Audit and Assurance

BA (HONS) ACCOUNTING & FINANCE BA (HONS) PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANCY COURSE YEAR 3 AUDIT & ASSURANCE 1 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT BRIEF HAND OUT DATE:5th October 2011 HAND IN DATE: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COURSEWORK You are required to research and prepare a report based on one of the following topics. Please seek the assistance of the module leader Ivor Pingue and your seminar tutors for help and guidance with your coursework. Do not leave the research too late!! The word limit for the report is a minimum of 3,500 (+10%) words. maximum word count can be + 10% (Note: reports submitted with less than 3,500 words will be rejected and given a mark of zero !! ). Reports must indicate the word count and any report that does not include this will be rejected. All reports must be properly referenced and also be submitted with a TURNITIN report. NOTE that high similarity reports could be subject to further investigation which might lead to a charge of academic misconduct for plagiarism. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN In addition to the written report, you are to prepare a separate individual personal development statement in accordance with the attached brief. This individual submission is to be handed in for the attention of Peter Blowes. The personal development statement will contribute up to 10% of your overall mark for the unit. TOPIC 1 Given the recent banking crisis and the current volatility of the financial markets, some commentators have suggested that the current audit model is not fit for purpose and should be changed to reflect the current business practices and models particularly relating to risk and risk assessment. REQUIRED Critically evaluate this statement and consider whether in your view, the current risk based approach to auditing should be amended and if so, what model should be adopted. (NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RESTRICT YOUR RESEARCH TO THE UK). TOPIC 2 External auditing has changed to accommodate the changes in corporate governance in the UK and other countries such as South Africa, Australia, US, India and China REQUIRED Using a country or countries of your choice, research and prepare a report to critically evaluate the above statement. TOPIC 3 With the current emphasis on carbon emissions and damage to the environment that businesses cause and an awareness of social issues, the role of auditors in providing social and environmental assurance engagements is likely to increase as we enter into the 21st Century. REQUIRED Research and explain the growth and development of social and environmental auditing in both the UK and a country of your choice. Explain whether you agree or disagree with the statement made. (NOTE: make sure that your research supports and is evidenced by any assertions that you make !! TOPIC 4 Auditors are not only engaged in performing statutory audits but can provide assurance reports to a number of entities both incorporated and unincorporated. Also, auditors can help reduce the incidence of fraud within a business. REQUIRED Write a report suggesting ways that an assurance engagement can be useful to various forms of businesses including the use of forensic auditing services. Also, do you agree that an assurance service can reduce the incidence of fraud? How and why do you arrive at your view? TOPIC 5 There have been a number of reports by the Audit Inspection Unit examining, amongst other things, audit quality and audit compliance reviews (ACR’s) REQUIRED Research the reports that have been produced in the UK that have considered audit quality and critically appraise them. In your report, you should make clear why you consider audit quality to be an important aspect of both the external and internal audit process. Your report should also consider how an audit firm can perform an effective audit compliance review (ACR). TOPIC 6 Given the behaviour of the audit firm Arthur Andersen in the Enron debacle, it could be argued that auditors are never truly independent of their clients and cannot be properly ethical in relation to their dealings with them for a variety of reasons, one of which being fees. REQUIRED Critically appraise the above statement by examining the relationship of the auditor to Enron. You should also consider how governments and the auditing professions in the US and UK have dealt with the issue of auditors independence and ethics. Have they gone far enough in providing public confidence in this area? What suggestions would you make to improve the position? TOPIC 7 The question of competition within the audit market is a ‘hot topic’ particularly for the middle tier and lower tier audit firms who have argued for some time that there is an unfair dominance of big ‘4’ audit firms in relation to FTSE 100 companies. REQUIRED Consider whether in your view the mid and lower tier audit firms have a fair argument in terms of the dominance of the big ‘4’ audit firms in relation to the FTSE companies. What can be done to address this issue to ensure fair competition in the audit market ? Can governments do more in this regard? (NOTE: Consider the current debate relating to this as well as the relevant reports). TOPIC 8 Examine articles within the following auditing journals: Auditing: A Journal Of Practice & Theory International Journal of Auditing Take a period of 36 months and selecting a theme that has been examined within these journals, write a report showing how it has been considered in these journals. Within your answer, state whether in your opinion, the matter has been satisfactorily resolved or whether further research and examination is required. MODULE LEADER

Faith Statement

Faith Statement My faith has grown immensely over the years. Throughout my faith journey everyone at the church and in my family has influenced my life in faith. To me when you are baptized it means your parents are making you a child of God but when you get confirmed you are accepting your baptism and becoming a member of the church. Jesus is a big part of mine and everyone’s life because he died on the cross to save our sins.We pretty much all take advantage of Jesus’s love. Everyone makes mistakes, some foolish, but still Jesus will always forgive us and love us. Also, even though I know I will be forgiven, church has taught me that we should all try to do our best at doing what God wants us to do and the right thing. Since I’m a Christian, whenever I am about to do something that I think God wouldn’t want me to I think it over and try to make the best choice.I think that Holy Communion affects my life by making me feel clean and saved. Prayer is very v ital to me. Going to church has taught me that if I pray to God for help in something most of the time he delivers but when he doesn’t it’s not because he isn’t listening but simply because it’s not meant to be. Throughout the years, I have learned to help God and serve around the community. After I get confirmed I will still attend church and do service projects to help others.

American Gods By Neil Gaiman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

American Gods By Neil Gaiman - Essay Example A myth refers to a traditional story accepted as history: it is designed to explain how people observe the world .Mythology therefore refers to the study of these stories and myth which explains the beliefs and practices of a people. American gods by Neil Gaiman is classified as a novel based on myths which formulates a number of concerns of the modern day society in a place whereby the world opinion is that the connection with the gods has been lost and most of what used to be strong spiritual beliefs that guided the society to most individuals has lost their hold on people and meaning. Gaiman gives the readers a combination of present day mythologies whereby the technology, a major characteristic of the modern day society is an important element in the deduction and analysis between the ancient and the modern (Gaiman). STATEMENT OF THESIS The research paper looks at Neil Gaiman novel American Gods and analyses Gaiman’s purpose in American Gods. The main focus of the essay is for the interpretation of Neil Gaiman’s purpose in American gods.The essay invites readers into the center of the book inorder for them to experience it from an insider’s perspective.... The modern gods want to wipe out the ancient gods whom they are of the view that they have lost touch with what the modern society holds true.They do not relate with the modern day individuals and as such cannot help them since they do not have the understanding of what the modern day individuals faces and what he requires.In the novel Shadow is described as strong,large and well built.Shadow was released a few days before his actual release day after the death of his wife,Laura who dies in a car accident.At the funeral he finds that the car crashed because his wife Laura was involved with his friend Robbie who was on the wheel and at the moment of the incident was performing oral sex on him.He accepts the job given to him by Mr. Wednesday who have been offering him a job way before his wife died in an accident. Shadow after the funeral and the realization of his wife’s death circumstances is very frustrated and accepts Mr. Wednesday job offer. While travelling with Mr. Wednes day,Shadow was in his dreams seduced by the Egyptian goddess who is associated with fertility.At the beginning of the novel,Shadow is very much in love with his wife: Shadow kept he fits and learnt how to use tricks on coins and kept reminiscing of his love to his lovely wife Laura. (p.3). Another proof of the love hehad for his wife was the sacrifice to go to prison to protect Laura through this sacrifice as for now is not complete as it does not have his full passivity. Laura displays her husband as a man lacking life and characters,her reason for falling out of love with him; 'I love you,' she said without much passion. She also continues to say that when you are dead you see things in a wider perspective. Shesays that when you go home it’s like she is on her own

Definitions of Discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definitions of Discipline - Essay Example Among all the other strategies suggested by Charles, the most effective one seems to relate to the students personally. Discipline and behavior management is a fundamental part of concern in pedagogical interests. Failure of a teacher to execute appropriate strategic measures to resolve differences that often occur between teacher and students springs forth a bitterness of teaching experience. Those measures must be performed to reconcile this rift. Disciplining understood in its action involves mending the wrong-doing of a student by using appropriate measures. But the term, as Charles (2008, p.9) points, is often referred to â€Å"coercion and forceful tactics† of the teachers. Management is therefore, the appropriate word to describe â€Å"preventing, suppressing, and redirecting misbehavior† (p. 9). The approaches suggested by C.M. Charles (2008) in his book play handy in controlling misbehaviors of the students in the class. Firstly it must be agreed that often times students misbehave for reasons that the teacher is either responsible for or he/she has no knowledge about. Wynne (1990, p. 177) argues that â€Å"teachers should have clear personal visions of their own discipline and character standards†. An action, big or small, calls for a disciplinary reaction when, as Charles (P.8) notes, a student engages in behavior â€Å"that is inappropriate for the setting or situation in which it occurs. First of his suggestions to â€Å"Prevent† (Charles, p. 7) any of misbehaviors from occurring, might seem futile and impractical on first look. That is because the relative implication of ‘preventing’ a student’s inappropriate behavior that occurs independently and mostly unpredictably, is difficult to meet. However, this strategy is not different from what Purkey and Strahan (2002, p.3) argue as inviting five â€Å"P’s†, â€Å"people, places, policies, programs,

Child of the Dark The diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus Essay

Child of the Dark The diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus - Essay Example Another deterrent of having faith in democracy is the lying that politicians do. Carolina wrote a poem, "Politicians on their platform, Promise they will give you raises, And the people find out soon enough, That its their suffering that was raised" (Maria, 123). Through Carolinas views, one can see that support of democracy weakens with the distrust of politicians. The problems within Brazil also deter Carolina from having sympathy to democracy. She says, "The cost of living makes the worker lose his sympathy for democracy" (Maria, 103). She also makes the promise that, "If the cost of living keeps on rising until 1960, were going to have a revolution" (Maria, 119). The key word, revolution, supports the claim that democracy and poverty cannot coexist, at least not for long. If the cost of living does not change, the democratic state will be challenged. Another challenge of democracy is corruption. Carolina talks of how the collector for electricity money is allowed to charge those living in the favelados whatever he wants (Maria, 147). When the poor realize that they are being stolen from, they are not willing to accept a flawed form of government. On the other hand, Carolina also negates the argument that democracy cannot coexist with poverty. She does this through her political actions. On July 7th, 1958 Carolina went to register to vote. She said, "When I got to Semanario Street, I needed a photo for registration papers. I had a picture taken in Foto Lara. It cost me 60 cruzeiros" (Maria, 76) This may not jump out as an action to support democracy, but when one takes into account how much 60 cruzeiros is worth to her, one can see how much she sacrificed to register to vote. 60 cruzeiros was the equivalent to about 1 kilo of beans in Brazil in the 50s. She could have fed her family for days, but yet she still made it a priority to take part in the political process. Another example of her participation occurs while addressing

Comparison of the Economic Ideas of GDP Growth Essay

Comparison of the Economic Ideas of GDP Growth - Essay Example 27). The human development idea of the UNDP emphasises some factors like education, life expectancy, gross national income and other issues that are standardised in the three main factors as a measure of people’s capability. The idea is that those who have a long life, have attained high education in a country that has high gross national income are likely to be very productive. This is because these people will be able to choose different economic activities that can bring income for their own as well as contribute to the economy of their country. On the other hand, it implies that if a person lives a short life, have low education attainment in a country that has low gross national income he or she is likely to be very unproductive. This is because they will contribute to very little benefit to the country in which they live since they have very few choices to make in the pool of economic activities available to all people. The human development idea of the UNDP emphasises t he importance of both resources and capability to exploit them so that they can increase the income or benefit to the people and consequently impact the national economy. According this idea, availability of resources without capability to exploit them has no advantage to the people who have them (United Nations Development Programme, 2000, p. 12). The neoclassical view of utility is an idea that presents a different perspective into the explanation of development or the economic growth of individuals and consequently that of the country. The idea of the neoclassical view of utility explains that people’s preferences are important in determining the things they can do in the economy to increase their individual income and consequently that of the country. This means that a...This essay presents one of the best examples of theoretical comparison of three most common ideas of economic scholars on the growth and development of economy. For the UNDP’s human development, ca pability is important to enhance economic growth, to the neoclassical view of utility, what people choose to do is important and according to the macroeconomic idea of constant growth, the economic performance of the wider economy is key in determining growth in an individual or institution. The UNDP idea of human development as a determinant for growth of economy explains that management of abilities of the people is important because it influences their involvement in economic activities. Economic growth happens in situations where people have wide areas for making choices. The neoclassical view of utility is an idea that presents a different perspective into the explanation of development or the economic growth of individuals and consequently that of the country. The idea of the neoclassical view of utility explains that people’s preferences are important in determining the things they can do in the economy to increase their individual income and consequently that of the country. The macroeconomic idea of constant growth of GDP is an important way of explaining the development of a country or an individual. This idea focuses on the performance of the larger economy as a factor in determining the growth of individuals. The economic growth therefore is not dependent on the opportunities’ availability or an utilities.

Integrate Coastal and Ocean Management (ICOM) Essay

Integrate Coastal and Ocean Management (ICOM) - Essay Example At sea, the acquisitiveness of the ocean itself accumulated with authoritative complexities and the about abridgement of acreage curve aftermath their own difficulties. In addition, coastal areas must address the issues, if the land meets the sea, such as erosion, flooding and pollution from agricultural runoff and the problems of access, including control platforms, operating the main means of transport between land and sea. An integral part of the challenge for coastal communities is that the resources are dependent on their social, cultural and economic well-being, fish and minerals in the coastal areas of countries and beaches, to apply a combination of jurisdictions, municipal, provincial and federal government and First Nations. Significant results of these learning experiences are more positive integration experience with other user group-based community resources, First Nations in the commercial fishery in the wake of the Marshall of the Supreme Court Decision. The other is a natural evolution away from the same sector management approaches for ICOM. Local communities must cope with all those in the use of local resources with municipalities on land based on land use with provincial governments for coastal activities, based on land, such as aquaculture, with the federal government on uses of the ocean fisheries to mining to shipping. All companies are faced with this multiplicity of jurisdictions and must also cope with First Nations otherwise again with different governments, based on realities treaty or lack thereof. There are two main peaks and this First implementation, it is important for communities and governments are able to monitor and evaluate the state of the relevant coastal States and marine systems, including biophysical and human dimension of how each of these change over time and their overall strength and flexibility. Secondly, the participation of coastal communities of ICOM, and the use of participatory approaches to management and co mmunity-based management, highlights the need to understand the process of the effectiveness and acceptance, a need to carry out a performance review "to assess the degree of ICOM that works in practice to a community or local level (or even usually). Monitoring of coastal and ocean: The first way of monitoring and evaluation based on results of ICOM, develop and use indicators to track current and relevant over time (a) "State of the World" in the oceans, coastal areas and coastal communities, and (b) progress towards the main objectives of ICOM, to facilitate the sustainable development of marine and coastal areas. Each of these aspects can be fabricated from a "macro" angle of a nation or region, but as well a bounded association that cannot be ignored (Boyd and Charles, 2006). The first class of indicators observed, "state of the world" distance indicators of biomass of fish in the sea and the extent of their geographic distribution, sea level based gross domestic profit (GDP) a nd export levels fisheries, measures the distribution of marine wealth and prosperity for coastal communities. Attended each of these indicators requires constant attention to data management and statistical systems, which can be a challenge at the local level. In fact, to support governance participatory democracy, we must (a) ICOM efforts to be attentive to strengthen and exploit the information on coastal

Discuss the benefits and drawback of fair value accounting measurement Assignment

Discuss the benefits and drawback of fair value accounting measurement vis--vis other measurements with respect to enhancing the quality of financial information - Assignment Example The accounting system demands an estimation of fair market value in order to demonstrate the present value of future cash flows (Penman, 2007). Many financial analysts are of the opinion that the fair value accounting has significantly contributed to the reasons behind financial crisis of 2008 (IMF, 2009). In this paper the statement will be critically evaluated to justify such argument. The paper will also analyse the benefits and drawbacks of fair value accounting in comparison with other measurements in order to enhance quality of financial information. Many critiques have argued that apart from the reasons such as subprime mortgage, excessive debt and default credit swaps that had mainly caused for financial crisis of 2008, fair value accounting which is also known as mark to market accounting has significantly contributed towards the crisis through producing deceptive data and defective financial statements (Laeven and Huizinga, 2009). However, though there has been much substantiation regarding asset fire sales and downward spirals in financial markets, supporting evidences that may prove the accounting system’s function in igniting the crisis are negligible. Such discussion can be based on the following myths. Some critiques have argued in favour of FVA that the assets reported under historical cost in the company’s balance sheet have no relation to their current value. The values of most of such assets are documented at their purchasing price with adjustments for depreciation (for building, plant and machineries etc.) or appreciation (bonds and other fixed maturity investments) of those assets (Bonaci, Matis and Strouhal, 2010). However, such valuation may not be appropriate in current market scenario. For example, value of a company owned building may hold more value in present market than its depreciated book value as calculated under historical cost. Hence, even under historical accounting, importance of fair value has been established

State of confusion paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

State of confusion - Research Paper Example She intends to file suit against Confusion in order to overturn the statute. The Court with Relevant Jurisdiction Since the case involves the State of Confusion and Tanya, a trucker from the state of Denial, it is a matter that encompasses interstate relations and thus cannot be entertained either in a state court of Confusion or in a Denial court. The most relevant court to preside over this case is the federal district court of the judicial district within which lie the two states. This is because federal district courts in the United States have jurisdiction over civil petitions and can issue injunctions on the application of statutes whose constitutionality is in question. Additionally, federal district courts are trial courts with authority on matters of law and questions of fact presented by residents of the judicial district. The Main Issues The case in question seeks the determination of the court as regards the constitutionality of a statutory law enacted by the state of con fusion requiring trucks plying its highways to install B-Type truck hitch or bypass the state rather than going through it. Of specific interest for the court is the need to find whether the statute contravenes Article IV of the US Constitution, which entitles all US citizens to equal privileges and immunities of citizens across the USA states. Secondly, the court will establish whether the requirements of this statute is discriminatory against out- of- state citizens and further infringes the Fourteenth Amendment right of all citizens to enjoy the immunities and privileges enjoyed by citizens of the several states. The third significant issue to determine in this is the extent to which the provisions of this clause burden interstate commerce, which violates the provisions of Commerce Clause (Article 1, Se 8, and Clause 3 of the US Constitution). In this regard, the court will find if the State of Confusion abrogated Congressional powers by making a law that regulates commerce on th e nation’s highways to the extent that it limits interstate commerce. Relevant law In deciding the constitutionality of the statute beforehand, the court will apply various sections of the US Constitution. Most notably, Constitutional provisions relating to regulation of interstate commerce, interstate movement of American citizens and the freedom of movement as envisioned in the Bill of rights will be applicable. The rules outlined in the Commerce Clause and the law covering the privileges and immunities guaranteed to all American citizens under Article IV of the US Constitution will apply (Guminski, 2009). Analysis of the case In the issue of Tanya truckers v. State of Confusion, the court should uphold the state of Confusion’s right to pass any legislation relating to the safety of those using its highways. However, such legislations must not be discriminatory on out of state citizens, which entail considering that the interest of out of state truckers who frequentl y use its highways. Since only one manufacturer in Confusion makes the specific B-type hitch, it is reasonably arguable that out of state truckers have limited access to the hitch and may find it very burdening to install the hitch on their trucks. This makes the statute discriminatory on out of state truckers who may not have installed the hitch for various credible reasons. In addition, the statute requires that all

This module is entitled Performance Management. What do you think is Essay

This module is entitled Performance Management. What do you think is meant by this title - Essay Example s theory believes that motivated behaviour creates unwanted drives and desires in an employee and hampers his/her work equilibrium both externally and internally. Efforts should be made to reduce the unwanted desires/drives of employees (Kandula, 2006, p. 12). They give an insight into, how the company is advancing. They help in evaluating the operational and organizational goals of the company. Non-financial objectives help in strengthening the framework of the company and help in achieving long term operational goals (The Knowledge behind the News, 2000). Sears Holding Corporation is the third largest retailer in the USA. After the company merged with Kmart Corporation, It started following the performance management technique which led to a healthy working atmosphere and increased the leadership skills of the managers and improved the productivity of the employees (Smither, and London, 2009). The company CISCO has introduced a new software called Cisco Application Performance Management (APM) service which helps employees to have unlimited access to wireless Local Area Network and data centres (Cisco, n.d.). This has helped in reducing the operational costs, strategic costs, initial capital outlay and sales turnover The increasing competitiveness among employees and business organizations has steadily increased. The human resource of the organization can only help in achieving its organizational goal and this can be a significant tool in increasing healthy competitiveness among employees. Let us take an example and evaluate the effectiveness of performance management. If an employee spends more time in interacting with the clients than spending time in the office, it would enhance their efficiency levels. This is a practical approach which helps the company to achieve its strategic goals. Job analysis is a perquisite for performance management. Understanding the job role not only gives clarity to the employees but also a clear understanding of how their

Sociology Research Essay Example for Free

Sociology Research Essay Sexism is also known as  gender discrimination  or  sex discrimination, is defined as prejudice or discrimination based on sex; or behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. Sexism is a form of discrimination or devaluation based on a persons sex, with such attitudes being based on beliefs in traditional stereotypes of gender roles. The term  sexism  is most often used in relation to discrimination against women, in the context of patriarchy. Sexism involves hatred of or prejudice towards a gender as a whole or the application of gender stereotypes. Sexism is often associated with gender-supremacy arguments. Gender stereotypes A 1952 magazine feature stereotyping women drivers. Gender stereotypes are widely held beliefs about the characteristics and behavior of women and men. Gender stereotypes are not only descriptive, but also prescriptive beliefs about how men and women should be and behave. Members of either sex who deviate from prescriptive gender stereotypes are punished; assertive women, for example, are called bitches whereas men who lack physical strength are seen as wimps. Empirical studies have found widely shared cultural beliefs that men are more socially valued and more competent than women at most things, as well as specific assumptions that men are better at some particular tasks (e. g. , mechanical tasks) while women are better at others (e. g. , nurturing tasks). For example,  Fiske  and colleagues surveyed nine diverse samples, from different regions of the United States, and found that members of these samples, regardless of age, consistently rated the category men higher than the category women on a multidimensional scale of competence. Gender stereotypes can facilitate and impede intellectual performance. For instance,  stereotype threat  can lower womens performance on mathematics tests due to the stereotype that women have inferior quantitative skills compared with men. Stereotypes can also affect the assessments people make of their own competence. Studies found that specific stereotypes (e. g. , women have lower mathematical ability) affect women’s and men’s perceptions of their abilities (e. g. , in math and science) such that men assess their own task ability higher than women performing at the same level. These biased self-assessments have far-reaching effects because they can shape men and women’s educational and career decisions. Gender stereotypes are sometimes applied at an early age. Various interventions were reviewed including the use of fiction in challenging gender stereotypes. For example, in a study by A. Wing, children were read  Bills New Frock  by  Anne Fine. The content of the book was discussed with them. Children were able to articulate, and reflect on, their stereotypical constructions of gender and those in the world at large. There was evidence of children considering the different treatment that boys and girls receive, and of classroom discussion enabling stereotypes to be challenged. Sexist and gender-neutral language Research has found that the use of  he  as a generic pronoun evokes a disproportionate number of male images and excludes thoughts of women in non gender-specific instances. Results also suggest that while the plural  they  functions as a generic pronoun for both males and females, males may comprehend  he/she  in a manner similar to  he, as  he  usually is placed before the dash and  she  after. This is usually done because the word  she  already contains the word  he  so it is positioned after the dash. It also has nothing to do with stereotypical gender roles. Nearing the end of the 20th century, there is a rise in gender-neutral language in western worlds, which is often attributed to the rise of  feminism. Gender-neutral language  is the avoidance of  gender-specific job titles, non parallel usage, and other usage that is considered by some to be sexist. Supporters claim that having gender–specific titles and gender–specific pronouns either implies a systemic bias to exclude individuals based on their gender or else as unnecessary in most cases as race-specific pronouns, religion-specific pronouns, or persons-height-specific pronouns. Some of those who support gender-specific pronouns assert that promoting gender-neutral language is a kind of semantics injection itself. Anthropological linguistics and gender-specific language Unlike the  Indo-European languages  in the west, for many other  languages  around the world,  gender-specific pronouns  are a recent phenomenon that occurred around the early 20th century. As a result of  colonialism, cultural revolution occurred in many parts of the world with attempts to modernize and westernize by adding gender-specific pronouns and animate-inanimate pronouns to local languages. This resulted in the situation of what was  gender-neutral pronouns  a century ago suddenly becoming gender–specific. (See for example  Gender-neutrality in languages without grammatical gender: Turkish. ) Gender-specific pejorative terms Gender–specific pejorative terms intimidate or harm another person because of their gender. Sexism can be expressed in a pseudo–subtle manner through the attachment of terms which have negative gender oriented implications  such as through  condescension. Many examples include swear words. A mildly vulgar example is the uninformative attribution of the term hag for a woman or fairy for a man. Although hag and fairy both have non-sexist interpretations, when they are used in the context of a gender–specific pejorative term these words become representations of sexist attitudes. The relationship between rape and misogyny Research into the factors which motivate perpetrators of  rape  against a specific gender, for example, women, frequently reveals patterns of hatred of said gender and pleasure in inflicting psychological and/or physical trauma, rather than sexual interest. Researchers have argued that rape is not the result of pathological individuals, but rather systems of male dominance, cultural practices and beliefs that objectify and degrade women. Mary Odem, Jody Clay-Warner and Susan Brownwiller consider sexist attitudes to be propagated by a series of myths about rape and rapists. They state that contrary to those myths, rapists often plan a rape before they choose a victim and that acquaintance rape  is the most common form of rape rather than assault by a stranger. Odem also states that these rape myths propagate sexist attitudes about men by perpetuating the thought that men cannot control their sexuality. In response to  acquaintance rape, the Men Can Stop Rape movement has been implemented. The US military has started a similar movement with the tagline My strength is for defending. Occupational sexism Occupational sexism refers to any  discriminatory  practices, statements, actions, etc. based on a persons  sex  that are present or occur in a place of  employment. One form of occupational sexism is  wage discrimination. In 2008, the  Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development  (OECD) found that while female employment rates have expanded considerably and the gender employment and wage gaps have narrowed virtually everywhere, on average, women still have 20% less of a chance to have a job and are paid 17% less than men. Moreover, the report stated: [In] many countries, labor market  discrimination  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ i. e. the unequal treatment of equally productive individuals only because they belong to a specific group – is still a crucial factor inflating disparities in employment and the quality of job opportunities [ ] Evidence presented in this edition of the  Employment Outlook  suggests that about 8% of the variation in gender employment gaps and 30% of the variation in gender wage gaps across OECD countries can be explained by discriminatory practices in the labour market. The report also found that despite the fact that almost all OECD countries, including the U. S. have established anti-discrimination laws, these laws are difficult to enforce. Gender stereotypes Gender roles  (or sex roles) are attitudes and activities that a society links to each sex. A culture that defines males as ambitious and competitive encourages them to seek out positions of leadership and play team sports. To the extent that females are defined as deferential and emotional, they are expected to be supportive helpers and quick to show their feelings. According to the  OECD, womens labor market behavior is influenced by learned cultural and social values that may be thought to discriminate against women (and sometimes against men) by stereotyping certain work and life styles as male or female. Further, the OECD argues that womens educational choices may be dictated, at least in part, by their expectations that [certain] types of employment opportunities are not available to them, as well as by gender stereotypes that are prevalent in society. There is a long record of women being excluded from participation in many professions. Often, women have gained entry into a previously male profession only to be faced with additional obstacles. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive an M. D. in the  United States  and  Myra Bradwell, the first female lawyer in the state of  Illinois, illustrate the prevalence of women being excluded from certain professions and the changing culture. Professional discrimination continues today according to studies done by  Cornell University  and others. Some have hypothesized that gender bias has been influencing which scientific research gets published. This hypothesis coincides with a test conducted at the  University of Toronto  led by Amber Budden. The study showed that, in the journal  Behavioral Ecology, after implementation of double-blind review in which both the author and reviewer identity is concealed, there was an increase of 7. 9% in the number of papers authored by women. This was more than three times the increase of female ecology graduate students in the United States. In addition, women frequently earn significantly lower wages than their male counterparts who perform the same job. In the U. S. , for example, women earn an average of 23. 5% less than men. In 1833, women working in factories earned only one-quarter of mens wages, and in 2007, womens median annual paychecks reflected only $0. 78 for every $1. 00 earned by men. A study showed women comprised 87% of workers in the child care industry and 86% of the health aide industry. Some experts believe that parents play an important role in the creation of values and perceptions of their children. The fact that many girls are asked to help their mothers do housework, while many boys do technical tasks with their fathers, seems to influence their behavior and can sometimes discourage girls from performing such tasks. Girls will then think that each gender should have a specific role and behavior. A 2009 study found that being overweight harms womens career advancement but presents no barrier for men. Overweight  or  obese  women were significantly under-represented among company bosses, whereas a significant proportion of male executives were overweight or obese. The author of the study stated that the results suggest that the glass ceiling effect on womens advancement may reflect not only general negative stereotypes about the competencies of women, but also weight bias that results in the application of stricter appearance standards to women. Overweight women are evaluated more negatively than overweight men. There is a tendency to hold women to harsher weight standards. At other times, there are accusations that some traditionally female professions have been or are being eliminated by its roles being subsumed by a male dominated profession. The assumption of baby delivery roles by doctors with the subsequent decline of  midwifery  is sometimes claimed to be an example. Wage gap [pic] Euro stat  found a persisting gender pay gap of 17. 5% on average in the 27  EU Member States  in 2008. Similarly, the OECD  found that female full-time employees earned 17% less than their male counterparts across OECD countries in 2009. In the U. S. , the female-to-male earnings ratio was 0. 77 in 2009, meaning that, in 2009, female full-time, year round (FTYR) workers earned 77% as much as male FYTR workers. Womens earnings relative to mens fell from 1960 to 1980 (from 60. 7 percent to 60. 2%) and then rose rapidly from 1980 to 1990 (from 60. 2% to 71. 6%), and less rapidly from 1990 to 2000 (from 71. 6% to 73. 7%) and from 2000 to 2009 (from 73. 7% to 77. 0%). At the time when the first  Equal Pay Act  was passed in 1963, female full-time workers earned 58. 9% as much as male full-time workers. The gender pay gap has been attributed to differences in personal and workplace characteristics between women and men (education, hours worked, occupation etc. as well as direct and indirect discrimination in the labor market (gender stereotypes, customer and employer bias, etc. ). Studies always find that some portion of the gender pay gap remains unexplained even after controlling factors that are assumed to influence earnings. The unexplained portion of the wage gap is attributed to gender discrimination. The estimates for the discriminatory component of the gender pay gap vary widely. The OECD estimated that approximately 30% of the gender pay gaps across OECD countries is due to discrimination. Australian research shows that discrimination accounts for approximately 60% of the wage differentials between women and men. Studies examining the gender pay gap in the United States  show that large parts of the wage differential remain unexplained even after controlling for factors that affect pay. One study examined college graduates and found that the portion of the pay gap that remains unexplained after all other factors are taken into account is 5% one year after graduating college and 12% 10 years after graduation. Research done at  Cornell University  and elsewhere indicates that mothers are less likely to get hired than equally qualified fathers and, if hired, would be paid a lower salary than male applicants with children. The  OECD  found that a significant impact of children on women’s pay is generally found in the United Kingdom and the United States. ]  Fathers, on the other hand, earn  $7,500 more on average that than men without children. Glass ceiling The term glass ceiling is used to describe a perceived barrier to advancement based on discrimination, particularly gender discrimination. In academic achievement, great improvements have been made. However, as of 1995 in the United States, women received about half of all Masters degrees, but 95 to 97% of the senior managers of Fortune 1000 Industrial and Fortune 500 companies were male and in the Fortune 2000 Industrial and service companies, only 5% of senior managers were women. The  United Nations  asserts progress in bringing women into leadership and decision making positions around the world remains far too slow. Objectification Some argue that  sexual objectification  is a form of sexism. Some countries, such as  Norway  and  Denmark, have laws against sexual objectification in advertising. Nudity itself is not banned, and nude people can be used to advertise a product, but only if they are relevant to what is being advertised. Sol Olving, head of Norways Kreativt Forum, an association of the countrys top advertising agencies, explained, You could have a naked person advertising shower gel or a cream, but not a woman in a bikini draped across a car. Sexism in the Workplace Sexism in education is clearly associated with sexism in the workplace. When women are expected to â€Å"stay in the home,† they are unable to access the necessary educational resources to compete with men in the job market. If by chance they are able to secure a position, women may be less prepared educationally for the task, and thus draw lower wages. In recent decades more women have entered the United States workforce. After WWII (from about 1947), about 30 percent of women were employed outside the home; today, at the start of the 21st century, the figure is well over 50 percent. (Some estimates approach 75 percent if â€Å"part-time† jobs are included. Yet women are far from treated equally on the job. Typically, they hold lower-paying, lower-status jobs than men. In fact, women may account for only 25 percent of the upper-level managers in large corporations. And although half of the employees in the largest, most prestigious firms around the United States may be women, perhaps as few as 5 percent or less actually hold senior positio ns. In general, women are under-represented in the higher-status, higher-paying occupations, such as university teaching, law, engineering, and medicine. In contrast, women are over-represented in the lower-paying occupations, such as public-school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. In stereotypical female jobs, referred to as  womens ghettos, women are subordinate to the positions of men. For example, executives supervise secretaries who are likely to be women, and lawyers supervise paralegals, who are also likely to be women. Women in the same jobs as men usually earn less, even though these women may have the same or better training, education, and skills. As a general statistic, women make only 60 percent or less than men in comparable positions. Why this disparity? Sociologists speculate that, in some cases, the fact that women often must take time off to have and raise children interrupts their career path. As much as Americans may hate to admit it, women in the United States still bear the primary responsibilities of child-rearing. Conflicting demands may partly explain why married women with children are more likely to leave their jobs than are childless and single women.

Construction of Identity Through Photography

Construction of Identity Through Photography This essay the researcher will attempt to document the use of fashion photography namely two sets of fashion photographers with very different styles, Guy bourdain, Helmut Newton who worked predominantly in the 70s and 80s and Richard Avedon and Irving Penn who worked predominately in the 50s and 60s. the essay attempt to show if fashion photography contributes to promoting a positive influence in constructing identity of the female viewer. To do this the essay will define the use of semiotics fashion photography, he will show techniques and models that are used to create and sell an idea to the viewer. And determine whether the majority of the ridership of editorial fashion photography are influenced positively or negatively. The average readership for Britains most popular and renowned fashion publication is Vogue Britain is 646 thousand people, the parentage age of the ridership is as followed from 17 to 19 =15 % 20 to 24 25 % 25 to 34 26 % 35 to 44 17% and 44% to above 17%, 84 % of these readers are female, there for 81 % or 523,260 readers of the publication are females between the age of 17 and 34 (Vivacom, July, 2009 [online]). The process of developing identity begins with the infants discovery of self, and becomes the focus of adolescence. Erik Erikson, identified the goal of adolescence as achieving a coherent identity and avoiding identity confusion. Identity is multidimensional and may include physical and sexual identity, and usually make commitments to their identity as they move into early adulthood. Adults may revaluate and alter certain aspects of their identity as life circumstances Change.(http://social.jrank.org/ 2006 [online]). The physical, cognitive, and social changes of adolescence allows teenagers to develop there identity that will serve as a basis for their adult lives. The emergence of abstract reasoning abilities allows adolescents to think about the future and experiment with different identities. James Marcia hypothesized that identity development involves two steps. Step one, the adolescent must break away from childhood beliefs to explore alternatives for identity in a particular area i.e. clothing. (http://social.jrank.org/ 2006 [online]). The Second step, marcoa states that the adolescent makes a commitment as to their individual identity in that area. Often adolescents begin to question their ideas and beliefs and enter a moratorium. The moratorium status is characterized by exploration of alternatives. Identity may occur at different times. For females, an important component of their identity is related to their physical appearance. Identity achievement during adolescence serves as a basis for our adult expectations and goals for ourselves. As individuals enter early adulthood they use their understanding of whom they are to develop a life span construct a link between the identity developed in adolescence and the adult self. (http://social.jrank.org [2006]). As the st atement above suggests people predominantly woman are at there most influenced at there adolescence and young adults stages. As stated a large percentage of readers of magazines such as vogue fall with in this age group of adolescent to young adult. The two main types of fashion photography in fashion magazines such as Vogue are advertising and editorial, both of these photography forms use the use of signs or semiotics, in communicating the fashion to the reader mainly a woman between the age of 17 and 34. Fashion photography speaks both the reality and illusion of garments and of bodies, and in deconstructing how these elements are organized and presented, a new language and system emerges from the photographic work (Roland bath) A sign as anything which is so determined by something else, called its Object, and so determines an effect upon a person, a sign is constructed of three inter-related parts: a sign, an object, and an interpretation, in fashion photography the sign is the photograph, this doesnt necessarily mean the focus of the image i.e. the clothing it could be the entire scene and the narrative behind it. The object might be the clothing or the jewellery but it may also be the model and the interpretation. A reading of both the previous factors, take for example the photograph below by renowned fashion photography Corrine day. Plate 1 Corrine Day, 2007 Stem Golden Years, Vogue UK This is an example of an editorial fashion photograph. If this image were to be red as a sign first of all the image must be broken down first of all the sign the two dimensional object of a three dimensional seen, in the image the reader can see facts, the location is the London tube system it is between the hours of 7 am and 12 pm as we can see the train in the background and the train only runs between this time we can tell even with out knowing about the photographer we can tell that the image was taken between the 20th century and present day as this is when the tube was made. We can also see that the image included strobe flash as the models movement has been frozen yet the trains movement is blurred this also suggests that the image was taken between this time as the electronic flash was also created in this time. All these facts start to tell as story a narrative and sets up the stage for The object being the clothes and the model. Models play a key part in selling the item as well as the ideal, and research shown in; The influence of fashion magazines on the body image satisfaction of college women: an exploratory analysis by Sherry L. Turner,  Heather Hamilton,  Meija Jacobs,  Laurie M. Angood,  Deanne Hovde Dwyer has sets out to find if women are influenced negatively by fashion magazines. The research shows work by Sheldon and Stevens done in the 1940s; the research found that ectomorphic (having a build with little fat or muscle but with long limbs) individuals were perceived negatively. By the late 1980s, the perception had shifted. Ectomorphics were considered to be the most sexually appealing. The research states that in 1978, mean weight of models has dropped to 84% of the population mean, and among the Miss America Pageant contestants: Prior to 1970, mean weight of the contestants was approximately 88% of the population norm The research shows that these figures are consistent with the courage ousness of models appearing in Vogue from 1901 to 1981. A study done in this research proves that adolescent to young women are influenced by fashion magazines, the experiment took 49 undergraduate females enrolled in a psychology course at a New England womens college. 24 were assigned to the fashion magazine group, and 25 were assigned to the news magazine group. tests revealed no significant differences in the mean height, weight, or age of the two groups .Eight magazines were chose on the basis of its popularity and availability Four that had reputations of fashion and models Vogue, Bazaar, Elle, and Allure. And four news magazines used in the control Time, News week, News World Report, and Business Week. The participants were then assessed on perceptions of their bodies and their dieting attitudes. Examples of these questions are: I am very frustrated about my weight; I am afraid of getting fat; and I diet to improve my looks. Participants were then asked to indicate which of the eight magazines they read prior to completing the questionnaire. A three-part, self-administered questionnaire was used to assess womens body image satisfaction. The first portion of the questionnaire consisted of adult figure drawings designed and illustrated by Stunkard, Sorenson, and Schulsinger (1980). Each participant was asked to examine nine female silhouettes of varying size and to indicate the figure that most clearly reflected her perceptions of her own body type, her ideal body type, and the body type considered to be most ideal by society. A nine-point scale was used, with the lowest numbers corresponding to the thinnest silhouettes. The applicants were then asked to wait in a waiting room one at a time four magazines were placed in front of them. For half of the participants, the waiting room contained news magazines and for the half, there were fashion magazines. After 13 minutes, participants were given the questionnaire to complete. Unlimited time was given for completion. Ten participants indicated on their questionnaire that they did not read a magazine while waiting. These students were eliminated from the data analyses. The resulting sample consisted of 18 (37%) participants in the fashion magazine condition and 21 (43%) in the news magazine condition. The research results prove what they hypothesised. Ideal weight differed for the two groups. Women who viewed fashion magazines perceived a lower ideal weight than did women who viewed news magazines. Women who viewed fashion magazines reported more frequently feeling very frustrated about their weight, weighing themselves more than once a week, exercising only to lose weight feeling guilty while eating, feeling guilty after eating, being preoccupied with the desire to be thinner and being afraid of getting fat, Similarly, when compared to women who viewed news magazines, those who viewed fashion magazines less frequently reported being pleased about their bodies, and feeling satisfied with the shape of their bodies. This research has proven that the media has is influential to adolescent and young women it shows that the fashion magazine show and ideal rather than a reflection of societies perception of the female form. These results shows that the models in the photographs have a philological effect on the women that view and therefore read them, this leads to the interpretation the interpretation is a reading of both the previous factors the sign and the object, if the target audience i.e. woman 17 to 30 years of age Weston hemisphere middle income, feels jealousy for the shape and figure of the woman they will associate the clothes she is wearing with the model her self i.e. (if I want to be like her I have to get those clothes) or in other fashion photographs like the one below by renowned British fashion photographer Norman Parkinson, the images often show a glamorous location i.e. beaches far away cities such as New York Paris etc this adds another layer to the sign if people associate the object with the sign or the model and clothing with the location there interpretation may be that if I want to be like that model and have that life style then I have to get the clothes. Plate 2 Norman Parkinson, 1980, Pilar Crespi As the research earlier stated by the late 1980s, the perception had shifted ectomorphics were now considered to be the most sexually appealing, the research shows that fashion magazines changed from using larger models to thinner ones during two prominent fashion photographer working in this time were Guy bourdin and Helmut Newton. Guy Bourdin, Gaby wood from the observer says trailblazing image-maker of the Seventies and eighties, doyen of photographic perversion, godfather of countless images we see in magazines and advertising today. Bourdin pioneered what might be called the new soft porn the acceptable face of sex to sell anything, an aesthetic too knowing, too caught up in unveiling the world of the fetish, to be actually pornographic. (The Observer, 2003) Gaby reiterates the point that this photographer although giving a lot of new ideas and style to the fashion photography industry, is somewhat responsible for the change of models in fashion photography and along with other photographers of the 80s set the theme of models getting thinner in fashion photography. Plate 3 Guy Bourdin (1983) The Guy Bourdin Estate, 2003 The image above is a prime example of guy bourdin image, typically containing naked or semi naked women and featuring shoes the main focus of the image is the body, bourdin heavily crops a large amount of his work focusing on the body rather than the persons (models) face. When looking at this photograph it is hard to concentrate on any thing but the vivid colours of the objet the fashion and the purposely lit models, the back ground has been lit but with a much lower ratio than the models again drawing the focus to the body. Helmut Newton was another renowned fashion photographer that worked in the 60s 70s and 1980s Newtons work like bourdins in controversial and provocative. More than often the images contained naked females, His works appeared in magazines including, most significantly, French Vogue. Plate 4 Helmut Newton (1998) Mugler Above is a prime example of Newtons work often shot in black and white in high contrast the female is presented square on and the clothing has a relation to sadomasochistic and the fetish. The model is corseted witch exemplifies the narrow thin shape of the model. SM is a fashion statement today because of him (Independent on Sunday,  May 2001). Although a lot is wrote about Helmuts work being sexist, exploitative and misogynist but Helmuts wife renowned photographer Alice springs whom edited and curate Helmuts books and exhibitions says that he gives women power. The chains, whips and handcuffs are jokes, These women are no victims (Independent on Sunday,  May, 2001) further more The Barbican curator Tomoko Sato, who collaborated on the exhibition with June, its Guest Curator, says they define the role of women as commanding partner rather than passive object(Independent on Sunday,  May, 2001) in contrast to the work of guy bourdin and Helmut Newton the researcher will now show and discus how the work of fashion photographers who worked primarily in the 1940s and 1950 features models and signs and themes much different to the ones of the 70s and 80s the photographer that will be discussed are Richard Avedon and Irvin Penn. Richard Avedon shot the Paris collections for almost 40 years, and was staff photographer for  Vogue  from 1966 until 1990, Known for bringing the fashion models of the day, including and Sunny Harnett, to life, Richard Avedon injected a previously unseen vibrancy into the medium of fashion photography.  (JO CRAVEN 22 April, 2008) Plate 5 Richard Avedon (1950s) Above is an image by Avedon taken in 1957 of model Carmen DellOrefice. The image following the style of the time features the model looking curvy and not stick thin confirming the results of the tests of the students. Avedon used models like this through his carrier. Irvin Penn was another photographer working in fashion photography industry during the 50s and 60s Penn was 26 when he began working for vogue, photographic covers for the fashion magazine  Vogue. He began photographing his own ideas for covers and soon established himself as a fashion photographer. His austere fashion images communicated elegance and luxury through compositional refinement and clarity of line rather than through the use of elaborate props and backdrops. (1994-2010 Encyclopaedia Britannica,) Andy Gruenberg wrights in the New York times one of the 20th centurys most prolific and influential photographers of fashion and the famous, whose signature blend of classical elegance and cool minimalism was recognizable to magazine readers and museum goers worldwide. Plate 6 Irving Penn. 1950, Vogue America Cover Above is an example of Penns fashion work, again notice the size and shape of the model this image taken in the 1950 for a American vogue cover. Reiterating the point made in the studies and again contrasting the work and change in model shape by the 1980s Conclusion It would apeer that there was a shift in the way that the media fashion photography in particular presenter and advertised an ideal towards it main demographic the research has shown the effects of this change with studys. It has also suggested ways in with this is achieved i.e. semiotics the researcher then applied these rules in semiotics to fashion photography works. Noted fashion photographers were then selected and shown and compared for their noted works in the decades witch they predominantly worked. Over all I believe that the essay proves and highlights the point that it set out to do but more research to reiterate the findings would have been preferred to give the argument more definition. Also more research in to other metered of philology towards the model and advertising could have strengthened the argument more so.

How Polluted Is The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay

How Polluted Is The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay This paper described the water pollution in Brisbane River and its effect in the environment and human health. It constructed an index that focuses on the effects and vulnerability to the environment. Councils and industries affect the Brisbane River by polluting and not following proper precautions. This paper examines the contaminants present and how primarily reduces its number. There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River discussed in this paper. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. Benefits of effective environmental management include improved water working conditions and reduced pollution incidents significantly due to industrial and structural processes. Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. The balance of costs and benef its is difficult to assess due to the insufficient data. Introduction The government initiated measures to control Brisbane water pollution by regulating its source that prevent the pollutants from being released into the atmosphere. Emission control systems set by the government are seen as the solution rather than considering ways to eliminate or minimize pollutant. By virtue of government mandate, the Environmental Protection Agency has been charged with the responsibility for developing programs on Hazardous waste regulation as well as a regulatory body for Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). The Environmental Protecting agency may make rules subject to the negative designation of hazardous substances and the performance standard, safeguard, procedures and licensing requirement with accordance with which such hazardous substances shall be handled. The management investigate the environment generally and such premises necessary to ascertain the nature of pollutants. It also develops and implements programs for the management of such wastes which include registration and further characterization of significant sources being disposed to the environment There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River that started when European settlement establish around the area causing pollution and increase waste products (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). These include combustion and sewage products from power generation, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include, nitrous oxides, phosphoric substances, particulates, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides. Effects of the development in the area such as industrial pollutants are directly affecting river as well as health of the population. There are also significant amount of sulfuric or nitric acid detected in aquatic reservoir that can destruct vegetation, drinking water, erode buildings and damage aquatic life in the River. The community utilizes Modification of the Transmission to disperse pollutants and most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling (Agar, 2001). An Analysis of Past and Current Pollution Levels SURVEY_DATE Nitrogen (total) as N (mg/L) Phosphorus (total) as P (mg/L) 4/10/2006 0.54 0.24 15/11/2006 0.52 0.23 15/12/2006 0.51 0.2 16/01/2007 0.46 0.2 14/02/2007 0.48 0.2 16/03/2007 0.47 0.19 17/04/2007 0.43 0.2 15/05/2007 0.51 0.25 14/06/2007 0.66 0.28 12/07/2007 0.56 0.25 10/08/2007 0.41 0.25 10/09/2007 0.5 0.24 9/10/2007 0.49 0.23 7/11/2007 0.55 0.25 5/12/2007 0.48 0.25 8/01/2008 0.7 0.31 5/02/2008 0.57 0.19 5/03/2008 0.35 0.098 4/04/2008 0.37 0.14 15/05/2008 0.44 0.17 17/06/2008 0.57 0.16 16/07/2008 0.57 0.17 15/08/2008 0.45 0.14 11/09/2008 0.38 0.13 13/10/2008 0.43 0.15 12/11/2008 0.46 0.15 10/12/2008 0.71 0.14 8/01/2009 0.58 0.1 9/02/2009 0.42 0.11 10/03/2009 0.59 0.17 8/04/2009 0.68 0.18 7/05/2009 0.48 0.13 5/06/2009 0.55 0.1 6/07/2009 0.71 0.095 5/08/2009 0.42 0.084 3/09/2009 0.5 0.12 5/10/2009 0.46 0.12 4/11/2009 0.3 0.088 3/12/2009 1.9 0.16 13/01/2010 0.51 0.11    These data can be used as a proxy for water pollution in general, which impacts on many aspects of the riverà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ecosystem and public health including such things as quality of water and biodiversity. But there is no continuous data monitoring for Nitrogen and Phosphorus and other hazardous chemical in Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). Therefore estimation for this pollutant indicator could not be determined. The data indices was developed in the past which describe the risks associated with sustainability, climate change, economic and social conditions, climate change, natural disasters, anthropogenic impacts in the river. Most of these figures describe the vulnerability of human systems with only limited attempts having been made to describe effects of air pollution on the environment (Donald, 2002). Nature There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. These include oil products from manufacturers, industries, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include phosphorus and nitrogen. There are also non-combustion sources. Examples of these are industrial processes, transportation, agriculture and construction that produce water pollutants and particulates (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). These are release directly from the source into the water in a harmful form. A typical pollutant would be nitrogenous compound. Moreover, particulates are also present and serve as atmospheric pollutants that consist of the vapor phase of such compounds. Its chemical composition is depending upon source chemicals. The pollution level in the past years in Brisbane River is continually increasing partly because of industrialization and technology (Ostopowich, 2006). There is also inorganic water pollutants consist of many types of substances present in the river. Many of these liquid and solid substances may become particulate air contaminants. These inorganic water pollutants consist of sulfur, oxides of carbon, and nitrogen. Nitrogen and phosphorus are considered as a directly fatal and toxic material (Miller, 2008). Carbon dioxide in the water may turn out to be the most significant water pollutant of all because of its potential health hazard that might cause devastating water destruction. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are acid forming gases that can facilitate acid formation. These pollutants enter the water system as the result of industrial activities. The trends are continually fluctuating without normal ranges (Agar, 2001). Effects Water pollution from mechanical and industrial sources is the most widespread form of pollution in Brisbane River. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. Continuous Water protection monitoring is presently conducted in the river. Over the period 2000-2010 there has been a steady increase in the number of industries around the river (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008).The number of industrial processes in the area has remained more or less steady during this same period. There are pollution standard concentrations over a period of time that is considered to be acceptable on health and on the environment (Donald, 2002). They can also be used as a bench mark to see if water pollution is getting worse. Moreover, water pollution has a wide range of effects on human health resided along the river, ecosystems, structures and other human communities. Adverse effect and discomfort on human health and environment result to functional and physical damages. Australian Healt h Ministry reported incidence of respiratory diseases related to chemical pollutants around the area. They detected significant amount of phosphoric or nitrogenous chemicals in aquatic reservoir which can be attributed to acid rains. It can contaminate drinking water, vegetations and erode river wall buildings and damage aquatic life. Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. For example, instead of using up large tracts of land for building hotel complexes, these advocates prefer the construction of small, more ecologically friendly lodges that can take in a limited number of people only. The idea behind this thinking is to lessen the negative impact that tourist activities make on the environment, keeping consumption well within the carrying capacity of the area. (Miller, 2008). Others, however, see ecological benefits is being compromise because it accounts for benefits and uses that the host communities can get from the tourist activities in their area as well as the profits that travel agencies can also realize. They believe that conscientious consumption of the environmental resources and economic progress can be enjoyed simultaneously. The main thrust of this paper is therefore to determine if ecotourism he trending situations and is actually possible to reduce the pollutants, given the conflicting interests at play in these kinds of activities (Ostopowich, 2006). Control The number of collected data on control measures in Brisbane River is aggressively planned by our office (Environmental Protection Agency) with collaboration of various private and public sectors. It is difficult to determine accurately the percentage of effectively managed or controlled pollutants per year but the effort is continuous. Water pollutants resulted from industrial processes in the river is treated by different water treatment process (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). It disperses pollutants to reduce the concentration at the susceptible target location to an acceptable level. The pollutant was transported with a considerable distance and transform to clean water. In this process, the water pollutants are brought to a designated area and are compacted. Most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling. In Trinidad only waste oil is recycled, therefore, given that 897.8 cubic meters of oil is generated per year, with 35.8 cubic meters bei ng recycled, the mean percent of hazardous waste recycled locally is about 4 per cent (Donald, 2002). Environmental Protection on water is also stressed out by the government. They prohibit the deposition or release of rubbish, scrap metal, motor vehicle parts, motor vehicle bodies, building waste, solid or liquid waste from an on-site domestic waste water treatment system, degreasing agent, paint, varnish or paint thinner or any manufactured product, or any by-product or waste from a manufacturing processes, that has a pH less than 6 or greater than nine (Agar, 2001). Recommendations The Environmental Protection agency gathers the most relevant information to come up with recommendations on how to decrease water pollution in Brisbane River. To help protect human health and ecosystem around Brisbane River, these recommendations suit to control and minimize water pollution Water quality indexes must be used to serve as warning for susceptible people of a possible air pollution health risk. The modified Environmental Vulnerability Index must aid to summarize a wide range of environmental vulnerability for Brisbane River. A significant number of data collections are requirement to extract important information from various government or private agencies and international environmental organizations the country Administrative controls and legislative protocol can be utilized to minimize or prevent the generation of pollutants by the adoption of appropriate industrial practices and rules for specific processes including maintenance, waste disposal procedures and management controls. Engineering measures and controls can be used by Industries to minimize or prevent the release of pollutants. This approach includes polluting material elimination and substitution to prevent harmful emission into the atmosphere. Modification of the process to eliminate or reduce emissions is also part of engineering control. Emission control systems are also effective method to discharge gas streams adequately Government must continually provide support for strengthening the environmental management capacity of participating agencies to provide advice and access to data in support of its activities relating to complaints, environmental emergencies, monitoring compliance, enforcement and assessment of the state of environment. Properly dissemination of information and co-coordinate activities to promote and enhance environmental awareness of the public. A Predictive Model of Future Pollution The establishment of the predictive mode for water pollution is basically outlined from environment law and the plan provided a new set of perspective and basic ideas for the future environmental policies and trend regarding water pollution. This model established a framework with a long-term course. The model is a prediction on how the Brisbane River will progress and how the present effort affects the future. Previously, pollution problems were regional and the resulting damage was easy to see. It was therefore relatively easy to appreciate the causes and effect (Gleick Palaniappan, 2008). By contrasting the present situation to the past, many of todays water and environmental problems are caused by the activities of human being and many different elements that go to build up current complex and huge economic society. In order to solve these environmental problem, collaboration and partnership is a very important component. Collaboration in this case involves various private and l ocal elements in society working together in sharing and cooperating responsibilities. It also contains understanding the relationship between the activities of human and the natural environment, and also the connection that between socio-economic activities and the ecosystem. (Miller, 2008) People around Brisbane River have always been dependent on the environment as well as many people around the world. It is significantly essential for us to take into consideration, and realize, the relationship that between people and his environment, and to open a way for a sustainable future with the active cooperation and involvement of all people (Ostopowich, 2006). Conclusions Human systems and the environment are dependent on one another so that risks to the environment will eventually translate into harm and risks for humans and their welfare. Air pollutants from industrial facilities and industrial processes in Brisbane River include: oil refineries, power plants, chemical plants and steel mills. The amount of emissions are variously controlled, licensed and permitted emissions by the government, Waste production indicator is based on the amount of wastes produced by industrial processes and pollutants being generated or brought into the river.

The Nature of Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Lite

Macbeth:   The Nature Of Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, the character of Macbeth has a. firm and correct grasp of self-knowledge, and a well developed concept of the universe and his place in it. He willfully disregards his own moral thoughts and institutions. According to Bernard McElroy, "more than any other Shakespearean hero, he [Macbeth] has a perfectly clear concept of who he is and where he stands --- and it is exactly this perception that torments and spiritually destroys him"(330). Macbeth is strongly impelled to evil but he also abhors evil. It is this that causes Macbeth to abhor himself. The play explores the tensions between Macbeth's proneness to evil and his abhorrence to evil. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he becomes caught in tensions between his criminal actions and the reaction of his conscience. Had Macbeth committed the deeds without any remorse, he would have been simply an evil monster, without any hope. But it is his conscience about evil that makes him tragic. Through Ma cbeth's actions, Shakespeare is able to depict the nature of evil as being: lusftul, deceptive, tyrannical, and disruptive to family. To begin, Macbeth himself stands as a symbol for Satan's sin of ambition. Like Satan, Macbeth's insatiable lust for power and ambition drives him to commit evil. Although Macbeth's ambitiousness is not in itself evil: "His very strong social sense, worldly but valuable, together with that gift of imaginative expression whereby he far outshines all the others, makes him naturally and rightly desirous of winning `Golden Opinions from all sorts of people' [I.vii.33]" (Elliot, 288). However, Shakespeare asserts that Macbeth knows his place in nature, and is overly ambitious according to Calvinist doctrine ... ...d devoured by it. Works Cited Bethell, S.L. "Shakespeare's Imagery: The Diabolic Images in Othello" in Shakespeare Survey: Volume 5. Edited by Allardyce Nicoll (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1952) Elliot, G.R. "Introduction: On `Macbeth' as Apex of Shakspearean Tragedy" in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale: 1984) McElroy, Bernard, "`Macbeth': The torture of the Mind" in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale:1984) Ribner, Irving. "Macbeth: The Pattern of Idea and Action," in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale:1984) Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Norman Sanders. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984) ----, Macbeth, World Literary Heritage, Volume 1.0 (California: Softbit, Inc. MS- DOS / MS - Windows 3.1, CD ROM)      

Obesity and the American Disabilities Act :: Obesity and the ADA of 1990

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) bans discrimination based on disability. It provides individuals with disabilities civil rights protections like those provided to individuals on the basis of race, sex, national origin and religion (Mathias, 2003). The ADA defines â€Å"disability† as a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities and will not consider obese individuals as disabled unless the weight limits a major life activity. Federal courts have ruled that morbid obesity falls under the category of medical conditions which limit one or more life activities (Garcia, n.d). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 established basic federal laws on employment discrimination. It does not identify weight as a protected characteristic, and as a result, does not provide protection for obese individuals who have been discriminated against by potential or current employers. Obesity is now being called an epidemic affecting millions of individuals in the United States. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has taken the position that morbid obesity, even if voluntary, can be a protected disability under the ADA. Obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension are considered disabilities based on the ADA. The article on obesity in the workplace tells the story of Joseph O’Connor. Mr. O’Connor sued McDonald’s for discriminating against him in violation of the ADA. He alleged that McDonald’s refused to hire him as a cook because of his obesity. Mr. O’Connor claimed his obesity was a disability and McDonald’s discriminated against him because of this disability. McDonald’s sought to dismiss the case, stating Mr. O’Connor was not disabled within the meaning of the ADA. The federal court, however, refused to dismiss the lawsuit. The court held that Oâ€℠¢Connor must be given the chance to prove that he is protected under the law (Garcia, n.d.). The challenge in dealing with the controversy, of discrimination and disability, surrounding obesity must involve the legal and medical communities.

Theodore Roosevelt :: essays research papers

With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation's history. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. He took the view that the President as a "steward of the people" should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution." I did not usurp power," he wrote, "but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power." Roosevelt's youth differed sharply from that of the log cabin Presidents. He was born in New York City in 1858 into a wealthy family, but he too struggled--against ill health--and in his triumph became an advocate of the strenuous life. In 1884 his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, and his mother died on the same day. Roosevelt spent much of the next two years on his ranch in the Badlands of Dako ta Territory. There he mastered his sorrow as he lived in the saddle, driving cattle, hunting big game--he even captured an outlaw. On a visit to London, he married Edith Carow in December 1886. During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was lieutenant colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment, which he led on a charge at the battle of San Juan. He was one of the most conspicuous heroes of the war. Boss Tom Platt, needing a hero to draw attention away from scandals in New York State, accepted Roosevelt as the Republican candidate for Governor in 1898. Roosevelt won and served with distinction. As President, Roosevelt held the ideal that the Government should be the great arbiter of the conflicting economic forces in the Nation, especially between capital and labor, guaranteeing justice to each and dispensing favors to none. Roosevelt emerged spectacularly as a "trust buster" by forcing the dissolution of a great railroad combination in the Northwest. Other antitrust suits under the Sherman Act followed. Roosevelt steered the United States more actively into world politics. He liked to quote a favorite proverb, "Speak softly and carry a big stick. . . . " Aware of the strategic need for a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific, Roosevelt ensured the construction of the Panama Canal. His corollary to the Monroe Doctrine prevented the establishment of foreign bases in the Caribbean and arrogated the sole right of intervention in Latin America to the United States.

How important is performance space to performance? Essay

The question of performance space’s importance in conveying meaning and guiding audience response is complicated. First we must define the term â€Å"performance space†. In a broader sense, it can refer to venue, which in the case of site-specific artists such as Shunt, means performance space is indeed central to the construction and context of meaning. Venues also come with their own sets of conventions and coding, which may alter the reading of a performance. On a smaller scale, it is a defining of areas between audience and performer, therefore having a more proxemics based analysis. There is a tendency throughout history to establish a norm of performance space. This has meant in general, a designated space solely for performance, with audience spectating from a separate area. How separate an area it is has shaped audience response in a cultural sense. The peaks of audience participation have arisen in times when there is close proximity to the stage, encouraging the spectator to feel like another performer. The use of performance space can be an unconscious one. Performers, particularly professionals, must devise or present or work within the performance space that have obtained funding for. The audience member is often not conscious of the use of performance space, focusing instead on the overtly designed aspects of the production. This lack of open awareness is, in my opinion a reason why performance space has a profound effect on meaning. By becoming a subconscious signifier, performance space create an ambience through which we filter all of the overt signs and symbols before decoding, its influence pervades all Within modern performance, venue involvement and performer/audience relationships are gaining wider attention as means to shape meaning and reception, by working with or subverting our cultural norms or coding of found spaces. The rise of the site-specific movement shows both performers and audiences are acknowledging the key role of a performances surroundings. It is also interesting that non site specific work being performed in less traditional surrounds in order to democratize theatre and performance away  from the bourgeois connotations of established theatre spaces (the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has seen several productions performed in lavatories,) In a venue sense, the performance of Winter; The Triumph of Time, in the George Wood theatre emphasised the importance of performance space in contextualising the piece. The performers later indicated that they had expected the audience to leave during the stillness at the â€Å"end† of the piece, as it was intended to become an installation art work, which the audience would in their own time tire and move on from. The vast majority of audience members remained in their seats, showing that they were adhering to the learned conventions of modern theatre attendance; they stayed quietly in their seats until indicated by the performers (through curtain calls, for example) or their technical staff (by opening the exit doors, turning up the house lights or giving cue for applause) that the performance was over. Winter was read as a theatre piece, solely due to its performance space. Venue can also engage senses that are otherwise hard to stimulate. During the performance of Tropicana , I was acutely aware of my sense of touch ;the walls were damp, and often crumbled slightly to the touch. The venue also had distinctive smell of mould. The slimy, unpleasant feelings these created were consciously used within the piece and added to the sense of sensory overload the work was trying to create. These senses are rarely triggered by the performers themselves, leaving venue alone as the main stimulation for two out of five senses. Audience response to work is also influenced by the relationship between audience space and performance space. Rigidly defined performance/spectator areas can lessen the effect of the audience being â€Å"involved† in the piece. This is mainly a question of proxemics; the creation of distinct areas often involves physical distance in order to clarify boundaries. During Winter, due to the design of the George Wood theatre’s auditorium and the performers use of the area behind the proscenium, the audience were about 10†² away from the performers. I found this made me lose a lot of the detail in the  performance, the nuance of the paint cracking and solidifying was lost on me  for example. The distance also created a sense of â€Å"receiving† the production,. I was more inclined to intellectually analyse and consciou1sly deconstruct than to â€Å"feel† the performance and become absorbed by its journey. Tropicana redefined its performance space on several occasions, often with no distinction between audience and performance space. being within the performance, in a sense as a performer oneself, left the audience unsure how to react. Many of the piece’s early comic moments were not laughed at, as the audience were unsure of their role. When , in the second half, we were directed onto conventional tiered seating, the audience were much more willing to laugh at jokes, to â€Å"aaah† at the rejection of one of the characters and to talk amongst themselves, due to the return to theatre norms. Exactly how important a tool performance space is varies considerably with the objectives of the work; Shunt actively seeks to reflect venue through performance, and the piece performed in any other setting would produce far different decodings and responses than were originally intended. With less site-specific works, the link between audience and performance space is less obvious in a venue sense. Yet there is no space that does not add some coding to work performed within it. Even contemporary â€Å"black box† spaces convey colour symbolism and expectations of post modernism. Performance space is indeed important to performance. The venue and proxemics employed for each performance becomes central to the mise-en-scene of the piece, framing the work both literally and contextually. It can convey its own set of conventions and alter the way in which a performance is read. However, these ideas relate mainly to live performance. Performance over other mediums such as film of television would have the added consideration of not only original performance space,but the connotation of how it is received. Bibliography: Tropicana Devised and performed by the Shunt theatre company, 9th Oct 2004 Winter: The Triumph of Time- Cleanliness is next to godliness explored Devised and performed by Helen Spackman and Ernst Fisher 10th Nov 2004

How Shakespeare shapes audiences(TM) responses to Lady Macbeth Essay

Analyse how Shakespeare shapes audiences’ responses to Lady Macbeth during the play through the language of the play. Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is arguably one of the most powerful scripts written. Using such a vast variety of techniques enabled Shakespeare to allow characters to be portrayed and interpreted in different ways, varying from one scene to another. The key character displayed in the play is prominently Lady Macbeth. It could be debated to whether she applies to the traditional Elizabethan women or if she stood her ground and changed the world’s perception of equality. The audience could be thrown either way, is Lady Macbeth weak or strong? Macbeth is not only a play that is internationally recognised as one of Shakespeare’s most influential works but reveals an enormity of historical and cultural context. The role of Elizabethan women in society, in which Lady Macbeth was traditionally obliged to do is an aspect that if put in place in the 21st century would result in catastrophic uproar. Yet, was perfectly acceptable in the Elizabethan times, when Macbeth was set. Women were to be raised to own the knowledge that they were inferior to men; even the church believed this and it was quoted in the bible. They were completely controlled by the dominant male of the household, whether it is her father, brother or even her son. The divine right of kings reveals a connection later in the play, as one would believe God would not accept Macbeth as a King, as he does not agree with murder, revealing Macbeth as an obvious hypocrite of this law in the 1600s.According to these laws, God chose who was to reign as King. It was not simply just to be fought over for popularities and ego’s sake that appears strongly in the script. Lady Macbeth’s first appearance within the play is in Act one Scene five, she is opening a letter addressed to her from her husband Macbeth. She is informed of his concurrence with the three witches, who did not hesitate in telling him they believe he will become the next King of Scotland, following Duncan’s death. At this moment, there is no controversy as to excitement and enthusiasm that has filled Lady Macbeth; it is here she begins plotting the murder of King Duncan. There are a variety of quotations that demonstrate the depth of Lady Macbeth’s determination to prevent anybody infringing upon her plot. ‘Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between Th’effect and it’ Ensuing this, Lady Macbeth wishes for no interference, for example the distraction of daylight causes a possible problem in the fatal killing of Duncan. ‘Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark’. Lady Macbeth wants the murder to be convicted where it will not be seen, she wishes for there to be no daylight so neither Duncan nor she sees the murder. She is desperate not to hold the feeling of guilt. The most obvious defect of Lady Macbeth is her variety of mannerisms. She appears to own characteristics that would not be expected of an Elizabethan woman. Between lines 35 to 37, Lady Macbeth reveals a hidden witch- like complexion in which she calls upon, to aid and add ease to her plot. This most obvious attribute is demonstrated in these quotes, ‘come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts’. She is pleading with the ‘spirits’ to remove any weak feelings and nature’s innocence drained from her body, to ensure she can feel no remorse. The language used suggests she may already be knowledgeable of her witch-like needs and draws the evidence closer to showing signs of her psychological problems. ‘Make thick my blood’, allows her to feel any signs of normality that were previously within her, will be numbed, cold. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare makes an obvious statement of using illusions that not only add effect but allow the audience to make connections to previous scenes. The most effective and carefully placed illusion within the text is the word ‘crown’ in the quotation, ‘fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty’ This alludes to Lady Macbeth’s compelling desperation to become queen. Additionally, an explanation towards the trigger of Lady Macbeth’s fiendish behaviour could be connected to the loss of her child. It would appear to have affected her to some extent to the point where she has resulted in this character to cover her faulted complexion. Moreover, the time arrives where Lady Macbeth make the vital move to persuade her husband, Macbeth who is teased by the witches premonitions to take the plot with both hands, and deal the deed. It is in this scene only that Lady Macbeth’s split personality plays an affect that benefits both her and her husband. She has the ability to lure Macbeth into a false sense of security using her seductive charms. Yet, seductiveness alone would not win her the result she is after. She plays Macbeth’s emotions from making him full of guilt, to encouraging him to take a hold of himself and wash away his consideration for others. She ensures he is like putty in her hands, and almost takes on a motherly role with him to make him feel secure and safe in her presence. This is suggested within this quote she is trying to persuade Macbeth to go forward with the murder and therefore giving him no way out of the situation. ‘I have laid the daggers ready’. She quotes ‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t.’ This is to encourage Macbeth into making himself appear to be the kind, generous person he is but underneath the truth, to reveal an immortality of evil bitterness with the capability of murder. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth has be subsequently revealed to be a women who plays the dominant part in her relationship with her husband, which would have been viewed as unacceptable in all manners. Words she uses such as ‘give’, ‘get’ and ‘be’ show the language of someone who owns the control in a relationship. It is obvious; Macbeth lacks the strength of a man who should stand by the tradition in the 1600’s that all are women inferior to men. Lady Macbeth is aware she has the upper hand and uses these tools to her advantage. As said previously, she ensures the situation is all set out, so Macbeth can do the deed eliminating any possible chances of him backing down. She is determined to succeed for Macbeth’s future as King of Scotland, or is it all about Lady Macbeth? Macbeth is beside himself after the brutal murder of Duncan, in which he caused. The effect upon him has resulted in extreme side effects in which Lady Macbeth holds concerns for, as she believes it may conclude in arousing suspicion from other family members. She is desperately trying to keep Macbeth level headed by reassuring and comforting his ever-guilty conscience. Quotations from the text support her; ‘ consider it not so deeply’. Lady Macbeth’s language begins to tell us that Macbeth’s ever changing behaviour is playing on her mind; her jerky answers and sharp questions reveal she is not holding her strength, as she would like to. ‘A little water clears us of this deed’ states Lady Macbeth in attempt to disguise her concern for Macbeth’s actions. She is trying to push away her most inner thoughts and convince Macbeth that he can rest assure their secret will not break loose and spread like wild fire. Her distinct change of heart, is becoming increasingly more noticeable throughout the play, she is able to adapt her manners to the situation at hand. She has a side of her which encourages the audience to feel a sense of sympathy towards her but others may perceive this behaviour to be ever more sinister than previous. Following the realisation that undertaking such a risky event to accomplish nothing hit Macbeth. The murder expose not only that his chances of becoming King are increasingly slim but the reality of effects upon himself were far stronger than his first thoughts. He is forced to recognise that Banquo’s sons have more heir to the throne than he; subsequently he kills Banquo in attempt at increasing his opportunity. It is during supper in which Macbeth is asked to seat himself yet rejects the invitation and sees Banquo’s ghost, resulting in a fright. Lady Macbeth once again plays the role of a caring wife trying to comfort her husband. She encourages the guests attending the meal to continue and informs them this is not a seldom occurrence. ‘My lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth.’ The guests absorb Lady Macbeth’s instructions but hold a sense of concern. Macbeth’s reaction to the ‘vision’ grows stronger, causing his wife to eliminate the chances of the murder being revealed to their guests. She is using her variety of personalities to disguise this factor with a sly method. Lady Macbeth continues to not only reassure Macbeth but to call him a coward and imply he is being ridicule to the guests. She states, ‘When all’s done, you look but on a stool’, this backs up this evidence. She is not only able to reveal herself as a kind, loving wife but it is obvious she is unable to hold back on her malicious, bitchy behaviour even in front of her guests. Due to the increase of the pressure upon Lady Macbeth, her struggle comes to a head. Her weakness has taken control and the effects are revealed in act five, scene one through a phase of sleepwalking. The conclusion is one in which was not intended. The secret is revealed to the doctor and gentlewomen observing Lady Macbeth’s actions. It is here in the play, where the suspense is at it’s most intense. It is not only that Lady Macbeth is blinded to the information she is showing her true colours. She may appear strong yet is weak and feeble beneath. ‘Yet who would’ve thought the old man to have so much blood in him?’ This quote ends all chances of Macbeth and his wife running from the burden that haunts them. It is the result of the pressure that cracks Lady Macbeth’s outer shell. In my opinion, William Shakespeare has used an immense quantity of time and thought to create the character of Lady Macbeth. He has the capability to control a balance between the caring, considerate to the malicious and controlling characteristics. This enables the character to show off Macbeth’s flair. Due to Lady Macbeth’s past it is understandable in certain respects for the behaviour she displays. But, even considering the situation, in my response she is very dominating woman who is aware she has the control over the relationship at hand.