Biological psychology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Biological psychology - Essay Example Seeing is a process which enables a person to see things of this world around him/her. To see is a natural God gifted phenomenon. One gets benefits and enjoys the environment. During this phenomenon, the patterns of light are projected on our retinas by the objects. From the scientific view, vision is a complex process. The image is encoded in the retina. The retina goes through some important processes and then reaches to the stage of recognizing an object or personality or anything else. Actually it is the object that reflects light from its background and the luminant boundaries in the retinal image are formed. This is a useful starting point in the spatial vision and is performed by an important group of retinal cells, the ganglion cells. (Jenkin, 1994) Spatial vision is that branch of psychology/biology that deals with the study of interpretation of light patterns on the retina by the visual system. This is a new interdisciplinary approach and is also called as vision sciences. This field of science integrates psychological, computational, neuro-scientific perceptions and the visual brain knowledge. Rods and cons of the eye are photoreceptor in nature and transduce light into electrical impulses inside our nerve fibers. Both types of cells are interdependent to each other. Not only a discrete area of human cognition is involved in spatial vision, but various other areas are also taking part in this two sided/faceted relation. The spatial perception influences and is influenced. (DeValois & Russell L., 1990) The field of visually perceived space introduces the knowledge of scientific psychology. In the current era, its importance is at a great rise. A keen interest is being shown by the biologists and psychologists. They are busy conducting an active research in this most important scientific knowledge. The visual space is usually described in terms of conscious experiences. Wagner (2006) stated that visual space is exposed by

Canadas Victory in the Battle of Vimy Ridge

Canadas Victory in the Battle of Vimy Ridge Canada entered World War One as another country considered to be part of the British colony, and left it with a refined sense of nationalism that would finally lead to the end of Britains authority over Canada. The Canadian victory in Vimy ridge brought Canada a sense of pride. Womens active role in Canada during World War One changed the views of many Canadians in a positive way. Canadas achievements during the Great World War made Canadians have more love and loyalty to their country. Men and women had battled relentlessly during World War One and earned great respect from their country, which caused the increase of Canadian nationalism. Canadas involvement and victory in the battle of Vimy Ridge changed the views of many Canadians and it brought them a greater sense of nationalism. Historians have said Canadian nationalism was born atop the Vimy Ridge in the northern France on April 9, 1917, when the 100,000- strong Canadian corps claimed a strategic prize from the Germans near Arras, France that other allies had failed to capture. [1]After Canada conquered Vimy ridge, Canada was the first allied force that achieved a victory against the Germans. Canadian troops from then on gained the reputation of being tough, courageous, and successful fighters. Their outstanding achievement in the battle of Vimy ridge is what brought them a sense of pride. The feeling of empowerment and respect from other nations is what enhanced Canadian nationalism during and after the Great World War. Canadas achievements in the battle of Vimy Ridge brought a great sense of accomplishment to many Canadians. The victory at Vimy, won by troops from every part of the country, helped unite many Canadians in pride at the courage of their citizen-soldiers, and established a feeling of real nationhood.[2]During the battle of Vimy Ridge, it was the first time all Canadians fought together in a combined force. This encouraged troops to come together as one nation and work as a team to defeat the Germans at Vimy Ridge and is what helped unite many Canadians in a sense of greatness and pride. This is what made Canada considered an independent nation and that is what contributed to the increase of Canadian nationalism. The outlook of many Canadians changed as the success and victory of the battle of Vimy Ridge had brought them a better sense of nationalism. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that if Vimy Ridge had been captured by a British or French formation instead of the Canadian Corps, this action would not enjoy its current celebrity, Sheffield writes.Vimy Ridge resonates largely because of its role in the growth of Canadian nationalism. [3]Canadians after the success of Vimy Ridge believed that they could stand on their own two feet and fight for them selves without the help of Britain or other allied nations. This proved Canada was a strong country and an independent one too. This in turn is what made Canada have a greater sense of devotion to its country. The role of women in Canada during World War One changed the perspective of many Canadians and increased their sense of nationalism. Women were an essential component of the Canadian war effort and their efforts on the home front, in factories as well as on the battlefront were important to a successful outcome.[4]During World War One woman were called on by necessity to do work and take on roles that were outside their traditional expectations. They became an important part of Canadian society, and became more valued by the people of Canada. This wasnt considered the norm back in the day for women to be doing things like that. By Canada encouraging women to be involved in helping out in the war and at the home front, more Canadians have a greater sense of nationalism because they feel like their treating women with more respect. Canadian women performed no less than men did during the Great War. Many Canadian women worked in factories. Their contribution to the war showed that women had great courage and could do the same things the men could do. [5] Women moved into the labor force to do the jobs of men so that they can earn a living, help out the country and the men fighting over seas. This increased nationalism in Canada because Women had gained more rights and had a more active role in the society, which brought Canada closer to its national identity. Womens significant contribution to the Canadian war effort showed Canada had different beliefs from other nations. The Great War dramatically changed the lives of women in Canada. Womens active roles during world war one brought a better sense of pride to the country, which set Canada aside from other nations. [6] The Canadian women that help out during the war years changed the way Canadians felt about its country. Women were treated with a little more respect than before and had the opportunity to be apart of the work force which was different from what the world was used to. The womens active roles during The Great World War changed the views of many Canadians in a positive aspect which set aside Canada from the rest of the world. Canadas achievements on the battleground demonstrably promoted Canadian nationalism. One of the battles in which Canada fought courageously and determinedly was the battle of Ypres. Commander of the Second British Army, General Smith Dorrien said No words Could Be kinder or full of praise. The whole army realized that it was only the gallant actions of the Canadians that saved Ypres: otherwise one the greatest disasters in history of the British Army might have occurred.[7] Canadas involvement in the battle of Ypres changed the way many Canadians felt about their country and brought them a better sense of nationalism. When the Canadian army won the battle of Ypres using unreliable artillery (Ross riffles) its showed that Canadians could make due with what they have and win a battle no matter what the circumstances are. Canadas effort in the battle of Ypres changed the way Canadians felt about its country in a positive way. The accomplishments on the battle field increased Canadian nationalism; one of the battles was the battle of Somme which got Canada a new reputation of being known as storm troopers. War correspondent, Phillip Gibbs said The Canadians have gained great glory by their attack. Though swept by machine guns, and meeting stubborn defence, they carried a stronghold and captured hundreds of prisoners. The full story of the Canadian victory will thrill the great Dominion like a heroic song. They were careless of death, so they might win[8] During the battle of the Somme Canadian soldiers got the glorious reputation of being called storm troopers because of their restlessness on the battlefields. Although they were not victorious in defeating the Germans it showed that Canada had some clever tactic such as over the top, (which was when armed forces climbed over the trenches and advanced over the enemy) to attempt to defeat the Germans. The effort of the Canadian soldiers during the battle of the Somme showed Canadas capabilities and potentials in war which enhanced Canadian pride and devotion. The Most bloodiest battle in which Canadians fought in was the battle of Passchendaele. It was one of the most historical and successful battles of Word War One for Canadians although they were not successful in the battle. General Haig said proudly The Canadian have performed superbly, maintaining their spirit and pursuing their objectives in the face of overwhelming odds. They have defined the Passchendaele mud. [9] As the Passchendaele mud was a hard obstacle, the Canadians refused to back down and with spirit they charged forward concurring their goals as well as facing the great unlikely hood of survival. This showed the Canada had mental stability and no matter what the conditions were on the battlefield, they were always determined to win and this is what lead to Canadian nationalism because Canadians to be part of a country that is known to be great and outstanding fighter. During the First World War both men and women had battled courageously, weather it being on the battlefields or on the home front, thus increased Canadian nationalism. Canadas victory in the battle of Vimy ridge increased the positive views of many Canadians. Canadian regarded the active role of women in a positive manner which reflected the increase of nationalism during World War One. Canadas great accomplishments during the Great World War increased Canadas love and patriotism to its country. World War One, as many other events has made a great impact on the increase of Canadian. Birth of nationalism. CTV new report [Electronic Bulletin board]. April 2007- [cited 11 October 2009]. Available form [emailprotected] http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070402/vimy_90years_070402/ The capture of Vimy Ridge. Veterans Affair Canada [electronic bulletin board]. September 1998- [cited October 1 2009]. Available form [emailprotected] http://www.vacacc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/vimy/vimy5 Vimy Ridge Status in Canadian History Canada.com [electronic bulletin board]. 2001-[cited October 7 2009]. Available form [emailprotected] http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html? id=ccaca4a5-12a7-4b8c-b6a1-9c6469411fd1k=20506 Pat Station, Canadian Women and World War One (Toronto: Green Dragon Press, 2006), 15. Pat Station, Canadian Women and World War One (Toronto: Green Dragon Press, 2006), 31 A.G. Smith and Robert Livesey, Discovering Canada: The Great war(Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside,2006),36 G.W. Larkin and J.P. Matersky, Canada in the Twentieth Century World War 1(Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry Whiteside, 1987),18 G.W. Larkin and J.P. Matersky, Canada in the Twentieth Century World War 1(Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry Whiteside, 1987),23 Kathryn M. Bindon, More Than Patriotism( Toronto: Thomas Nelson Sons Limited, 1979), 121

stress and law enforcement Essays -- essays research papers

Management and Dealing with Stress in Officers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important that law enforcement officers are able to handle stress and build his or her zone of stability. Officers have a ready-made support system in each other. They better understand the special problems and feelings that come with the job that friends and family members don’t. That doesn’t necessarily mean that this relationship with their fellow officers will cure all. Sometimes, because of the â€Å"macho† image that police officers uphold, they will give back negative feedback in a situation where an officer needs comfort. For example, an officer shoots someone in the line of duty and is having an emotional struggle with it, and a fellow officer (who thinks he is supporting that officer) makes a comment like, â€Å"Good job, that dirt bag deserves it.† In a situation like that, a fellow officer feels worse and more stressed. It is very important for management, whether police or correctional, to make sure that they can prop erly help out their officers when needed. There are many things that happen on the streets and in prison that can severely effect an officer. It is only with a good management system and staff that officers will have the proper support to move on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A major stressor is when a law enforcement officer must deal with death. No one is mentally or emotionally prepared to deal with death. When a law enforcement officer has to notify the next of kin, they must pass through stages of notification. The first stage is to prepare by creating a self-protecting sense of social distance for the officer. An experienced officer will be more concerned with containing the emotions of the recipient rather than their concern for how they will cope. The next stage is the delivery. It only takes a few seconds to deliver the news, and the officer will use their badge, uniform, and the formality of the delivery as a way to protect him/herself from this personal situation (Looney & Windsor 1982). Dealing with the pain that you see in other people is a major adjustment. It will take time and experience for a law enforcement officer to cope with this aspect of the job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most traumatic event in a law enforcement officer’s job is dealing emotionally with the involvement in a shutting incident. Officers may suffer from pos... ...lp make a team run smoothly and efficiently. Support must always be shown from management to it’s officers. Reducing stress in officers can effectively help the team run better. Especially in times of need, like death, management needs to step up and use the techniques they have been trained to safely help their officers in troubled times. With a management that can properly help out their team, the team can move on and run efficiently and effectively. When officers need help with an aspect of the job emotionally, and management can step in to help, the officer will feel better knowing that management is on their side and that they are based one hundred percent. A good management can make the difference between and O.K. team and an outstanding team. References Jacobson, Edmund (1978). You Must Relax. New York; McGraw Hill. Looney, H. & J. L. Windsor. (1982) Death Notification: Some Recommendations. The Police Chief. March, page 30-31. Solomon, R. M. (1988). Post-Traumatic Trauma. The Police Chief. October, page 40-44. Solomon, R. M. (1990). Administrative Guidelines for Dealing with Officers involved in on-duty shooting situations. The Police Chief. February, page 40.

Classical Humanism in Art

5) Classical Humanism in Art Juxtapose two or more works from this period which you feel are illustrative of the renewed interest and enthusiasm for/reinvention of classical humanism. Describe the works in detail, discuss their internal symbols and larger social, cultural and political significances re attitudes to classical humanism C15 Italy Humanism intro Renaissance patrons understood the power of imagery and used it to extent their fame Courts throughout Italy were thriving centers of artistic activity and vied with each other for prominent humanist scientists, writers, architects,painters and sculptors Humanist subjects were taught in schools. The most enlightened renaissance popes encouraged the humanist assimilation of ancient greek and roman philosophies into their own Christian faith Inspired by the ideas in ancient greek and roman texts, which confirmed their new intellectual and scientific interests in understanding the world The praise of the deeds of great figures from antiquity that the humanists found in roman and greek texts supported the notions of pride and fame that were becoming important in a society whose major figures were successful business entrepreneurs and bankers Sought to supplement faith by insisting on the dignity of the individual and human potential for achievement Gave art and artist a new dignity and opened the way for a new level of literary discussions on art Natural observation –an important feature Expanding middle class, new types of art were commissioned by individuals to adorn their private town houses of country villas The dignity of the individual and new selfconsciousness promoted by e Italian humanists had an important influence on attitudes about artists Renaissance artists were viewed as trained intellectuals versed in the classics and geometry Artists became famous Began to create self portaits, a sure indication of theit new status Artists and workshops received a variety of secular and religious commissions Rulers continued to employ works of art for the traditional purposes of exalting and consolidating their power Rulers often commissioned portraits POLITICAL he humanists created, or recreated a structure of values different from that on which medieval ideals of chivalry and nobility were based. humanism was nurtured in the italian city-states, with their republican (not clerical or aristocratic) govts. , epitomized the new ideals of self-reliance and civic virtue - civic and mundane, not chivalric or contemplative. SOCIAL & CULTURAL the growth and spread of humanism is pre-eminent in the intellectual history of the fifteenth century but its r/s with the visual arts is complex and sometimes ambiguous. dontello's statues exhibit a dignity and realism. his works embodied the new ideal man of the renaissance and showed people as self-determined individuals, powerful and intellectually alive.

Hawthorne’s Typical Females Essay

Hawthorne’s stories talks a lot about human evil deeds and nature. Several of the themes are parables or allegorical depiction of human nature. Many readers believes that his stories posses morals which represents the culture and traditions during his time. Others consider his approach as sublimely misogynistic due to his portrayal of woman. This paper ought to present an analysis of Hawthorne’s stories. This includes ‘The Minister’s Black veil’, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown’ and ‘The Birthmark’. It involves a critical analysis of the themes and the plot of the stories centering on the presentation of women or female characters in the stories. Also, a high regards on the prevalent culture and traditions during the period when the stories were written will also be analyze to provide a brief history or background as to how the author come up with such ideas. Hawthorne Former American Literature prior to Hawthorne’s stories represents woman or female characters as innocent or as mothers caring, gentle and kind. In this regards one can assume that women are viewed and treated as weak, emotional, understanding and naive (Amoia, 1998). Some even viewed woman as threats which is depicted by Eve. Others discard women as simply unimportant. In literature they almost always play the role of supporting characters if not servants. This mirrors the typical view of woman during Hawthorne’s childhood. Men view woman to be inferior. Nonetheless such outlook does not affect Hawthorne’s judgment. Some scholars believe that this is due to the fact he grows up without a father. Living his whole life with woman around him, helping and caring for him (Amoia, 1998). Ideas common during the time revolves also with equality of men and women as expressed by Rousseau and his followers. In literature, women are always seen as witness of a crime or victims. Hawthorne’s stories tries to remove this stereotypical female function by creating female characters that serves as men’s companions rather than their servants. There is also emphasis given on men’s fear of woman as the main theme of his writings. Such conclusions are made not through observation but by experience. One should also note that most of Hawthorne’s writings create an impact of social deviation. As he tries to include his main theme in his stories, he also tries to cover it with the disastrous result of human sins or of evil. His writings primarily describe the Puritan way of life and the culture in America most specifically in Salem, which is his home town. In reading Hawthorne’s short stories, one would come across a prevailing plot of man’s failure or loss of power. Power can then be considered as the central idea where Hawthorne’s writings revolve. Men are rendered as powerful, women are displayed as weak. Such denotations stagger with Hawthorne’s persistent referral to women’s control of life. Young Goodman Brown In the ‘Young Goodman Brown’, Hawthorne portrays a man who is innocent about evil. Thus, Goodman Brown is a character who does not know about his mistakes or sins. Faith is Goodman’s wife, which also symbolizes Goodman’s faith in general with reference to life and God. The discovery of treachery or unfaithfulness of Faith leaves Goodman with doubts and a stereotypical female figure similar to Eve. Goodman’s view of Faith as a loving, spiritual wife changes into a whore-like woman similar to most women he knows. In this regards it seems that Hawthorne tries to dissect the usual marital relationship by magnifying man’s common notion of woman. This being woman along with sex and all other things which they represent are tools or apparatus which the devil uses to fool men. It seems that this perspective thrives on men’s mind for as early and as long as the story of Adam and Eve exists. The Christian religion creates the idea and practice of sexual intercourse as something unnatural and must be done, privately between husband and wife. Thus as can be seen in the story of Goodman Brown, the belief in such dogma led him to think that sex is unnatural. Hawthorne gives the reader the view about sex as something that degrades woman for eternity making it a sin. The Minister’s Black Veil The next story which also describes man and woman marital relationship is ‘The Minister’s Black Veil’. Although the focus of the story seems to revolve around Mr. Hooper and his black veil, the reader/s cannot miss the part wherein Mr. Hooper had a talk with Elizabeth. Elizabeth is Mr. Hooper’s fiancee in the story (Stearns). She is a good woman and their relationship is good up until Mr. Hooper starts to wear the black veil. The conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Hooper is a confrontation regarding the wearing of the veil and the reason for it. To everyone it seems that the veil symbolizes something close to a secret sin. Hawthorne makes the female character looks good or nice while male characters are displayed with evilness. In this particular story, the male character appears deviant not only to the citizens but to the church as well. The wearing of the veil seems to symbolize a secret sin indeed. Nonetheless, if one would read the story in light of the female’s role, one will see that the veil actually prevents the marriage between Mr. Hooper and Elizabeth (Stearns). In first reading one may regard Elizabeth to be inconsiderate. Mr. Hooper even begs her to stay. But upon reading the conversation again, one will see that the smiles of Mr. Hooper symbolize success or the triumph to stay away from Elizabeth. This is in line with the celibacy rule of the church. Hawthorne seems to make his reader consider the fact that celibacy is but a form a male expression of dominance over women. Everyone in the town believes that the veil that the minister wears symbolizes sin and evil. Hawthorne uses this symbolism to define the norms and the way people think in that town. The story ends with Mr. Hooper telling the people that it is fine if such veil represents sins, nonetheless his sins are covered unlike their sins which are revealed. Hatred of woman seems to be obvious in the first few paragraphs of the story. There are consistent referrals on bachelors attending the sermon. The minister needs to attend the funeral of a young lady and the wife who does not want to eat with the minister. With celibacy as a form of excluding woman to a specific male sphere, misogyny is brightly illuminated. With celibacy man has triumph to exclude woman from the power vested upon them by God. Inventions or the proliferation of such conventions still exist nowadays with the same purpose but with less effect. Hawthorne makes it explicit that the veil does create a barrier that grabs away the possibility of woman entering the Minister’s life. Hawthorne assists his readers to generate the idea that the veil generates ‘power’. When he explains how the veil functions on his sermons and how the veil makes the Minister look more authoritative, it crates the impression that a veil signifies power and/or control. The Birthmark This addictive stance of man towards power was moreover expounded on Hawthorne’s ‘The Birthmark’. In this story Hawthorne creates a man of genius, depriving from the usual religious role. Hawthorne manages to construct a character which is a ‘man of science’. Such man has dedicated all his life to the pursuit of Utopia and/or perfection that by which demonstrated through the man’s persistence to out do Mother Nature. The female figure in the story is Georgiana whom the author describes to be almost perfect. Such descriptions of perfection compose physical appearance which must be flawless and fair. This type of ‘beauty myth’ is something that exists during Hawthorne’s era up until today. This idea of beauty has successfully controlled women over the years. It defines woman’s status and possibilities in life. Another thing that is prominent in Hawthorne’s depiction of Georgiana was her submission to her husband’s wishes. The thought of her letting him do whatever he thinks to be applicable and best for her even if it means her own death. This sacrifice seems to explore the subjectivity of woman to men’s choices and women’s submission to men’s control. The story also depicts the profound way that men ‘disguise themselves’ as someone ‘not emotional’ concealing their true selves with a facade of illusions and self-deceptions. In the story, Aylmer conceal his emotional side by being a ‘man of science’ having the ‘genius’ to even try to counter nature. Although all of his experiments landed as failures, his display of objective knowledge gives him a higher authority or power over his wife. This is evident in the way by which the story ended, with his wife, Georgina submitting to his wants even at the costs of her death. The hatred of woman evident in the story as discussed by Fetterley covers man’s attempts to capture the power that both nature and woman share in common, the power to create. Such power is not available to men making him feel inferior. Fetterley also argues that the story provides insights on man’s ability to disguise ‘hatred as love, murder as idealization and failure as successes’. In this regard, I believe that Fetterley is right in her reading of the story. Man is indeed capable of masking himself with another identity apart from which he really is and what he really intends as can be seen on Aylmer’s vision of success marked by an inescapable failure, for his attempt to win over nature only led to a creation of death. Apparently, this creates an image that Aylmer is someone who would do anything to exceed nature and woman, even at the cost of death to prove his success. When Fetterley accounts that female was envisioned as ‘hideous and unnatural’ in the story, she mentioned the ‘cult of female beauty’ which create an idealization of women that makes her look ‘monstrous’ in her natural form. Women were portrayed to be hated on their natural form, just as in the story, when a birthmark represents an imperfection, a thing that may cause her to be hated and thus needs a remedy, which she will be wiling to accept even in expense of her own life. Fetterley showed that man posses such power over women that he can dictate and influence her outlook, he can even manage and control her life to his liking, making her a possession or a thing that owned by him. Deviation of Female Characters Georgiana deviates from the typical female character the most. She is someone who succumbs to the wishes of her husband as if she is a ‘lab mice’. Although she sees the blatant failures he committed in the past, she still worships his genius. At the face of death she still looks forward for his triumph. The other female character such as in the case of Elizabeth managed to leave her husband while Faith at least did not display such display of subjectivity. Elizabeth on the other hand deviates from Georgiana and Faith in the sense that she left her husband instead of standing by his side, which is the typical nature of Hawthorne’s female character. Female characters are always support characters but take the role as fire starters. It seems that they are the reason or is partially responsible for the actions made by their husbands. The male characters are displayed with an inclination towards evil. The woman are displayed innocent but it is implicitly shown that they are just doing what a good woman should do and how they should act in a society. At the least, plain reading of Hawthorne’s literature would create an image of woman as reason’s for male’s failure, an image that is common during their time. But thorough reading would guide the reader to the courage an power that woman posses and men lacks. Conclusion All in all, the writings of Hawthorne hold high respect for woman. Although it somehow discusses and depicts hatred of woman, it is quite obvious that it is not the authors purpose to promote such hatred. Instead the misogyny is elaborated to be able to present man’s cowardice and insecurity with respect to woman. It also present the different ways by which man tries to grab the power from woman by making them feel subordinates or looking down at them. Finally, Hawthorne creates female characters which display the typical female in his era. They do not argue with man as much as woman of today do however the way that men sees and/or treat woman stays the same. This might be rooted in the fact that women does not only permit men to treat them as subordinates and or objects but also encourage them. Work Cited Amoia, A. , Hawthorne’s Rome: Then and Now, Nathaniel Hawthorne Review. 1998. Fetterley, J. The Resisting Reader: A Feminist Approach to American Fiction. Indiana University Press. 1981. Stearns, F. The life and genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Wineapple, B. Hawthorne: A Life.. 2004. PagebyPageBooks. com. NAtaniel Hawthorne. Retrieved on April 18, 2008, from http://www. pagebypagebooks. com/Nathaniel_Hawthorne/

Siamois, Goosecoid, and axis essays

Siamois, Goosecoid, and axis essays Axis formation is established very early in the development of vertebrates. Much research has been done in this area, especially with Xenopus, and the consensus is that the dorsal lip plays a key role in establishing the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes and organizing the develoment of the organism. Pioneering experiments were done by Spemann and Mangold in the 1920's: by transplanting a dorsal lip from one embryo to a point opposite the native dorsal lip on a second embryo, they were able to induce the formation of a second notochord and most of a complete second organism in the manner of a siamese twin. The paper the two published summarized thusly: A piece of the upper blastoporal lip of an amphibian embryo undergoing gastrulation exerts an organizing effect on its environment in such a way that, if transplanted to an indifferent region of another embryo, it causes there the formation of a secondary embryonic anlage. Such a piece can therefore be designated as an organizer. The homeobox gene which is implicated in this activity is known as siamois. A second homeobox gene, goosecoid, was later implicated in the formation of the a-p axis, and both genes are regulated at least indirectly by the $-catenin protein, which is a component of the Wnt signaling pathway. This paper will attempt to explain the relationship among these genes and gene products and summarize the current research in the field. The dorsal lip originates in the grey crescent, a segment of the egg which forms opposite the sperm entry point (SEP) through a 30E subcortical rotation of the cytoplasm with respect to the cortex. This rotation, which is driven by a basketwork of microtubules at the vegetal side, is the actual establishment of the dorsoventral axis, but proper head and tail structures will not emerge without the organizers influence. The pathway begins with the accumulation of $-catenin in the dorsal blastomeres...

The Education System Essay Example

The Education System Essay Example The Education System Essay The Education System Essay Essay Topic: Education This point has caused one of the main criticisms of looking at cultural deprivation as the reason for working class underachievement. Critics have argued that working class parents seem less interested and less encouraging because of their situation and circumstances. They want to show their children what life is like realistically for the working class, that high occupational status is a dream. Another criticism of cultural deprivation has been by those who feel that material factors are more important. These critics are structuralists, and think that it is important to focus on what parents can provide materialistically that would encourage their children to do better at school, for example a quiet room for homework and appropriate books. If there is not enough money for books, the student has to get a part-time job which is likely to result in less time spent on schoolwork, thus not doing well in exams. There are other critics of cultural deprivation who feel it is important to look at factors of the school which affect the performance of different social class students. For example, there are subcultures (anti-social, anti-school) which working class students are more likely to be drawn into, and so their educational performance is obviously affected. The next explanation was a criticism of the last one material deprivation, or material factors. These theorists believe the students homes background influences and affects them the most. This is very much a structuralist view. The argument is that working class parents cannot afford the materials necessary for their children to do well. The children are likely to share bedrooms with other siblings and dont have a quiet place for study, and my have to get a part-time job if their parents are not financially secure. Working class parents are also less likely to be able to attend parents meetings because they have a clash of time with work. Working class students are less likely to continue to higher education because their parents simply cannot afford tuition fees and the extra necessities of university. All these negative aspects of material deprivation are why many sociologists argue that material factors are why working class students are relative failures in the education system. However, as with inheritance and heredity, and cultural deprivation, material factors have also been criticised. Those who do not believe in material deprivation focus more on in school factors and how these affect performance. They argue it is more important to look at how the school can provide materialistically, but overriding this, culturally. For example, they look at the dominant culture and value system of teachers. In school, teachers have authority and students of working class, in particular, feel intimidated and do not want to do well. This often results in a case of teacher versus student values debate. Where the teacher may encourage the benefits of education, the student may feel that the teachers authority and nagging is discouraging. There are many other in school factors that sociologists have put forward, which became the next explanation interpretivist arguments. The interpretivist explanation for working class underachievement focuses on in school factors. They believe there are many things that happen inside school which prevent working class students performing as well as middle class students. One of these factors is subcultures, both anti-school and anti-social. Working class students find themselves easily drawn into these subcultures, often with excuses such as the teachers picking on me so Im not going to his/her lesson. Peer pressure is also a major issue in anti-school subcultures. When one student decides that school isnt for them and does not attend, they need somebody or several fellow students to truant with. Students who may have previously conformed do not want to be left out and join the anti-school feeling. Two important in school factors of the interpretivist argument are teacher labelling and streaming. Labelling is where a teacher prejudges a working class student, labelling them as useless, thus giving middle class students more attention and support. This drives working class students away in anti-school subcultures and holds them back from educational success. Streaming is where students are split and taught in groups of their perceived ability. David Hargreaves, an interactionist, claimed streaming created an increased amount of feeling inferior as lower stream boys progress to more mature ages. This affects how they feel towards education and more than often results in poor exam performance. As older students feel inferior and join anti-school subcultures, younger students find themselves without role models and in turn feel anti-school. Both labelling and streaming involve teachers stereotyping students of all social classes, which can lead to discrimination, e. g. sexism and racism. Again, interpretivists have also found themselves being criticised for their views. The critics are structuralists who feel it is more important to look at out of school factors and the students home background, in other words material and mainly cultural factors at home. Focuses are on things such as the values of and attitudes to education at home, and religious and cultural values. Critics argue that parents of working class students have very different values and attitudes to education than middle class parents. For example, working class parents may find it important to emphasise survival as key in their childrens futures, whereas middle class parents could believe in encouraging their children to aim as high as possible and achieve all they possibly can. Religious and cultural values are also important in the structuralist view. Where features of religion may interfere with how students are taught, their parents may choose to pull them out of the education system. A current example of this is the banning of the Muslim scarf in French schools. It is a vital aspect of Islam for females to wear a scarf, so where I has been banned, huge protests have been held and many Muslim parents have taken their children somewhere Islam can be practised and the children can be educated. Critics of interpretivists also think peer pressure in the area where the student lives is important. If there is an anti-school subculture in the area, the student is extremely likely to be a part of it as it its where they spend most of their time. As time has passed, each of the explanations offered for working class underachievement have become more developed, and have also faced more criticism. The first sociologists to look into this issue believe intelligence is inherited and measurable, and middle class parents are generally more intelligent. They also believe in IQ tests and think they are an excellent way of measuring intelligence. However, there are opponents to this suggestion who believe IQ tests are unfair and cannot be used to test member of different social classes and people of subcultures within social classes and ethnic groups. There are many weaknesses and not many strengths to the argument of inheritance and heredity. Though the sociologists argue that intelligence is inherited from parents, there has not been a study to prove that this is so, i. e. no evidence has been provided to back up this idea. They do, on the other hand, not deny that there are less intelligent middle class students and more intelligent working class children. I agree with the critics who claim that IQ tests are unfair because when an IQ test is created, it will in some way be biased to a certain group (usually the middle class). There would be questions on the test that working class children would not be familiar with, thus failing to perform well and being labelled unintelligent. This is an extremely unfair way to explain why working class students are relative failures in the education system. Cultural deprivation was offered by those sociologists who felt working class children were brought up in a culture where people around them placed a lower value on education and where their parents were much less interested in their schooling than middle class parents. I agree with the critics who say that it is unfair to say working class parents are uninterested in their childrens education because it is their circumstances that put them in that position. A weakness of this argument is that although a researcher may have looked into a working class family and found that their argument was proven correct, not all working class families are this way and many do encourage academic success. As a reason for working class underachievement, cultural factors are important to look at but do not apply to all working class families. The sociologists who argue that material deprivation at home is the cause for working class underachievement have a strong argument. They claim that working class parents are unable to afford the materialistic requirements of school and that this forces their children to fall behind and perform badly. Though this is a very valid argument, it is important to look at other factors as well as materialistic factors at home. For example, material and cultural factors at school are equally important, and should all be taken into consideration. The interpretivist argument focused on in school factors and how these affected the performance of students. The sociologists looked at things such as anti-school subcultures and teacher labelling and streaming. Like the sociologists who agree with material factors, interpretivists fail to look at other factors. They see in school factors as the sole reason for working class underachievement, which is not correct. Though it is also a valid argument like material deprivation, it should not be forgotten that the home background of a student is equally important to look at as well as the state of the school. I think that inheritance and heredity do not cause working class underachievement, but that a combination of cultural and material factors both at home and at school cause working class students to be relative failures in the education system. Where each individual theory counts out the others as valid reasons, I think this is wrong and that all count equally towards working class underachievement.