Bill Wilson who borrowed most of the ideas from the Oxford Group and broadened the concept to include psychological and physical treatment as well. Since then the membership has increased and the program has increased its boundaries from America and Canada, where it was originally based to different parts of the world (Kurtz, 1979). How AA works AA motivational program works on a voluntary basis whereby whoever is willing to quite taking alcohol join the group. In order to encourage alcoholic victims to join the program and at the same time protect them from public ridicule the program calls for anonymity of the members hence the name alcoholics anonymous. The program not only helps alcoholics but also people struggling from other forms of addiction as well.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is worth noting that the program is self-sustaining with no any external financial help, but works from voluntary contributions from its members and literature sales. There are no employed workers but rather the counselling is carried out by the previously recovered individuals through the mentorship program which is also voluntary. AA believes that the only qualification for membership is the decision and will to quit taking alcohol (Kurtz, 1979). There are meeting centres distributed over 200 countries and a willing member is expected to join in any of the AA group meetings close to them. Once in the group, one is expected to confess and share personal experiences as an alcoholic with other members within the group and this would thus mark the beginning of the healing process (Kurtz, 1979). Sponsorship can be seen as a mentorship program whereby members who have undergone mu ch of the recovery program have the responsibility of mentoring and helping new entrants into the 12 principles of AA treatment program. This works both ways, the new members are able to learn from the already experienced members and on the other hand the sponsors are able to improve on their recovery process by helping the new individuals. The basic principle of AA motivational program is that the victims of alcohol addiction must admit that there is a higher power, that is, God for those that believe in him or just any higher power for those that may not believe in God. By submitting oneself to this higher power instead of working on self-reliance, the high power will somehow give them assistance as they try to recover from their addiction (AA, 2008). It is worth noting that AA takes the approach of self-involvement whereby there are no organisational structures, no managers neither CEO’s. There are no documentations or regulatory official requirements but rather the organi sation is only accountable to its members. One unique characteristic of AA is the fact that individuals are not assessed by qualified experts but rather every individual does personal diagnosis and checks the progress from the 12 stepwise procedures (Dick, 1998). The course of treatment at AA is based on giving in to external greater power rather than relying on personal will and strength. In contrast to the mostly used approach of working towards improving on self-esteem, AA takes a different approach of exercising humility and submission to a greater power.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to AA, if the alcoholic just follows the simple plan that is suggested then he/she would have more chances of recovering (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). In addition they believe that there is no free will in alcoholics sinc e the alcoholic has already lost personal control to alcohol. AA, according to Galanter and Kaskutas (2008), defines alcoholism as: Spiritual, mental, and physical illness and recovery requires healing all aspects of the illness; abstinence from alcohol in and of itself is regarded as â€Å"being dry† and is insufficient because alcoholism is but a â€Å"symptom† of underlying character defects. (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10) The success or failure of AA recovery program can arguably be attributed to the strength of an individual to undergo total change in the way of thinking. The expectation of change of thought to surrender to an external powerful authority is expected to help the person quite taking alcohol. Simple suggestions are made to new individuals especially those who want to take drastic changes at a go. AA believes that the simple and few steps will help someone to stabilise before making tougher decisions later. It is claimed that one of the strength s of AA is its cognitive approach to dealing with alcoholism. â€Å"AA meetings provide an atmosphere in which cognitive restructuring can take place† (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). In addition the AA’s12 steps, attendance to meetings and being a mentor or sponsor all works positively towards mental restructuring. Self-diagnosis is one of the most important elements of the program as individuals can develop their own alcoholic individuality which, according to psychologists, creates self-recovery on one’s inner self. Motivational theories Motivational theories are thoughts and assumptions that attempt to explain the nature of a human being in terms of what prompts or triggers actions towards a certain direction. Huitt (2001) defined motivation as â€Å"internal state or condition that activates behavior and gives it direction, or desire or want that energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior, or influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direc tion of behavior† (Huitt, 2001, p. 1). The AA program uses the ideology of motivation to help alcoholic victims recover from their alcoholic behavior.Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Biological motivation Biological motivation is based on the fact that human actions may be driven in such a way to satisfy an internal biological need such as need to satisfy hunger or thirst. It is believed that there are internal subconscious drives that make a human being behave in a certain way (Bernstein Nash, 2006). Drive reduction theory explains how human actions are biologically motivated in order to reduce the causative agent inside the human nature. This theory is based on the fact that inside any organism are physiological or biological needs and requirement such as hunger, thirst, sexual desire, among others which, unless met, will trigger and maintain an unstable state of body which is believed to increase with time if the need is not satisfied in time (Bernstein Nash, 2006). The process can be viewed as a feedback mechanism (Deci and Ryan, 2008). When the physiological need is satisfied the organism will go back to the normal or stable state. When the physiological need is met either directly or indirectly then, there is a reduction of the drive. Arousal theory explains that it is in human nature to sustain a definite degree of arousal that makes us feel stable and comfortable. It can mean emotional, rational or even physical activity (Shah Gardner, 2008). The AA program certainly uses biological motivation though in a simplistic approach. The program appreciates the fact that total abstinence at once may never give any desirable results. This is because a sudden stop of use of alcohol especially for addicts will definitely trigger one of the strongest biological needs to quench the alcoholic thirst. The biological motivation principle of maintaining the physiological homeostasis will be triggered by sudden cut off of alcohol. What the program advocates is continual gradual reduction in the amount of alcohol taken which will eventually reduce to manageable level where total cut off can be done. In addition the AA principle of relinquishing on eself to a higher power to take over the alcoholic problem can arguably be seen as a diversion of the alcoholic biological motivation to an external agent and in that way, the biological drive and arousal are somewhat compressed. This is likely to enable the alcoholics recover quickly. Cognitive/social motivational theory This theory explains how behavior patterns of individuals are influenced by, among other factors, physical environmental, people and situations. This theory connects between the individual, environment and the behavior. The environment can be seen as a combination of all the external factors that are likely to influence a person’s behavior (Deci and Ryan, 2008). The person’s perception about the different aspects of the environment is believed to influence the person’s behavior. The behavior can also be influenced by a person’s perception of other people’s behaviors through either watching them or even when interacting with them. Tolman Purposeful behavior theory Tolman was one of the social cognitive theorists. Through his numerous experiments with rats and mazes he came up with the theory of purposeful behavior. According to Daltonâ€Å" Tolman proposed that learning could occur without reinforcement and without an observable change in behavior. In addition, Tolman found that behavior is affected by an organism’s expectations, often resulting goal-oriented, purposeful behavior† (Dalton 1). This is arguably one of the most applicable motivational theories in the AA program. The success or failure of any given case in the AA program depends, to a large extent on the expectation of the individual. If the individual has a predetermined mind about recovery his behavior in the AA program will certainly lead him to recovery. Asch attribution and conformity theory Solomon Asch presented his theories conformity and attribution. According his attribution theory, individuals attribute actions in life to an agent either external or internal. Alcoholics may attribute their drinking habit to lack of self control. AA program counter attacks the different attributions by offering a supernatural, powerful being in which the drunkards can attribute their weaknesses and hence relinquish their inner self to the power. In addition his conformity theory which revolves about voluntary yielding to situations despite personal preferences also applies. Being in the presence of a group of similar individuals in the AA meetings creates a favorable condition for conformity to the behavior of the group. This does help in motivating the alcoholics towards recovery. The physical environment such as the condition of a house or a class may play a significant part in motivating someone. The physical environment may also be a source of materials, opportunities or even societal support; this is one of the motivation strategies employed by the AA program. The fact that members meet in places far away from p ublic ridicule and in the presence of other like members makes the environment conducive for the recovery program (Bernstein Nash, 2006). A given situation may either motivate or discourage someone to behave in a certain way. In addition how an individual perceives a given situation may have an effect on the course of action to be taken depending on whether the situation was perceived as encouraging or discouraging. AA uses this technique to make the newcomers feel comfortable in the knowledge that they are in the presence of people who have gone through a similar situation and this is actually a motivation for new members to continue with the recovery program (Bernstein Nash, 2006). Expectancies which can be viewed as valuable or the importance an individual places on the expected results or rewards may have a great impact on the level of motivation for that person. People who place a higher value on the outcome are more likely to be more motivated than those who do not value the outcome as much. In AA the 12 principles places a lot of importance to the kind of life one is likely to enjoy after recovery from alcoholism. The new members actually get a chance of interacting with the already recovered members and this is a motivation enough to make them stick to the program however difficult it may seem to be. Self-control plays a very important role in motivation. People who have the internal strength of self-control may exhibit a result oriented behavior and as such they are likely to be more motivated if they are presented with conditions or situations that will demand determination or control in order to achieve the desired results. The AA program calls for determination to accept one’s alcoholic condition and surrendering to a higher authority which has the power to heal the spiritual and psychological sickness. They advocate for stepwise self-control whereby one is not required to automatically quit drinking but rather practice self-control for sh ort durations which can then be extended to achieve the desired results. This is likely to motivate self-controlled individuals (Dick, 1998). There are individuals who learn from others and are more likely to be motivated not because of what they are doing or capable of doing but by simply admiring what other people around them are doing. Individuals who are addicted to alcoholism can be motivated by being exposed to individuals who have already quite taking alcohol. AA program offers the best opportunity for the individuals struggling with alcoholism to interact with the recovering or the already recovered individuals, otherwise known as sponsorship. Through sponsorship individuals are able to associate and take after their sponsors. This can be the best method of motivation for some of the members (Dick, 1998). Self-efficacy is also believed to influence the level of motivation in a person. Some people are more motivated in the belief and knowledge that they have what it takes to complete the given task. By understanding how different people are in terms of how they are motivated, then it becomes easier to help them achieve their goals and objectives. This is best applicable in the AA program whereby alcoholics are made to believe that the desired outcome can only come from their personal will to give up themselves to a greater power for healing (Dick, 1998). Eclectic theory Eclectic theorists try to explain motivation and behaviour of people by taking on pieces of what they believe to be the best from other theories. They claim that the human nature is so complex and as such not one approach may suffice to explain the relationship between motivation and human behaviour. The 12 principle AA motivational program employs all the methods as a mixture in order to achieve the desired results. Strengths of AA program Galanter and Kaskutas (2008) claimed that â€Å"AA program is complex, implicitly grounded in sound psychological principles, and more sophisticated than is typically understood† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 10). Although much criticism has been thrown over the program, it can be claimed that such criticism may be due to the misunderstanding of the whole idea behind the program. In addition, the fact that the program works under anonymity makes it difficult and tricky to research, analyse and document success or failure of the program. We can arguably say that the program has achieved success as compared to other programs offering the same type of service. From basic knowledge the program started in 1935 and has only grown, gaining membership every year. Then we can claim that if there was no any considerable success then the program would have died long time ago. It is also claimed that â€Å"an increasing number of DUIs are court ordered to AA† (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 13) arguably for a simple reason, the judicial systems have confidence in the AA program. Success can also be based on the methodology of the program. The program employs a self-healing process where the victim plays the major role in initialising and maintaining the recovery process with the help of other members of the group (Deci Ryan, 2008). The fact that the program allows for personal participation, motivational environment and a chance to put into practice what one has learned by sharing with others and mentorship program suffices that a degree of success is likely to be achieved (AA, 2008). The fact that the AA program seeks to change the way of thinking of the alcoholics and not merely helping them stop the drinking habit implies that the impact of the program will be astounding. AA defines alcoholism as â€Å"spiritual, mental, and physical illness and healing require healing all aspects of the illness† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 14). This posits that either 100% success may be achieved when an individual has fully recovered from alcoholism and thus in a better position mentally, spiritually and physically or at least some degree of success when one is not able to recover in all aspects (AA, 2002). Another point worth noting is that AA provides a program that is fit and comfortable for everyone, both spiritual and non-spiritual. Each person can customise the recovery program according to personal preferences â€Å"the house that AA helps a man build for himself is different for each occupant because each occupant is his own architect† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 18). Atheists, believers, radicals as well as conformists can fit in the program and that is arguably the greatest achievement of the AA program. Other recovery programs such as religious sponsored institution are not compatible to such a wide variety of individuals. A statistical approach to the question of the success of the program indicates that the program has met and even exceeded expectations. A report carried out to determine success rate claimed that: A total of 68% of the women in the survey repor ted that they had stopped drinking within a year of their first meeting as compared with only 63% of the men. At the same time, 74% of those under thirty reported they had stopped drinking within a year of attending their first AA meeting, compared with 63% of those over thirty. (AA, 2008, p. 6) One of the strengths of AA is in the structure. AA works as a community though anonymous. A community of people with a common challenge in life and this is perhaps one of the greatest advantages members have, to work and share with people who have or are already undergoing what one is going through. When a new person hears the testimonies of other members who have experienced to be AA community then they get encouraged that all is not lost for them (Medvene, 1989). Another advantage of the AA program lies in the fact that individuals who have the will to stick around for some time get a chance to accelerate their recovery through mentoring the young members in the group. This can be seen as a helper therapy which is believed to help mentors affirm the need to quit alcoholism. A research done to confirm whether indeed this was true found out that â€Å"those helping other alcoholics were less likely to relapse (60%) than those who did not help their peers (78%)† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 24). The element of reciprocity in AA gives it an upper hand over other programs. Since the program works on the principle of self-help with the help of others and that there is no any monetary payments to be made, then the only way members can give back is by doing good to themselves by quitting alcoholism. It is claimed that â€Å"many follow moral norms or reciprocity found in society at large and believe that they should give back, if not to their immediate benefactor, to some generalized other in the future† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 25). AA weaknesses It can be argued that one of the greatest weaknesses of AA lies in its structure. The fact that there are no any official or managerial structures makes the program vulnerable to abuse and expression of personal interests, for instance it is claimed that, at times â€Å"members of AA groups may dispel disruptive drunk attendees or treat newcomers in such a way that they feel unwelcome† (Galanter Kaskutas, 2008, p. 13). This may not be the case if there was some kind of management that may regulate the response and reaction of other members towards newcomers. The principle of freewill entry to anyone including disruptive drunkards may also be one of the disadvantages. Disruptive drunkards may be more of a discouragement than a motivation to others who may be trying to concentrate on their recovery program (Dick, 1998). The fact that the program is based on a spiritual background may not work for people who do not have any spiritual relation. The success of the program depends on the individual willingness and strength to change the way of thinking. This may be a goal hard to achieve given that the drunkards, in their state of drunkenness, have already given up and may not have the inner drive to change their way of thinking (Medvene, 1989). Conclusion The effect of alcohol on our community is such a great issue that it can simply not be ignored. The community always finds a way of helping those of us struggling with alcoholism and other forms of addiction. Alcoholic people need a lot of motivation in order to encourage and help them out of the alcohol menace. Different kinds of motivational theories such as biological, eclectic, social/cognitive do exist and their applicability in motivating alcoholics to recover is very instrumental. AA is one of the most widely used alcoholic recovery programs and its efficiency in its task mostly lies in the motivations that do exist in different aspects of the program. Though there has been much criticism about the program, it appeals to many and its strengths may far outweigh its weaknesses. References AA. (2002). The Twe lve Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous. Web. AA. (2008). Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery outcome Rates. Web. Bernstein, D Nash, P. (2006). Essentials of psychology. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Dalton, S. (n.d.). Synopsis Paper #2. Web. Deci, E Ryan, R. (2008). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Springer. Dick, B. (1998). The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous. New York, NY: Good Book Publishing Company. Galanter, M Kaskutas, L. (2008). Research on alcoholics anonymous and spirituality in addiction recovery: the twelve-step program model. New York, NY: Springer. Kurtz, E. (1979). Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous. Minnesota: Hazelden Publishing. Medvene, M. (1989). Foilrigami. New York, NY: Astor-Honor Inc. Shah, J Gardner, W. (2008). Handbook of Motivation Science. New York, NY: Guilford Press. This research paper on Motivational Program and Alcoholics Anonymous was written and submitted by user D'Ken Neramani to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Parietal Lobes Function and Brain Anatomy

Parietal Lobes Function and Brain Anatomy The parietal lobes are one of the four main lobes or regions of the cerebral cortex. The parietal lobes are positioned behind the frontal lobes and above the temporal lobes. These lobes are important to the function and processing of sensory information, understanding spatial orientation and body awareness. Location Directionally, the parietal lobes are superior to the occipital lobes and posterior to the central sulcus and frontal lobes. The central sulcus is the large deep groove or indentation that separates the parietal and frontal lobes. Function The parietal lobes are involved in a number of important functions in the body. One of the main functions is to receive and process sensory information from all over the body. The somatosensory cortex is found within the parietal lobes and is essential for processing touch sensations. For instance, the somatosensory cortex helps us to identify the location of a touch sensation and to discriminate between sensations such as temperature and pain. Neurons in the parietal lobes receive touch, visual and other sensory information from a part of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus relays nerve signals and sensory information between the peripheral nervous system and the cerebral cortex. The parietal lobes process the information and help us to identify objects by touch. The parietal lobes work in concert with other areas of the brain,  such as the motor cortex and visual cortex, to perform certain tasks. Opening a door, combing your hair, and placing your lips and tongue in the proper position to speak all involve the parietal lobes. These lobes are also important for understanding spatial orientation and for proper navigation. Being able to identify the position, location and movement of the body and its parts is an important function of the parietal lobes. Parietal lobe functions include: CognitionInformation ProcessingTouch Sensation (Pain, Temperature, etc.)Understanding Spatial OrientationMovement CoordinationSpeechVisual PerceptionReading and WritingMathematical Computation Damage Damage or injury to the parietal lobe can cause a number of difficulties. Some of the difficulties as it relates to language include the inability to recall the correct names of everyday items, inability to write or spell, impaired reading, and the inability to position the lips or tongue properly in order to speak. Other problems that may result from damage to the parietal lobes include difficulty in performing goal-directed tasks, difficulty in drawing and performing math calculations, difficulty in identifying objects by touch or distinguishing between different types of touch, inability to distinguish left from right, lack of hand-eye coordination, difficulty in understanding direction, lack of body awareness, difficulty in making exact movements, inability to perform complex tasks in the proper order, difficulty in localizing touch and deficits in attention.​ Certain types of problems are associated with damage caused to either the left or right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. Damage to the left parietal lobe typically results in difficulties in understanding language and writing. Damage to the right parietal lobe results in difficulties with understanding spatial orientation and navigation. Cerebral Cortex Lobes The cerebral cortex is the thin layer of tissue that covers the cerebrum. The cerebrum is the largest component of the brain and is divided into two hemispheres with each hemisphere being divided into four lobes. Each brain lobe has a specific function. Functions of the cerebral cortex lobes involve everything from interpreting and processing sensory information to decision-making and problem-solving capabilities. In addition to the parietal lobes, the lobes of the brain consist of the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, and occipital lobes. The frontal lobes are involved in reasoning and the expression of personality. The temporal lobes assist in organizing sensory input and memory formation. The occipital lobes are involved in visual processing.

What made Franklin D. Roosevelt such a powerful leader and one of the Essay

What made Franklin D. Roosevelt such a powerful leader and one of the most highly regarded presidents in American history - Essay Example Because of his strong advocacy, the love of freedom is still alive in America today (InfoUSA 1). As a great leader, Franklin Roosevelt devoted his effort to the service of his country. In as much as critics may highlight instances of failure during his presidency, Roosevelt has a legacy as a strong leader in the country’s history. People generally accept that F. D. Roosevelt remains one of the greatest leaders in the world. He served as the 32nd President of the country. Roosevelt was born in New York. His leadership guided the United States and helped it during hard moments. He has been considered a central political figure throughout the world, as well. Roosevelt laid a solid foundation of leadership as a president during his early age. He was bright during his young age and graduated from Harvard University. â€Å"Roosevelt became very active with the school newspaper.† When he undertook studies at Harvard, he spent most of his time in publishing the school newspaper. After he graduated from Harvard, â€Å"Franklin D. Roosevelt joined Columbia Law School.† Various experiences and knowledge helped him win the Senate seat later (Rosenberg 1). As a great leader, Roosevelt made a number of improvements in society. One of the most significant and remarkable things he did, and probably the most successful one, was that he led the United States recovery from the Great Depression (Rosen 130). The Great Depression was an economic decline in the United States. â€Å"Banks in all 48 states had either closed or had placed restrictions on how much money depositors could withdraw.† Most banks were bankrupted during the Great Depression; thus, people could not take their money. Additionally, unemployment rose and people lost their jobs overnight. People suffered during this period. As economic distress increased in the United States, Franklin Roosevelt was elected to be a new president instead of President Hoover in order to save

Kodak and Fujifilm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kodak and Fujifilm - Essay Example In 1965, Fujifilm descended into the US, establishing its quarters in New York, in 1966 it set itself up in Dusseldorf to manage business in Europe, in 1987 it introduced itself to Germany, and so on until it had its industries scattered across the globe, from Japan, to the Middle East, to North America (Fujifilm Global, Corporate History). According to Shigetaka Komori and Shegehiro Nakajima, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer respectively, of Fujifilm, "Once, our overwhelming core business was photographic film, but we have now evolved into a company which is continually growing in a number of new strong business fields." These "new" fields that Fujifilm is expanding into include studying the "fine chemistry which controls elaborate chemical reactions, mechatronics, optics, electronics, software and a wide array of manufacturing technologies." Fujifilm is not just a photofilm industry that deals with only camera related products, rather, as Komori and Nakajima cont end, Fujifilm even caters to producing "highly functional materials such as LCD materials; medical/life sciences such as pharmaceuticals, functional skin care cosmetics and nutritional supplements; graphic arts such as printing materials and equipment; optical devices such as camera phone lens units; digital imaging such as digital cameras, digital printing, and Photobook." For Fujifilm, the ultimate goal is to "make a broad contribution to society through products and services using our leading-edge, proprietary technologies," and "aim to be a company which can respond to any changes with corporate excellence on a global scale," (Fujifilm Global, Message from the Chairman and President). Moving onto Kodak, American inventor George Eastman founded his photofilm company in Rochester, New York in 1982 (Sparkes, Kodak: 130 years of history). In 1900, Kodak launched its Brownie camera, bringing the camera into the hands of the masses of society, and in 1969, the Appollo 11 mission even made use of Kodak film. Sparkes also mentions that in 1975, Kodak was the first to build a digital camera and in 2005 it was "the largest seller of digital cameras in the US, with revenue reaching $5.7bn." Kodak's plan was to "make photography as convenient as the pencil," and the official US Kodak website further states that Kodak is "known not only for photography, but also for images used in a variety of leisure, commercial, entertainment and scientific applications. Its reach increasingly involves the use of technology to combine images and information--creating the potential to profoundly change how people and businesses communicate." Rupert Neate in his "Kodak falls in the 'creative destruction of the digital age," makes a very poignat statement that now "it is the end of the "Kodak moment." Michael Krigsman in his piece on "Goodbye Kodak, Hello Fujifilm," also makes a similar comment that "After 131 years great American photographic icon, Eastman Kodak, filed for bankruptcy w hile Japanese FujiFilm rises toward greatness." Clearly, there has been a sharp decline in the success of Kodak despite

Asylum Seekers Essay Example for Free

Asylum Seekers Essay The still images of Asylum seekers revealed the medias uncaring attitude towards them. The media believe that asylum seekers are nothing but poor helpless scroungers who soak up others countries fund. I thought that the most powerful image was the one that had a scruffy haired woman reaching out with one hand. This to me was a very effective still image because it mirrored the medias opinion both proximally and kinetically. The womans facial expressions suggested that she was distressed and desperate which in an example of the pictures that are always conveyed in the media. Furthermore the womans gestus (Hand out in need) represented how she needed some aid and refuge. An act that is perceived by the media, as a way to sponge of the countries services, such as healthcare and housing. I conveyed my attitude towards asylum seekers and refugees by taking part in an attitude continuum. I place myself in the number 7 spot 3 places away from being totally sympathetic (10) and 7 spaces away from having a hostile attitude (1). I placed my self here because I believe that as a Christian we should help any one in need and provide refuge for them. However I also feel that we should help the homeless and needy in our own country first. In our still image sequence we acted as farmers in order to show our understanding of the line When the sun says goodnight to the mountains. I am dreaming of the sun saying goodnight. We believed that the lines meant that the sun is ruining all of the Caribbean farmers crops. So without anything to harvest the farmer, owner and the buyer are all badly effected. We showed this with two images. The first one with the farmer sitting around doing nothing because without the rain he could not grow is a crop. The farmer tells the audience without my job on the farm I cannot feed my family. The owner of the farm is seen with is hands empty as he looks nervously at the buyer and says because of the lack of rain I have no harvest to sell. Lastly the buyer looks frustrated at the owner as he proclaims to the audience. Because of the lack of rain I have no harvest to buy cheap and then sell for a profit.

Cuban Missile Crisis: The Brink of Global Nuclear War Essay -- History

Cuban Missile Crisis: The Brink of Global Nuclear War The Cuban Missile Crisis had a huge impact on society even years after it was resolved because the incident had brought our nation and the world so close to the brink of nuclear war. Before the Cuban Missile Crisis had occurred, many other factors had been piling up and building undesirable tensions between many countries. Along the way new allies and enemies were made causing more stress to the Cold War. The new bonds that formed after Cuba was taken over by Fidel Castro pushed nuclear war to the very edge. Many changes in Cuba caused tensions to mount between the United States, Cuba, and Russia. At the time before the Bay of Pigs incident, Cuba had a corrupt dictator that ruled the people without giving them much freedom. President Fulgencio Batista was an ally to the United States because American companies that were based in Cuba did not have many restrictions. Many wealthy Americans owned plantations on the island of Cuba because of the lack of restrictions. This all changed in 1959 when Fidel Castro took over. Castro wanted to limit American influence and cut ties with the United States. Castro quickly made attempts to be allies with the Soviets. For Castro's attempt to woo the Soviets, the United States stopped the importing of sugar from Cuba. Cuba's economy would have suffered terribly if they could not find a buyer. The Soviets agreed to buy all of the sugar. After this the United States cut off all relations with Cuba. The United States and Cuba were no l onger allies even though they were only separated by a mere 100 miles. While the Cold War loomed over the heads of the world, the President of the United States tried to think of way... ...ry.navy.mil/faqs/faq90-1.htm>. Naval Historical Center, 1993. "Cuban Missile Crisis - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. . Web. . Web. through . Web. Pike, John. â€Å"Cold War in the 1960s†. 2012. ops/cold-war-1960s.htm>. Web. â€Å"Limited Test Ban Treaty.† U.S. Department of State. January 22, 2012. . Sting. "Russians." The Dream of the Blue Turtles. A & M Records, 1985. Vinyl. Berkin. Making America : A History of the United States. Wadsworth, 2012. P. 354

How the area of a wire affects the resistance in a circuit Essay

Electricity is conducted through a conductor. Resistance is the word used to describe the opposition between forces. The more free electrons there are, the better the conduction and the worse the resistance is. The more atoms vibrate, the more resistance there is. The free electrons are given energy, as a result they move and collide with the surrounding electrons. This happen throughout the whole wire. This is how the electricity is conducted. Resistance is the result of energy loss in form of heat. How do we measure it? V=I/R V=Voltage I =Current R=Resistance Ohm’s Law. This law states that the current through a metallic conductor (wire) at a constant temperature is proportional to the potential difference (Voltage). Therefore the Voltage and Current is constant. If the resistance increases the temperature increases, so it stays constant. At higher temperatures the particles move more quickly, increasing the collision of the free electrons. Possible Input Variables Wire area Wire thickness Wire length Applied voltage Material Taught connections Cross-sectional shape Insulated Density of wire Coiled or not Temperature Preliminary Experiments. Easy to measure? Easy to change Wire area V V Wire thickness X X Wire length V V Applied voltage V V Material X V Taught connections X X Cross-sectional shape X X Insulated X V Density of wire V X Coiled or not V V Temperature V V Applied I or V by a double cell which is measured by digital volt and ammeter. I will find out the Resistance by the formula using R=V/I. Wire area. It is difficult to change the area. A possible solution would be to add wires and twist them together. Coiled or not? It has not got an obvious affect. The Voltage and Current didn’t increase or decrease. Temperature. My idea was to set up a water bath to keep the wire at a same temperature at every point. I would experiment with temperatures from 20? C-100 (room temperature to the boiling point of water) Wire length. Is very easy to set up. There is a very large range of results. Chosen Input variable I chose wire area as my variable because it is has a better variety of results. I will have 8 wires with the same cross sectional area. It would be to expensive using different cross sectional sizes of wire. I will put the wire parallel to each other an twist them add the end to increase the area of the wire. My chosen output variable is resistance because that is what I am looking for in the wire. Fair Test In the experiment I am not going to change anything ( wire length and applied voltage). The only thing I will change is the area of the wire (input variable). I will use the same equipment throughout the test, to make sure it is a fair test. If I would use different equipment it may give me different readings. I am using a safety resistor, so that the current is the same and that the wire will not overheat. It would not be a fair test if the wire would heat because it would give my different sets of results at different temperatures. It could also be a safety hazard if the wire overheats. Method Cut eight wires of the same cross sectional area in 35cm length (only 30cm of wire measured because I have to attach crocodile clips on each side   The equipment is as following: 2 cell Battery Ammeter+ Voltmeter Safety Resistor 8 wires (35cm) 2 crocodile clips   My circuit will look as following:   Let electricity pass through the circuit and note down the readings of the ammeter and voltmeter. Add more wires to the circuit and continue as planned   Make three sets of results through an accurate experiment Prediction I will expect that if the area of the wire increases the resistance will decrease. This can be proven by background physics of the past. Observation Test Results Nr. of wires   This graph shows the voltages I measured Nr. of wires This graph shows the Current I measured Nr. of wires R1 R2 R3 Rave Area m^2 1/Area   This graph shows me the resistance and resistance average I have worked out. It also includes the formulas for the Area and 1/Area My Graphs are on a separate sheet of graph paper. Analysis My graph shows me that if I increase the area the resistance decreases. I have plotted two graphs to give me a wider range of results and averages in different areas (1/Area and Area m^2). My Area graph looks like a y =1/X graph X Y 1 1 2 0. 5 3 0. 333 4 0. 25 To reassure this I have plotted an average 1/Area. If it is correct then I should get a straight line. When I plotted the graph I had a straight line. This tells me that the average is proportional to 1/Area i. e. Rave ? 1/Area. The slope is: y/x= 10. 5/16= 0. 66 ? /mi I am ignoring the offset on my 1/Area graph This experiment shows me that resistance is definitely affected by the area of the wire. Looking at my background physics it has worked out like resistors on a parallel circuit. When attaching another wire to the experiment it acts like adding another parallel resistor in a parallel circuit. So if the area of the wire increases the resistance decreases. Also I have learned if the voltage goes down the resistance goes up Evaluation I found this experiment easy to do. I had no anomalies on my graph. This means that the points I have plotted are all in a acceptable arrangement. There were no experimental caused by a faulty connection. There were no safety hazards and the experiment was safe to do.