I’m proud to be Scottish

Why am I proud to be Scottish? There are many different things that make me proud to be Scottish like the pride of watching the National Football Team perform at Hampden, singing the national anthem, being proud of Glasgow being chosen to host the Commonwealth Games. All of these types of things and many more contribute, not just to me but to millions over Scotland, to people being proud of their Scottish heritage and nationality. I feel very patriotic now but when I was younger I never thought I’d ever feel so passionate and ready to speak out and defend my country as I do today. When people ask where I come from, I do not hesitate in telling them that I’m from Scotland as I never get embarrassed at all when confronted with those types of questions. This is the type of person I like to be and this is very evident. Why do I feel like this? Why do I all of a sudden feel proud of my nation? It all started one day my friend and I went to a Scotland v Czech Republic game in 2011 at Hampden for the first time. Before the game I never knew a thing about this â€Å"national pride† that everyone was so fond of. But approaching Hampden and seeing all of these thousands and thousands of fellow Scotland fans swarming around the stadium was what flipped the activation switch; from that moment on I was hooked. It made me feel part of something, like to be involved in something as big as this. Once in the stadium and the teams emerged the feeling of â€Å"I am Scottish† kept growing inside of me. The smell of ‘Hampden pies’, which I was later informed by a beer bellied old man to be a very deer scotch pie, that typical encounter is the sort of thing you would get only in our Scotland. The key overwhelming factor which locked in my first thoughts was when the national anthem rang out around the ground; it gave me goose bumps as I stood in unison with 52 thousand other proud Scots. The game finished 2-2 with a complete joke of a last minute goal by the opposition which virtually ended our hopes of qualification. I knew that I was changing into this type of passionate individual I could just tell it as every bad decision from that ‘referee’, or clown as we like to call him, actually was called everyone including me and my friend roared at the pitch to make sure that the ref knew that he was wrong. Now do not think that I am a football casual or a little thug who shouts abuse at people because I‘m angry because I definitely am not, what I just said may give that impression but that is just an example of what being passionate about your country can do to you. The final whistle went and even though fans booed, and people said things you couldn’t imagine about the manager and the referee, I still felt proud and that I had accomplished something of unlocking a deadlocked passion inside of me. This was one big occasion of why I started to become proud of being Scottish. Now there is a lot to be proud of about being from Scotland. Not just the things that go on or the beautiful scenery, but also the people. A lot of famous figureheads of the World are actually Scottish: Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Andy Murray the tennis player, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Di Resta, Sir Jackie Stewart and finally the greatest British Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, and much more. This proves that it is not unheard of to be proud of being Scottish. As with these legends and idols being representatives, if you will, of how good Scotland can be. Recently The Scot Andy Murray and World Number 3 won his first ever Grand Slam trophy, which would make anyone including myself proud to be Scottish and to be able to say you come from the same country as the US Open Champion or Sir Alex Ferguson is just a great feeling. Therefore this also contributes to me personally being very proud of my nation. Now one of the reasons that I did not think about until recently is the political side of Scotland, of how we are sort of separate from the UK government in some parts with devolved powers when up here we have the SNP Government etc. With Scotland having a separate government, it gives us sort of an edge of England as we get lots of things they don’t which is actually pretty good because us Scots always love to get one up on them! We get free prescriptions whereas in England they have to pay to receive the exact same stuff we get for free, Scots get University tuition for free but again in England they do not they have to pay thousands and thousands of pounds for their extended education, which from my point of view is fantastic as I plan to go to University when I leave school so I can get it for free. Finally the elderly get free healthcare in our great nation and once again down there they have to pay massive sums of money for it. This is a very positive aspect of being Scottish and makes you very proud over the rest of the UK to have all those facilities at your disposal whenever you may need them. Also with an upcoming referendum on whether Scotland should be independent from the rest of the UK, it gives you a sense of pride to know that you’ll have the chance to vote on your country’s future and take part in such a big event and possibly have the final say in Scotland’s history with which way you vote. However, being Scottish does have its downfalls believe me. Starting with the football element of NEVER having a lucky chance unfortunately and just not having the ability to make that last step towards a major tournament which does fill you with embarrassment at times. Another downfall is the weather; I can guarantee that I speak for near enough everyone in Scotland when I say, the weather is completely dreadful. We all hate Scottish weather when all we get is rain; wind and just depressing weather 363 days of the year and those occasional two days of either snow or cold son. This therefore is a big factor of Scottish people not being proud of this country with the dyer weather. Finally the stereotypes. I bet you were all waiting for me to bring this up, Scots are constantly stereotyped to be ginger haired, irn-bru addicted, kilt wearing people when that is completely out of context and so far from the actual truth. These are some of the reasons as to why some people are not proud to be Scottish but there are many more proud moments than there is moments of non-proudness for us Scots. In reflection, I am very proud to be Scottish and have no reason whatsoever not to be proud. With many people on my side I think it is fair to say that most people love Scotland even with its downfalls but that’s just what makes Scotland what it is and we would not change it for the world, well maybe the weather. I feel more patriotic about my country even more now than before. Meaning probably more people have this view aswell.

Family Assessment Assignment Essay

A family nursing assessment was done on the Lois G. family during three nursing visits over a period of one month. The family lives at 1234 Main St. and their home phone number is 314-987-6543. This is a lower- middle class (Friedman, Bowden & Jones E.G., 2003), African American, Baptist, single-parent, career, divorced family that is child-oriented and not geographically mobile. Lois is 45 and has three children, Carmen, a 16 year old girl, Emille and Camille, twin 9 year old girls. The mother is the sole custodial parent of the oldest child. Carmen has minimal contact with her father, Wayne, whom her mother divorced when she was 2 years old. The twins’ father, Sherman, has joint custody and shares full parental responsibilities for their care. Lois does not have a relationship with either Wayne or Sherman. The twins live with their father 3 to 4 days a week and then spend equal time with their mother. The family is in Duvall’s 5th life cycle stage. The potential task and transitions for this family are changes in roles and status; career changes; loss of parent in family of origin and changes in physical health (Friedman, et al., 2003). In addition to these developmental tasks, the family is currently facing the tasks of balancing freedom with responsibility and problems with parent-teenager communication. The family nursing diagnosis for this family is â€Å"Parental Role Conflict† and â€Å"Deficient Health Care Knowledge† which is related to the family’s current health care concerns. Lois has a master’s in education and mathematic. She is a high school math teacher and values education and good grades. Carmen is social, active, but quite. Carmen does assisted with the care and supervision of the twins, but now is involved in more school and social activities that take up most of her free time. She has a mild interest in establishing a relationship with her father and states he is attending sports activities and making same efforts to be a part of her life. She is an A student and participates in high school sports and church activities.  Camille and Emille are both very outgoing and enjoy being around their older sister and being the center of attention. Camille and Emille like living with both of their parents, but say it would be nice if they could just stay at one home and still have both parents there. Emille does very well in school, and although Camille is working at grade level, she has been struggling in some subjects. The family is very active i n their church and attends services every Sunday and bible study on Wednesdays with her sister and her family. In Lois’ family of origin, there are five children and she is the middle child. She has an older sister, an older brother and two younger brothers. Her grandparents on both side of her family are from Mississippi, but later moved to St. Louis to raise their families in better living and working conditions. Her parents are from St. Louis. Lois’ mother, Catherine, died of colon cancer when Lois was 28. Lois’ father, JC, is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease but is able to stay in his home because his second wife, Ms. Verdell, provides him 24 hour care. This illness has been very difficult for the family but they have a lot of faith in God and this has assisted them in dealing with his slow decline. Lois states she is very thankful that her father has the support of his wife, because she doesn’t feel she and her sister would be able to provide him the type of care he receives from her. Lois states she has a very good relationship with all of her immediate and extended family members. She is very close to her sister and sees her and her sisters’ family at least on a weekly basis, if not more often. Her three brothers, who are unmarried, live out of town but come to St. Louis to visit frequently. She is also close to her extended family on both her mother and fathers side of the family and will travel to Mississippi several times a year to visit them. Lois states that she is not aware of any health issue with her siblings although she thinks her oldest brother may have high blood pressure. She had aunts on both sides to die from cancer (unknown type) and two uncles to die from heart disease. The nuclear family has no special needs, is not experiencing any major illnesses, nor is there an immediate family member with disabilities. Lois is experiencing a lot of stress contemplating a hysterectomy this summer due to uterine fibroids and menorrhagia. Carmen has been experiencing irregular menses, but now is on birth control pills (BCP) to regulate her cycle. She however, doesn’t want to take the BCP’s. The  twins have mild to moderate eczema, which is being treated w ith a prescription topical steroid, but this is inconsistent because when the twins are with their father he doesn’t always apply the daily ointment as ordered. There is no history of surgeries, chronic or prolonged illnesses, asthma or allergies in the family. Lois states she needs more information on treatment options for her fibroids; treatment options for Carmen’s’ irregular menses and a better way to make sure the twins are using their medication for their eczema when they’re at their father’s home. Lois has lived in the St. Louis area all of her life and now she and her family live in Hazelwood MO, a middle-class, culturally diverse suburban area in St. Louis County, MO. Her home is easily assessable to highways, schools, hospitals, shopping and entertainment. She is able to easily get to her sisters’ and fathers’ homes and to church. She doesn’t have a lot of interaction with her neighbors; her community is centered more on where her family and church are located and not necessarily on where she lives. Lois lives in a nicely decorated, well maintained, three bedroom ranch home, with a fenced yard on a low traffic street. Lois and Carmen have their own bedrooms and the twins share a bedroom with twin beds. She has a finished basement that the children utilize for their recreational activities. There are several TV’s and computers in the home and each person has access to these for both leisure and school work. The family room is just off the kitchen and this is the center of family interaction. The family’s communication is didactic and usually occurs around the kitchen table at meal times. The twins review their day at school and Carmen relates what her upcoming activities are. Lois reviews their progress in school, or addresses issues specific to each child. She does have one-on-one with each child, although not every day, it is several times a week. Lois states communication with Carmen has become more difficulty over the last 6 months. Lois and Carmen have always been very close, but as the twins have required more of Lois’ attention and Carmen has gained more independence, she feels this is changing. Although Lois states that she has always been able to talk with Carmen, she now feels there are more disagreements and some lack of communication. Lois feels Carmen doesn’t show her the expected amount of respect when she is told to do something or reminded to do chores and her tone is not acceptable to Lois. Carmen talks freely with her mother  to negotiate her wants and needs or to express her feelings, but gets angry when she feels her mother is unre asonable in her expectations. She states she wishes her mother would listen more and not raise her voice and then get angry at her when she does the same. Lois states there are areas that she makes the sole decision, like home rules and behavior expectations; some areas that are negotiable, like social activities and the use of BCP’s for irregular menses; and then there are areas that Carmen makes her own decisions, like clothes and hair styles. I explained to Lois this is a normal pattern for adolescent development and that some research has shown that when the child is young they are more likely to have value agreement with the parent, but it seems relatively uncharacteristic of families with middle and late adolescents (Edgar-Smith, 2010). Currently Carmen does not want to take BCP’s because she said it makes her feel â€Å"funny†. She isn’t able to give a broader description of the feeling and hasn’t voiced any specific physical complaint or symptom, but just states she wants to stop taking the BCP’s. Lois and Carmen had a discussion around this issue and agreed that Carmen would take the BCP’s for 6 months and then follow up with her doctor to see if continuing or stopping the BPC’s would be the best option for her. Lois is able to communicate openly with both Camille and Emille and they are responsive to the rules and expectations that Lois has laid out for the household and individually. Carmen will talk to the twins, but it’s usually to give correction or instruction, not to inquire. Lois states the twins share their own style of communication which is verbal and non-verbal when interacting with each other. With others, Camille will usually start the communication and then Emille will join in. Lois prepares all the meals and is very aware of the importance of a balanced meal plan. She makes breakfast and lunches for everyone in the morning and then cooks dinner every night. She usually cooks the meals while the girls are doing homework, watching TV or playing games. She said she needs more help at meal times. I asked her if she could assign task for each child to do so everyone would have a part in meal preparation and she said she would start a routine that involves all the children in this. Carmen is capable of independent meal preparation (but does not initiate this), so she will be the one to set up the food preparation and organize items for the twins. Lois will give specific instructions on what she wants everyone to do, so she won’t have  the entire responsibility of meal preparation for every meal every day. Lois, as the mother and only parent in the home, is the sole p ower source for decision making in the family and has reward and coercive power over the children, although she will confer with the twin’s father due to the legal agreement of joint custody. Carmen, as the oldest child, has inferred power over the twins. The twins, as the two youngest children, are on an equal power base. When asked about the closeness in the family structure, Lois feels she is closest to Carmen and Camille. Carmen is closest to her mother and Camille. Emille is closest to Camille and her father. Camille is closest to her mother and Emille. Lois doesn’t feel there is a lack of bonding with any of the children. The family exhibits the traditional middle class African-American values of strong family bonds; support from kin and friendships; flexibility in family roles; and strong religious commitment and participation. She has the middle class values of honesty, hard work, progress, achievement and respectability (Friedman, et al., 2003). Individualism and equality are valued, but she stresses respect for God, family and elders; good grades and academic achievement above all else. Health care for the children is important to her. She utilizes her health care insurance to makes sure they have all the needed physicals, immunizations, eye and dental care recommended by their pediatrician. She has delayed her own routine health and dental care and screenings to meet work or family commi tments. I explained to Lois that in a recent study a questionnaire was given at both men and women to evaluate family burdens; domestic responsibilities; the appraisal of work and family; and values involved in work-family balance. The results of this study show that, in the present economic and cultural context, assuming family burdens and domestic responsibilities increases the positive appraisal of work and family (Cantera, Cubells, Martinez & Blanch, 2009). Lois sees her family as very healthy since there are no illnesses or major health crises; but also sees how delaying her health care could directly affect the health status of the family. The children are active in sports, but Lois feels she has been neglecting herself by not getting the exercise she has been used to even though her weight remains consistent and within normal limits. The family’s diet consists of all food groups and is appropriate for each child’s growth needs. All the children are within their normal body mean index (BMI). Meal  times are structured and usually occur at home, although she will have one or two nights a month after church where the family eats out. I educated Lois regarding several studies that have invest igated the effects of diet on the growth of fibroids. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), recent findings from a study of more than 22,000 African American women showed that women who consumed milk, cheese, ice cream, or other dairy products at least once a day were less likely to develop fibroids than were women who consumed dairy less frequently (National Institute of Health, 2013). Lois states one thing she makes sure she does is get enough rest; she sleeps about 7 hours each night. If she feels she needs more rest, she goes to bed earlier. She doesn’t drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, use illicit or recreational drugs, nor do any of the children engage in any of these practices. The main stressor the family is experiencing is the parent-adolescent relationship which Lois is aware is a normal developmental task that the family will progress through. Another area of stress Lois expressed is lack of knowledge related to treatments for uterine fibroids. She was given educational material from the NIH website factsheet on uterine fibroids and current studies and treatment options. Also Lois wanted information on current treatment options for teenagers with irregular menses. Lois was given information from the PebMed website on a study to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of progestogens alone or in combination with oestrogens in the regulation of irregular menstrual bleeding. The study results state there is no consensus about which regimens are most effective and further research is needed (Hickey, M., Higham J.M., Fraser I. 2012). I encouraged her to follow up with Carmen’s doctor after the 6 month course of BCP’s and then discuss her options. Lois was also given information on treatment options for eczema (Weston, 2011). I encouraged her to have the twin’s father apply the medication to them daily and if he wasn’t able to adhere to the treatment schedule, she could have the twins apply their own ointment. The family handles stressors well; overall family adaptation is appropriate; and the family is meeting all the expected developmental task of this stage. See attachment for genogram. References Cantera, L., Cubells, M., Martà ­nez, L., & Blanch, J. (2009). Work, family, and gender: Elements for a theory of work-family balance. The Spanish Journal Of Psychology, 12(2), 641-647. Edgar-Smith, S. E. (2010). Family relational values in the parent-adolescent relationship. Counseling & Values, 54(2), 187-200 Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V.R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, and practice. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hickey, M., Higham J.M., Fraser I. (2012). Progestogens with or without oestrogen for irregular uterine bleeding associated with anovulation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD001895. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001895.pub3. National Institute of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. (2013). Uterine fibroids. Retrieved from United States Government website: http://report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/ViewFactSheet.aspx?csid=50&key=UWeston, W.L., (2011). Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (e czema). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html.

Participative Leadership

Question Participative leadership style is always more effective than autocratic/directive leadership styles. Discuss. Executive Summary To say there has been an immense amount of research undertaken on the topic of leadership would be an understatement. The theoretical and empirical research on leadership in the workplace covers a diverse range of theory and there has been much critique and discussion of the theories to date. This paper review will discuss the path-goal leadership theory and it’s application in an organisational setting. The first part of the report will look at the evolution of this theory and the underpinning elements of each leadership style. The second part will compare participative and directive leadership styles using examples to illustrate the relevant use of each style and necessity for leaders to be able to use both or a combination of the two. Table of Contents Introduction p. 4 Path-Goal Leadership Theoryp. 4 Participative vs. Directive Leadershipp. 6 Practical Implicationsp. 8 Conclusion p. 9 Reference Listp. 10 Introduction For decades the study of leadership has been a focus in management, psychology and organisational behaviour with â€Å"over 35,000 research papers, articles and books written† on the topic in an attempt to define leadership and understand which style best drives effective leadership (Killian 2007). In 1974 Stogdill said, â€Å"there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have tried to define the concept† (Yukl 1989, p. 251). A statement that is relatively true even 37 years on with many approaches to leadership still emerging and continued debate and discussion around the existing theories. A modern and fairly recent definition of leadership explains it as â€Å"influencing, motivating and enabling others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organisations of which they are members† – a definition agreed upon by fifty four leadership experts from thirty eight countries (McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010). With so much research dedicated to the subject of leadership there are a vast array of theories and associated leadership styles including but not limited to: * Trait Theories * Contingency Theories * Situational Theories Behavioural Theories * Transformational Theories Each has their own unique approach and perspectives on what constitutes an effective leader however for the purpose of this report the focus will be on the path-goal theory and the leadership styles it encompasses. Path-Goal Leadership Theory The path-goal approach to leadership is one of several contingency theories. The contingency perspective is built upon the not ion that leaders choose their style to suit the situation and this contemporary model has had much noteworthy critique and testing over the years. Defined as an â€Å"expectancy theory of motivation that relates several leadership styles to specific employee and situational contingencies† ((McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010, p461), the theory suggests that a leader can have an influence on the performance, satisfaction and motivation of their subordinates which can be applied through all levels of an organisation. Evans and House first initiated support for the path-goal theory of leadership in the early 1970s following inconsistencies in the results of earlier research. A study by Evans (1970) of two organisations demonstrated a link between the behavior of leaders and the impact on the behavior and goal attainment of subordinates. In 1971 House presented a path-goal theory of leadership effectiveness derived from a path-goal theory of motivation, which posed a theory on the effects of leader behavior on subordinate satisfaction, motivation and performance. The study reconciled conflicting research that had previously been conducted on the topic and support of the hypothesis tested lead to further research and development of this theory. As illustrated below ((McShane, Olekalns & Travaglione 2010, p463) the performance and satisfaction outcome of subordinates is a result of three components – leader behavior, environmental factors and subordinate contingencies. According to the theory are there four clearly defined styles of leader behaviour (House & Mitchell 1974, House 1996): 1. Directive – the leader gives instructions about what, how & when tasks need to be completed and how performance will be measured. Ideal for ambiguous or non-routine tasks. 2. Supportive – leaders provide psychological and social support and go out of their way to make work pleasant for employees. Used in stressful situations that may be unsatisfying or frustrating. 3. Participative – the leader shares decision making with the team and encourages and takes their opinions and suggestions into account when making a decision. When team members are autonomous, need control and clarity and are heavily involved in their work this style can be used. 4. Achievement Oriented – behavior that is directed towards encouraging employees to achieve their peak performance through challenging goals. Ideal in situations where employees are highly motivated and driven to succeed. The path-goal model is based on the assumption that each leadership style will be effective in different situations depending on the two variables outlined above – employee contingencies and environmental contingencies. A leader needs to be able to adapt to different situations by selecting the style that suits employee needs or using a combination. Not all leaders will naturally exhibit all four leadership styles above or be comfortable using them but under this model a leader would need to have the ability to demonstrate all posing a potential development needs in some situations. Participative vs. Directive Leadership The question posed of whether participative leadership is always more effective than participative leadership cannot be completely justified under the path-goal leadership model as the premise of this approach is that the leadership style applied is dependent upon the environmental and employee variables. While there is a widely shared belief amongst a lot of the literature that participative leadership has greater advantages over a directive approach, there are arguments for both and each has its potential strengths and weaknesses. In this next section the role and outcomes of a participative leader will be compared to that of a directive (or autocratic) leader using organisational examples to illustrate their uses. Participative leadership will not work if subordinates do not have the necessary skills and experience to enable them to contribute to decision-making or make effective decisions themselves and the systems and procedures do not exist within the organisational environment as in the case of the Allied Machinery Company (Muczyk and Reimann 1987). In this example the General Manager’s approach of using a participative or democratic leadership style, which had worked for him, previously was not appropriate in his new role as the subordinates were not used to operating this way and expected guidance and follow-up from their leader. If more of a directive approach had of been taken and subordinates given specific guidelines, had expectations setout and rules or procedures explained then one would expect the outcome to have been significantly different. The key points illustrated here are how important it is for a leader to assess the situational variables (employee and environmental) before choosing their leadership style and secondly the necessity for a leader to be able to flex between styles rather than relying only on their natural or preferred style. A potential challenge to this could be how comfortable managers are with using an alternate style. For example, one study reported that Australian managers dislike using a directive style and some would go to considerable lengths to avoid doing so (Avery & Ryan 2002). The path-goal theory suggests that at times a leader may need to use a combination of leadership styles. In an interesting study on directive versus participative leadership in schools (Somech 2005) explores the effect of each style on school staff and makes several conclusions. A directive style can assist staff to challenge themselves and achieve high performance while a participative approach challenges through the sharing of knowledge however used together by leaders rather than as mutually exclusive styles they achieved a complementary result in terms of school effectiveness. Greiner (1973) also illustrates this point with an example of executives incorporating a few directive actions into their participative style to keep high performance goals in front of their teams. These are both great examples of using a combined approach of participative and directive leadership to maximise the result. Another area worthy of consideration in discussion of these two styles is the influence that demographics such as age, status, length of employment, gender and culture can have on choosing the most appropriate style. Sauer (2011) notes that for a new leader this is no correct style of leadership. In terms of leader status, the study suggests that when low status leaders use directive leadership or high status leaders use participative? leadership, the leaders are perceived as more self-confident and more effective. When comparing leadership across cultures it is also noted that participative leadership works better in some cultures rather then others (Den Hartog et al. , 2000). These examples highlights some other situational factors, potentially outside of the norm, that come into play when assessing the most effective style of leadership to pursue. Practical Implications The continued research into path-goal leadership theory and its application in the workplace highlights some reasonable considerations for leaders in engaging and motivating their subordinates. The literature suggests that participative and directive are the dominant styles and a great deal of the research highlights the benefits of a participative approach. What a lot of the research fails to look at is the negative outcomes if a participative approach is used in a situation that requires a directive approach as in the case of Allied Machinery used above. For practical application of the path-goal theory more focus needs to be placed on comparing the variance in outcomes of participative vs. directive leadership in a range of situations with varying employee and environmental. More importantly a combined approach should also be examined in this research. Conclusion There are many definitions of leadership in existence and varying opinions on the most effective theory and subsequent leadership style. The path-goal leadership theory has evolved over time since it was first proposed in the early 1970s and there has been ongoing critique and analysis of its validity, which in comparison to other contingency theories has held relatively strong. The path-goal theory highlights the key components that will impact the outcome – employee contingencies, environmental contingencies and leadership style. A leader needs to adapt their style to the situation and be able to flex between the four styles rather than relying on just one. The question as to whether participative leadership is always more effective than democratic leadership is not validated as this model illustrates the need for both either in isolation or as a combined approach. A participative or democratic approach relies on the team being engaged and motivated and is only effective if followers are willing and able to participate actively in the decision-making process, which is not always the case. There are so many variables that comes into play that neither of these styles can simply be labeled as the right choice for all situations. Reference List Dicksona, M. , Hartog, D. & Mitchelsona, J. 2003, Research on leadership in a cross-cultural context: Making progress, and raising new questions, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 14, pp. 729-768. Evans, M. G. 1970, The effects of supervisory behavior on the path-goal relationship, Organisational Behavior and Human Performance Vol. 5, pp. 277-298. Gayle C. & Avery, J. 2002, Applying situational leadership in Australia, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 21 pp. 242–262. Greiner, L. 1973, What managers think of participative leadership, Harvard Business Review, Vol. pp. 111-117. House, R. J. 971, A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 16, pp. 321-338. House, R. J. & Mitchell, T. R. 1974, Path-goal theory of leadership, Journal of Contemporary Business, Vol. 3, pp. 81-97. House, R. J. 1996, Path-goal theory of leadership: Lessons, legacy, and a reformulated theory, The Leadership Quarterly, Vol. 7, pp. 323-352. Huang, X. , Iun, J. , L iu, A. & Gong, Y. 2010, Does participative leadership enhance work performance by inducing empowerment or trust? The differential effects on managerial and non-managerial subordinates, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 1, pp. 122-143. Killian, S. 2007, The ABC of Effective Leadership A Practical Overview of Evidence Based Leadership Theory, Australian Leadership Development Centre, viewed 7 September 2011 http://www. leadershipdevelopment. edu. au/SiteMedia/w3svc674/Uploads/Documents/Effective%20Leadership%20An%20Overview%20of%20Leadership%20Theory. pdf Lewin, K. Liippit, R. and White, R. K. 1939, Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates, Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 10, pp. 271-301. Muczyk, J. & Reimann, B. 987, The Case for Directive Leadership, The Academy of Management Executive. Vol. 1, pp. 301-311. Sauer, S. J. 2011, Taking the Reins: The Effects of New Leader Status and Leadership Style on? Team Performance, Journal of Applied Psy chology, Vol. 96, pp. 574-87. Smech, A. 2005, Directive Versus Participative Leadership: Two Complementary Approaches to Managing School Effectiveness. Educational Administration Quarterly 2005, Vol. 41, pp. 777-800. Yukl, G. 1989, Managerial Leadership: A Review of Theory and Research, Journal of Management, Vol. 15, pp. 251-289.

Discussion Question 2 Week 1 Supply and Demand Assignment

Discussion Question 2 Week 1 Supply and Demand - Assignment Example Discuss two ways or reasons in which business organizations may utilize the information on determinants of demand and supply in their economic decision making. The factor that influenced supply and demand for iPhone 6 included the determinants of demand: price of substitute goods, the price of complementary goods, income, preferences or tastes, and the number of buyers (ECO550 Week 1 Scenario Script: Models of Supply and Demand, and Non-Price Determinants of Each, 2014). Likewise, the determinants of supply include the price of the iPhone 6 as well as the quantities of units produced (initially pegged at 10 million). The reasons in which business organizations, like Apple, utilize information on determinants of demand and supply in their economic decision making are: to achieve the targeted profits and to plan for future growth (McGuigan, Moyer, & Harris, 2014). With targeted profits being achieved, the organization could plan on venturing into other profitable endeavors which would be consistent with their mission and vision, as well as the overall goals of the firm. Etherington, D. (2014, September 22). Apple Sells 10 Million iPhone 6 And 6 Plus Devices During Launch Weekend. Retrieved October 8, 2014, from Tech Crunch:

Tesla Motors Combate Air Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tesla Motors Combate Air Pollution - Essay Example The big question is, will Tesla motors and their electric cars save the world? Since an emission free engine was required, electricity was the appropriate fuel to be used in the car (Simioni, 2012). Many companies have in the past only managed to get hybrid engines of electricity and organic fuel. However, this does not solve the emission issue as organic fuels are still involved. However, based on Harvard Business School (2008) Tesla motors have found the solution by producing a fully electric engine for vehicles. Their engines only use motors that re driven by magnetic fields generated by electric coils thus driving the car, and in the end an emission free engine is achieved. One only needs to plug the car into a normal electrical socket and the vehicle will get charged. Jupp & Sapsford, (2011) have it that in order to fully discuss this issue, it is pertinent that appropriate data collection through qualitative method be done. This is the best choice for the expected data should be in figures and pictures. In the analysis of the data. The content analysis method will be employed, so that the full picture of the adverse effects of air pollution be captured and how electric vehicles from Tesla motors will help do away with air

Movie Spider-Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Movie Spider-Man - Essay Example There are intriguing questions to argue with. First, is the scenario where Peter Parker, the main character played by Toby Maguire, allowed a criminal to escape carrying loads of cash in return to the bitterness that his prize money was not awarded to him when he won in the wrestling match. Is it morally advisable to let a criminal escape' Realising afterwards that the criminal who escaped was the same person who happened to kill his uncle, a great remorse hounded Peter until the third instalment of Spider-Man was released. What if his uncle spared the death' Would the situation be reversed' Would he finally think that it's alright to let the criminal go' Next, Peter's strange powers because of the bug-biting scene made his nerdy personality made him even more shut from the world and he had more reasons to hide his identity. Perhaps that is one reason why some people misunderstood him. But Maguire was able to furnish his character until the end with the innocent face that captured th e hearts of its viewers especially mothers and young girls. A marvel counterpart to DC's Superman is Spider-Man. In real life, Spider-Man is Peter Parker, who is a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle. (Anderson, Howard, 1997, p.104) Spider-Man is a story of a not-so-nerdy teenager who happens to snatch the admiration of his best friend Harry (portrayed by James Franco) because of Science quiz bee champ personality. He was the kind of a guy who's being bullied in school and couldn't confess his love for Mary Jane who from the start of the movie has already captured the heart of the young hero. His life is an ordinary school guy who has been orphaned by his aunt and uncle in a suburban housing project. He met his luck on a laboratory runaway when a radioactive spider bit him. (IMDB, 2002) Then, no one could ever imagine how his life changed. He gained his confidence, willing to woo to his dearest one whom he loved since he was six. The girl, MJ was just living next door. It took him years for him to be able to find chance to display his affection by beating the bullies which happen to be one of them is the boyfriend of MJ. The physical changes such as clear eyesight and bigger physique, the ability to crawl on walls and jump over buildings do not change him mentally and emotionally. Peter acquired a superhuman strength and super-fast reflexes, and he developed a precognitive sense that warned him of approaching danger. (Hammer2Fall, cited in IMDB, 2002). Peter realised that with such powers he can win MJ so he used it to make money. But after his uncle is killed, Peter promised to stop the criminals that killed his uncle. Later on, he devised a suit to continue chasing after evildoers by using his powers. But the domination of good over bad didn't last long. An eccentric millionaire Norman Osborn administered a performance enhancing drug on himself and his maniacal alter ego Green Goblin emerged. The twist emerged when Peter was unaware that Goblin is Norman Osborn, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, the father of his best friend, Harry. Here, Peter faces a dilemma. Peter must now juggle three things in his life: his new job at a local newspaper under a

TMA 02 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TMA 02 - Essay Example The Parliament is the supreme legislative body, hence, it can enact any law it chooses; and its enactments are absolutely binding on all. Because of this supremacy, Parliament can delegate legislative power to subordinates and the delegated or subordinate legislation laid down by such persons is also binding on the courts. Because it is sovereign, Parliament can delegate some of its legislative powers (by parent or enabling’ legislation) to Ministers of the Crown, local councils, etc. For example, the Secretary of State for Trade possesses delegated power to regulate the licensing of those involved in the consumer credit industry under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Delegated or subordinate legislation has become increasingly important in recent years as a source of new law because of lack of Parliamentary time, technicality, urgency and elasticity. The types of delegated legislation include orders in Council, statutory instruments (affirmative and negative procedure), and by-laws of local authorities. While these are the principal sources, to elucidate a difficult point, writings of jurists are resorted to. Since 1972, laws made by the European Communities may be applicable in the UK pursuant to the European Communities Act 1972, ss. 2 and 3. Such laws may take the form of Regulations and Directives from the European Commission and Council of Ministers and decisions of the European Court of Justice, which UK courts are bound to take notice of. As a member state of the European Community, the UK has to a very limited extent subordinated its legal system to that of the EC. Nevertheless, EC law is undoubtedly a source of English law. This is particularly true of directly applicable EC law, such as Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome, which provides for equal pay for work of equal value, irrespective of sex. In a series of cases, this principle has been held to apply to the UK. Courts have been careful to construe this principle as existing over British

What makes Canada an interesting country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What makes Canada an interesting country - Essay Example Located in North America, Canada boasts of 9.98 million square kilometers, making it the second largest country in the world with its borders touching three of the world’s largest oceans, the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans to the East, West and North respectively. Adding to the interesting facts surrounding its borders, the border between Canada and the United States (US) is the world’s longest land border. These among other facts about Canada make it one of the most interesting countries in the modern world. Canada began self-governance in 1867 and gained independence in 1931 following the enactment of the Statute of Westminster and therefore it is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Canada retained its ties with the British crown hence Queen Elizabeth II is Canada’s head of state in the modern day. This implies no elections for the head of state are held since the monarch is driven by heredity. The monarch then appoints a governor general, after a five year term, with advisory assistance from the prime minister. Canada’s parliament comprises of 105 senatorial seats, members appointed by governor general and 308 members from the House of Commons who are elected by the people on a four year term basis. Additionally, governor general appointees serve up to the age of 75 years. Similarly the chief justice and 8 other judges making the high court, are appointed by the prime minister and serve up to 75 up to the age of 75 years. However, there has been attempts to break fr om the British crown but to futility such as the 2014 referendum. Canada has a strong economy that can be attributed to its significantly many natural resources, trading activities and strong relations with the neighboring US. As a result, Canada is regarded a developed countries taking the eighth position in Human Development Index. Canada has a wide

Editi a paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Editi a paper - Essay Example Moreover, since we dealt with employees in different companies in Saudi Arabia, a survey was the only possible way viable alternative to reach those employees. The survey consists comprised of 18 questions. A total of 43 people responded to it. 93% (40) of the respondents were male, and 7% (3) were female. The sample size was ample adequate to determine ascertain the real genuine needs of the above mentioned employees target group. The second (change this to â€Å"first question† if the mistake is not deliberate) question was about the employees’ highest level of education. This question included 4 subcategories: vocational certificate, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral degree; 32.6% (14) of the respondents have reportedly had a vocational degree, 7.0% (3) have had a master’s degree, 2.3% (1) have a doctoral degree, and the rest (58.1% or 25) have a bachelor’s degree. (See Figure#1) Since we are dealing this survey dealt with employees who rarely enroll in English courses due to the busy nature of their job their busy work schedules, another question asked seeking information regarding their enrollment in programs imparting English education was included in the survey design whether they still study English. The result revealed that 59.5% (25) are were enrolled in still taking English courses, and while the remaining 17 are were not. This The outcomes suggests highlights the participants’ need willingness to improve their English language skills. Although it is relatively difficult to derive accurate inferences regarding an individual’s aptitude towards a particular language a person cannot judge his or her level of proficiency in language due to owing to variable proficiency measurements, the specific questions designed to seek information regarding their proficiency level were included in this survey asked the employees about their proficiency level. The results indicated that 42.9% (18) considered their proficiency

Business 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business 6 - Essay Example In this social orientation, people are more self-focused and tend to put their interest before those of a group. On the other hand, China practices collectivism. This is whereby the group’s interests come before individuals’ interests. Power orientation categorizes cultures into power respect and power tolerant societies. Power respect societies respect the chain of command and accept power based on position in an organization or in the society. Authority is not usually questioned. This orientation is common in China. Power tolerant societies question authority and do not necessarily buy what authority says as seen in the United States of America. The third category of Hostede’s classification is uncertainty orientation, which focuses on people’s feelings toward vague or uncertain situations. This categorizes cultures into uncertainty acceptance and uncertainty avoidance. The United States tends to lean more on uncertainty acceptance because her cultures are undisturbed by change. Chinese cultural set ups, on the other hand, tend to embrace uncertainty avoidance, which exhibits rigid systems based on rules (Ajami, Cool, Goddard, & Khambata, 2006). China and the United States are among the leading economies in the world. However, the socio-cultural aspects of the two economies greatly differ. Chinese cultures tend to avoid uncertainty, favor power distance and are usually adapted to long-term feminism and collectivism orientations (Smith, Dugan, & Trompenaars, 1996). On the other hand, Americans are more short-term-oriented and tend to favor individualism and masculinity. They are also not bothered by uncertainty and are more democratic (Fu & Yukl, 2000). In this regard, Americans and Chinese seem to differ in almost all aspects of their cultures. Culture has a major influence on business both at domestic and international levels. Cateora and Graham (1999) observed that

Pick any Business Law Case and write a 4 Page paper including a Work Essay

Pick any Business Law Case and write a 4 Page paper including a Work Cited Page - Essay Example The facts of the case were simple, Pinnacle Entertainment Inc, a Delaware corporation possessing 97% interest on Belterra Resort Indiana, transferred the title and possession of a riverboat to Belterra Resort Indiana. Pinnacle acquired the remaining 3% interest on Belterra in August of 2001. The Indiana Departments of Revenue conducted an audit of sales tax and use tax of Belterra in 2002 and proclaimed in its assessment that Belterra owed tax amounting to $1,869,783 plus interest and penalty, for acquisition of the riverboat. Belterra protested against the assessment of the Department and the Department after hearing the matter, issued a letter of findings denying the letter of protest. Belterra filed an appeal with the Indiana Tax Court. Both the parties filed for summary motion. The court in Belterra Resort Ind, LLC v. Ind. Dep’t of State Revenue, 900 N.E. 2d 513, 517 granted Belterra’s motion for summary judgment and reasoned that Belterra was not liable for use tax on its acquisition of the river boat due to the fact that the transaction was a contribution to the capital and not the result of a retail transaction (â€Å"Indiana Department of Revenue†). The Revenue Department was not satisfied with this judgment and this led to the case in hand, which was filed in the Supreme Court of Indiana. The problems which the Supreme Court had to sort out before moving with the case were numerous. Firstly, reaching a conclusion that whether the transfer of the river boat from the parent company (Pinnacle) to its subsidiary company (Belterra) was a â€Å"retail transaction† under the Indiana code section 6-2.5-3-2(a), as because the use tax can be imposed on Belterra for the riverboat only when it was acquired under retail transaction (Indiana Department of Revenue v. Belterra Resort). Secondly, the court had to determine whether the riverboat was obtained with or without consideration. Belterra argued that when no consideration was given f or the riverboat, the transaction was not a retail transaction, as  § 6-2.5-4-1(b)(2) states, â€Å"[a] person is engaged in selling retail when†¦he†¦ transfers that property to another person for consideration† (Indiana Department of Revenue v. Belterra Resort ). Thirdly, in the instant case the other critical legal issue was to find out, whether capital contribution by itself meant transfer of property without consideration. Belterra cited Grand Victoria Casino & Resort, LP v. Ind. Department of State Revenue, 789 N.E.2d 1041 to support his contention that capital contribution without consideration gave exemption from taxes (Rucker 827). Fourthly, the court had to determine whether there was exchange of some form of consideration other than cash in between Pinnacle and Belterra. The problem was to get an answer to the questions that â€Å"Was there any other benefit inuring to Pinnacle?† or â€Å"Was there some detriment borne by Belterra?† (Rucker 828). Fifthly, the court had to determine whether the presence of consideration in a transaction is enough to make it a retail sale. Justice Boehm states, â€Å"‘consideration’ is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to render a transaction ‘Selling at retail’† (Rucker 829). This however was contradictory to what Justice Rucker opined before. In the former context it was stated that when capital contribut

Drugs and Society Essay Example for Free

Drugs and Society Essay 1b. List and describe briefly the major structures of the brain, as presented in your textbook, including the function of those elements that are most related to psychoactive drug reaction. The first layer of the brain is the cortex which covers the top and sides of the brain. This area controls reasoning and language, and this area will be less active when under sedative drugs. The basal ganglia are located underneath the cortex and it is made up of by the striatum. The striatum controls muscle tone and is part of the dopamine pathway which is a potential transport highway for psychoactive drugs. The hypothalamus is at the base of the brain and serves as liaison between the brain and pituitary gland. The pituitary hormonal output is involved in behaviors such as feeding and temperature regulation. The limbic system affects emotion, location memory, and physical activity. Along the brain stem are the medulla, midbrain, and pons from which contain the bulk of neurons that create dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The lower brain stem controls vomiting and respiratory functions. If affected, the respiratory function can be suppressed by drugs. 1c. Describe the life cycle of a typical neurotransmitter. A cell membrane with the uptake of a particular precursor absorbs amino acids to create a neurotransmitter. The amino acids undergo synthesis with a reaction with enzymes to become a neurotransmitter. Once created, the neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles until they are released into the synapse. Once released, the neurotransmitters will attempt to attach to the membrane of neurons. If the neurotransmitter does not make it to the neuron, then it will either absorb in the originating cell or be metabolized within the synapse. 2b. Differentiate between drug disposition tolerance, behavioral tolerance, and pharmacodynamics tolerance, and provide reasons why these concepts should be taken into account when determining the effects of a drug. Drug disposition tolerance is defined as the increase of the drug’s rate of metabolism or removal. The user may increase the amount of a drug taken due to the drug being metabolized too quickly or being removed from the body. A person may compensate their behavior when exposed to a drug overtime such as learning to drive while intoxicated. The impairment is reduced and this is known as behavioral tolerance. Pharmacodynamics tolerance is the main contributor to the need to increase the dosage of a drug in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The user does not feel the same effects of a dosage so the dosage must be increased in order to get the same feeling. 2d. Provide several specific personal and societal steps you would recommend in an effort to reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions to drugs taken in combination. The largest deficit that can be produced to avoid adverse reactions to drug taken in combination is to avoid doing it all such as alcohol and other depressants. Individuals that need to take multiple medications such as person with diabetes and high blood pressure need to be carefully monitored and educated on the effects of the medications individually and the effects of the medications when combined. 3b. Explain the basic rationale and theoretical foundations for the extensive use of amphetamine in the treatment of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD individuals have deficits involved with the functions of executive control within the brain. This control center affects concentration, hyperactivity, and learning. Amphetamines have been shown to produce a calming effect upon the individual from the amphetamines ability to increase brain catecholamine activity whereas ADHD individuals suffer from catecholamine deficits in the prefrontal cortex. 3c. Provide your personal viewpoint on major concerns about ADHD diagnoses and the efficacy of drug treatments that have led to recent controversy. The basis of diagnoses of ADHD has not been fully researched due to any widely accepted knowledge as to why stimulants are effective in treating hyperactivity. The causes of ADHD are still not thoroughly understood. There have also been non-stimulant drugs that have been shown to be just as effective as stimulants such as Strattera and Atomoxetine. I believe that ADHD itself is a complicated issue that requires multiple points of attack such as the use of stimulant and non-stimulant drugs. What may work on one individual may not work on another. 4a. Provide evidence of your understanding of the ways in which time course events of barbiturate and benzodiazepine actions contribute to the onset of psychological and/or physical dependence. Barbiturate are fast acting drugs that may work within fifteen minutes and stay in the system for up to three hours. Due to the rapid activity of the barbiturates, they serve as a strong reinforcement to users due to the drug produced a desired effect quickly and leaving the body just as quickly. Benzodiazepine takes longer to initialize, but also stay in the body for up to ten hours. Barbiturates are taken in higher doses more rapidly, while Benzodiazepine is taken at lower does. Withdrawal symptoms of barbiturates from chronic symptoms are severe due to the rapidness the drug leaves the user’s body without the user’s body being able to adapt to the drug adequately. 4b. Describe the key functions of GABA (g-aminobutryic acid) in producing the effects of various sedative-hypnotic agents, with specific reference to benzodiazepines. GABA is a neurotransmitter that is found in CNS areas and deals with inhibitory functions. Benzodiazepine molecules are strongly attracted to the GABA receptor sites and when bound to the GABA receptor, the Benzodiazepine molecules will increase the inhibitory effects of GABA on the receptors.

The Libertarian Manifesto By John Hospers Philosophy Essay

The Libertarian Manifesto By John Hospers Philosophy Essay The Libertarian Manifesto by John Hospers is something that is equated with the ethical problem surrounding the distribution of wealth, amongst other things. Hospers (1996) argues that when it comes to the distribution of income, people should fend for themselves. He opposed arguments such as an admonition to feed the hungry because in the libertarian world, hunger simply would not happen (Hospers, 1996). Hospers (1996) begins his article by noting the definition of libertarianism, which is that people have a right to make their own decisions and lead their own lives, as long as their decisions do not interfere with anyone elses life. There is a problem as it respects the distribution of wealth, but for the libertarian it is not a problem. The individual has a right to decide what he or she wants to do. Hospers (1996) ideas, and the ideas of many libertarians, are equated with the concept that every man can fend for himself, and in the end, everyone will get exactly what they want. Hospers (1996) believes that the right to private property is basic. On some level, one might equate his ideas to natural rights ethics. Clarke Linzey (1996) write: The idea of natural rights implies that there is an essential human nature which determines this status and a moral order government the relations of human beings as such, independently of the laws of all particular societiesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¦ (598). The ethical rule used by Hospers (1996) in respect to wealth distribution would be that it is permissible to follow ones desires and not to worry about others in society. This is because they have their own paths. That is, it is not an obligation for society to take care of everyone in its midst. The duty is for the individual to be accountable to himself. Yet, it is also true that there are interactions between people. Hospers (1996) provides examples of situations in respect to how one should act, and certainly, the society is accountable to the individual on some level not to influence things too much. For the libertarian, it is scant government that is the best government. Hospers (1996) writes: Government is the most dangerous institution known to man (27). The factual claims made by Hospers (1996) are associated with observational and historical facts. Nothing he says can be proven, but anecdotal evidence is used to support the authors points. A student asks whether or not Hospers position meets the fourth criteria for valid theory, which are consistency and coherence, rational justification, plausibility, and usefulness. First, it should be said that the theory is coherent, and while it is largely consistent, it is difficult to be completely consistent with the notions in libertarianism. There are exceptions. Hospers (1996) writes about freedom where people have a right to do and say as they like, but even freedom of speech has limits. He writes: Indeed, the right to property may well be considered second only to the right to life. Even the freedom of speech is limited by considerations of property (Hospers, 1996, 25). He goes on to explore other issues and provides examples of when people cannot say what they like (Hospers, 1996). While the theory is consistent, there are exceptions to everything and this muddies the waters. One can take things further by examining contemporary examples. For instance, people believe that they have the right to free speech. Hospers (1996) says that people cannot shout obscenities in a church because the property is not designated for that purpose. Enter property rights. Yet, in society today, people do have a right to their opinions. At the same time, with the political correctness movement, people are not entitled to utter certain things without their rights being challenged by the law. If someone utters a derogatory racial remark and ends up in a fight, he can be charged with a hate crime. On some level, this is thought control. As abhorrent as ones thoughts might be, the idea to outlaw certain forms of speech and not others imposes limits, thus challenging some pure libertarian notions. While this idea does not take away from the validity of the position, it certainly challenges its consistency. Is the position rational? It is a reasoned argument. In fact, the article provides much support for the premise, and the support is based on logic. Ethical criteria are included and the author does make a sound ethical arguments that are also plausible. While the points are well reasoned, the argument at the end of all of this is whether or not someone can allow poverty to exist in a world of plenty. The libertarian provides a what if argument. In other words, the libertarian claims that if things were a certain way, there would be no poverty, but the world is not completely libertarian so the point is moot. Poverty persists, so while the argument may be sound in this what if scenario, it does not address solutions for the status quo. What does one do with the poor today? Usefulness is another issue. If one is not operating in a libertarian world, the theory is only useful if the world were that way. Theoretically, Hospers (1996) provides an excellent paradigm, but it may not be possible to achieve his ideas in reality. In the United States, different ideas are supported and compromises are made. Hospers (1996) brand of libertarianism could not flourish in this sort of situation. Similarly, in totalitarian regimes, there is much too much force in play to go from such a model to one of complete freedom. Libertarianism is a sound theoretical model, but it is unknown whether or not it could ever be successfully implemented.

General Behavioral Characterization of Proximity Malware

General Behavioral Characterization of Proximity Malware CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION GENERAL A delay-tolerant network is anetworkdesigned to operate effectively over extreme distances such as those encountered in space communications or on an interplanetary scale. In such an environment, longlatency sometimes measured in hours or days is inevitable. The popularity of mobile consumer electronics, like laptop computers, PDAs, and more recently and prominently, smart phones, revives the delay-tolerant-network (DTN) model as an alternative to the traditional infrastructure model. The widespread adoption of these devices, coupled with strong economic incentives, induces a class of malware that specifically targets DTNs. We call this class of malware proximity malware. Proximity malware based on the DTN model brings unique security challenges that are not present in the infrastructure model. In the infrastructure model, the cellular carrier centrally monitors networks for abnormalities moreover the resource scarcity of individual nodes limits the rate of malware propagation. A pr erequisite to defending against proximity malware is to detect it. In this paper, we consider a general behavioral characterization of proximity malware. Behavioral characterization, in terms of system call and program flow, has been previously proposed as an effective alternative to pattern matching for malware detection. In our model, malware-infected nodes behaviors are observed by others during their multiple opportunistic encounters: Individual observations may be imperfect, but abnormal behaviors of infected nodes are identifiable in the long-run. OBJECTIVE Network is the combination of Nodes. Each node will communicate with its neighbors and share their data. If a node is affected by a malware it’s necessary to clear it else its neighbors will communicate with it and they also affected by malware. Hence detection of malware is important. Here we discuss some methods for the detection of malware. EXISTING SYSTEM Previous researches quantify the threat of proximity malware attack and demonstrate the possibility of launching such an attack, which is confirmed by recent reports on hijacking hotel Wi-Fi hotspots for drive-by malware attack. With the adoption of new short-range communication technologies such as NFC and Wi-Fi Direct that facilitate spontaneous bulk data transfer between spatially proximate mobile devices, the threat of proximity malware is becoming more realistic and relevant than ever. Proximity malware based on the DTN model brings unique security challenges that are not present in the model. EXISTING SYSTEM DISADVANTAGES Central monitoring and resource limits are absent in the DTN model. Very risk to collecting evidence and also having insufficient evidence. It is filter the false evidence in sequentially and distributed. 1.3.2. LITERATURE SURVEY LITERATURE SURVEY Title:  An Optimal Distributed Malware Defense System for Mobile Networks with Heterogeneous Devices Author: Yong Li, Pan Hui Year: 2011 Description: Consider a mobile network where a portion of the nodes are infected by malware. Our research problem is to deploy an efficient defense system to help the infected nodes to recover and prevent the healthy nodes from further infection. Typically, we should disseminate the content-based signatures of known malware to as many nodes as possible. The signature is obtained by using algorithms such as an MD5 hash over the malware content, and they are used by the mobile devices to detect various patterns in the malware and then to disable further propagation. Therefore, distributing these signatures into the whole network while avoiding unnecessary redundancy is our optimization goal. Title: On Modeling Malware Propagation in Generalized Social Networks Author: Shin-Ming Cheng Year : 2011 Description: This article proposes a novel analytical model to efficiently analyze the speed and severity for spreading the hybrid malware such as Commwarrior that targets multimedia messaging service (MMS) and BT. Validation against conducted simulation experiments reveals that our model developed from the Susceptible-Infected (SI) model in epidemiology accurately Approximates mixed spreading behaviors in large areas without the huge computational cost, which helps estimate the damages caused by the hybrid malware and aids in the development of detection and containment processes. Title: Scalable, Behavior-Based Malware Clustering Author: Ulrich Bayer Year : 2009 Description: In this research, we propose a scalable clustering approach to identify and group malware samples that exhibit similar behavior. For this, we first perform dynamic analysis to obtain the execution traces of malware programs. These execution traces are then generalized into behavioral profiles, which characterize the activity of a program in more abstract terms. The profiles serve as input to an efficient clustering algorithm that allows us to handle sample sets that are an order of magnitude larger than previous approaches. We have applied our system to real-world malware collections. The results demonstrate that our technique is able to recognize and group malware programs that behave similarly, achieving a better precision than previous approaches. To underline the scalability of the system, we clustered a set of more than 75 thousand samples in less than three hours. Title: Self-Policing Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks by Reputation Systems Author: Sonja Buchegger Year : 2005 Description: Node misbehavior due to selfish or malicious reasons or faulty nodes can significantly degrade the performance of mobile ad-hoc networks. To cope with misbehavior in such self-organized networks, nodes need to be able to automatically adapt their strategy to changing levels of cooperation. Existing approaches such as economic incentives or secure routing by cryptography alleviate some of the problems, but not all. We describe the use of a self-policing mechanism based on reputation to enable mobile ad-hoc networks to keep functioning despite the presence of misbehaving nodes. The reputation system in all nodes makes them detect misbehavior locally by observation and use of second-hand information. Once a misbehaving node is detected it is automatically isolated from the network. We classify the features of such reputation systems and describe possible implementations of each of them. We explain in particular how it is possible to use second-hand information while mitigat ing contamination by spurious ratings. Title: The EigenTrust Algorithm for Reputation Management in P2P Networks Author: Sepandar D. Kamvar, Mario T. Schlosser Year : 2003 Description: Peer-to-peer file-sharing networks are currently receiving much attention as a means of sharing and distributing information. However, as recent experience shows, the anonymous, open nature of these networks offers an almost ideal environment for the spread of Self-replicating inauthentic files. We describe an algorithm to decrease the number of downloads of inauthentic files in a peer-to-peer file-sharing network that assigns each peer a unique global trust value, based on the peer’s history of uploads. We present a distributed and secure method to compute global trust values, based on Power iteration. By having peers use these global trust values to choose the peers from whom they download, the network effectively identifies malicious peers and isolates them from the network. In simulations, this reputation system, called EigenTrust, has been shown to significantly decrease the number of inauthentic files on the network, even under a variety of conditions where malicious peers cooperate in an attempt to deliberately subvert the system. Title: When Gossip is Good: Distributed Probabilistic Inference for Detection of Slow Network Intrusions Author: Denver Dash, Branislav Kveton Year : 2006 Description: Intrusion attempts due to self-propagating code are becoming an increasingly urgent problem, in part due to the homogeneous makeup of the internet. Recent advances in anomaly based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) have made use of the quickly spreading nature of these attacks to identify them with high sensitivity and at low false positive (FP) rates. However, slowly propagating attacks are much more difficult to detect because they are cloaked under the veil of normal network traffic, yet can be just as dangerous due to their exponential spread pattern. We extend the idea of using collaborative IDSs to corroborate the likelihood of attack by imbuing end hosts with probabilistic graphical models and using random messaging to gossip state among peer detectors. We show that such a system is able to boost a weak anomaly Detector D to detect an order-of-magnitude slower worm, at false positive rates less than a few per week, than would be possible using D alone at the end-host or on a network aggregation point. Title: A Preliminary Investigation of Worm Infections in a Bluetooth Environment Author: Jing Su, Kelvin K. W. Chan Year : 2006 Description: Over the past year, there have been several reports of malicious code exploiting vulnerabilities in the Bluetooth protocol. While the research community has started to investigate a diverse set of Bluetooth security issues, little is known about the feasibility and the propagation dynamics of a worm in a Bluetooth environment. This paper is an initial attempt to remedy this situation. We start by showing that the Bluetooth protocol design and implementation is large and complex. We gather traces and we use controlled experiments to investigate whether a large-scale Bluetooth worm outbreak is viable today. Our data shows that starting a Bluetooth worm infection is easy, once vulnerability is discovered. Finally, we use trace-drive simulations to examine the propagation dynamics of Bluetooth worms. We find that Bluetooth worms can infect a large population of vulnerable devices relatively quickly, in just a few days. Title: An adaptive anomaly detector for worm detection Author: John Mark Agosta, Carlos Diuk-Wasser Year : 2007 Description: We present an adaptive end-host anomaly detector where a supervised classifier trained as a traffic predictor is used to control a time-varying detection threshold. Training and testing it on real traffic traces collected from a number of end-hosts, we show our detector dominates an existing fixed threshold detector. This comparison is robust to the choice of off-the-shelf classifier employed, and to a variety of performance criteria: the predictor’s error rate, the reduction in the â€Å"threshold gap† and the ability to detect the simulated threat of incremental worm traffic added to the traces. This detector is intended as a part of a distributed worm detection system that infers system-wide threats from end-host detections, thereby avoiding the sensing and resource limitations of conventional centralized systems. The distributed system places a constraint on this end host detector to appear consistent over time and machine variability. Title: CPMC: An Efficient Proximity Malware Coping Scheme in Smartphone-based Mobile Networks Author: Feng Li, Yinying Yang Year : 2010 Description: Many emerging malware can utilize the proximity of devices to propagate in a distributed manner, thus remaining unobserved and making detections substantially more challenging. Different from existing malware coping schemes, which are either totally centralized or purely distributed, we propose a Community-based Proximity Malware Coping scheme, CPMC. CPMC utilizes the social community structure, which reflects a stable and controllable granularity of security, in smart phone-based mobile networks. The CPMC scheme integrates short-term coping components, which deal with individual malware and long-term evaluation components, which offer vulnerability evaluation towards individual nodes. A closeness-oriented delegation forwarding scheme combined with a community level quarantine method is proposed as the short-term coping components. These components contain a proximity malware by quickly propagating the signature of a detected malware into all communities while avoiding u nnecessary redundancy. PROPOSED SYSTEM Behavioral characterization, in terms of system call and program flow, has been previously proposed as an effective alternative to pattern matching for malware detection. In our model, malware-infected nodes’ behaviors are observed by others during their multiple opportunistic encounters: Individual observations may be imperfect, but abnormal behaviors of infected nodes are identifiable in the long-run. We identify challenges for extending Bayesian malware detection to DTNs, and propose a simple yet effective method, look-ahead, to address the challenges. Furthermore, we propose two extensions to look-ahead, dogmatic filtering and adaptive look-ahead, to address the challenge of â€Å"malicious nodes sharing false evidence†. PROPOSED SYSTEM ADVANTAGES Real mobile network traces are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The proposed evidence consolidation strategies in minimizing the negative impact of liars on the shared evidence’s quality. It is used to identify the abnormal behaviors of infected nodes in the long-run. . CHAPTER 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1. GENERAL We analyze the problem of behavioral characterization of malware nodes in Delay Tolerant Network efficiently without affecting network performance. 2.2. PROBLEM DEFINITION Proximity malware is a malicious program that disrupts the host node’s normal function and has a chance of duplicating itself to other nodes during (opportunistic) contact opportunities between nodes in the DTN. When duplication occurs, the other node is infected with the malware. We present a general behavioral characterization of proximity malware, which captures the functional but imperfect nature in detecting proximity malware. Under the behavioral malware characterization, and with a simple cut-off malware containment strategy, we formulate the malware detection process as a distributed decision problem. We analyze the risk associated with the decision, and design a simple, yet effective, strategy, look-ahead, which naturally reflects individual nodes’ intrinsic risk inclinations against malware infection. We present two alternative techniques, dogmatic filtering and adaptive look-ahead, that naturally extend look-ahead to consolidate evidence provided by others, w hile containing the negative effect of false evidence. A nice property of the proposed evidence consolidation methods is that the results will not worsen even if liars are the majority in the neighborhood 2.3. METHODOLOGIES Methodologies are the process of analyzing the principles or procedure for behavioral characterizing of node with two methods, dogmatic filtering and adaptive look-ahead, for consolidating evidence provided by other nodes, while containing the negative impact of liars in delay tolerant network. 2.3.1. MODULES Authentication Network Nodes Malware Detection Evidence Analysis Evil Node Revocation 2.3.2 MODULE DESCRIPTION Authentication If you are the new user going to consume the service then they have to register first by providing necessary details. After successful completion of sign up process, the user has to login into the application by providing username and exact password. The user has to provide exact username and password which was provided at the time of registration, if login success means it will take up to main page else it will remain in the login page itself.. Network Nodes Under this module, the network nodes which are interconnected by local area network, that node ip address will be fetched in order to share the resources among the network. As well as the performance of individual system have been analyzed to assess the behavior Malware Detection Malware detection module helps to identify the evil node which is affected by malware program Evidence Analysis This module used to investigate about evidences of nodes by collecting assessments before a normal node get affected by malware program. Evidence aging process helps to discard outdated assessments of a node and evidence consolidation helps to filter negative assessments of a node provided by the other nodes. Evil Node Revocation After detection of evil node, we need to drop the communication with that in order to prevent from malware spreading and the evil node details are transferred to database for further reference. Finally evil node gets revoked from the network computer list. 2.3.3. MODULE DIAGRAM: Authentication Network Nodes Malware Detection Evidence Analysis Evil Node Revocation 2.3.4. GIVEN INPUT EXPECTED OUTPUT AUTHENTICATION Input: Give username and password Output: Allow to your personal details NETWORK NODES Input: Connect to network Output: Communicate between client server MALWAER DETECTION Input: Transfer your file to another node Output: Identifying malicious node EVIDENCE ANALYSES Input: Communicate with other node before affect by malware node then collect evidences Output: Showing all evidence analysis report EVIL NODE REVOCATION Input: Communication with malware node till collect full evidences Output: Malware node has been removed 2.4. TECHNIQUE USED Dogmatic filtering Dogmatic filtering is based on the observation that one’s own assessments are truthful and therefore, can be used to bootstrap the evidence consolidation process. A node shall only accept evidence that will not sway its current opinion too much. We call this observation the dogmatic principle. Adaptive look-ahead Adaptive look ahead takes a different approach towards evidence consolidation. Instead of deciding whether to use the evidence provided by others directly in the cut-off decision, adaptive look ahead indirectly uses the evidence by adapting the steps to look ahead to the diversity of opinion.

Conflict in the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis Essay example -- essay

Action and reaction are the very threads that make up the fabric of our universe, conflicting forces that wage war against each other in hopes of gaining the upper hand and overcoming the other. Virtue versus desire, faith versus logic, tradition versus change, light versus darkness, (Republicans versus Democrats,) and good versus evil-all opposing facets of their respective fields that switch off control in a never-ending dance of push and pull. We witness one of these never-ending dances first hand in C.S. Lewis' novel, The Screwtape Letters, as a high-ranked demon named Screwtape advises his naà ¯ve and inexperienced nephew on the best methods to use in corrupting his assigned ?Patient? and preventing the ?Enemy? from gaining the ?Patient? for himself. But though it may come from the evil perspective of an expert demon, the piece is really a reflection of the internal struggle in humans between good and evil, Lord and Satan, on a small, subtle, and discreet level. The conflict portrayed in this novel addresses the everyday sins and mindsets that more often than not lead to the downfall of a seemingly good and righteous person (unlike the focus on absolute evils such as outright dishonesty and murder common in other works on morality). The main character?s struggle plays out this idea that it is the little things a person does that have the biggest impact in his or her life, an idea that can be applied not only to the salvation of our spiritual immortality, but also to the value of our mortal lives as well. We learn from Screwtape?s many letters of advice to his nephew Wormwood (thirty-one letters to be exact) the many strategies that evil spirits and demons employ in order to secure human spiritual morality. Contrary... ...dentify our mistakes and learn from them in order for us to reap any benefit from those mistakes, unfortunately for us it is the small mistakes that are the most dangerous and the hardest to identify and correct. Lucky for us, Screwtape didn?t do a very good job of hiding his letters to his nephew because it means less work for us and more trouble for all demon-kind. ?It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one?the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,? Your affectionate uncle Screwtape (Lewis 60-61). Cited Sources ?Lewis, Clive S. The Screwtape Letters. San Francisco: HarperCollins, Inc., 2001.

The Role of the Narrator in Byrons Don Juan Essay examples -- Don Jua

The Role of the Narrator in Byron's Don Juan The narrator of Don Juan takes the traditional role of omniscient narrator. He states the facts but also adds in his personal thoughts on the characters. From the beginning he lets the reader know that he is in search of a hero. He cannot find a hero in his contemporary time, therefore he will return to the hero who has stayed a hero through time. The hero is "my friend Don Juan" (5.8). There is no doubt that the narrator feels a close relationship with the hero and the hero will be treated as casually as friend. He relates that the usual course for a poem is to start in the middle, "that is the usual method, but not mine" (7.1). He will start at the beginning and give opinionated views of Juan's parents. Immediately the narrator establishes control, and therefore sets the tone of the poem. He lets the reader know that Juan's parental skills are lacking (according to him) and if he was Juan's parent he would do things differently. Of young Juan's mischievousness, if "they been but both in their senses, they'd have the young master To school, or had him soundly whipp'd at home, To teach him manners for the time to come" (25.5-8) Certainly this establishes his authority. As the reader, we want to believe him. Obviously (to the reader) Juan's parents are negligent in their duties and the reader sees herself agreeing that she too would do the same. He guides us to be prejudiced to Juan's parents and this trust develops between narrator and reader that carries throughout the poem. Of course the na rrator like any instigator will deny their input. A particularly amusing part of the poem is where the narrator in self-parody tells us "For my part I say nothing--nothing--but This I will... ...rity over the hero. The narrator alone has the power to keep Don Juan alive. In addition, the narrator is really the personality of the poem. We are told Don Juan's actions, but is the narrator that flavors it. It is interesting that Lord Byron decided to include the narrator so prominently; but definitely to the poem's advantage. Works Cited Bostetter, Edward E., Twentieth Century Interpretations of Don Juan. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Boyd, Elizabeth French, Byron's Don Juan: A Critical Study. NY: Humanities Press, 1958. Byron (George Gordon, Lord Byron), Don Juan, ed. Leslie A. Marchand. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958. McGann, Jerome J., Don Juan in Context. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1976. Steffan, Truman Guy, & Willis W. Pratt, eds., Byron's Don Juan: A Variorum Edition. 2nd ed.. 4 vols.. Austin: U of Texas Press, 1971.

C.S. Lewis’ Reflections on the Psalms

Clive Staples (C.S.) Lewis, best known for his slew of fantasy novels, Chronicles of Narnia, is undoubtedly one of the most popular and controversial Christian writers.   His unabashed use of Christian mythology and concepts in his literary works reflected the impact of his conversion late in life, though his background and interest in folklore and the occultist manage to shine through his texts time and again. In any case, it would be improper and an insult to consider Lewis a run of the mill Christian writer, whose literary products are expected to subscribe to the doctrines of the religion.   Though devoted and a staunch believer, Lewis’ intellectual take on the religion and its implications run against the grain of common Christian literature.   It is, therefore, imperative to view Lewis using this frame of mind, particularly in understanding his post-conversion writings. One must also take into consideration that Lewis’ unorthodox view of Christian teachings – though decidedly supportive and faithful – often elicits much controversy from various parties.   Being an Anglican Christian, his writings are often condemned for their perceived attack on Catholicism and Judaism.   It is with this viewpoint that most literary analysts and critiques pillory Lewis’ most controversial non-fiction Christian tome, Reflections on the Psalms. The book is the result of Lewis’ reading of the Book of Psalms in the Bible, and the result of his discussion is not as easily acceptable for most readers.   It is the culmination of both his Christian background and a genuine interest in the apparent contradiction that faith and religiosity can be the breeding ground for the worst forms of violence and anger. This study posits that C.S. Lewis’ Reflections on the Psalms is a misunderstood body of work that may not be a perfect discussion of the Book of Psalms but does represent the occasionally valid theological theories of the author himself.     Though it will be necessary to compare Lewis’ theological musings to the writings of his peers, one must take into consideration the fact that the book is essentially an encapsulation of Lewis’ own musings and comprehension of the Book of Psalms without proselytizing or seeking any religious influence over any reader. To prove this thesis, the study shall begin with a brief discussion of the contents of the book, primarily with regards to Lewis’ interests and understanding of the Book of Psalms.   Second, the study shall discuss the similarities and differences of Reflections on the Psalms as compared to other books or articles of similar vein.   Third, the study shall seek to understand the value of Lewis’ tome through its intended audience and the message he wished to deliver to his readers. Lastly, the study shall present an in-depth review of the strengths and weaknesses of the book, primarily through specific quotations from the text.   Only then can a valid judgment of the book be achieved.   It would, of course, also be a reliable standard through which the merit and validity of continued patronage for Lewis’ little known tome on the Psalms may be measured. First of all, what exactly is Reflections on the Psalms about?   In a nutshell, Lewis reads the Book of Psalms and finds both joy and fear in his readings.   He is alternately ecstatic and appalled by the combination of praise and vitriolic anger found in this Old Testament book, citing some areas as aberrations when taken against the standards of the Christian world. In the process of reviewing the Book of Psalms, however, Lewis unleashes some seriously controversial lines, such as the condemnation of Jews as worst than pagans in their vindictiveness and anger[1].   Despite his negative pronouncements about the Jews and their violent indignation, Lewis’ book also looks into the essence of praise and what it means to man. The Book of Psalms is essentially a collection of prayer songs.   These songs are filled with praise for God in the same way that man would sing praises of anything or anyone he cares about.   This concept is not lost on Lewis, who promptly dedicates a moving chapter to the power of praise.   Lewis presents a different point of view in the sense that he urges readers not to fall for the theological jargon and technicalities that essentially make the reading of the Bible tedious and academic. Rather, his main point in writing Reflections on the Psalms is to emphasize the love that drives man to sing praises to a higher power and a greater being.   It is this essence of the Book of Psalms that Lewis focuses upon, emphasizing the unique rapturous sensation that fuels the Psalmists’ songs of praise for God, even in all their imperfect glory. Lewis’ book on the Psalms, of course, is not the first or last one in the literary world.   Arthur Weiser’s The Psalms: a Commentary, for example, is a straightforward commentary on the writings in the Book of Psalms.   Without essentially dissecting the concepts within the book, Weiser presents a modern discussion of the Psalms in a manner similar to a literary addendum; his book is explanatory of the book in the context of history rather than straight theology. The result is more of an academic verse by verse explanation of the Book of Psalms.   For example, the book attempts to find a correlation between the promised power of the Israelite king and the known history of Israel.   In doing so, Weiser likens the kings of Israel to the ruler of Egypt, explaining the psalmist’s faith as a product of the historical submission to an unseen God prominent in the area during that period.[2] On the other hand, J.M. Smith’s The Religion of the Psalms is more focused on the significance of the Book of Psalms with regards to its effects on morality in the Jewish sphere.[3]   How did the Book of Psalms influence the moral and ethical standards of the Jewish community? In essence, it is less a theological discussion (as in Lewis’ Reflections on the Psalms) or a historical study (as in Weiser’s The Psalms: a Commentary) and more of a study on the ethical dimensions and impact of the Psalms.   What is most important to discuss, apart from the approach to the Book of Psalms, however, is the literary style employed by Lewis.   Both Weiser and Smith present a near clinical explanation of the Book of Psalms, rendering it completely academic in nature. With Lewis, however, the style of writing is entirely different.   Though the content may be controversial, Lewis’ writing style undoubtedly produces beautiful, free flowing prose.   Even in his damning critique of what he calls â€Å"Jewish prison of self-righteousness†, his words never fail to contain a certain degree of mastery that renders the reader speechless and enthralled. His use of imagery and metaphors – a feature not found in other studies and commentaries on the Book of Psalms – alternately brings to life the peaceful, rapturous bliss of praise and the scathing fire-and-brimstone speeches of anger and vindictiveness.   Lewis’ style leaves no room for doubt: he indicts, judges and rhapsodizes about every nook and cranny of the Book of Psalms, thereby presenting a delightful and visually stimulating analysis of the Old Testament’s ode to prayer.[4] It may be said that the style of writing itself speaks volumes about Lewis’ very message.   His use of vivid prose and occasionally harsh, unforgiving words essentially show that the book is far from a theological dissertation that begs readership from scholars of the same field alone.   Rather than an academic approach, Lewis has utilized a less formal yet no less insightful means to discuss his views of the Book of Psalms. As such, it may be surmised that the intended audience of the book are the masses – lay people who cannot be presumed to know enough of the Bible’s scholarly and theological debates.   Instead, the book is designed to appeal to and at the same time educate the ordinary people who wish to learn more of faith rather than spend their hours reciting prescribed prayers. It is a discussion made entirely accessible to ordinary people – an exercise in proletariat â€Å"education†.   It is not exactly an attempt to aid conversions or strengthen the proselytizing armies.   More importantly, Lewis does not write directly for the Christian readers, either, despite his subject matter.   Lewis’ intention is to move people towards action, towards moral indignation against illicit and immoral activities.[5] In essence, the target audience is anyone who cares about moral uprightness, and the Book of Psalms becomes a means for Lewis to deliver across his point.   Rather than a platform for theological proselytizing, the end of Lewis’ book emphasizes moral action rather than any actual alignment with any church.[6] As mentioned earlier, Reflections on the Psalms is a book both loved and hated.   First of all, its subject matter and brash approach render it quite prickly for many critics.   One significant weakness of the book is its blatant criticism against Jews that can easily be misunderstood as an attack on the Semitic community. For example, in explaining the vitriolic anger that populates parts of the Book of Psalms, Lewis indicted the Psalmists (Jews, inevitably) for their hatred and the devilish and vulgar images graphically present in the psalms.[7]   Indeed, if Psalm 9, which speaks of blessings for people who violently bash the brains of Babylonian babies, is anything to go by, Lewis is not at all far-fetched or exaggerating. Despite the reality of Lewis’ accusations of violence and sensationalism in the Book of Psalms, this becomes a weakness of his book, particularly since it is viewed as a biased indictment of one race rather than an accurate response to a literary piece.   Moreover, since Lewis is incapable of reading the original Hebrew version of the Book of Psalms, this is easily a weakening of his rhetoric. Though essentially accurate in his reaction to the contents of the Book of Psalms, his admission that he is no reader of Hebrew becomes more of a problem rather than a powerful disclosure.   While it does not entirely negate the validity of Lewis’ contentions (as reading from an English translation is also perfectly valid), it does become a thorn on the author’s side when issues of validity and objectivity arise. Perhaps in sharp contrast to this failed disclosure is Lewis’ admission that he is no theologian.   Rather than become a weakness of the study, this becomes a very powerful tool in Lewis’ defense of his writings.   As Lewis wrote, â€Å"One is sometimes (not often) glad not to be a great theologian.   One might so easily confuse it with being a good Christian†.[8]   In essence, this provides Lewis with a very good defense with regards to the allegations that he is bias on purpose, with an obviously anti-Semitic bend. Lewis does not claim any moral superiority in discussing the Psalms.   The essence of Reflection on the Psalms, therefore, is a very personal book written from Lewis’ own point of view and should not be taken as a tool for ethnic indictment or proselytizing. This concept is also highly related to the final and most significant strength of the book.   Despite claims that the book is biased and subjective, the greatest power of Reflections on the Psalms is its raw, honest discussion of the power of praise.   He wrote, â€Å"The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express that same delight in God which made David dance†[9]. It is precisely this bliss that Lewis captures perfectly in his book, rendering it a bittersweet portrayal of human flaws and the love of God that continues to inspire even the most imperfect of humans to dance for joy and sing in bliss.   Though he does present a rather negative depiction of the Jews in the early part of his book, he acknowledges their flaws as human and present in everyone.   It is their ability to connect, love and be moved by the presence of God that makes them worth and even admirable in the eyes of Lewis. BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"Lewis on the Psalms†, TIME Magazine, 22 September 1958; accessed on 5 May 2008 available from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863917,00.html Lewis, C.S.   Reflections on the Psalms.   New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1958 Meilaender, Gilbert.   Things That Count: Essays Moral and Theological.   Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2000 Smith, J.M.   The Religion of the Psalms.   Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1922    Weiser, Arthur. The Psalms: A Commentary.   Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962    Wood, Ralph.   â€Å"Conflict and Convergence on Fundamental Matters in C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkie [1] â€Å"Lewis on the Psalms†, TIME Magazine, 22 September 1958; accessed on 5 May 2008 available from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863917,00.html [2] Arthur Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary,   (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962) 111 [3] J.M. Smith, The Religion of the Psalms, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1922), v [4] â€Å"Lewis on the Psalms†, 1958 [5] Ibid [6] Ibid [7] C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1958) [8] Ibid., p.57 [9] Ibid., p.45