Public administration Theories Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public administration Theories - Term Paper Example Principally, theories attempt to explicitly explain and discuss various aspects of the psychological, social, and physical worlds, accurately and successfully predicting the underlying elements (Basu, 2004). This paper discusses the major theories of public administration as envisaged by various scholars, explicitly describing their implications in various settings within organizations or state bodies. Scientific Management Theory According to Farmer (2010), Fredrick Winslow Taylor conducted scientific studies and applied them to management problems. Although he was an engineer by profession, he managed to solve management problems successfully through his scientific studies (Raj, 2005). This is because he believed that management was a science that had specific governing laws and principles, an approach that several management scholars adopted in their studies to improve on his work. Through his scientific approach, Taylor emphasized the essence of partnership between the management and the staff in fulfilling an organization’s objectives through scientific management techniques. Taylor strongly believed that the prosperity of any social organization rested on the success of application and implementation of certain scientific changes whereby scientific training was the major motivating factor towards abandoning the old ways of doing things (Farmer, 2010). With respect to the performance of various workers at different levels, Taylor proposed the use of motion study that involved the evaluation of the workers’ performance against the time they took to accomplish their duties. Some of Taylor’s scientific management principles included solving management challenges through scientific approaches, cordial relationship between workers and management based on scientific methods, and scientific training of workers in order to attain efficiency (Basu, 2004).   Although Taylor made tremendous achievements together with his associates such as Henr y Gantt, Lillian Gilbreth, and Frank Gilbreth, they faced a number of criticisms from various quarters. One major criticism was the fact that the scientific approach to management perceived man as a machine, an issue that some preceding scholars found rather awkward to address. The psychological thinkers such as March and Simon insisted that Taylor ignored the human factor in the scientific management theory, a major aspect in psychological studies. In addition, the opponents of Taylorism theory, such as workers and managers, cited some elements of inflexibility in the approach (Denhardt, 2011).   Classical Theory According to Basu (2004), March and Simon in the mid-20th century professed this theory, terming it as the mechanical theory, the administrative management theory, or simply the structural theory. Later, Henri Fayol together with other scholars suggested through the structural theory that administrative work remained administrative work, the work performed and the circum stances surrounding the performance of the work notwithstanding. They categorically argued that administrative knowledge surpassed other forms of knowledge such as technical knowledge, and various management personnel could apply this kind of knowledge to a wide spectrum such as religion, government institutions, and organizations (Denhardt, 2011).  Fayol, in furtherance of his studies, classified administrative duties into five major categories that included planning, control, coordination,

Reflective account - Personal Development Plan Essay

Reflective account - Personal Development Plan - Essay Example rform effectively in their allocated work, they will achieve professional advancement both hierarchically and importantly at the personal or mental level. When an employee performs and develops optimally more than their fellow employees, he/she will be given leadership position, utilizing which they can develop their leadership capabilities. As when they develop their leadership skills, employee or individual should also need to develop certain qualities or traits, and one among them is time management. Time management with apt incorporation of quality standards is a key trait. Likewise, if the individual need to develop extra skills like new language acquisition, then they have to do that as well as part of optimal development of leadership. So, this paper will analyze, how I developed my leadership skills and as part of that development followed key traits of time management as well as new language acquisition. The known is, from time immemorial, the success or failure of an organization or any other human activity depends on the role, the leader plays. According to me, if the leader follows a set of positive traits and performs effectively, he/ she can ‘sprinkle’ or even ‘pour’ success on many lives, including the workers in his/her organization. Normally, the leadership traits should be visible and should be put to effective use when the leader, as a ‘builder’ builds a group and as a ‘founder’ launches an organization. However, in my case, a situation to develop my leadership skills arose when I got a chance to preside over or manage an on going project in my organization. As the building or recruiting of the ‘group’ of workers as well as the installation of infrastructure, set up, etc needed for the specific project has already taken place, my was only to lead and manage the team. This job of taking an existing set up and managing it is not an easy job because it brings in set of challenges, mainly involving the employees. I did not

Social Problems: Causes and Solutions

Social Problems: Causes and Solutions Introduction Sociology seeks to discover, describe and explain the order which characterises the social life of man (Inkeles, 1964 cited in McNeil and Townley, p.21).Various attempts have been made to define social problems; however there is no adequate definition of social problems. Birenbaum and Sagarin defined social problems as, ‘’ A social problems exists when the collective society is rent by, at the very least a public recognition that there is a sector of society, represented by its practices, which threatens or prevents others or themselves from establishing or maintaining their claims to membership’’ (Birenbaum and Sagarin, p.16). Rubington and Weinberg, offers their own definition of social problem as, ‘’an alleged situation that is incompatible with the values of a significant number of people who agree that action is needed to alter the situation’’ (Rubington and Weinberg, 1989 p.4). The definition of any problem as a social probl em, means that it is a problem that requires that affects society as a whole and needs society to come together to deal with the problem (May, et al eds 2001 p.17) Social problems are approached from a constructive perspective and a realist perspective. Saragu develops a social constructive approach to the intersection of social divisions and policy, Bucchi on the other hand develops an introduction to the post structuralist critique of problem and policy centred approach (May, et al eds (2001 p.13). Constructive perspective of social problems looks at social problems three main aspects; namely the society constructs as a problem, the contested character of social construction and the changing character of social construction (May, et al eds 2001 p.8) A realist perspective looks at social problems as real problems that exist and which everyone agrees to their existence and requires explanation. The constructive perspective on the other hand, looks at social problems as a constructio n of society. The question they ask is who says there is a social problem what sort of social problem, do they say it is (May, et al eds (2001). The main issue between the different perspectives of social problem is whether social problems are factual and objective for sociologists to investigate and explain. This essay will look at social problems and the difficulty of solving them. I will start by looking at common factors relating to social problems. Common factors relating to social problems All social problems are prone to a number of different definitions and interpretations. The journalist looks at a social problem from a perspective different from that of a sociologist or a philosopher. The journalist may report a problem in a certain manner, there by actually exaggerating the real problem and causing further alarm in the society. Sociologist will interpret a social problem from a different perspective. Different explanations of social problems are another common factor relating to all social problems. People usually do have different explanation why social problems occur. Society is always looking for whom to blame for a social problem. They always attribute the cause of a problem to the individual, family or the government. How a problem is presented, is another common factor relating to social problems. The press do play a role in this regard. Journalists are interested in sensational news which they feel will interest the public. Issues are termed social problems, when they are brought to the knowledge of the public and they become part of the public discourse Professional intervention is another fact common to social policies. Professionals in our society are quick to label people, that they believe do not conform to ‘standard normal behaviour’, they more often than not marginalise such people and segregate them, (e.g.) special schools, special needs. The victims view point is another factor that is common in all social problems. There is a world of difference between the way a victim sees himself and the way society views him. Society stereotypes certain people. We all have our prejudices, knowingly or unknowingly. The way the society views homeless people is different from the way homeless people view themselves. Finally, how to find the solution to social problems is an element that is common to all social problems. There is no generally accepted way, social problems can be solved. Some solutions can be very complex, while others appear straight forward. Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) was introduced as a straight forward solution to deal with anti social behaviour. However, many young people now regard ASBO as a badge of honour (The Guardian, Monday November 6 2006). To tackle the issue of juvenile crimes and ethnic groups will require complex situations. Causes of Social Problems Generally speaking a perspective means a way of looking at things. I will now briefly look at the causes of social problems from different perspectives. I will first look at the individual perspective. Some commentators argue that criminals were abnormally conditioned by biological and environmental factors (Rubington and Weinberg, 1989 p.33). Others however argue that causes of social problems are due mainly to the society/ environment and not due to the physiological make up of individuals. However, certain actions of individuals or groups are so glaring that they causes of social problems are directly attributed to them. Another reason why social problems occur is due to peer group or family pressure. Disagreement between individuals or groups in a society can also lead to social problems. This is called the interaction perspective. Fall out between different cultures and religion in a society is a reason why social problems occur. People are usually influenced by their culture and religion. Some people are very fanatic in their views and believe and see some one of a different faith or race as different from them. This can to a lot of social problems. Social structures are the very basic foundation of any society, and it is a major reason why social problems occur. Some individuals or group might feel excluded from the social, economic or political structures of society. The social structures of society might be designed in such a way that they shut off or marginalise certain segments of their society, usually minority groups. Added to this is that government interferences and policies, might cause social problems, as they may favour certain segments of the society while excluding others. Examples of Social Problems Poverty Poverty has so many definitions. Poverty is powerlessness. It has so many faces and it is changing from place to place and across time (World health Organization, 2001). Absolute poverty is disenabling. It means that one can not afford the basic human requirement. By this, I mean that it robs one of many things in life, including his dignity and pride. Relative deprivation means that one is not keeping up with the standards in a given city. Poverty is one of the major reasons why people are excluded from the political, social and economic structures of society (Maxwell and Kenway, 2001). Poverty is usually constructed by a distinction between normal people, and those that are poor. The constructive perspective of poverty does not deny the existence of poverty, but that only some people at some time and in some place will be labelled as being in poverty May, et al eds 2001 p.7) A realist perspective will look at poverty as objectively describable and will attempt to offer an explanati on. Juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency is a complex, serious problem. The cause of this problem includes peer pressure and the failure of our social structures, among others. However it is not a new phenomenon. In 1880, the penologist Enoch Wines, wrote, ‘’ Delinquent children, the criminals of the next generation, must be prevented from pursuing their criminal carers; they are born to it, brought up to it. They must be saved’’ (Wines, 1880, p.132 cited in McNeil and Townley, p.21-27). We can not overstate, the fact that Juvenile delinquency is a huge social problem today. The government have tried to deal with it, with legislation, cumulating in the crime and disorder Act 1998, Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO) and parenting orders. However, the media seem to be giving a lot of attention to delinquent youths and portraying them as monsters and race and gender issues have not adequately been looked in to. There is also a difference of opinions on how the problem can be sol ved. The realist perspective will acknowledge the existence of the problem, while a constructive perspective, will view it as a construction of society. Ethnicity and Social problems Ethnicity generally refers to a group’s attachment to a particular area and sharing a peculiar way of life. Racism is when a group of people are treated differently because of their colour. There have been ethnic and racial problems in our society. The media have played a part in upping ethnic tension in the UK. Race riots have flared in some parts of the UK. There have also been reported increases in race attacks. Our institutions, particularly the police and the media have been branded institutionally racist. People from ethnic minority are more likely to be stopped and searched by the police and they are more likely to be socially, economically and politically excluded, more than white people. They are also more likely to be projected as social problems. The cause of ethnic tension is usually an unfounded fear that diversity is a threat to the dominant group in society. The realist perspective will acknowledge the existence of this problem and will seek an explanation for i t. The constructive perspective will view the issue as a construction by society. Single parents Single parents are a social phenomenon now regarded as a social problem because they are believed to have an impact on our values. They tend to impact directly on society, socially, economically, and ideologically. Single parents become a problem, when they cost the state a lot. A good number of single parents depend on state benefits. Fathers are usually absent, and do not contribute towards the upkeep of the children. The social cost of absent fathers can not be overlooked (Dennis and Erdos, 1993). The government have put in place legislation namely the 1989 Children’s Act and the 1991 Child Support Act to deal with the problem. Conclusion Social problems are hard to solve. They seem to be ingrained in the complex web of unwanted state intervention, reckless forms of individual behaviour and economic factors. Social problems have no commonly accepted forms of definition, but they all have common factors that relate to them. In the problems that I listed above, they are all seen from different perspectives and given different explanations. It depends on who is viewing the problem. The media and the government also contribute to making social problems hard to solve. Some social problems might be downplayed and others blown out of proportion. Some times the intervention of the government and experts may worsen a problem as they tend to look at the problem form their own point of view, without taking the point of view of individual or groups suffering the problems directly in to consideration. Individuals can also make social problems difficult to solve. They may mislead the government by providing incorrect data. Economic factors do play a part. The government might not see some social problems as a top priority for them to solve and thus will not earmark enough funds to tackle the problem. Sometimes, the government may not have the political will to solve certain social problems. Some social problems are interwoven in to our social, political and economic structure, that to solve them, we will need to dismantle our entire structure. Finally, there is no generally accepted way to solve social problems. Some solutions appear easy, while others appear complex, but you can not be certain, that the proffered solution will solve the problem. Bibliography Bilton et al eds (2002) Introduction to Sociology, Fourth Edition, Macmillan, London Dennis, N and Erdos, N (1993) Families without fatherhood, Institute for the study of civil society, London Downes, D Rock, P (1995) Understanding Deviance, Oxford University Press, New-York Fulcher, J Scot, J (2006) Sociology, Third Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Levin, J, Innis, K, Carroll, W Bourne, R (2000) Social Problems, causes, consequences, Interventions, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, new-York Maxwell, S and Kenway, P (2001) The Challenge of Ending rural poverty, Oxford University Press, Oxford May, et al eds (2001) Understanding Social problems, Blackwell Publishers, McNeill, P Townley, C (1986) Fundamentals of Sociology, Second Edition, Hutchinson, London Raab, E Selznick (1964), Major Social Problems, Paterson and Company, Evanston, Illinois Rubington, E Weinberg, (1989) The Study of Social Problems, Fourth Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Rubington, E and Weinberg, M (1989) The Study of Social Problems, Oxford University Press, New-York Spector, M Kitsuse, J (2000) Constructing Social Problems, Transaction, New-Jersey Pop Art Movement: A Summary Pop Art Movement: A Summary Pop Art: A Reactionary Realism by American art critic Donald Kuspit underscores his view that to the extent that Pop-art was was a realistic movement, it ridiculed expressionism and was politically reactionary due to the fact that it approved? Of art on the status quo? By embracing? And celebrating Images of American mass media and popular culture. (Walker 2009) In attempt to bring art back into American daily life, the Pop-art movement depicted elements of popular culture by using common everyday objects, chiefly advertising and product packaging, television and comic strips. The images are portrayed with a blend of humour, criticism and irony. Through this, the movement ascertained the position of art into everyday and contemporary life. It assisted in decreasing the gap between high art and low art and abolished the distinction between fine art and commercial art methods. The Pop-art movement rebuffed the abstract style because of its cultured? And aristocratic nature. (World Wide Art Resources 2009) It was during the 1980s that there was a renewal of interest in the Pop-art of the well known Andy Warhol and contemporaries, this resurgence of interest was known as neo-Pop. Adapted from its forefathers, contemporary Pop-art consists of a reworked form; a revival of identifiable celebrities and objects from popular culture with icons and symbols of the current times. (Art History Archive n.d.) Contemporary Pop-art lends from the past, maintaining the critical evaluation of Western culture, relationships, values and interactions. It frequently satirises celebrities and candidly embraces ideas that are challenging and controversial. Although the bombardment upon society of Popular culture and advertising has become significantly greater since the Pop-art movement began, I believe that the critiques of Pop-art are not appropriate to the original nor the contemporary Pop-art scene. Pop-artists artists have continually been engaged in a crucial dialogue with mass culture. They are noted for exploiting these increasingly despised images of mass culture in order to facilitate the critical examination of the effects of consumerism on human thought, emotion and creativity and challenging our assumptions about the purpose and identity of art in a world inundated with media images and messages (University of Virginia 2006), as the following examples by contemporary artists will demonstrate. (expand on this?) Jeff Koons is perhaps the most renowned Pop-artist of the current day. He addresses societys fixation with Pop culture and counteracts the division between appearance and reality, surface and depth, and art and commodity (reword more?)Koons forms his art pieces on consumer products and manipulates everyday objects in order to overemphasise mass-produced cultural objects while uncovering the nuances of marketing. In difference to his 1960s forbearers, Koons desire is to remark on societies psychological investment in consumerism and how these consumer products are fabricated to allure. (Art Knowledge News n.d.) Jeff Koons first exhibition was titled Equilibrium, which was displayed in 1985. One of the defining features of this decade was the forceful growth of consumerism. For this exhibition he produced a series of works displaying consumer items in glass cases. In Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Fig 1), three basketballs were suspended in a glass case, surrounded by authentic Nike posters displaying basketball players in positions of power. The posters in the work represent sport as a means to achieve fame and fortune for young working-class Americans. The posters almost exclusive use of black athletes not just as stars, but in roles associated with elevated power and respect is a comment on the traditional social system that in reality refutes this power or respect to a large majority of African-Americans. According to Koons, the suspended basketballs also suggest death and fame, the ultimate states of existence. (Tate Collection n.d.) Koons Made in Heaven (Fig 2) series is a collection of overtly sexually explicit photographs and sculptures featuring the artist in moments of sexual passion and intimacy with his then pornstar wife Cicciolina. The exuberant images were first displayed during the 1990 Venice Biennale, among more conventional forms of expression. The series produced both shock and excitement among audiences, and stirred much controversy in the art world with a scandalous subject matter that pushed the limits of twentieth century censorship. Although pornography has been a widely acknowledged aspect of society, it deemed controversial because it is a form of Popular culture that was and still remains taboo in polite company. Koons is notorious for testing the boundaries of acceptable taste; his intention in Made in Heaven was to critically examine love, romance and sexual desire, involving the viewer by making them a contributor to the artwork, as most pornography necessitates an outside viewer to be c lassified as such. (Christies 2009)The Made in Heaven series was also in part a response to The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, by the fifteenth century painter Massacio. Koons remarks, In The Expulsion, theres all this guilt and shame that were on Adam and Eves faces, and I wanted to make a body of work that was about guilt and shame and the importance of removing that, so that people could have transcendence over guilt and shame in their own history. (Nance 2010) Made for part of his Banality series, is Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988) (Fig 3), a six feet long ceramic gilded white and gold statue depicting mega Pop-star Michael Jackson with his pet monkey Bubbles, immortalised as cultic and sacred personalities in an idealised state. Its initially blatantly kitsch appearance gives way to reveal its hyper-realistic approach to evoke the fragility of modern days most eminent star. The situation illustrated in the piece deals with societys idolisation and the ever more bizarre media narrative of Michael Jacksons life. Koons states, It really wasnt so much about Michael Jackson. It was about celebrity status, and about hopes, ideals, hierarchies that are placed on structures which take human form. (Nance 2010) Michael Jackson is the archetype of the glamorous, eccentric tragic and ambivalent and Koons encourages numerous interpretive possibilities. (Astrup Fearnly Museum n.d.) An additional example of a contemporary Pop-artist is American sculptor, Daniel Edwards. His sculptures deal with celebrity and Pop culture in a manner that frequently rouses controversy. The release of his works are usually paired with a press release. (Capla Kesting Fine Art n.d.) While frequently denigrated for his use of celebrity, Edwards artwork are also acknowledged as prophetic and consistent in their capacity for humanising social issues that the media and public have difficulty addressing. Autopsy of Paris Hilton (2007) (Fig 4) was produced as a confrontational and graphic interactive display to communicate to the young the dangers of drink driving. The sculpture is life-sized and depicts Paris Hilton sprawled on a bench with her legs splayed. In one hand she clutches her mobile phone whilst in the other is a glass of wine, in this sculpture she has supposedly died as a result of her drink driving, in which in reality she has been convicted of on numerous occasions. The public are encouraged to remove her innards through a cavity in her abdomen, giving a coroners perspective. Contained within this cavity is also her uterus containing twin dead foetuses, which Edwards says is to bring attention to the teen pregnancy crisis. The sculpture is an attempt to de-glamorise the life of a diva and partier which Hilton is renowned for.(Rayme 2007) The sculpture perhaps also alludes to the cult which is celebrities and their every occurrence and the media and publics unquenchable hunger to get as close as possibly to their idols. Daniel Edwards Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston (2006) (Fig 5), portrays celebrity Britney Spears in a position of natural birth, whereas in fact she gave birth to her son via c-section and was heavily drugged. The piece created much political debate. According to Edwards it promotes pro-life. At its reveal he called his piece an image of birth and mentioned that it was a new take on the pro-life perspective. He states that pro-lifers generally endorse bloody images of abortion and his aim is to generate debate about a topic that is as he states greater than either pro-life and pro-choice advocates. (Rayme 2007) Japanese artist Masumasa Morimura is a well-known example of appropriating worldwide recognised images taken from mass media and popular culture In my view, there can be no generalisation about the quality, meaning and social significance of works of art, given the discrepancies of aesthetic responses and interpretations. Furthermore, Donald Kuspits view expressed in his article suffers owing to the fact that he assumes that artists should be critics of society rather than witnesses or simply narrators of it. Kuspit is an example of a critic who universalises his personal opinion of Pop-art and delivers his judgement whilst ignoring other responses to Pop. (Walker 2009) Pop art was and still remains one of the most popular styles of art, it was successful in communicating to the general public in a mode in which few art movements did or have since done. (Encyclopedia of World Art n.d.) The reality that Pop-art is effective in generating such a broad range of responses is a tribute to its at first seemingly ambiguous character, a testament that it is more complex and diverse than some critics have accepted, and an indication that it is not as trivial and straightforward as some commentators believe. (Walker 2009)

The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981. The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981.

Hair Coloring

Hair coloring Definition of hair coloring: Hair coloring is the practice of changing the color of hair. The main reason for this practice are cosmetic, e. g. to cover gray hair, to change to a color regarded as more fashionable or desirable, and to restore the original hair color after it has been discolored by hairdressing processes or sun bleaching. Hair dying, which is an ancient art, involves treatment of the hair with various chemical compounds. Today, hair coloring is immensely popular, with over 75 percent of American women dyeing their hairHistoryHistory: The dyeing of hair is an ancient art. In ancient times, the dyes were obtained from plants. [ Some of the most well known are henna (Lawsonia inermis), indigo, Cassia obovata, senna, turmeric and amla. Others include katam, black walnut hulls, red ochre and leeks. [16] In the 1661 book Eighteen Books of the Secrets of Art & Nature, various methods of coloring hair black, gold, green, red, yellow, and white are explained. The development of synthetic dyes for hair is traced to the 1860s discovery of the reactivity of PPD with air.Hair dyeing is now a multibillion dollar industry that involves the use of both plant-derived and synthetic dyes Types of hair coloring: Permanent hair color: A popular way to achieve permanent hair coloring is through the use of oxidation dyes. The ingredients of these products include 1,4-diaminobenzene (historically) or 2,5-diaminotoluene (currently), a coupling agent, and an oxidant. The process is typically performed under basic conditions. The mechanism of oxidation dyes involves three steps: 1) Oxidation of 1,4-diaminobenzene derivative to the quinone state. ) Reaction of this diimine with a coupler (more detail below). 3) Oxidation of the resulting compound to give the final dye Semi-permanent hair dye: Semi-permanent hair color has smaller molecules than temporary dyes. These dyes only partially penetrate the hair shaft. For this reason, the color will survive repeated washing, typically 4–5 shampoos or a few weeks. Semi-permanents contain no, or very low levels of developer, peroxide or ammonia, and are therefore safer for damaged or fragile hair.However, semi-permanents may still contain the toxic compound p-phenylenediamine or other such ingredients. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that in rats and mice chronically exposed to PPD in their diet, it simply depressed body weights, and no other clinical signs of toxicity were observed in several studies. [5] The final color of each strand of hair will depend on its original color and porosity, so there will be subtle variations in shade across the whole head. This gives a more natural result than the solid, all over color of a permanent color.However, it also means that gray or white hairs will not appear as the same shade as the rest of the hair. If there are only a few grey/white hairs, the effect will usually be enough for them to blend in, but as the gray spreads, the re will come a point where it will not be disguised as well. In this case, the move to permanent color can sometimes be delayed by using the semi-permanent as a base and adding highlights. Semi-permanent color cannot lighten the hair Demi-permanent hair color: Demi-permanent hair color is permanent hair color that contains an alkaline agent other than ammonia (e. g. ethanolamine, sodium carbonate) and, while always employed with a developer, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in that developer may be lower than used with a permanent hair color. Since the alkaline agents employed in demi-permanent colors are less effective in removing the natural pigment of hair than ammonia these products provide no lightening of hair's color during dying. As the result, they cannot color hair to a lighter shade than it was before dyeing and are less damaging to hair than their permanent counterpart. Demi-permanents are much more effective at covering gray hair than semi-permanents, but less so than permanents.Demi-permanents have several advantages as compared with permanent color. Because there is essentially no lifting (i. e. , removal) of natural hair color, the final color is less uniform/homogeneous than a permanent and therefore more natural looking; they are gentler on hair and therefore safer, especially for damaged hair; and they wash out over time (typically 20 to 28 shampoos), so root regrowth is less noticeable and if a change of color is desired, it is easier to achieve. Demi-permanent hair colors are, in essence, permanent color and the darker shades in particular may persist longer than indicated on the packetTemporary hair color: Temporary hair color is available in various forms including rinses, shampoos, gels, sprays, and foams. Temporary hair color is typically brighter and more vibrant than semi-permanent and permanent hair color. It is most often used to color hair for special occasions such as costume parties and Halloween. The pigment molecules in temporary hair color are large and cannot penetrate the cuticle layer. The color particles remain adsorbed (closely adherent) to the hair shaft and are easily removed with a single shampooing.Temporary hair color can persist on hair that is excessively dry or damaged in a way that allows for migration of the pigment to the interior of the hair shaft Alternative hair colorants: A minority of hair coloring products are designed to create hair colors not typically found in nature. The available colors are diverse, including green and fuchsia. These dyes are typically sold in punk-themed stores (such as comic book and music stores), with brand names like â€Å"Beyond The Zone†, â€Å"Splat†, ‘Fudge Paintbox' ‘Crazy Colors' â€Å"Clairol Jazzing†, â€Å"Manic Panic†, â€Å"Special Effects†, Punky Colour†, â€Å"Stargazer†, â€Å"La Riche Directions†. A permanent alternative in some colors (such as bold red and dark, inky purples and blues) are available from big haircare brands. Some alternative color shades are blacklight reactive, to show up under nightclub lighting. The chemical formula of alternative color dyes typically contain only tint and have no developer. This means that they will only create the bright color of the packet if they are applied to light blond hair. People with darker hair (medium brown to black) will need to use a bleaching kit prior to tint application.Some people with fair hair may benefit from prior bleaching as well. Gold, yellow and orange undertones in hair that has not been lightened enough can adversely affect results, especially with pinks, blues and greens. Although alternative colors are semi-permanent in the cases of some colors, such as blue and purple, it could take several months to fully wash the color from bleached or pre-lightened hair Adverse effects of hair coloring: Hair coloring involves the use of chemicals capable of removing, replacing and/or coverin g up pigments naturally found inside the hair shaft.Use of these chemicals can result in a range of adverse effects, including temporary skin irritation and allergy, hair breakage, skin discoloration and unexpected hair color results. Side effects of various products result in loss of hair and in extreme cases balding If consumed by the body by means of inhalation or digestion certain hair dye brands have shown evidence of causing constipation and other dangerous disruptions within human organs. Additionally, there is ongoing discussion regarding more serious health consequences of hair color usage, including lead poisoning.Skin irritation and allergy In certain individuals, the use of hair coloring can result in allergic reaction and/or skin irritation. Symptoms of these reactions can include redness, sores, itching, burning sensation and discomfort. [6] Symptoms will sometimes not be apparent immediately following the application and processing of the tint, but can also arise afte r hours or even a day later. To help prevent or limit allergic reactions, the majority of hair color products recommend that the client conduct a patch test before using the product.This involves mixing a small quantity of tint preparation and applying it directly to the skin for a period of 48 hours. If irritation develops, manufacturers recommend that the client not use the product. Hair breakage Hair that has been damaged by excessive exposure to chemicals is considered over-processed. This results in dry, rough and fragile hair. In extreme cases, the hair can be so damaged that it breaks off entirely. This is especially true for Afro-Caribbean hair, especially if used in combination with relaxers.Treatments are available but the only real solution is to stop the use of chemicals until new hair grows and the damaged hair is cut off. Skin discoloration Skin and fingernails are made of the same type of keratinized protein as hair. That means that drips, slips and extra hair tint ar ound the hairline can result in patches of discolored skin. This is more common with darker hair colors and persons with dry absorbent skin. This discoloration will disappear as the skin naturally renews itself and the top layer of skin is removed (typically takes a few days or at most a week).A good way to prevent dye discoloration is to put a thin layer of Vaseline or any oil-based preparation around the hairline. It is recommended that latex or nitrile gloves be worn to protect the hand Plant-based dyes Henna is an orange dye commonly used as a deposit-only hair color whose active component, lawsone, binds to keratin. It is therefore considered semi-permanent to permanent, depending on a person's hair type. Most people will achieve a permanent color from henna, especially after the second dye. With repeated use the orange color builds up into red and then auburn.While â€Å"natural† henna is generally a red color, variations exist. These variations usually contain ingredie nts from other plants and even synthetic dyes. Indigo is natural dye from a plant (Indigofera tinctoria, suffructicosa, or arrecta) that can be added to henna or layered on top of it to create brown to black colors in the hair. On the color wheel, henna is orange, and indigo is blue, so as complementaries, the two colors work together to create brown tones. Like henna, indigo may fade after one application, but it becomes permanent on the hair with repeated use.Using a plant-based color such as henna can cause problems later when trying to do a perm or permanent hair color. Pure imported body art quality henna is claimed not to cause such problems, but most store-bought henna is mixed with additives which can lead to unpredictable results if the hair is later colored. Although it may not be visible on darker hair, the staining from henna will remain for several months and this may only be realized when dyeing is attempted and an unpleasant, permanent orange color results

The Person Who Changes My Perception About Writing

Alvinston anak Henry Stephen Ms Bobbi Olsen ENGL 150-Writing: Rhetoric The Person who Changes My Perception about Writing Writing is one of the medium that people use to communicate and express their ideas to other people. It has already been used since prehistoric time even though it is just through drawing but it has helped human to understand what has happened during that time and slowly after billions of years we have advanced to this globalized world that enable us to write in many different type of language and present our writing. Nowadays, through writing alone we can earn money.For example, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. In just a blink of an eye she became millionaire through her fiction book which has attracted people regardless their age. I learned how to write when I was in kindergarten or pre-school. That time I was around four years old. Everything is so mysterious to me because I was forced to learn a new language that is English. As for me, English is my third la nguage. The process of learning English is really annoying and difficult as I have to memorize and understand the meaning of each word. Moreover, the grammar makes it worse.That time, my brain only can focus on playing and joking around with my childhood friends. No one would care about the importance of writing when they were still a child. That goes the same for me. Luckily at home I have my parents and elder brother that help me with any task that is given by the teacher. Each of them has their own positive impact on my writing. But the person that has the biggest influence on my writing is my English teacher when I was in my primary school. I used to address her as Sister Wee. That is what everyone called her since she is a nun.She is a typical Chinese that have that pairs of famous small Chinese-looking eyes. She taught me English for six years since I was seven until twelve years old. Along that period of time, I have countless of unforgettable memory with her. Sister Wee was forty plus years old when I first met her. She is as fierce as the tiger even though she looked like an angel with her silky white nun habit. Even the car that she drove is white! I guess it is a Chevrolet coupe small model and I used to name it ‘The Unicorn’ because it has one huge antenna attached on the side of its hood.One funny thing about her is that she wears a pair of big spectacles that makes her looked like an old grandma and a nerd which is a hilarious scene for me every day. Her voice when she screams really can break glass into million pieces. The frequency is a bit high compared to an average person when they screamed. But that is good criteria as a teacher that as it makes me more alert in the class as I tend to get sleepy in the class. She was the one that taught me more in depth about writing.Without her guidance I would not be able to write a good essay because through her I learned how to construct a paragraph, what kind of information that I should i nclude in my paragraph and many other knowledge on writing that have been programmed and installed automatically in my brain throughout the years. I really enjoyed the moment when she entered the class and started to speak to the students. Because she was taught by some British nun when she was small, she had that British slang with her. Her strong and thick British accent is the reason why I enjoyed the class.Even sometimes my classmates and I try to imitate the way she speaks. That’s the funniest part since speaking in British accent need time to practice and we tend to make our conversation sounded so wrong. It just sounded like a dog trying to speak to a cat. But, imitating another person action is one of the ways how humans learned a new skill. It is so funny remembering the good old days. She was always into literature. Almost every day during class time she will read out some poem in which I always considered a waste of time as all my classmates tends to get sleepy hea ring that unrecognized, complicated and meaningless sentences.Just imagine how a child that is around seven years old can understand such a well-written poem by the infamous William Shakespeare. At that time I hardly can grasp the meaning of the sentence that is being used in poetry, but I know that the writer must be a really remarkable person especially in linguistic as they know how to manipulate and use words differently in their writing. The way how they wrote amazed me even until today. Through that method, she had unconsciously provoked my writing instinct and interest that has been buried and locked within myself.The only thing that I really hate about is the punishment that she gives to students. Every time the students make simple mistakes on grammar or spelling she will pinch their stomach, pull their ears or can them with ‘Rotan’. ‘Rotan’ is a type of climbing palms species that is so durable and elastic that always being used by teacher in my c ountry to punish students. Even I not excluded to get canned by her ‘Rotan’. Even though punishment is made to act as a reminder and to discipline a person but I really don’t agree using brutal force and physical torture will do any good.As a child, being punished really causes psychological effect on me. It makes me really afraid to study under her because always being haunted by the punishment that she will give if I accidently make any mistake in my writing. Despite all that, I still appreciate her guidance as she had taught me so much basic skills that I need to know about writing in English. That is why she is the person that had the most impact and influence on my writing. Her strictness in class is one of the main key points that I would say really had large impact on my writing.I always try to prevent making any stupid mistakes especially on grammar and spelling in my writing to avoid the punishment. I never thought in the end it will produce such a wonde rful result on the way how I wrote and expressed my ideas in my writing. She had helped me on how to develop my ideas each time I going to write an essay. That is really crucial as every essay must have a topic sentence and it must be clear so that the reader can know what the writer is writing about. Sister Wee also has makes me love reading. Since small, I extremely hate reading.I always run away every time my parents ask me to sit down and do some reading. But after I entered her class, I found that reading is important because it will help me to improve my grammar and vocabulary. She advised me to read some simple story book and slowly advance to next level. One month after that, I ended up reading a newspaper instead of simple story books. That was a shock event even for me because that time I was only a playful seven years old kid that can perfectly read and pronounce each and every word in the newspaper without making any mistake.Reading has remarkably helped me lot on improv ing my writing. This is how I improved greatly on my grammar and vocabulary. By reading books, we will unconsciously getting used to the correct way of writing a sentence and we will tend to write in the same manner accordingly to the memory that we had on our reading. Every time I encounter problem on my reading material, I always consulted her and ask about her advice. Other than that, every time I get my assessment paper back after she has graded it, I will surely read all the comment that she wrote about my essay and try o think about my mistakes and what should I do in order to improve my writing. Sometimes, she even talked to me individually about my writing and explains to me more in depth on what I should do to make my essay better and interesting to read by the readers. The way how she spoke and wrote really shows and proved that she had all the criteria that an English teacher should possessed. That is why I always considered her as my icon. One of her meaningful words tha t until today I still remembered, â€Å"Writing is the most powerful form of communication that we have in this world.We can do a lot of things with our writing. † Now, I really agreed to what she had said back then. It does make sense because writing helps us to communicate with deaf and dumb people. Other than that, writing also one of the tools that nationalist use to provoke nationalism. Just imagine with words alone nationalist can unify all the citizens that comes from different ethnics and religion to fight for independence of their country. Even to the extent of provoking a war! It has never come across my mind that writing has that much of power.Now, the knowledge and ability that I have on writing is basically all being gained from he. She is now almost reaching sixty years old. She currently lives in the convent about one hour drive from my house. I did manage to visit her before I came to United States to further my study. She was a bit shocked when out of a sudde n one of her naughty student came and visited her. I chatted with her for few hours about my life and what I have been through all these years. She was really interested looking on how I have been grown up from a naughty boy into a young man.Last piece of advice she gave to me, â€Å"You really make me feel proud as a teacher and don’t ever forget to go to church and pray when you are in difficulty because God is always here with us. † Droplets of tears flows down on my cheek when I walked out of the convent while trying to embrace the advice she had given to me. Nowadays I truly thanked her for all her endless guidance and teaching during my process of learning English. Without her teaching, I would not be able to go this far and writing an essay would be a troublesome task for me.