Featured Post

Health Promotion Intervention Plan: Hepatitis B

Wellbeing Promotion Intervention Plan: Hepatitis B Presentation The chief reason for ailment and passing everywhere throughout the wor...

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Health Promotion Intervention Plan: Hepatitis B

Wellbeing Promotion Intervention Plan: Hepatitis B Presentation The chief reason for ailment and passing everywhere throughout the world are because of the irresistible infections. There is a nonstop ascent in the test of improving the endeavors to experience the wellbeing dangers brought about by the organisms. The test to forestall and control the infection is because of the capacity of the microorganisms to develop and adjust to the evolving condition, populaces, innovations, and practices. The effect of irresistible illnesses in creating nations decreased endurance rates in youngsters, and lessened financial development and advancement. There were worries in wellbeing and monetary territories of created nations because of the irresistible infections. The endemic, resurgent, and new illnesses bring about gigantic torment and passing. They likewise cause tremendous budgetary misfortunes in the nation. To shield the nation from irresistible illnesses, it is important to create and execute thorough wellbeing arrangements that are proof based, and the soundness of the defenseless populaces ought to be taken consideration. The nation needs to create coordinated effort with the worldwide accomplices to control further episodes inside the nation and spread of the malady over the fringes (CDC structure for forestalling irresistible ailments, 2011). Among the proof based assets for the wellbeing advancement issue, ‘immunization and irresistible sicknesses, and worldwide health’, a diagram of 2011 horribleness and mortality week by week report is talked about here. The report centers around the danger of Hepatitis B disease in individuals with diabetes mellitus. The report likewise discusses death rate, control proportions of the contamination, the productivity of the antibody, and the technique for controlling the immunization (Evidence-based asset synopsis, 2011). A constant or intense contamination of the liver by hepatitis B infection (HBV) prompts mortality. Since 1996, 29 episodes of HBV disease happened in more than one long haul clinical consideration offices of United States. The drawn out clinical consideration (LTC) offices included nursing homes and helped living territories. The above data was accounted for to the Center for sickness control and avoidance (CDC). Among 29, 25 were related with grown-ups e xperiencing diabetes (MMWR, 2011). Disease and its Control The gathering of individuals with diabetes at higher hazard for Hepatitis B contamination was accounted for to comprise of 865 cases in the year 2009-2010. This number was evaluated from eight disease projects and it involves 17 percent of the US populace. The hazard examination was assessed for those over 23 years old. The rules for contamination control principally passed on safe blood glucose checking and these were accessible since 1990. The rules for HBV control focusing on the LTC environment were distributed in 2005 (MMWR, 2005). Assessment of the HBV antibody mediation Two recombinant Hepatitis B antibodies were created from a solitary antigen. They were Recombivax HB and Engerix-B. A blend of hepatitis An and B antibody called Twinrix was made accessible in the United States. Immunization for hepatitis B infection is accessible in US since 1982. Assessment is related with checking the productivity of the mediation program. Assessment should be possible in developmental and summative strategies. Developmental assessment is led during the turn of events and usage of the intercession program while summative is done when the program is built up and giving its outcomes. The previous technique helps in improving the mediation and the last aides in distinguishing the degree of the result accomplished by the intercession (CDC’s sound networks program, nd). Hepatitis B Vaccine Intervention Developmental assessment Intramuscular organization of three dosages of this antibody is done at 0, 1 and a half year. The grown-ups getting seroprotection from hepatitis B surface antigen, subsequent to accepting three dosages step by step decline with age, smoking, immunosuppression, heftiness, comorbid conditions like diabetes (MMWR, 2011). The counter acting agent reactions for the diabetics were seen as diminished than the non-diabetics. The exploration considers have uncovered that more noteworthy than 90 percent of grown-ups ( Summative assessment †Hepatitis B antibody (measurements >1) managed to 70 million individuals in United States somewhere in the range of 1982 and 2004 had regular symptoms of agony at the infusion site and mellow increment in the internal heat level. In a portion of the fake treatment controlled investigations, individuals accepting the antibody were not habitually getting the reactions than individuals taking a fake treatment. This immunization is contraindicated for individuals with the historical backdrop of touchiness to yeast and other antibody segments. It isn't contraindicated in those experiencing immune system infections, numerous sclerosis, pregnant or lactating ladies and other constant illnesses. Extra measurements of the immunization are not given to the individuals who had genuine reactions like hypersensitivity in the wake of taking the principal arrangement of portions. A quick defensive invulnerability against huge disease is given by the supporter portion o f HepB antibody which is controlled after the essential inoculation arrangement. The quantity of individuals with antibody incited seroprotection expanded when revaccination of more noteworthy than one portion of HepB immunization was controlled for the nonresponses (MMWR, 2006). End Hepatitis B antibody can be given to any person of all ages. However, as of late these immunizations are not considered as productive and savvy for more seasoned grown-ups. As per the endorsements of the board of trustees on vaccination rehearses, HepB immunization ought to be managed to unvaccinated grown-ups having diabetes mellitus, matured somewhere in the range of 19 and 59 years. In any case, proof has indicated that expanded danger of intense HBV contamination in diabetic grown-ups matured over 60 years was not all that solid than in youngsters with diabetes (Evidence-based asset rundown, 2011). References Building our understanding: Key ideas of assessment, what is it and how would you do it? Making a culture of solid living. CDC’s solid networks program. Recovered from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/healthycommunitiesprogram/apparatuses/pdf/eval_planning.pdf CDC. (2006). An exhaustive vaccination system to dispense with transmission of hepatitis B infection disease in the United States. Proposals of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) part II: inoculation of grown-ups. MMWR, 55(No. RR-16). Recovered from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/review/mmwrhtml/rr6210a1.htm CDC. (2005). Transmission of Hepatitis B infection among people experiencing blood glucose observing in long haul offices †Mississippi, North Carolina, and Los Angeles province, California, 2003-2004. MMWR, 54, 220-3. Leuridan, E., Van Damme, P. (2011). Hepatitis B and the requirement for a sponsor portion. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 53, 68â€75. Imprint H. Sawyer et.al, (December, 2011). Utilization of Hepatitis B Vaccination for Adults with Diabetes Mellitus: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Bleakness and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Community for Disease Control and Prevention. 60(50), 1709-1711. Recovered from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/review/mmwrhtml/mm6050a4.htm Thomas, R. F., Rima, F. K., representative chief for irresistible ailments, Center for illness control and counteraction; Kevin M. De Cock, F.R.C.P Director, Center for worldwide wellbeing. (October 2011). A CDC Framework for forestalling irresistible illnesses. Continuing the basics and Innovating for what's to come. Recovered from http://www.cdc.gov/oid/docs/ID-Framework.pdf Utilization of Hepatitis B Vaccination for grown-ups with diabetes mellitus: suggestions of the warning board on inoculation rehearses (ACIP). (2011). Proof based asset synopsis. HealthyPeople.gov. Recovered from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/apparatuses assets/proof based-asset/utilization of-hepatitis-b-immunization for-grown-ups with-diabetes

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Oedipus Essays - Oedipus, Creon, Antigone, Jocasta, Operas, Ismene

Oedipus Essays - Oedipus, Creon, Antigone, Jocasta, Operas, Ismene Oedipus Oedipus and Antigone are blood family members; and as in numerous family members, they have both striking likenesses and minor contrasts. Oedipus was the child of King Laus and Queen Jocasta. Oedipus was an extremely solid ruler during his rule until the city of Thebes was struck by a plague sent by the divine beings. Oedipus was a solid chief and the individuals of Thebes were glad during his season of initiative. Oedipus had an extremely touchiness. At the point when Creon carried the visually impaired benefit to talk with Oedipus and the benefit disclosed to Oedipus that it was he who killed the ruler, Oedipus flew into a fierceness and reprimanded Creon for the wrongdoing. Another case of Oedipuss huge temper was the point at which the three expressways met and Oedipus needed to venture out in front of an elderly person and his laborers. Oedipus had a fit of rage and executed everything except one man. This is currently known as cutting edge street rage. Antigone was the little girl/sister of the previous ruler of Thebes, Oedipus. Antigone was an exceptionally tough lady. She stood up for what she accepted regardless of whether the results were brutal, for example, passing. Antigone was an exceptionally difficult lady. She generally battled to get her direction. A case of this is when there was an immediate request from the ruler not to cover her sibling since he was battling against the city of Thebes. Creon the lord expressed, Anyone that covers that individual will be sent to death by stoning. She couldn't care less about this danger and covers her sibling in any case. Antigone shared a great deal for all intents and purpose with her dad/sibling, Oedipus. Both Oedipus and Antigone had solid characters. Antigone indicated her psychological quality when going to chance her life for the entombment of her sibling. Oedipus demonstrated his psychological quality when he was asked a puzzle from the sphinx. He additionally indicated it when he was a prosperous lord. Antigone was more collected than Oedipus however they were both exceptionally difficult individuals. Based on the activities and characters of Antigone and Oedipus, one can see that family members have various likenesses and few diffe

Sunday, August 9, 2020

The role of a Vitamin A

The role of a Vitamin A Vitamin A in Bone Metabolism Home›Science Posts›Vitamin A in Bone Metabolism Science PostsVitamin A is essential for many vital processes in the human body. They include haematopoiesis, bone development, bone metabolism, immunocompetence, embryo development and maintenance of epithelia tissue. The two types of vitamin A present in the body sustains the above processes. Vitamin A is found in two forms in the human body. The first type is called retinol. This type of Vitamin A is obtained from animal foodstuff sources. This type of vitamin is a soluble fat (Ball, 2004).Retinol is a highly unstable vitamin because of the instability of the unpolluted alcohol group in its structure, this type of vitamin is found in the body tissues in the form a reduced vitamin called retinyl ester. This type of vitamin can also be produced commercially and are administered in the form of esters such as palmitate or retinyl acetate (Groper S et al, 2009).The second types of vitamin A are the caroten es. Examples of carotenes include xanthophylls and beta- Cryptoxanthinallin. Cryptoxathinallins vitamins have beta ionone rings not found in any other Carotenoids like, the gamma- carotene, beta â€"carotene, and the alpha- carotene. Omnivores and Herbivores possess’ enzymes that are required in converting the above compounds into retinal. (Stipanuk, 2006)Free retinol can transverse the bi lipid layer of the biological membranesInterfering with the function and structure of the membrane .The ‘intracellular retinol-protein complex’ is the most active type of retinol metabolically. Protein esterification and binding stops the interference action of free retinol on the function and structure of the Membrane .Protein binding and esterification also shields retinoid from decomposing and processing what is not wanted. For Metabolism to occur in the osteoblasts cells of the bone, the following processes take place. The ingested carotenoids and retinyl esters are integrated into the va ried micelles in the bones and enzymes then hydrolyze the retinal esters. (Ball, 2004).The action of vitamin A in the metabolism of the bone occurs through nuclear receptors by regulating the gene targeted, expressions and by regulating the intra cellular transport of Vitamin A through the cellular retinol binding protein complex (CRPB-1). Vitamin A plays a regulatory role in the metabolism bone although the regulatory mechanisms have not been fully deciphered (Groper S. et al, 2009).All-trans retinoic acids and all retinols of the bone stimulate resorption in the bone through direct action on osteoclasts: the cells involved in the resorption process of the bone. Vitamin A is very important for the metabolism of the bone, which occurs through its association with osteoblasts, which are the cells that form bones and osteoclasts (Stipanuk, 2006).An insufficiency in vitamin A in the body leads to excesses in bone resorption by the cells that form bones and also results in the degradati on  and weakening of the of the bone. Excesses of vitamin A is in the body, inhibits osteoblasts formation and Stimulates osteoclasts formation hence lowering the bone mineral concentration and rising the risk of bone Fracture (Ball,2004).Vitamin A is also helps in the distribution of iron in the body. Retinoic acid also acts as an inducer of osteocalcin, Matrix Glycol Proteins and bone morphogenetic protein all essential in the process of bone formation. (Gropper S, et al., 2008). .In conclusion, Vitamin A is very essential in bone metabolism, because it influences the processes that cause either bone formation or bone resorption.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Seagull by Chekhov Character Analysis

Bang! A gunshot is heard from offstage. The characters on stage are startled, frightened. Their pleasant game of cards has come to a screeching halt. A doctor peeks into the adjoining room. He returns to calm Irina Arkadina; she fears her son Konstantin has killed himself. Dr. Dorn lies and says, â€Å"Don’t upset yourself†¦ A bottle of ether burst.† A moment later, he takes Irina’s boyfriend aside and whispers the truth. â€Å"Take Irina Nikolaevna somewhere, away from here. The fact is, Konstantin Gavrilovich has shot himself.† Then, the curtain falls and the play ends. The audience has learned that the troubled young writer Konstantin has committed suicide, and that his mother will be grief-stricken by the end of the evening. Sounds depressing, doesnt it? Yet Chekhov very purposefully labeled The Seagull a comedy. Ha, Ha! Ha Uh I Dont Get It The Seagull is filled with many elements of drama: believable characters, realistic events, serious situations, unhappy outcomes. Yet, there is still an undercurrent of humor flowing beneath the surface of the play. Fans of the Three Stooges may disagree, but there is in fact comedy to be found within The Seagulls somber characters. However, that does not qualify Chekhovs play as a slapstick or romantic comedy. Instead, think of it as a tragicomedy. For those not familiar with the events of the play, read the synopsis of The Seagull. If the audience pays close attention, they will learn that Chekhov’s characters consistently create their own misery, and therein lurks the humor, dark and bitter though it may be. The Characters: Masha: The daughter of the estate manager. She claims to be profoundly in love with Konstantin. Alas, the young writer pays no attention to her devotion. Whats Tragic? Masha wears black. Why? Her reply: â€Å"Because I’m morning my life.† Masha is openly unhappy. She drinks too much. She is addicted to snuff tobacco. By the fourth act, Masha begrudgingly marries Medvedenko, the earnest and under-appreciated school teacher. However, she does not love him. And even though she has his child, she exhibits no motherly compassion, only boredom to the prospect of raising a family. She believes that she must move far away in order to forget her love for Konstantin. By the play’s end, the audience is left to imagine her devastation in reaction to Konstantin’s suicide. Whats Funny? She says she’s in love, but she never says why. She believes Konstantin has the â€Å"manner of a poet.† But aside from that, what does she see in this mentally unstable, seagull murdering, mama’s boy? As my â€Å"hip† students would say: â€Å"She’s got no game!† We never see her flirt, enchant, or seduce. She just wears dreary clothing and consumes mass quantities of vodka. Because she sulks instead of pursuing her dreams, her self-pity is more likely to elicit a cynical chuckle rather than a sigh of sympathy. Sorin: The frail sixty-year old owner of the estate. A former government employee, he lives a quiet and rather dissatisfying life in the country. He is the brother of Irina and the kindly uncle of Konstantin. Whats Tragic? As each act progresses, he complains more and more of his health. He falls asleep during conversations and suffers from fainting spells. Several times he mentions how he wants to hold onto life, but his doctor offers no remedy, with the exception of sleeping pills. Some characters encourage him to leave the country and go into town. However, he never manages to leave his residence, and it seems clear he will soon die, leaving behind an unexciting life. Whats Funny? In act four, Sorin decides that his life would make a worthy short story. SORIN: Once upon a time in my youth I was bound and determined to become a writer – and I never became one. I was bound and determined to speak beautifully – and I spoke hideously {†¦} I was bound and determined to get married – and I never did. Bound and determined to live in town my whole life – and here I am, ending it all up in the country and that’s all there is to it. Yet, Sorin takes no satisfaction in his actual accomplishments. He served as a state councilor, earning a high rank in the Justice Department, in a career that spanned twenty-eight years. His esteemed government position afforded him a large, beautiful estate by a tranquil lake. However he takes no pleasure in his country sanctuary. His own employee, Shamrayev (Masha’s father) controls the farm, the horses, and the household. At times Sorin seems almost imprisoned by his own servants. Here, Chekhov provides an amusing satire: members of the upper-class are at the mercy of the tyrannical working class. Dr. Dorn: A country doctor and friend of Sorin and Irina. Unlike the other characters, he appreciates Konstantin’s ground-breaking writing style. Whats Tragic? Actually, he’s one of the more cheerful of Chekhovs characters. However, he exhibits a disturbing apathy when his patient, Sorin, pleads for health and long life. SORIN: Just understand that I want to live.DORN: That’s asinine. Every life must come to an end. Not much of a bedside manner! Whats funny? Dorn is perhaps the only character aware of the excessively high levels of unrequited love simmering within the characters around him. He blames it on the enchantment of the lake. Shamrayev’s wife, Paulina, is very attracted to Dr. Dorn, yet he does not encourage her or halt her pursuit. In a very funny moment, the innocent Nina gives Dorn a bouquet of flowers. Paulina pretends to find them delightful. Then, as soon as Nina is out of earshot Paulina viciously tells Dorn, â€Å"Give me those flowers!† Then she jealously rips them to shreds. Nina: The beautiful young neighbor of Konstantin. She is infatuated with famous people such as Konstatin’s mother and the renowned novelist Boris Alexyvich Trigorin. She desires to become a famous actress in her own right. Whats Tragic? Nina represents the loss of innocence. She believes that Trigorin is a great and moral person simply because of his fame. Unfortunately, during the two years that pass between acts three and four, Nina has an affair with Trigorin. She becomes pregnant, the child dies, and Trigorin disregards her like a child grown bored with an old toy. Nina works as an actress, but she is neither good nor successful. By the play’s end, she feels wretched and confused about herself. She begins referring to herself as â€Å"the seagull,† the innocent bird that was shot, killed, stuffed and mounted. Whats funny? At the play’s end, despite all of the emotional harm she has received, she loves Trigorin more than ever. Humor is generated from her terrible judge of character. How can she love a man that has stolen her innocence and caused so much pain? We can laugh – not out of amusement – but because we too were once (and perhaps still are) naà ¯ve. Irina: A famous actress of the Russian stage. She is also the unappreciative mother of Konstantin. Whats Tragic? Irina does not understand or support her son’s writing career. Knowing that Konstantin is obsessed with breaking away from traditional drama and literature, she torments her son by quoting Shakespeare. There are some parallels between Irina and Gertrude, the mother of Shakespeare’s greatest tragic character: Hamlet. Like Gertrude, Irina is in love with a man that her son abhors. Also, like Hamlet’s mother, Irina’s questionable morals provide the foundation of her son’s melancholy. Whats Funny? Irina’s flaw is one found in many diva characters. She has an enormously inflated ego yet is terribly insecure. Here are some examples that showcase her incongruities: She brags about her steadfast youth and beauty yet begs Trigorin to stay in their relationship despite her old age.She flaunts her success but claims that she has no money to help her distressed son or her ailing brother.She loves her son yet maintains a romantic relationship which she knows tortures Konstantin’s soul. Irina’s life is filled with contradiction, an essential ingredient in comedy. Konstantin Treplev: A young, idealistic and often desperate writer who lives in the shadow of his famous mother. Whats Tragic? Fraught with emotional problems, Konstatin wants to be loved by Nina and his mother, but instead the female characters turn their affections toward Boris Trigorin. Tortured by his unrequited love for Nina, and the ill-favored reception of his play, Konstantin shoots a seagull, a symbol of innocence and freedom. Shortly after, he attempts suicide. After Nina leaves for Moscow, Konstantin writes furiously and gradually gains success as an author. Nevertheless, his approaching fame means little to him. So long as Nina and his mother choose Trigorin, Konstantin can never be content. And so, at the play’s end, he finally succeeds in taking his own life. Whats Funny? Because of the violent end of Konstantin’s life, it is difficult to view act four as a finale of a comedy. However, Konstantin can be viewed as a satire of the â€Å"new movement† of symbolist writers at the dawn of the twentieth century. Throughout most of the play, Konstantin is passionate about creating new artistic forms and abolishing old ones. However, by the play’s conclusion he decides that forms do not really matter. What is important is to â€Å"just keep writing.† That epiphany sounds somewhat encouraging, yet by the end of act four he tears up his manuscripts and shoots himself. What makes him so miserable? Nina? His art? His mother? Trigorin? A mental disorder? All of the above? Because his melancholy is so difficult to pin point, the audience may ultimately find Konstantin to be merely a sad fool, a far cry from his more philosophical literary counterpart, Hamlet. In the last moment of this grim comedy, the audience knows that Konstantin is dead. We do not witness the extreme grief of the mother, or Masha, or Nina or anyone else. Instead, the curtain closes as they play cards, oblivious to tragedy. Viciously funny stuff, don’t you agree?

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Bipolar Disorder In Early Years Free Essays

Bipolar affective disorder has been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that this affliction can appear in almost anyone. According to an article on bipolar disorder by, David E. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bipolar Disorder In Early Years or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cohen, Some research suggests that highly creative people such as artists, composers, writers, and poets, show unusually high rates of bipolar disorder, and that periods of mania fuel their creativity. Famous artists and writers who might have suffered from bipolar disorder include poets Lord Byron and Anne Sexton, novelists Virginia Woolf (who did suffer from bipolar disorder) and Ernest Hemingway. (Encarta Encyclopedia) Despite the fact that many people suffer from bipolar disorder, we still wait for clear explanations for the causes as well as the cure. The one fact of which we are painfully aware of is that bipolar disorder severely weakens its† victims ability to obtain and maintain social and occupational success. Manic and Depressive Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder or manic depression is characterized by many symptoms that can be broken into manic and depressive episodes. The depressive episodes are characterized by intense feelings of sadness, despair, hopelessness, and helplessness. guilt, crying spells, disturbances in sleep and appetite, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty thinking, indecisiveness, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicide. (National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association). The manic episodes are characterized by elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, decreased need for sleep, poor judgment and insight, and often reckless or irresponsible behavior, grandiose delusions, inflated sense of self-importance, racing speech, racing thoughts, flight of ideas, impulsiveness, poor judgment, distractibility, reckless behavior and in the more severe cases, delusions and hallucinations. (NDMDA )(Encarta Encyclopedia) Bipolar disorder affects approximately one percent of the population (approximately two million people) in the United States. It usually begins in a person†s late teens or 20s. Men usually experience mania as the first mood episode, and women usually experience depression first. Episodes of mania and depression usually last from several weeks to several months. On average, people with untreated bipolar disorder experience four episodes of mania or depression over a ten-year period. Many people with bipolar disorder function normally between episodes. Still, in â€Å"rapid-cycling† bipolar disorder a person experiences four or more mood episodes within a year and may have little or no normal functioning in between episodes. Often times bipolar patients report that the depressions are longer and increase in frequency as they age. Bipolar disorder is diagnosed if an episode of mania occurs whether depression has been diagnosed or not. Many times bipolar states and psychotic states are misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Fortunately, Speech patterns help distinguish between the two disorders. This devastating disease causes disruptions of families, loss of jobs as well as millions of dollars in cost to society(Encarta Encyclopedia). (NIMH) Other Forms of Bipolar Disorder Stages of Mania In another type of bipolar disorder, a person experiences major depression and hippomanic episodes, or episodes of milder mania. In a related disorder called cyclothymic disorder, a person†s mood alternates between mild depression and mild mania. (Encarta Encyclopedia) The three stages of mania begin with hippomania, in which patients report that they are energetic, extroverted and assertive. The hippomania state has led observers to feel that bipolar patients are â€Å"addicted† to their mania. Hippomania progresses into mania and the transition is marked by loss of judgment. Often, overjoyed grandiose characteristics are displayed, and paranoid or irritable characteristics begin to manifest. The third stage of mania is when the patient experiences delusions with often paranoid ideas. Speech is generally rapid and hyperactive behavior sometimes becomes violent when frustrated ((NIMH) (Encarta Encyclopedia) The genes that a person inherits seem to have a strong influence on whether or not the person will develop bipolar disorder. Studies of twins provide evidence for this genetic influence. Among genetically identical twins where one twin has bipolar disorder, the other twin has a 50 percent chance of also having the disorder. Conversely, among pairs of fraternal twins, who have about half their genes in common, brothers, sisters and children have a 5-10 percent chance. The amount of genetic similarity seems to explain for the difference between identical and fraternal twins. Further evidence for a genetic influence is apparent in the study of adopted children with bipolar disorder. This study shows that children who develop bipolar disorder are more likely to have had biological relatives with this disorder rather than adoptive relatives. Although research has shown an apparent linkage to genes on many chromosomes, researchers have been unable to locate a specific gene linked to the disorder. (Kalat 434) (Encarta Encyclopedia) Lithium salts has been the primary treatment of bipolar disorder which continues to be used since it accidental discovery by J. F. Cade. (Kalat 434) It is main function is to stabilize the mood of bipolar disorder patients. The drug usually takes two to three weeks to become effective. People with bipolar disorder may take lithium during periods of normal mood to delay or prevent later episodes of mania or depression. Common side effects of lithium include nausea, increased thirst and urination, dizziness, loss of appetite, and muscle weakness. Unfortunately, 20- 40% of bipolar patients are either unresponsive to lithium or can†t stand the side effects. (Encarta Encyclopedia) For those 20 to 40 percent of people who do not respond to lithium therapy, two anticonvulsant drugs may help calm severe manic episodes. The first one is carbamazepine (Tegretol) and valproate (Depakene). These drugs are useful as anti-manic agents, especially in patients with mixed states. Both of these medications can be used in combination with lithium or in combination with each other. Valproate is especially helpful for patients who are unresponsive to lithium, experience rapid cycling, or have alcohol or drug abuse problems. (Encarta Encyclopedia) (NDMDA) Newer antipsychotic medications such as olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine appear to help with manic episodes. Also, anticonvulsant or antiepilepsy drugs such as lamotrigine, topiramate and gabapentin may help stabilize patient†s mood when other medications are ineffective. (psychology today, 87) Yet other drugs used are antidepressants. They include, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI†s), fluovamine and amitriptyline which been used by some doctors as treatment for bipolar disorder. However, research shows that SSRI†s and other antidepressants can actually trigger high manic episodes especially when used alone. Antidepressants are useful when used in together with mood stabilizing medications such as lithium. NIMH) (Psychology Today, 87) In addition to the mentioned medical treatments of bipolar disorder, there are several other options available to bipolar patients, most of which are used together with medicine. One such treatment is light therapy. Which is actually used to treat another form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Patients are treated with very bright lights (2500lux) for an hour or more each day. This bright light treatment is equally effective in the morning, afternoon, or evening, but according to research it is most effect during the day. Kalat 436) Yet another popular treatment for bipolar disorder is electro-convulsive shock therapy. ECT is usually the recommended treatment for severely manic patients who are homicidal, psychotic, catatonic, severely suicidal, or for those who were unresponsive to drugs. (Kalat 433) (Encarta Encyclopedia) A final type of therapy is outpatient group psychotherapy. According to The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, the value of support groups, has challenged mental health professionals to take a more serious look at group therapy for people with bipolar depression. Research shows that group participation may help increase lithium compliance, decrease denial regarding the illness, and increase awareness of both external and internal stress factors leading to manic and depressive episodes. Group therapy for patients with bipolar disorders responds to the need for support and reinforcement of medication management, and the need for education and support for the personal difficulties that arise during the course of the disorder. Cognitive and behavioral treatments focus on recognizing early warning signs, interrupting unrealistic thoughts and maintaining positive activities. (Psychology Today, 87) How to cite The Bipolar Disorder In Early Years, Essay examples

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Allegations Made Against Phoenix Activity â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Allegations Made Against Phoenix Activity? Answer: Introducation The term phoenix activity is related to the company law in the provinces of Australia. Australia is a business country and most of its income is gained through the business process (Anderson et al., 2015). The main object of the businesses is to gain profit and it is the common nature and mentality of the entrepreneurs of Australia. However, in certain times, it has observed that the directors or the entrepreneurs are engaging themselves in certain illegal conducts such as avoid the creditors and evade the taxes etc. This activity is known as phoenix activity. Recently, in Giudice v Bolwell, the principle and aspects of phoenix activity has been observed. Yes, it can be beneficial to the society. From all the recent allegations made against the phoenix activity, it is presumed that the effect of the activity is negative in nature. However, there are certain positive impacts present in case of the activities. The phoenix activities are treated as the process of business rescue (Barnes, 2013). The reason behind the same is to maintain the assets of the old company by incorporating a new company without changing its directors or the employees. In the case of legal phoenix activity, there is no scope to defraud the creditors; rather the same have increased the possibilities of the entrepreneurship. All the legal rules of the Corporation Act 2001 have been follows in the case of the winding up of the company and in case of the taxing liabilities. Therefore, it can be stated that the phoenix activities have certain beneficiary impacts created on the society. The following are the purpose of the activity: The activities are identified certain steps that are taken by the directors of the company to avoid the creditors of an insolvent company; When an old company has become insolvent, new company has been incorporated to avoid the bankruptcy of the old one through the activity; Sometimes, the directors of such companies are trying to evade taxes; In certain times, the phoenix activities are used as a process to rescue the business segment and secure the interest of the employees; The activity is featured to provoke the entrepreneurial mentality in case of business. When the newly incorporated company followed up all the legal norms regarding the Corporation Act 2001, there shall have no scope to breach any duties of the company rules. Therefore, it can be observed that there shall be more than one purpose. The directors of the companies who are involving in the phoenix activities can be benefitted and on the other side, the creditors and the government can be affected. Apart from certain positive nature of the phoenix activities, the same is used to denote certain illegal purposes too. When certain directors of the company transferred all the money of an old company to a new one with an intention to avoid the creditors, they are getting benefits by way of gaining profits from the process (Brubaker, 2013). The situation accrues when the directors of the company become incompatible to pay off the debt or meet the requirements of the creditors. Tax evasion also leads the directors of the company to gain profits. From the very nature of the purpose of the activity, it can be stated that the government has to face huge loss regarding the tax evasion. The government has to face huge loss and crisis regarding the revenue system. The creditors of the old companies are also faced certain problems as there are risk to loss their invested money. Prohibitory section of phoenix activity: It has been stated under that in certain circumstances, the phoenix activity follows legal rules contained under the provision of the Corporation Act 2001. However, no specific rules under the Corporation Act have been mentioned that attracts the rules regarding the phoenix activity (DeBacker, Heim Tran, 2015). In this case, general principle of rule will be applicable such as section 180 for the breach of Directors duty and section 489EA for the winding up of the company. Australian Security and Investigating Commission have the power to deal with the matters address for the problems relating to phoenix activity. Provision breached by phoenix activity: It has been stated earlier that there is no specific provision mentioned under the Corporation Act that particularly deal with the phoenix activity (DeMott, 2016). The general law of the Corporation Act is applicable in this case. In any case, where the director of a company wind up the company by not maintaining the appropriate provisions regarding the Corporation Act 2001, he shall be liable for the violation of section 489EA of the Corporation Act. If any of the directors of the company had breached their moral duty towards the employees or shareholders, he shall be held liable under the provision of section 180 of the Corporation Act 2001. Certain allegations were brought by ASIC against the company of Mr. Giudice that the company owned by Mr. Giudice had violated the provision of tax and superannuation. It had also been alleged that the director of the company were engaged themselves in the delayed installment services. Furthermore, it was stated that Mr. Giedice had concealed the facts and incorporated a new company. ASIC told that the director of the company had violated the provisions of the Corporation Act and the company is not permitted to incorporate a new company (Knaplund, 2015). Observation by Court: It was observed by the court that there is no provision under the Corporation Act that can restrict the director of a company to incorporate a new one. It has also been stated that ASIC had failed to submit any direct evidence that can show the fact that the director of the alleged company had violated the provisions of the Corporation Act (Lanis Richardson, 2015). The court observed that the acts of Mr. Giudice had been wise enough as he had maintained all the necessary documents regarding the incorporation of the new company and therefore, the court was pleased to pass an order in favor of Mr. Giudice. The term phoenix activity has been denoted a second company that means a newly incorporated company. The new company forms from the ashes of the predecessor company and runs a business of similar kind. There are two kinds of phoenix activities observed in the corporal sector in Australia (Lynch et al., 2016). One that follows the legal rules called legal activity and the other that does not follow the same called illegal activity. Legality of the activity bears the objective to rescue an old insolvent company into a new one without changing its internal structure. In case of illegal activity, similar methods are applied but there is the directors of the company have adopted an illegal intention. The outcomes of the illegal phoenix activities are detrimental for the unsecured creditors and the section of the taxes are also affected a lot. The phoenix activity accrues where the old company faced financial hurdles and may become insolvent during the business. Australian Securities and Investigation Commission has been empowered to deal with the problem regarding the illegal phoenix activities and the intention of the directors of these companies are taken into consideration in this process (Muhammadi et al., 2016). Illegal phoenix activity, sometimes known as the fraudulent phoenix activity had certain illegal bases that can be divided into three parts- illegal type 1, illegal type 2 and complex phoenix activity. It is hard to prove whether the activity of the directors of as company attracted the provisions of the illegal phoenix activity. It is important to collect certain documentary evidences to support the conception of illegal activity (Ormerod et al., 2015). Necessary information regarding the company should be collected in this process and certain external observation regarding the activity of the individuals should be made. Information regarding the legality or illegality of the company can be derived from the databases maintained by the ASIC or ATO. The process to determine whether the company has attracted the provisions regarding the illegal phoenix activity, it is important to observe certain grounds. If the controller of the newly incorporated company is similar to the old company or the business objective of the old company is similar to the new company, there are certain possibilities regarding the illegal phoenix activity (Price, 2016). There are certain illegal outcomes of the phoenix activities such as the corporate assets are transferred to a newly incorporated company before the insolvency of the older one. The interest of the creditors is very much affected by the acts of the directors of the companies. It is not the rule that the assets of the old company will transferred to the new company: the assets can be transferred to any other entity. It has been reported in the year 2012 that the government of Australia had faced a huge loss regarding the revenue sector and the outcome of the same had created serious impact on the economy of Australia (Richardson, Taylor Lanis, 2013). Therefore, it can be seen that the illegal process of the phoenix activities could be harmful for the interest of the creditors. The main problem is that there is no particular provision mentioned under the Corporation Act 2001 regarding the prohibition of the phoenix activities. All the sections applied to regulate the illegal activities are common in nature. It has been reported by many sources that the rate of the illegal phoenix activities are growing in nature and that can be a potential threat for the future of the Australia. Therefore, there is a necessity to implement certain strict rules to curb this corporate phenomenon (Simester et al., 2016). Necessary rules can be implemented either by way of legislative process or by way of amendment. However, if certain proper approaches can be taken to the old rules, there shall be no necessity to implement new rules regarding the same. if the directors of the alleged company had violated the rules under the Corporation Act 2001, he should be penalized in a more effective way. Cancellation of license or suspension from the directorship can be appropriate in nature (Watson, 2015). The ASIC are appointed to deal with the necessary problems regarding the illegal phoenix activities and with the growing nature of the activity, it is important to impose more power to the authority so that it can prohibit the activity in more effective way. The phoenix activity is harmful if there are certain illegal steps adopted and if the intention of the directors is illegal in nature. The nature of the activity is growing and there are number of allegations are being made against many companies who are engaging themselves in the phoenix activities. The main problem regarding the same can be that there are no specific provisions mentioned under the Corporation Act 2001 to prohibit the phenomenon. Therefore, it can be stated that a structural proceeding should have to adopt to deal with the problem. The phoenix activities have attracted various provisions of various Acts and if there is a breach made regarding the same, the offender will face the penal provisions mentioned thereby. There are certain provisions mentioned under the Corporation Act 2001 that deals with the directors duty. In case of the phoenix activity, if any directors of the old company has incorporated a new company by violating the duty to take care and if he or she failed to act diligently, can be held liable under the provisions of section 180 of the Act (Welsh Anderson, 2016). It is the basic rule regarding the phoenix activity that the directors of an older company are incorporated a new company and transferred all the assets of the old company to the new one. If during the process, the directors shall not disclose all the relevant documents to the colleagues or to the shareholders, he shall be liable under the provision of section 184 of the Corporation Act 2001. In case of the winding process of the company, if necessary provisions regarding the same that are mentioned under the Corporation Act has been violated, the directors of such alleged companies will be held liable under section 489EA of the Corporation Act 2001. Further, it has been stated that if the provision regarding the taxation law has been breached by the directors, necessary sections Taxation Administration Act 1953. It is the utmost duty of the directors of the company towards the government to pay the taxes in proper time as the economy of a nation is backed by the taxes. However, in recent times, it has been observed that it becomes a common pattern regarding the phoenix activities to evade the taxes. Therefore, these are affecting the revenue department of the government. If there is a laxity shown regarding the maintenance of taxes, section 269-15 of the Act will be applied. In certain circumstances, it has been observed that the activities of the directors of alleged company has been violated provision of section 550 of the Fair Work Act 2009. The liabilities that are imposed on the directors of the company are statutory in nature and therefore, they are obliged to follow all the rules of the Law. In case they are failed to abide by the liabilities, they will be prosecuted under section 475 and section 530A of the Corporation Act 2001. All the provisions should be organized in a particular structure or such activities cannot be removed from the society Reference: Anderson, H. L., O'Connell, A., Ramsay, I., Welsh, M. A., Withers, H. (2015). The Productivity Commission, Corporate Insolvency and Phoenix Companies. Anderson, H. L., O'Connell, A., Ramsay, I., Welsh, M. A., Withers, H. (2015). Profiling Phoenix Activity: A New Taxonomy. Anderson, H. L., O'Connell, A., Ramsay, I., Welsh, M. A., Withers, H. (2014). Defining and Profiling Phoenix Activity. Anderson, H., Hedges, J., Ramsay, I., Welsh, M. (2016). Illegal phoenix activity from the insolvency practitioner's perspective.Australian Restructuring Insolvency Turnaround Association Journal,28(4), 23. Barnes, L. R. (2013). The Albatross Around the Neck of Company Directors: A Journey Through Case Law, Legislation and Corporate Governance. Brubaker, R. (2013). Expert Report regarding the Ponzi Scheme Presumptionof Actual Intent to Defraud Creditors. DeBacker, J., Heim, B. T., Tran, A. (2015). Importing corruption culture from overseas: Evidence from corporate tax evasion in the United States.Journal of Financial Economics,117(1), 122-138. DeMott, D. (2016). Accessory Disloyalty: Comparative Perspectives on Substantial Assistance to Fiduciary Breach. Knaplund, K. S. (2015). Becoming Charitable: Predicting and Encouraging Charitable Bequests in Wills. Lanis, R., Richardson, G. (2015). Is corporate social responsibility performance associated with tax avoidance?.Journal of Business Ethics,127(2), 439-457. Lynch, K., Hobson, J., Roberts, H., Payne, B. (2016). An analysis of the impact of Community Ownership of Local Assets; case studies from Tewkesbury District, Gloucestershire. Muhammadi, A. H., Muhammadi, A. H., Ahmed, Z., Ahmed, Z., Habib, A., Habib, A. (2016). Multinational transfer pricing of intangible assets: Indonesian tax auditors perspectives.Asian Review of Accounting,24(3), 313-337. Ormerod, D. C., Laird, K., Smith, J. C., Hogan, B. (2015).Smith and Hogan's criminal law. Oxford University Press. Price, J. (2016). The regulator: Illegal phoenix activity.Company Director,32(5), 15. Richardson, G., Taylor, G., Lanis, R. (2013). The impact of board of director oversight characteristics on corporate tax aggressiveness: An empirical analysis.Journal of Accounting and Public Policy,32(3), 68-88. Simester, A. P., Spencer, J. R., Stark, F., Sullivan, G. R., Virgo, G. J. (2016).Simester and Sullivan's criminal law: theory and doctrine. Bloomsbury Publishing. Watson, S. (2015). Corporate Law and Governance.NZ Law Review,2015, 239-717. Welsh, M., Anderson, H. (2016). The Public Enforcement of Sanctions against Illegal Phoenix Activity: Scope, Rationale and Reform.Fed. L. Rev.,44,

Sunday, March 22, 2020

8 Interesting Facts About the Irish American Population

8 Interesting Facts About the Irish American Population How many facts and figures do you know about the Irish American population? Did you know, for example, that March is Irish-American Heritage Month? If so, you belong to a small group of Americans. Too few people know that there is such a month at all, let alone which month it falls in, according to the American Foundation for Irish Heritage. While a number of events internationally take place in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating the Irish throughout the month of March has yet to become a routine practice. The American Foundation for Irish Heritage aims to make the cultural heritage month, first celebrated in 1995, as popular as Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month. The group even offers tips on how to get the public to take more of an interest in celebrating the month-long observance, such as contacting public radio and television stations, Irish-American organizations and state governors. The foundation already has one agency in its corner; the US Census Bureau. Each year, the bureau acknowledges Irish-American Heritage Month by releasing facts and figures about the Irish population. Irish Ancestry in the US Population Although Oktoberfest is nowhere near as popular as St. Patrick’s Day in the US, more Americans claim to be of German ancestry than any other. Irish is the second most popular ethnicity Americans claim. Nearly 35 million Americans report having Irish heritage, according to the census. That’s seven times the population of Ireland, which is an estimated 4.58 million. Where Irish Americans Live New York is home to the largest percentage of Irish Americans in the country. The state boasts an Irish-American population of 13%. Nationwide, the Irish-American population averages 11.2%. New York City also has the distinction of being host to the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It took place on March 17, 1762, and featured Irish soldiers in the English military. In the 5th century, St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, but the day in his honor has now come to be associated with anything Irish-related. Irish Immigrants to America Precisely 144,588 Irish immigrants became naturalized US residents in 2010. Wealth Among Irish Americans Households headed by Irish Americans actually have higher median incomes ($56,363 yearly) than the $50,046 average for US households generally. Not surprisingly, Irish Americans also have lower poverty rates than Americans as a whole. Just 6.9% of households headed by Irish Americans had incomes at the poverty level, while 11.3% of American households generally did. Higher Education Irish Americans are more likely than the US population as a whole to be college graduates. While 33% of Irish Americans 25 or older have at least earned a bachelor’s degree and 92.5 have at least a high school diploma, for Americans generally, the corresponding numbers are only 28.2% and 85.6%, respectively. The Workforce About 41% of Irish Americans work in management, professional and related occupations, the census reports. Next in line are sales and office occupations. Just above 26% of Irish Americans work in that field, followed by 15.7% in service occupations, 9.2% in production, transportation, and material moving occupations, and 7.8% in construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations. Median Age Irish Americans are older than the general US population. According to the 2010 census, the average American is 37.2 years old. The average Irish American is 39.2 years old. The Most Irish President John F. Kennedy broke the glass ceiling in 1961 by becoming the first Irish-American Catholic president. But he wasn’t the president with the most direct ties to Ireland. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Andrew Jackson holds this distinction. Both of his parents were born in Country Antrim, Ireland. They relocated to the United States in 1765, two years before his birth.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Defining a Good SAT Score

Defining a Good SAT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While the definition of a â€Å"Good SAT Score† is can seem subjective, in fact, there are valid and objective ways to quantify it. In this article, I’ll go through four different methods you can use to decide what a good SAT score means for you. Having the wrong definition can be catastrophic to your college future, and having the right definition can be a strong motivator to achieve your SAT goals. What’s a Good Score Compared to the US Population? First, to understand what a good SAT score is, you must have a rough feeling for what the SAT scores of the US population of high school students look like overall. If you're not applying to the same colleges as the "average American," you might lack this broader perspective. The SAT in January 2016 and before is scored on a 2400 scale. The top score is 2400, and the bottom score is 600. The new SAT, which starts in March, will be scored on a 1600 point scale, so the maximum and minimum scores will change to 1600 and 400. The SAT gives students percentile rankings that show them how high their score is relative to other students across the country who took the test. I'll give you the scores defined by these percentiles for the current SAT and provide predicted scores for the new SAT. According to the most recent data: Ten percent of students score below an 00, so below an 00 is verylow score nationally. This should translate to around a 730 on the new SAT. The 25th percentile is around a 1300, so a score below 1300 isslightly low. This should translate to around an 870 on the new SAT. The 50th percentile mark is around a 1500; anything within 50-100 points of 1500 is an average score. This should translate to around a 1000 on the new SAT. The 75th percentile score is around a 1700, so anything above this isa great score. This should translate to around an 30 on the new SAT. The 90th percentile cutoff is around a 1900.Above this, you're in reach of the elite range of scores.This score should translate to around a 1270 on the new SAT. Read this article for more information on national score percentiles. Keep in mind that the predictions for the new SAT are very tentative since we only have data from the old version of the test. The scores that correspond to each percentile may change depending on how well students adapt to the new test. What’s a Good Score Compared to Your Peers? Unless you are exactly the average American, comparing yourself against the US national average may not be appropriate. You should care about what a good SAT score is for *you* personally, and a reasonable proxy is your peer group. After all, your peer group may have grown up in the same environment and have similar expectations for SAT scores. If you're a football star at an athletics-heavy high school, your varsity football team is a better comparison pool than a class of math geniusesin a selective private high school (and vice versa). In this case, the best method for determining where you stand is to ask at least four people in your peer group what their SAT scores are. This way you can get a sense of how you're doing. If you're way below all four, then you're doing poorly. If you're scoring better than two, then you're doing well. And if you're doing better than all four, you're doing spectacularly. The gold standard for comparison is the SAT score range of people in your peer group. Fortunately, you don't have to doallthe hard work! We did some heavily lifting for you and compiled data from two peer groups of competitive students. Honors students in the top third of their class: If you're in the top third of your class, to be in the 75th percentile on the SAT, you'll need to score 1928 or better. Thus, honor students should considerabout 1900 or more(around 1250-1300 on the new SAT)to be a good SAT score. Students in the top 10% of their class, or students in top 10% school districts. For this group, the 75th percentile score is as high as 2100. A stellar student should shoot for 2100 (around 1400 on the new SAT) as an SAT score goal. Students in National Honors Society may have a higher SAT target score. What Is aGood SAT Score for College? Even better than comparing against your peers is comparing against the scores of admitted students at a college that interests you. After all, most people take the SAT for college. It makes the most sense to start with figuring out what a good college is for you and then work backward to determine a target SAT score. The best way to figure outwhat score you should shootforis to look up the average test scores at the college of your choice and see where you fall.Most schools will give a range from the 25th percentile score to the 75th percentile score.If you’re hoping for a solid chance of admission, you should be aiming for the 75th percentile score at colleges that interest you.Consult this article on finding your target score for more details on how to find and interpret these numbers. If you look up the average scores at a college of your choice and find that your scores are much higher, you might consider aiming for a more competitive school.Doing socould give you a much more fulfilling learning experience. Selectivecolleges will have a driven student community and offer intellectually challenging classes.You’re likely to learn more at these schools, have access to greater opportunities, and be looked upon favorably in the future when you’re trying to find a job or apply to grad school. If you’re aiming for Ivy League or other highly competitive schools like Stanford and MIT, you’ll find that the 75th percentile score is sometimes close or equivalent to a perfect 2400.Obviously, you’re not going to be able to score any higher than this.In general, for these schools, you’ll need to have a 2200 or higher to end up with a reasonable chance of admission (most likely in the 1450-1500 range on the new SAT).College admissions have become extremely competitive lately, so these schools have had to adopt higher and higher standards to weed out students from the vast numbers of applications they receive. You may also choose to attend one of the Poison Ivy League schools I'm planning on founding. Coursework consists solely of going on hikes and learning how to recognize and treat poison ivy while playing poison ivy-related pranks on real Ivy League schools. What’s a Good Score for You? One of the best definitions of a good SAT score is based on your own potential. After all, if the best you can do is a 1300, and you get a 1280, then that's an excellent score. Conversely, if your potential is a 2300, then even a 2000 is a bad score for you personally. In considering what a â€Å"good score† means, it’s important to take stock of your starting point and limitations.In other words, you should be competing with yourself first and foremost to try and improve from your baseline score.Try studying for ten hours or so, and take a practice test.Treat this score as your baseline score. Students usually can improve on this score by 250 points or more with dedicated studying (this should translate to around a 170-point improvement on the new SAT). Many students find that they hit the upper limit of SAT studying toleration after 40-80 hours of studying.If you manage to do this amount of focused studying, the score you end up with should be a good one based on your own standards.If you ended up with a low score on the baseline test and didn’t improve much after a lot of studying, you might need to reassess your study habits and make sure that you really understand your mistakes.For a student who scores low initially, any score that indicates an improvement of more than 200 points (or more than 130 points on the new SAT) should be considered a good score. You after a long shift in the SAT factory. What's Next? Aiming high for college? Read our articles on how to get a 2400 on the SAT and what it takes to get into the most selective schools. If you're working on raising your score to reach your goals, check out my article that lists 15 quick tips for improving your SAT score. Worried about the discrepancy between your high GPA and low SAT score? Find out how to deal with this dilemma. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Samantha Lindsay About the Author Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Search the Blog Search jQuery(function(){ var $ = jQuery; var url = 'http://google.com/search?q=site:' + location.protocol + '//' + location.hostname + ' '; var $searchModule = $('.hs-search-module.7c90a984-6459-4973-ad5a-6f68a0bb0ec3'); var $input = $searchModule.find('input'); var $button = $searchModule.find('.hs-button.primary'); if (false) { $input.val(decodeURIComponent(location.pathname.split('/').join(' ').split('.').join(' ').split('-').join(' ').split('_').join(''))); } $button.click(function(){ var newUrl = url + $input.val(); var win = window.open(newUrl, '_blank'); if (win) { //Browser has allowed it to be opened win.focus(); } else { //Browser has blocked it location.href = newUrl; } }); $input.keypress(function(e){ if (e.keyCode !== 13) return; e.preventDefault(); $button.click(); }); }); Improve With Our Famous Guides SATPrep ACTPrep For All Students The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section: Score 800 on SAT Math Score 800 on SAT Reading Score 800 on SAT Writing Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section: Score 600 on SAT Math Score 600 on SAT Reading Score 600 on SAT Writing Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section: 36 on ACT English 36 on ACT Math 36 on ACT Reading 36 on ACT Science Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section: 24 on ACT English 24 on ACT Math 24 on ACT Reading 24 on ACT Science What ACT target score should you be aiming for? ACT Vocabulary You Must Know ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA How to Write an Amazing College Essay What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide Should you retake your SAT or ACT? When should you take the SAT or ACT? Michael improved by 370 POINTS! Find Out How Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Looking for Graduate School Test Prep? Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: GRE Online Prep Blog GMAT Online Prep Blog TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

(Institutional Affiliation) FORMAL REPORT COMPARING THE USE OF THE Essay

(Institutional Affiliation) FORMAL REPORT COMPARING THE USE OF THE IDEF METHODOLOGY TO UML - Essay Example 1). On the other hand, UML is a modeling language that is most suited to the generation of computer-executable platforms/frameworks that encode important elements of software engineering projects. This paper will seek to compare the use of IDEF to UML by focusing on their applications, nature, and techniques employed in their development. This comparison will be done on the basis of credible and reliable literatures, written and published by authorities on modeling languages and techniques. Key Words IDEF; UML; graphical modeling methods; enterprise engineering projects; modeling language The Approach/Rationale of both Methodologies a) IDEF According to Bernus, Mertins, & Schmidt (1998, pg. 17), the rationale for IDEF is to support modeling activities that are fundamental to system analysis, design, improvement or integration. b) UML The approach/rationale for UML is to act as the dominant, publicly accepted, and uniform objected oriented visual modeling language, and as a foundation object description language for the offshoot unified enterprise modeling language (UEML) that has been put forward by IFAC/IFIP (Bernus, Mertins, & Schmidt 1998, pg. 17). The Stages of the Systems Development Life Cycle that each Addresses IDEF methodology addresses documentation, design, integration, analysis, understanding, planning, and improvement (Fowler & Scott 2000, pg. 46). Based on the Waterfall model of the system development life cycle (SDLC), these functions fit into four stages of the SDLC: preliminary analysis, system analysis and requirements definition, systems design, integration and testing, and maintenance. On the other hand UML methodology is limited to the systems design phase. During the systems analysis phase, object-oriented analysis (OOA) is performed; its output is a conceptual model that is comprised of one (sometimes more) UML class diagram, a user-interface mock-up, a group of use cases, and a couple of interaction diagrams. This conceptual model is sub sequently used as an input in objected-oriented design during the systems design phase (Lankhorst 2005, pg. 63). The Techniques used for modeling the Processes/Functions of the System (including the similarities and differences between the techniques and their strengths and weaknesses) a) IDEF Techniques IDEF is based on three modeling constructs/viewpoints/techniques which define its approach/rationale. These are: i) IDEF0 Function Modeling Method This method was created so as to represent processes or activities (consisting of partially sequenced groups of activities) that are usually executed in a systematic and uniform manner. IDEF0 defines a function as a group of activities that takes specific inputs and, using some mechanism, and based on certain controls, converts the inputs into outputs (Noran 2008, pg. 41). These ICOMs (inputs, controls, outputs and mechanisms) can be employed in the modeling of relationships between a wide range of activities (Kim 2003, pg. 3). IDEF0 mode ling generally begins by defining a context diagram (Kim 2003, pg. 3). This is representative of the system’s overall purpose and its interactions with external environments (Kim 2003, pg. 3). Usually, IDEF0 models consist of a hierarchy of connected diagrams that are decomposed systematically hence encoding semantic data at lower modeling levels. The systematical breakdown brings not only detailed but also wide-scope representations of system or environmental activities (Bernus, Mertins, & Schmidt 1998, pg. 29). ii) IDEF1x Data Modeling Method This method was created to define data models that symbolize both the semantics and structure of data that is found in a target system

Monday, February 3, 2020

Black Feminism and The Beyonce Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Black Feminism and The Beyonce Wars - Essay Example The first article ‘Ugly Internal Clash: Why Its Future Is Not Up To White Women’ talks about feminism especially for black women and how they can form a gender inclusive group to deal with racism, sexual harassment, and work discrimination against women. The article provides a name that helps women to describe the issues they go through during discrimination Brittney (Cooper 2015). Feminism is the name, and it helps many women to discuss their issues without language challenges. Black women use the internet feminism to air their troubles and discuss the discrimination that they experience. The women also express their power through it phenomena that make the white women extremely uncomfortable. The writers opinion is that the future of feminism should not be left with the white women as most of the issues center around gender equality. For white women, equality was achieved a long time ago, but for the black women, it is still a big issue. Most of the black women in the US do not fully access some of the benefits, such as the Obamacare in some states (Cooper 2015). Understanding feminist and black women oppression will help women fight for their rights in foreign countries, such s the United States. The second article ‘Black Feminist Blogger Speaks The Truth by Goldstein, Rich talks about how important issues contributed by black women in the media get ignored by many readers and viewers. The writer focuses on blogs on issues of life for black women instead of focusing on wealthy and glamorous women in power (Goldstein 2015). According to the blog, there are many interesting things about black women, such as their unique talents, although there are few people who recognize them. Racism is real and classifies women according to their place of origin, and the blog help many to have some attention on racism, sexism, and ableism. The writer admires the work of Beyonce for focusing on feminism, especially the one touching on black women. Black women

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Secularisation in Contemporary Ireland

Secularisation in Contemporary Ireland This study will investigate whether, and in what ways secularisation is occurring in contemporary Ireland. Theories of secularisation, and arguments against the process, abound, and this is a hotly debated topic. How, and in what ways might secularisation be said to be taking place within a given society? This study will attempt to make a contribution to this debateby looking at the situation in Ireland. Attention will also be paidhowever, to what has happened in Britain as much of the researchconcerning secularisation has taken place in that context. It will makesome comparisons between Ireland and the situation in Britain and otherEuropean countries to demonstrate the unique place of religion in Irishsociety. The study will seek to understand: †¢Ã‚  What processes might signify whether secularization is taking place? †¢Ã‚  Whether similarly observed processes might be said to signify that secularization is taking place in Ireland †¢Ã‚  Whether Contemporary Ireland could be said to be a secular society or as Brewer (2005) contends, a post-Christian society. †¢Ã‚  Whether, and in what ways religion may be said to have a unique position in Irish society. The study will draw on statistical and documentary data, along withmedia reports to ascertain whether, and in what ways, secularization istaking place. The study will look at the relationship between religionand the state in the republic of Ireland and also in Northern Ireland.It will also look at the education system and the phenomenon ofinter-religious marriage. In this way the study treats existingdocumentation as primary data by using it together in a distinctivefashion. Structure The study will begin with theories of secularization and a literaturereview which will look at the process in Britain and in Europe andcontrast this with the situation in Ireland to demonstrate in what waysIreland may differ from other industrialized societies and how this mayaffect whether and in what ways secularization could be said to betaking place. Following the literature review the methodologicalapproach to the study will be outlined and attention will be paid toreflexivity in the research process. There will be an analysis of thefindings of the research and finally a conclusion that will establishwhether the research question has fulfilled its aims. Religion is common to almost all cultures. Religious traditions andtheir teachings are, it might be argued, the result of three things,faith, theology, and culture. Anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1966) describes religion thus: 1. A system of symbols which acts to 2. Establish powerful, pervasive,and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by 3. Formulatingconceptions of a general order of existence and 4. Clothing theseconceptions with such an aura of factuality that 5. The moods andmotivations seem uniquely realistic (Geertz, 1966:4). Religion has many different aspects from personal beliefs aboutspirituality, to institutional structures like schools and hospitals,to the influence of religious bodies over legislation Until theEnlightenment the teachings of religion were rarely questioned becausethey were regarded as direct truth from God. Modernity, with its implicit understanding of the absolute powers of reason, called intoquestion the traditional understandings of theological truth claims anddrastically reduced the cultural influence of theology and religion. The contemporary term ‘secularisation’ has come to represent thedeclining influence of religion in society. The word is contextual inthat it arises from the western tradition and is part of the history ofthe church.It was first used in 1648   to refer to the transfer of landsunder church control to lay political control. The term secular is alsoused to specify that which is inferior to the realm of the sacred. Itwas later used in the context of the priest being allowed to dispensewith his vows, in the Middle Ages the distinction between religious andsecular priests referred to those who worked within a religious orderand those who worked among the laity. From the 1830s onwards the death of religion due to the rise of thescientific age was proclaimed by confident atheists. Comte inparticular decreed that the fiction that was theology would die and be replaced by the truth of science. This viewwas largely endorsed by Marx, Durkheim, Weber and Freud, all of whomwere convinced that the forces of the modern age heralded the birth ofa secular one. Auguste Comte is regarded as the founder of sociology.He believed that with the rise of science religion would, eventually, die out. Weber also thought that religion would loseits significance through the growth of capitalism and the influence ofurbanisation and rising technology. The world would become desacralisedand there would be less reliance on magic and religion. Meaning would be found rationally. Throughout the twentieth century it had been widely assumed that the decline of religion and religious belief was an irreversible process. Sociologists are keen to stress that secularisation is a natural process rather than a polemic againstreligion (which secularism is), some would also argue thatsecularisation is not an ideology (an imposed system of ideas). It is simply a process which has been observed over the last two   or three hundred years. Seen from this vantage point secularisation is largely the result of two things, the increasing complexity of modern society andits compartmentalisation into different areas, for example, politics,education and the law, and religion ceasing to provide cohesion for allareas of human life. Wilson (1966) says that the complexity of thisprocess is characterised by a wide variety of innovations which haveled to a structural change in society. He cites the following;scientific advance and the development of technology, changing patternsof wor k and increasing industrialisation, the rise of individuality,and education characterised by science rather than religion andtradition. Bruce and Wallis (1992) class secularization as the ‘diminishingsocial significance of religion’, directly brought about by threestrands of modernization: ‘social differentiation’, ‘societalization’and ‘rationalization’.   By social differentiation, they mean theprocess by which ‘specialised institutions’ take the place of religiousones; for example, in Britain the provision of education and welfare isnow the responsibility of a secular government, not the church.   Socialdifferentiation also includes the fragmentation of society into distinct social groups basedon differing life experiences, for example a distinction between socialclasses. Bruce allows however that the significance of religion is lesslikely to decline if it can find some social role, other than thecommunication of beliefs, within the wider society. In Ireland for example, the fact that religion has long been a source of contentionhas given it anot her social role. Societalization refers to the disappearance of small-scale communities and their replacement by the idea of ‘society’, largely due toincreasing industrialization and urbanization.   Rationalization refersto changes in the way people think; the rise of science and technologyhas removed uncertainty and the need for faith and has provided rational explanations for questions which in the past were considered the domain of religion.   The combined effect of theseprocesses is the decline in the social position of religion. McLeod(1992) maintains that the concepts of differentiation andrationalization are not particularly helpful when trying to understandthe place of religion in a particular society as cultural practicesdiffer widely. Berger (1970) believes that urbanisation and modernisation result insocial fragmentation and this leads to a plurality of cultural andrelgious groups. The monopoly previously held by one group comes to anend. We can see that this has happened, whether or not we subscribe tothe secularisation thesis. Secularisation is a problematic concept however, while Wilson (1982) and Bruce (1996)maintain that the forces of modernity heralded a new secularized age,other theorists differ. The view that modernization inevitably leads tosecularization is often challenged. Martin (1978) contends that inorder to make sense of the process of religion in industrialized societies attention must be paid to the specific cultural andhistorical patterns that pertain in a specific society. In NorthernIreland for example, religion has remained in the public arena as asource of dispute that is connected to issues of national identity.What happens in Ireland is quite different to what has happened inBritain since the Second World War. The Changing Face of Religion in Britain The religious landscape of Britain was significantly different at the close of World War2 than it is now, at the dawn of the twenty first century. In the yearsimmediately preceding the war and on into the late 1940s and 50s themajority of British people still had some form of contact with theChurch (often through their children attending Sunday School, orthrough membership of Scouts, Guides and the like) and many still claimed to hold a belief in God and in the basic teachings of Christianity. They would also have been exposed to explicitly Christian teaching in schools. The General Picture and its Effects in Ireland The growing importance of the ecumenical movement meant a change indenominational attitudes. Mainstream Christianity was endorsed in partby the 1944 Education Act. The Act required that the school day begin with anassembly and act of worship and that religious instruction should beaccording to an agreed syllabus and should be given to all pupils(Parsons, 1993). The Act did not make provisions for other faith traditions, but neither did it specify the form of worship or instruction. The ongoing effect of the Act was to weaken the hold of mainstream Christianity on British society, although this was not considered atthe time the Act was passed. It was felt that non-denominational worship and teaching would make sensewhen co-related with more specific Church teaching that it assumed children would have (Parsons, 1993).   However this assumption proved to be unfounded. Theway in which education has been affected in Ireland is ratherdifferent. In some areas amendment to the education system haveresulted in a reiteration of   Catholic religious beliefs to thedetriment of the Protestant minority. The Picture in Ireland Secularisation has affected the whole ofEurope and surveys undertaken in the 1980s and 90a   via the EuropenaValues systems survey indicated that many young people show little ifany recognition of religious symbols. In Ireland the situation israther different. Although seculaisation may be seen to be having aneffect religion has always had a prominent place in Irish life andpolitics. In Ireland the survey showed that there was a growing lack of confidence in the church and that for the first time a generation who were not connected to the church was emerging. Irelandis quite different from both Britain and the rest of Europe. While in Britain and the rest of Europe the process of secularization has been taking place for the last 300 years, Bishop Bill Murphy maintains that in Ireland it has onlybeen observable for the last 30 years.   In the republic of Irelandthere has, historically been a much closer connection between Churchand state. The refusal of the state to confront the Church iscontributing to the international problem of the unresolved question of those who have been sexually abused by clergy. Doyle (2005) writes poignantly on this matter. Their voice is stifled, their complaint against the church is relegatedto the wings. This is precisely what the Church has sought to doelsewhere, including America, though with much less success and at far greater financial cost. (Doyle, 2005 no p. no.).   The place of education, and particularly compulsory religious educationis a highly controversial subject in sectarian Ireland. From thenineteenth century the education system in Ireland has been split alongsectarian lines and in the last thirty years this has been an area ofmajor concern for some analysts (Darby, 1976). Bowen (1983) maintains that since independence the minority ofProtestants (in the 1991 census only 3% fell into this category) hasfallen further and that this is largely a result of inter-religiousmarriage. In 1996 a study was undertaken to establish the number ofinter-religious marriages in Ireland (Sexton and O’Leary, 1996).Ireland has witnessed a growth in inter-religious marriages (Bowen,1983). Jack White, a Protestant wrote of inter-religious marriage that:   no single cause contributes so much to the continuing division in Irish life and the embitterment of inter-church relations; in any circle of Protestants this will be advanced to justify segregation in education and social activities’(White, 1975: 129). The Research Question This study looks at the process of secularization in contemporary Ireland. It draws comparisons between what has happened in Britain andwhat is happening in Ireland. The argument of this study is that theIrish context is quite unique and secularization may not be occurringin the way that sociologists understand it, i.e. the removal ofreligion from the public to the private sphere. In Ireland theconnection between Church and state and between religion and politicsmeans that religion is constantly in the public sphere and thus thesituation is quite different. This difference has led Brewer (2005) toview Ireland in terms of a post-Christian society rather than in termsof secularization. The use of the term post-Christian originated in the1960s in Britain where the pace of social and religious change and thecontention of many theorists that Britain was a secular society ledsome theologians to speak of the death of God and a post-Christian era.The term was again taken up in the 1960s by feminist theologian MaryDaly who called on women to leave the Churches and to participate in apost-Christian spirituality. Methodology This study will investigate the above question through a literature based survey. It will look especially at : †¢Ã‚  Inter-religious marriage †¢Ã‚  The education system †¢Ã‚  Whether the situation in Ireland could be said to be unique in that religion in Ireland still occupies a very public place. Due to costs and time constraints the research will consist of theexamination and analysis of existing documentation, statistics, andmedia reports. Theoretical concerns are: †¢Ã‚  Whether, and in what ways, increasing industrialization and modernization influences the process of secularization in Ireland. †¢Ã‚  How this process manifests and may be connected to any perceptions of the decline of religious authority in Ireland. †¢Ã‚  Whether what is emerging could be called secularization, or as Brewer(2005) maintains might be better thought of as post-Christian The major areas of analysis are through the relationship betweenChurch and state in the republic of Ireland and how this impacts on, oris impacted by, inter-religious marriage and the education system.Questions arising from this are: †¢Ã‚  How far might the relationship between Church and state be said toimply that the Irish situation is unique due to religion’s place in thepublic sphere. †¢Ã‚  Does a growth in inter-religious marriage loosen religious ties anddoes it indicate a decline in adherence to religious authority? †¢Ã‚  Has integrated education been successful and how does this affect the teaching of   religious values and doctrines? †¢Ã‚  How far could there be said to be a move towards a multi-faithorientation in the teaching of religious studies, and what effectsmight this have on the Irish situation? †¢Ã‚  Might Ireland be said to be a post-Christian rather than a secular society. †¢Ã‚   The research will be largely literature based, using existing studies and analyzing them in terms of the above questions. This same process of analysiswill also be applied to media reports and to statistical findings. Onesource of data will be the 1991 census which indicated that 84% of theIrish population still claimed regular church attendance. In addition the study will look at any decline inreligious practices as defined by Wilson 1982. How does societydistance itself from religious traditions? Theorists argue that it canbe seen in the   decline in the number of church baptisms and weddings,and the fact that church officials have less financial recognition. InBritain religious festivals have become increasingly secularised and sohave beliefs with numbers of ministers saying that they no longerbelieve in the virgin birth, the incarnation or the resurrection. Wilson   is of the opinion that there are at least three levels ofanalysis that need addressing if we are to assess the impact ofsecularisation they are: religious practice, religious organisation andreligious belief. While these three levels are dealt with separatelyfor the purpose of this research, they are connected empirically.People are, more often than not born into a religious tradition in thesame way that they are born into a particular culture and these thingswill affect a person’s worldview, their moral values, and their senseof themselves. This study will also ask how far Wilson’s levels ofanalysis could be said to be evident in Ireland and thus relevant tothe Irish situation. The distinctiveness of this study is the bringingtogether of a number of different aspects of the Irish situation andcomparing them (for example attitudes to marriage and to abortion) towhat has happened in Britain. Does going to Church really mean that a person believes in God, or canyou do this without attending religious ceremonies. It certainly seemsthat the power and influence of the Church and perhaps other organisedreligions is declining in Britain if the statistics are anything to goby.   Sunday Schools were another recruiting ground for the Church they were extremely popular in the late nineteenthcentury and remained so until the middle of the twentieth century. Thenumber of attendees at Sunday School is now only ten percent of thenumber in 1900 (Bruce, 1995). The next question is how has thisinfluenced the institutions themselves. At the same time This involves an examination of the extent to which religiousorganisations are involved in the day to day secular order in anysociety and to what extent they are able to exert control over thatsociety. Signs of the growth of secularisation include the following,declining membership of the established Churches, declining numbers ofpeople who are willing to make religion their vocation, and the closingof churches, which in Britain are either sold off or left and allowed to fall into terminal dereliction. Historically, senior clergy were recruited from the same universities,schools and families as the government.   In Britain Church of EnglandBishops were recruited largely from the peerage or landed gentry in1860. This practice has decreased and nowadays clergy often come fromthe poorer strata of society. The Protestant Church was once considereda good living but its wealth has declined and so ordinands usually haveconcerns other than material welfare, it has become   a low statusoccupation. In Britain there was a marked decline in the number ofChurch of England ordinands between 1900 and 1988 (Bruce, 1995). Thisstarted happening much later in Ireland, and at a much slower pace. With the apparent decline in church membership and the marked declinein the number of both Church of England and Roman Catholic ordinandsthe requirement for church buildings has diminished. This has largelyaffected the Anglican Church and in some cases other Protestant denominations. The trend for closingchurches is less marked in the Roman Catholic Church. It could be thatthe Catholics were not so prolific in their church building as theAnglicans were or that they have greater funding capacity formaintaining large buildings. Nevertheless it is not uncommon nowadays,in Britain particularly, to see Church buildings sold off and used aspubs or as retail outlets or warehouses. This has not yet been the case inIreland, particularly the Irish republic, where much of the land andbuildings are still the property of the Catholic church and remainsunder the church’s control. In Britain, between 1970 and 1998 1250 church buildings were closedor sold off. Religion itself appears to be changing, becomingsecularised, it is less likely to provide a lead for people and moreinclined to follow trends than to set them (Browne, 1998).Browne (1998)shows that while the influence of the Anglican Church has declined, andmay continue to do so, the Church still remains important in a numberof ways. †¢Ã‚  Church of England Bishops have seats in the House of Lords. (The Lords Spiritual). †¢Ã‚  Themonarch must be a member of the Church of England, is crowned by theArchbishop of Canterbury, and since the time of Henry V111 has beenhead of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith. †¢Ã‚  The Church of England remains the official or established Church in England. †¢Ã‚  The Church of England is extremely wealthy, with investment funds ofan estimated  £3 billion in 1991, and it is one of the largestlandowners in the country. †¢Ã‚  Since the 1944 Education Act, all schools have been legally obligedto hold a religious ceremony each day, and the 1988 Education ReformAct reaffirmed and strengthened the requirements to hold assemblies ofa broadly Christian nature and teach Christian beliefs for at least 51percent of the time allocated to religion in schools. This still leaves us with the question of whether religious belief is affected by the growth in secularisation. How much influence does religion have in the areas of personalbelief and practice, and how does one measure people’s beliefs?Sociologists identify this type of measuring as a problem and many admit that there is no clear picture ofwhether, and to what extent, secularisation has occurred in this area.One of the problems stems from the different understandings people haveof such a belief. For numbers of people it may be agreement to all ofthe teachings of Christianity, for others a general belief in God andfor some it might be a spiritual awareness and a sense of meaning andpurpose to life. In Ireland, religious belief is closely allied topolitical matters and people are far more inclined to state that theybelong to a particular tradition, in this way they define not onlytheir religion, but also their political and national loyalties. In Britain one way of estimating trends in religious believing is tolook at the rise in the number of New Religious movements, the rise ofthe Bla ck led Churches and the rise in the number of House Churches.There has also been a considerable growth in other forms of evangelicalChristianity and most people in Britain still claim a belief in God.. Bruce (1995) argues that the face of organised religion over the lasttwo hundred years has changed from a dominant Church model to thegrowth of the sect and the denomination (Bruce, 1995). This has been brought about by the riseof cultural pluralism and the reluctance of governments to use force toget people into a state Church. Although the churches were slow torelinquish their privileges the role of the Anglican, Scottish, and Welsh Churches have changed considerable sincethe 19th century, in Britain for example in 1828 a person who heldpublic office was, at least officially, a member of the Anglican faith. Non-members could not holdpublic office. Catholics were not allowed the vote before 1829 (Bruce,1995) and it was 1850 before the Church was allowed to restore its hierarchy. Until 1836 marriagescould only be celebrated by an Anglican minister, irrespective of thefaith of the marriage partners and until 1854 non-Anglicans were not allowed to study at Oxford andCambridge, and unti 1871 all teaching posts at these institutions wereheld by Anglicans. Women were not allowed to be members of thesecolleges before the late 1890s. With each of these changes the Churchof England lost some of its power in society. Bruce (1995) holds that Protestantism by its very nature increases fragmentation inreligion and by extension in society. The rise of the ecumenicalmovement also played a part in the Church’s loss of power. Fragmentation undermines the Church, it has state support for areligious monopoly and this has gradually been removed, this also hasfunding implications, until the nineteenth century the Churches werefunded by the land they owned and by public taxation, this was largelyfinished by the start of the twentieth century. Secondly its personnelbecome increasingly influenced by the psychology of an increasinglypluralist culture. It is not so easy to believe that a religion isright in every detail when other worldviews are becoming more prominent. At the same time the Church retains an illusion of strength from the continuation of communal occasions such as baptisms, weddings and funerals. However, the growth in competition means that this illusion becomes increasingly difficult to maintain (Bruce, 1995). The rise inthe number of denominations eventually increases tolerance anddecreases certainty. The problems that different denominations beenmight be said to constitute a significant feature of the situation in Ireland, particularly as it pertains to education. In Northern Ireland, beginning in the 1980s integrated systems ofeducation were introduced and this caused a deal of controversy centredaround conflicting interests (Dunn, 1989). The Belfast Agreement of1998 set out guidelines for the promotion of religious and culturaltolerance and it is thought by some commentators that this was directly linked to the Good Friday Agreement (Morgan and Fraser, 1999).Since the Good Friday Agreement some thinkers have argued that there isan increasing secularization in Ireland and that liberals in the Northmay be considering replicating the multi-faith educational model thatoperates in the rest of Britain. This has led to vigorous debate anddiscussion of the differences between Britain and Ireland (Barnes,2004). Although numbers of commentators contend that there is a growingsecularization, in Ireland in the 1991 census 84% claimed to attendchurch at least once a week. In a survey undertaken in the south ofIreland Greil (1998) found the following listed in the table on thenext page. Table One weekly mass attendance in the Republic of Ireland 1981-1998 Year  %  Comments  Source 1998  94%  older people  Survey of Diocese of Cashel and Emly published in Irish Times 1998  92%  People over 65  MRBI poll for Irish Times 1981  87%  all people  European Values Survey 1998  87%  Connacht/Ulster people  MRBI poll for Irish Times 1990  85%  all people  European Values Survey 1988/89  82%  all people  Mac Grà ©il (1996) 1998  66%  all people  MRBI poll for Irish Times 1998  60%  People 18-34  Survey of Diocese of Cashel and Emly published in Irish Times 1998  60%  all people  RTE Prime Time poll 1998  50%  Dubliners  MRBI poll for Irish Times 1998  41%  18-24 yr olds  MRBI poll for Irish Times 1990  40%  Urban unemployed  European Values Survey While this does show a rapid decline, particularly among the young,for Father Greil the fact that only one percent of his sample professedno religion at all, still leaves him optimistic about the place of religion in Irish life. Greil is of the opinion that there is a lack of community feeling in the cities and that the rapid growth in urbanization is a significant factor in the decline in church attendance.    While there does seem to be a decline in participation in organisedreligion in both contemporary Britain and in Ireland, many people stillclaim to hold orthodox beliefs and a moral judgement based on thetenets of Christianity. At the same time they do not have so muchattraction to institutional forms of religions (Bruce, 1995 and Browne,1998). The nineteen sixties saw rapid social and religious change. In theyears after the war, the rise of the welfare state, the growth in thenumber of Catholic Grammar Schools and the resulting rise in the numberof Catholics to enter Higher Education spurred a transformation inBritish Catholicism. This eventually led, in the 1960s to the holdingof the Second Vatican Council and the resultant Catholic alignment withthe ecumenical movement. By the end of the decade most people owned a television and programmessuch as That was the Week That Was took an irreverent view of religion.This, along with the sixties sexual revolution, brought changingattitudes towards the Church and to people’s attitudes to religiousauthority. The media was highly influential on the Church’s publicimage and became far more critical of outdated morality.   What went onin America had a greater influence on what happened in Britain. Thesuccess of the civil rights movement in the mid-nineteen sixties openedthe way for second-wave feminism and the call for women’s rights. Theabortion reform act of 1967 meant that women had more rights over their own body and the employmentdiscrimination act of the mid-nineteen seventies meant that other thanin the Church employers could not discriminate on the basis of sex. Thelate 1960s also saw the burgeoning of feminist theologies. These havedeveloped and changed over the last thirty years a nd have become achallenge to patriarchal systems across the world. Divorce law reformsaw a huge increase in the number of divorces and traditionalists sawthis as a threat to the institute of marriage and the structure of thefamily. The rise of the Gay Christian movement and the aids threatsfrom the 1980s onward meant an overall rethinking and debate onpersonal morality within the chuches (Parsons, 1993). As stated earlier Brewer (2005) contends that what is happening inIreland is very different to what has happened in Britain and ratherthan the secularisation of Ireland what we are seeing is the move to apost-Christian society. What Brewer means by this is: the declining ability of Christian religion to affect and shapeordinary believers’ lives, a growing liberalisation in what ordinaryChristians believe and in the certainty with which they believe it, andthe appearance of other world faiths, still admittedly very much asminority religions, but a presence that nonetheless challenges theChristian hegemony. Religious diversity and pluralism now has to caterfor differences in practice and belief between the world religions notjust Catholic and Protestant (Brewer, 2005:7).   Sociologists use divorce statistics, abortion and homosexuality figuresto sustain the argument that secularisation is on the increase. Theyuse this evidence to suggest that these factors are a result of thedeclining importance of religious thinking and teaching in people’slives. In Britain many people have a pick and mix attitude towards religious believing and more than half of all marriages are nowcivil or non-religious ceremonies.From the 1950s onward Ireland haswitnessed an increasing industrialization through urbanization and agrowth in the number of people employed in both the industrial, ratherthan the agricultural sector, and in higher education. Religion hasbeen a key factor in Ireland and, since the 1970s, an increasing causeof conflict between Catholic and Protestant groups (O’Leary, 2001).Brewer (2005) has argued that the conflict has not been about religionas such but about identity and political loyalty. Religion is not the substance of this conflict; no one seriouslyargues that the conflict has been about religion. But religion is itsform, the way in which it is experienced. The contestation has beenabout the legitimacy of the state and access to its scarce resources,but this took on a religious form because ‘Catholic’ and ‘Protestant’were the