Discuss the influence of variables such as culture and gender on the Essay

Discuss the influence of variables such as culture and gender on the measurement of attachment - Essay Example It should be noted that attachment does not involve exclusively in the childhood; rather, it can be continued in adulthood - a view supported by Ainsworth (1991, in Schneider 1993, p.42). However, the form and the quality of attachment in adulthood is likely to be influenced from the quality of attachment that a person has experienced in his/ her childhood (Ainsworth, 1991, in Schneider, 1993, p.42). In fact, in the context of the ‘Strange Situation’ experimental process (Ainsworth et al. 1978) it has been proved that attachment is likely to be developed in the early years of human life. Through the above experiment, where the attachment of infants to their mother (or caregiver) is measured, it has been proved that attachment in this period of life can appear in 4 different forms: ‘insecure-avoidant, secure, insecure-resistant and insecure disorganised’ (Ainsworth et al. 1978). In any case, attachment can have many different aspects being influenced by gende r and culture, as explained below. McKinsey & Claussen (2003) tried to identify the influence of culture on attachment; in their study, the quality and the aspects of attachment developed between the Egyptian children and their mothers were examined through appropriately customized interviews – visits in the houses of 30 families in Egypt. ... As a result, in Egypt, culture along with gender can be considered as being variables influencing the form and the development of attachment as a key element of social life. On the other hand, Mercer (2006) has opposed the influence of culture on attachment; his study is based on the findings of the research of Mary Ainsworth in Uganda (in 1950s); in the context of the above research it was proved that no relationship exists between attachment and culture. In fact, after visiting ’26 families with babies’ (Mercer 2006, p.41), Ainsworth came to the assumption that the level and the quality of attachment of infants in Uganda are similar to that of infants in Britain (Mercer 2006). The influence of culture on attachment is made clear in the study of Kalat (2010); in the above study it is explained that the patterns of attachment in different cultural frameworks are similar (Kalat 2010, p.175); however differences exist in regard to the measurement of attachment in differen t cultures (Kalat 2010, p.175). As an example, Kalat (2010) refers to the ‘low consistency’ (Kalat 2010, p.175) that characterizes the findings of the measurement of attachment of children in South Africa. In the relevant research, different findings were retrieved when a different research approach was used, a fact which, in accordance with Kalat (2010) indicates the influence of culture on the measurement of attachment. In any case, when the attachment needs to be measured it would be necessary to use an appropriate approach aiming to control inconsistencies; for example, the cultural adaptationism (an approach suggested by Gumperz & Humes, 1986, in Harwood, Miller & Irizarry, 1997,

Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing Essay Muscles and staring blue eyes looked back at the Eliot zombie. Ellie screamed. Then fell to the floor. Eliot then started to rip up her face. He put it to his mouth and started chewing it. Back in the tunnel the group was getting bored. Ive had enough of this, said Harry, Im going to go and look for some food, anyone coming? Ill go, replied Beth, Im getting quite hungry myself. The pair walked out the tunnel and went right. There has to be some food round here, Harry said optimistically. Whats that? Beth said confused. On the horizon they saw a sort of shack. It looked like a bomb shelter. Harry and Beth ran to the building. They opened that door. It swung open with a creak. In front of them were some barrels at the back, some shelves on the side with some boxes on, and a trap door in the centre of the room. Have a look on them shelves, maybe there is some food in them boxes, Harry said bossily. The duo searched the shelves in search of food. Beth screamed. There was a spider. I hate spiders. Beth turned a shade of red. Harry found a flashlight. Come on, theres no food in here. Lets have a look under that trapdoor. Harry said, starting to get agitated by the lack of food. He pulled the door up above his head. A rusty staircase stood below them. They got to the bottom of the stairs. Harry turned on the flashlight. The torchlight showed stalactites hanging from the roof like the dead bodies of criminals that had been hung centurys ago, there was a pool of water at the back of the cave. Huge cobwebs went up the sides of the cave. Bones were scattered on the ground. Beth and Harry could hear scuttling behind them, they turned around. There was nothing there. Then something gooey dropped on Beths shoulder. They looked up and saw a twenty five foot spider looking down at them with its eight eyes. Beth screamed. The spider raised its abdomen and shot a sticky string at her. She tried to run but the web stopped her. Beths body was wrapped up in a silk tomb. Harry could still hear her screaming. HELP! The spider came down from its web. It stabbed its sting into her back, injecting her with a nerve poison. Beth screamed louder than before. Her body began to shake. She fell to the ground. The spider then dragged her body back up to its web. Harry could still hear faint screaming. Then it stopped. Her body was, twitching like someone who has just drank five cups of coffee. Harry ran backwards, but he tripped over a bone. Looking into the darkness, He heard a buzzing. A giant bug flew out and It grabbed him with two of its six hue legs, its large, bulbous eyes stared at him. The buzzing from its wings almost deafened him. It took him up to its nest. It pinned him down and spayed a liquid into his face. His face started to burn. His eyes started to melt. Harry started screaming. Giant maggots came out of the nest. They hadnt eaten in years. They bit into Harry. They ripped his body limb from limb. The maggots then ate the rest of his body while the bug flew back into the darkness. Waiting for the next unsuspecting victim to wander into is trap. Guy, Lorna and Laura were waiting in the other tunnel. They were starting to get hungry. Look over there, said Lorna, there is a light, maybe there is some food. The group moved down the tunnel. When the group got to the light hundreds maybe thousands of zombies were stumbling about in front of them. Laura screamed. The noise had attracted the zombies attention. Right you two, get out. Ill run down there and maybe the zombies will follow me. Said Lorna, bravely, Good luck. Thanks Lorna, said the pair. She ran off making loads of noise and waving her arms about. The zombies followed her down another tunnel. Come on, lets get out. Guy noticed an opening in the roof. Up there; an escape Guy said quickly. Guy and Laura heard a scream from down the tunnel. The zombies had caught up with Lorna. The pair ran up some ladders up to a metal platform. Quick move. Laura you first. Laura had gotten through the hole in the ceiling when a zombie came up behind guy and grabbed him. It pulled him to the ground. NO! GUY! screamed Laura. QUICK! SAVE YOURS Guy was cut off. The zombie ripped open his torso. Laura could see all of Guys internal organs. His heart was still beating slowly. Guy screamed. Then stopped moving. The zombie plunged his hand into Guys corpse like a policeman dunking a jam doughnut into a hot cup of coffee. He got a hand full of Guys intestines and brought it to its rotten mouth. It sunk its teeth into the organs. Blood dropped onto is ripped, stained shirt. No! Laura wept. She crawled out of the hole and stood on top of the mountain. She stopped and thought of all of her friends, Eliot, Lorna, Guy, Beth, Harry, Ellie, Sam and Nadim. Tears streamed down her face and dripped onto the sandy floor, making a small puddle. Suddenly a pair of blood stained hands burst out. They latched on to her foot. Holding on as tight as it could. Laura yelled. The zombie pulled Laura back towards the hole she crawled through. She dropped back through the floor. She could see guys body. He was pale. Laura was screaming. The zombies that were distracted had come back. Laura could see familiar faces in the crowd of death. Eliot, Lorna, Ellie and Nadim were lurching towards her. She looked back over to Guy. His body started to move. He stood up. His liver and stomach fell from his body and splattered on the ground. His ribcage swung back and forth like saloon doors in a gale. Laura jumped down from the platform. Come on! Youre going to have me, so have me! Laura shouted. She ran into the middle of the crowd yelling. A scream echoed through the cave. Then it all went quiet. Nothing could be heard apart from the groaning of the dead. By James Haselden 10T1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance Given the commercial pressures  are Auditors doing a good job? Introduction For two decades the debate has raged regarding whether auditors are performing their tasks adequately, within the bounds of the commercial pressures they are under. In preparing this paper, we have studied current research and comment surrounding this issue. Our opinion is that, although there are areas of serious concern and issues that need to be addressed, generally the auditing profession is doing a good job. â€Å"The debacle of Enron has shaken core assumptions about auditors and auditing.† (Kay and Carsberg 2002). Following the collapse of Enron, and its auditor’s Andersen, the role, competency, quality and standards of auditors came under increasing scrutiny, resulting in a raft of headlines such as the one quoted. The call from Kay and Carsberg, and others, for national and international standard committees to be set up, was quickly responded to. The US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) and UK Combined Code of Corporate Governance (2003), both of which imposed stringent conditions onto the audit process, were swiftly introduced. As a result, the profession, through the IFA[1] (2006) responded with a complete overhaul of standards. All these regulations and standards have been subject to constant revision since their inception. However, concerns still exist regarding auditor performance as recent attempts by the UK government to criminalize certain audit failures shows (Parliamentary Correspondent 2006). In the same article audit firms responded, stating such a move would be â€Å"both costly and ineffective†[2] and that the â€Å"proposed offence will inevitably lead to defensive auditing, which is not in the interests of the profession or clients.†[3] . The auditing process, particularly in respect of Plc’s[4] is a complex procedure. There is a significant amount of preparatory work to be undertaken prior to the audit itself, including an understanding of the client’s business, evaluation of the risk, and the costing and construction of the audit itself (Dassen et. al. 2004, ch.6). This will determine the depth, breath, and percentage of testing required, fulfilling their tasks and complying with the requirements of all the applicable regulations and codes. This process also includes reaching an agreement on the fees to be charged. The audit task is even more complex when the organisation involved is a multi-national or transnational corporation. In addition, auditing firms have to ensure that they, and all of the persons involved in the audit, when preparing the audit, need to take into account all modifications and improvements to IFA standards, Company Law and the Combined Codes (Grey and Manson 2004). To monitor audits standards the government set up the Audit Inspection Unit (2006). The task of this unit is to ensure audits have complied with all current regulations (see page 6 of the report). Their latest report covered the â€Å"big four† firms and, for first time, the next five largest auditing firms. Seventy-seven audits were reviewed, over a number of sizes and industry sectors (see Appendix 1). Although, in general terms, the report responded positively, concluding that auditing firms are maintaining a reasonably high standard, there were some concerns. They found that progress on previous recommendations had been slower than expected, although there were mitigating circumstances (see section 4.1.1, p.11). In addition there was some concern expressed regarding the audit documentation (section 4.4.7, p.21). However, in other areas, such as leadership and human resources (section 4.2), improvements had been seen. In their final analysis, only in three areas did the Uni t make further recommendations. Addressing the position from the government viewpoint, a report was commissioned by the FRC[5] (Oxera Consultancy Group 2006). This report concentrated on the availability of auditor choice to corporations, and the competitive aspect of the profession in general. Whilst agreeing with the Audit Reporting Unit’s conclusion that generally the audit profession was performing their tasks well, this report expressed concerns in other areas. These focused on the dominance of the major audit firms within Plc and international fields. The fear is this leads to lack of choice and has produced increases in fees that exceed inflation by a significant amount, as much as 11%. There was also recognition that, from a logistical and cost point of view, it was virtually impossible for other auditing firms to compete for this market. One of the resultant fears that most corporate management expressed, was the problem that would be caused if there was a consolidation from four to three firms, and the impact this would have on other accounting and financial services, as well as the audit choice. Conclusion Having studied all of the research, we would concur with the conclusion that in view of the commercial concerns, audit firms are generally performing a good job. However, in our opinion, there is a need to address the competitive issues surround audit firms in the cases of quoted company audits. We would recommend that the laws of competition should be applied to the audit industry to ensure the numbers of firms do not reduce still further, and that ways should be considered to enable other firms to compete successfully in this market. References Audit Inspection Unit (2006) 2005/6 Audit Quality Inspections. Financial Reporting Council. London. UK Dassen, R., Schilder, A., Wallage, P. and Hayes, R. (2004) Principles of Auditing: An Introduction to International Standards on Auditing. FT Prentice Hall. Gray, Iain and Manson, Stuart (2004). The Audit Process: Principles, Practice and Cases. Third edition. Thomson Learning. Handbook of International Auditing, Assurance, and Ethics Pronouncements. (2006). International Federation of Accountants. New York. Kay, John and Carsberg, Bryan (2002) Stiffening the auditors’ backbones. Financial Times. UK Oxera Consultancy Group (2006). Competition and choice in the UK audit market. Report prepared for Financial Reporting Council. London. Parliamentary Correspondent. (2006). Auditors may escape criminal sanctions. Accountancy Age, UK. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) Retrieved 6 November 2006 from http://www.sarbanes-oxley-101.com/sarbanes-oxley-TOC.htm The Committee on Corporate Governance (2003). The Combined Code on Corporate Governance. Financial Reporting Council. London. Footnotes [1] International Federation of Accountants [2] Baroness Noakes, a former KMPG partner [3] An Ernst Young spokesman [4] Public Limited Companies [5] Financial Reporting Council

Essay --

The ‘just desserts’ theory of sentencing is a form of Retributivism, which is a late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century theory of punishment based on lex talionis or the law of vengeance, derived from the works of a German theorist Immanuel Kant. Retributivism contends that when an individual commits a crime, his punishment should be the equivalent of the crime committed. Kant argued that humans are free and rational agents who recognise that any wrong committed would have to be met with a deserving and equal punishment by the state. He believed that a states failure to punish this wrong would be a corroboration of sorts in the wrongdoing. Furthermore, he held that punishment must only be inflicted upon those who have committed a crime and not for any other purpose. In keeping with this theory of moral reasoning, ‘just deserts’ is a modern form of retributivism, more concerned with seeking proportionality rather than exacting revenge. Supporters of t his version argue that offenders should be punished, but only because they deserve it. An interpretation centred more on the ce...

Smallpox Treatment Essay -- Vaccination Vaccine Variolation

Smallpox Treatment Smallpox has threatened our world for the past twelve thousand years. Treatments were desperately searched for until a cure called variolation was discovered. Variolation is the use of the virus placed into a being to which they will receive the illness to a lesser degree and overcome the illness forming an immunization to it. This process was started in China and went worldwide after Lady Montagu took the process from Turkey and informed the British about it. From here the process set fire and spread across Europe, curing many, but also killing them too. This new discovery opened a channel of research for many doctors, until in 1774 a farmer named Benjamin Jesty discovered that the lesser illness of cowpox could vaccinate one from smallpox. Jesty’s discovery plagued the world and set another opening for research, into which doctors searched for the best way to vaccinate citizens with. Vaccination helped a plethora of people until 1980 when the disease was finall y eradicated. However, smallpox’s ugly face reared itself just recently with the new threat of bioterrorism. Yet this will most likely not affect our society due to the huge amount of preparatory work that would need to be placed into a new smallpox outbreak. For the past twelve thousand years, Smallpox has obliterated societies with ease. Many civilizations found ways to inoculate their citizens with the least amount of symptoms through processes known as variolation and vaccination. Development of the treatment for smallpox mostly began in the end of the eighteenth century and continued through 1970s, until smallpox was eradicated in 1980. Smallpox is thought to have first started in Africa and then moved to... ... Vaccine. 1st ed. Vol. 1. London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1981. 1-196. Brannon, Heather. "The History of Smallpox." About.Com. 24 Sept. 2005. Health on the Net Foundation. 26 July 2007 smallpoxhx.htm>. "The First Recorded Smallpox Vaccination." The Dorset Page. 2000. The Dorset Page. 27 July 2007 . Krasner, Gary. "Smallpox Vaccination Dangers." NaturoDoc. 2007. NaturoDoc LLC. 27 July 2007 _vaccine.htm>. Ogden, Horace G.. CDC and the Smallpox Crusade. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1987. Razzell, Peter. Edward Jenner's Cowpox Vaccine: the History of a Medical Myth. 1st ed. Vol. 1. Great Britain: Caliban Books, 1977. 5-107.

Odysseus in The Hero and the Goddess and Calypso and Circe :: Goddess Calypso

Odysseus in The Hero and the Goddess and Calypso and Circe    Reflections on the experience of Odysseus as related to Jean Houston's The Hero and the Goddess: The Odyssey as Mystery and Initiation and Alicia LeVan's Calypso and Circe  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the lush, luxuriant island of Ogygia, Odysseus spends seven years of his ten year journey home with the beautiful seductive nymph Calypso, who virtually possesses him and compels him to live a sensual but vegetative existence.   For ten years, surrounded by men, he lived out the male heroic ideal of warrior, then spent several years further testing himself against otherworldly obstacles. In the process, he lost all of his companions, and has nothing left but the little that remains of himself. Here on Calypso's isle, he lives in paradise:    "Thick, luxuriant woods grew round the cave, alders, and black poplars, pungent cypress too, and there, birds roosted, folding their long wings, owls and hawks and the spread beaked ravens of the sea, black skimmers who make their living off the waves. And round the mouth of the cavern trailed a vine laden with clusters, bursting with ripe grapes. Four springs in a row, bubling clear and cold, running side-by-side, took channels left and right. Soft meadows spreading round were starred with violets, lush with beds of parsley. Why, even a deathless god who came upon that place would gaze in wonder, heart entranced with pleasure. Homer, The Odyssey, V:71-82, Fagles translation       Odysseus is now embraced by Mother Earth, in all her verdant fertility, and also living deep within caverns that are only reminiscent of the womb. For seven years, Calypso protects him from Poseidon's wrath. As the devoted and devouring mother, AND the seductive and engulfing mistress/lover, she is both what men most desire, and most fear.    Alicia LeVan wrote: Perhaps the 'necessity' he has for unity with the feminine, coupled with his yearning for home, (an embodiment of the feminine principle representing relationship, community, cooperation, and non-aggression) represents a need for integration of the feminine principle within his psyche after years of functioning in war, with the constant testosterone of destroying, killing, raping and surviving in the most   inhumane, strife torn, blood drenched, barren plains of Troy. After ten years of functioning as a killer and destroyer,he must heal his numbness and desensitivity by connecting with his feelings.

Religious beliefs Essay

Humans have been, for ages, found themselves being challenged to do what is just and right. However, this idealism is often created out of confirming with one’s society. Each society has its own culture, principles, traditions, politics and religious beliefs. One’s act of good deed may be considered the opposite in the eyes of a person foreign to his culture. Confirming with the society’s norm had been considered a conflict to a person’s decision-making. One person may want to speak out his mind on such controversial issue but kept mum to avoid being antagonized by his peers. The public media and press became the gladiator’s arena between freedom of expression versus tact according to society. Raising one’s voice that opposed the society’s mentality is often discouraged due to gaining nothing but people’s ire. But not saying anything at all is also considered as moral cowardice- it produced same negative results as those of irresponsible communication. This essay would like to persuade its readers or listeners that voicing unpopular ideas can make a difference in the world. To quote as famous statement from the past, ‘The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when is unpopular is a true test of moral character’’( One historical example of positive results from expressing one’s voice is found in Japan. Japanese politics had been exclusive only to men for centuries until around 1920’s. The 1920’s had been the era of revolutionary reforms that greatly overshadowed the older conservative laws under the Japanese government. With reforms being entertained to be made on the Japanese constitution, two of the most highlighted changes are the women’s suffrage and political inclusion. One notable woman who campaigned for the women’s rights is Kato Shidzue. She is the first woman to be elected in the Diet and famously assisted Margaret Sanger, a fellow feminist, in promoting birth control to Japan. It was a period where in a transition is still undergoing, from conservative upbringing to a much more liberal lifestyle. Being a feminist brought Shidzue anger from most men specifically the Japanese military. This resulted of her being arrested on 1937 for opposing to the ruling of producing as many children as possible. Yet, her perseverance of expressing her principles and fighting for equality served as one of the founding blocks of just treatment of both genders (Hopper, 2004). Another example would be Martin Luther King Jr. , the famous civil rights activist who campaign to end the racial segregation and discrimination. Despite the strong dominance of the white supremacists around that time, King took action through organized and peaceful means. He was a firm believer that violence was not the answer to the problem and knew that with this tactic it would garner the public’s attention more compared to the former. On that fateful day on the year 1963, his speech entitled I Have a Dream was the most pivotal moment during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. With genius use of rhetoric along with fiery passion, King called for his country to acknowledge racial equality and to end discrimination of color. His life was threatened several times due to his message of bringing equality for the ‘black people’. To this day, no single American had forgotten the I Have A Dream speech of this brave believer of what is right and just for all people (Kirk et al, 2007). History repeats itself as someone quoted from the past. To this day, this saying still rings true. Moral cowardice does have repercussions if people remain passive in a long period of time. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for one’s belief so it is reasonable if not all would be eager to clash with society’s norms. The consequences of this inaction would usually end up regrettable and horrifying. The Holocaust is one fine example. At first, the Jews were ridiculed and discriminated in Germany. No one tried to question this action for fear of receiving the Germans’ wrath. The Aryan race factor also fueled the fire which led to antagonism to both races. It was already too late as the war finally occurred; Nazis ordered a systematic genocide of all European Jews that now famously called the Holocaust. Over 17 million casualties resulted from the state-ordered annihilation (Niewyk; Nicosia, 2000). Another example would be the Martial Law in the Philippines during the 1970’s. President Ferdinand Marcos held the presidential seat for almost twenty years, ruling the country with an iron fist. For several years, only few dared to stand up against the Marcos’ regime and question their intentions on proclaiming Martial Law. The Filipinos suffered the continuous wreckage of its economy and the severe corruption of the said government. If it wasn’t for Benigno Aquino Sr. ’s assassination, the people would never be motivated to fight for their rights and wish for a democratic government (Ackerman; Duvall, 2001). A pen is mightier than a sword is not message to be taken lightly. Speaking out one’s mind has the power to motivate people to either take action or change their opinions. No matter how unpopular an idea is to the society, what mattered is the courage to stand up for one’s principles. Martin Luther King Jr. and Kato Shidzue proved that even with several obstacles barricaded in front of anyone, one should always defend what is just. As long as someone listened, there will always be people who will be supporting the idea. Moral cowardice maybe a norm for the most people around, but historical events such as the Holocaust and the Philippines’ Martial Law proved that staying tight-lipped would not guarantee’s a person’s safety. References: Helen M. Hopper, Kato Shidzue : a Japanese feminist (New York: Pearson Longman, 2004). Kirk, John A. , ed. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement: Controversies and Debates (2007). 224 pp. Niewyk, Donald L. and Nicosia, Francis R. The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust, Columbia University Press, 2000, pp. 45-52. Peter Ackerman; Jack DuVall (2001), A force more powerful: a century of nonviolent conflict, Macmillan, p. 384