Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) - 1559 Words

Student ID #160008 What is Autism? Autism, formally known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was first recognized in 1943 by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner while studying a group of children. He observed that these individuals â€Å"did not seem to be interested in other people, socially or emotionally (Bardhan-Quallen, 2005).† This complex genetic disorder impacts the brain in the early stages of development and produces a wide range of complications in one’s communication skills, social interactions, and educational performance. The cause of this condition has been linked to too few or too many genes on chromosome 15 and is associated with fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis (Whiteman, 2015). In addition, research has indicated that ASD primarily affects the white matter of the brain which is responsible for connecting different parts of the brain via nerve fibers. Throughout the past decades, the number of autism cases has increased drastically and is now cons idered to be the fastest-growing developmental disability. In fact, more people are diagnosed with autism than cancer, AIDS, and diabetes combined (Rosenblatt Carbone, 2012). Who’s Affected? Statistics indicate that over 3.5 million Americans live with some form of ASD. This is equivalent to roughly 1 in every 68 children; however, it is proven that gender plays an important role (Autism Society, 2015). Males are five times more likely to be diagnosed than females and are typically theShow MoreRelatedAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1722 Words   |  7 Pagesin every sixty-eight births are diagnosed with the Autism spectrum disorder in other words (ASD), which is about one percent of the world’s population. And that more than three point five million people in America live with a person who has the Autism spectrum disorder. We all know that Autism is a spectrum disorder in which an abnormality is developed in the brain. It is a long life condition that has no cure for itself. People who have Autism face many difficulties in their communication and theirRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1441 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a hereditary neurodevelopmental disorder. Like many other psychological disorders, it is commonly misunderstood in popular culture. Many allude to it casually, often equating it with crippling social awkwardness and disability when it is in fact a spectrum disorder with many degrees of severity. It is somewhat of an enigma within the scientific community as well; there are many things we do not know about ASD and there is ongoing research to learn moreRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1535 Words   |  7 PagesHow Autism Influences the Interactions with Others There is a little boy that gets up every morning and goes to school. He goes home to his parents after school each day. He eats, sleeps, and plays just like any other child. There is one difference. He sees the world in a unique way than most other children not affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The boy’s life and actions are a bit different and can be challenging for him. He needs understanding parents, family members, and teachers. Autism SpectrumRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1444 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder Dustin S. Staats University of Central Oklahoma â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as just Autism, is a disorder that affects about 1 in 68 children here in the United States.† (Facts about ASD) This is a pretty high prevalence and the number is continuing to rise. â€Å"Autism is a developmental disability that can cause significant impairments in behavioral, communication, and social aspects of everyday life.†(Facts about ASD). The intellectual functioning ofRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1569 Words   |  7 Pagesdiagnoses for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) occur has seen a dramatic growth in numbers. With diagnoses for ASD increasing, more siblings are also being found to have grown up with a sister or brother with autism spectrum disorder. Previous studies have shown no consensus on whether or not siblings of persons with ASD are at risk for negative effects. However, patterns of anxiety among these siblings are being examined to see if characteristics of a child with autism spectrum disorder and their parentsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1369 Words   |  6 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Introduction I don t think people understand how unique children with Autism are or the demands of caring for a child with Autism is. In order to grasp the effect of this disability has on a child or their family it is important to understand the characteristics of a child living with Autism. So for you to understand I will be talking about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Autism in a childs life. I will be talking about what autism is, the history and descriptionRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1587 Words   |  7 Pages Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder  (ASD) Purpose: My audience will learn the importance of recognizing early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children. Thesis: It is important to understand the early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and why early intervention is the best treatment. Introduction: Gain/maintain attention There is a television show I like to watch called â€Å"The Big Bang Theory, maybe some of you have seen it. This show focuses on the relationships between a group of friends, someRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) Essay1168 Words   |  5 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction (ninds.nih.gov). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a very complex developmental disorder and the term ‘spectrum’ was added to the original term simply known as ‘Autism’ due to the wide range of symptoms associated with the disorderRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd )1852 Words   |  8 PagesThe following paper is going to cover the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using research and data collected from various authors and journalists the paper will describe the different variations of autism and discuss the impact autism has on a person- in society, at home, in the classroom, and in their careers. Beginning at infancy, autism has a major impact on not just the child but their family’s life as well. The child’s lack of ability to interpret social cues, gestures, and expressionsRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) Essay1240 Words   |  5 PagesAutism Spectrum Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a range of conditions grouped under the neurodevelopmental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published in 2013 (Kress Paylo, 2015). Those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder must present two types of symptoms: 1) Deficits in social communication and social interaction and 2) Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (APA, 2013). The DSM-5 merged all autism

Ethos, Pathos And Logos In The Trial Of Tom Robinson

Atticus Finch used a variety of argumentative techniques in his closing argument in the trial of Tom Robinson. These argumentative techniques include ethos, pathos, logos, anaphora, and rhetorical question. Atticus used these forms of writing to his advantage, and used them to the best of his ability. However, it was quite difficult to make an effective argument for his client, Tom Robinson, who was on trial for allegedly raping Mayella Ewell, a white female. Despite the fact his defense opened the eyes of some jury members, Tom was eventually found guilty and received a death sentence. Atticus’ closing argument uses a variety of persuasive, argumentative techniques. One form of writing he used is anaphora, which is repetition of a†¦show more content†¦Along with logos, pathos is also frequently used throughout Atticus’ closing argument. In the text, Atticus states, â€Å"And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people’s.† By saying this, Atticus is building up Tom’s likability, and is trying to conduct some sort of pity toward Tom from the jury members. Although some argumentative techniques are used in this speech more than others, they are not necessarily the most effective. Two forms of argumentative techniques are used most effectively within Atticus’ closing argument in the Tom Robinson trial. One technique used most effectively is anaphora. Atticus states, â€Å"...- that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negroes are not to be trusted around our women†¦ You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.† This quote uses anaphora whilst using terms repeatedly, such as â€Å"some Negro men† and â€Å"who has never.† This use of repetition stresses the fact that although white folkShow MoreRelatedEthos, Logos In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Atticus Finch972 Words   |  4 Pagesgiven issue from a preferred perspective. Speakers may utilize the following appeals to win an audience’s favor: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos refers to the speakers incorporation of the audience’s ethical responsibilities. A speaker also uses ethos to establish credibility. Logos is the speakers use of logic and reasoning by way of factual evidence. Lastly, a speaker may use pathos to engage the audience’s emotions. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Atticus Finch are outstanding examples of speakersRead MoreAtticus Finch : Ethos, Pathos, And L ogos1534 Words   |  7 PagesAtticus Finch includes many examples of ethos, pathos, and logos in his closing argument. It is most likely that the best device that would be used to sway the jury would be logos. Because the facts in the Ewell’s testimony do not add up in accordance to the testimony of Tom Robinson, using more reasonable evidence would be more persuading to the jury. Although logos is a very crucial part of this trial, the devices ethos and pathos are also important. Initially, ethos can appeal to the jury because AtticusRead More##hetorical Appeals Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Atticus Finch957 Words   |  4 Pagesgiven issue from a preferred perspective. Speakers may utilize the following appeals to win the audiences favor: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos refers to the speakers incorporation of the audience’s ethical responsibilities. A speaker also uses ethos to establish credibility. Logos is the speaker’s use of logic and reasoning by a way of factual evidence. Lastly, a speaker may use pathos to engage the audiences emotions. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Atticus Finch are outstanding examples of speakersRead MoreFlaws of Society Essay942 Words   |  4 Pagesa Mocking Bird, was a revolutionary tale about growing up and the flaws in society. The author, Harper Lee, uses logos, pathos and ethos to express and influence the reader of her feelings toward racism, segregation, and stereotypes. These are all flaws that socie ty as a whole has had for many years, and all of them are against the word of god, and the Christian way of life. Logos, when applied to literature, means logic. This literary technique is used by authors to play on the reader’s logicRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Persuasive Essay959 Words   |  4 Pagesdefense attorney in criminal trials, the case State of Alabama v Thomas Robinson, Atticus Finch uses rhetorical strategies that were effective in persuading hostile juries. The lawyer’s closing statement emphasizes the importance of rhetorical devices and how they affect the mindset of a hostile jury. Atticus Finch uses the phrase, ..all men are created equal†¦(Harper Lee 205) as an allusion to stress the importance of ethnicity not being the factor in the outcome of the trial. The allusion comes from

Retirement Security in the Wake of the Enron Scandal free essay sample

A look at the proposed reforms in the law to protect retirement schemes after the fall of Enron. The paper shows that the spectacular collapse of Enron, the largest corporate bankruptcy in the history of the United States, has created a call for legislative and other reforms to protect employees who invest part, sometimes a large part, of their retirement savings in company stock-option plans. The paper discusses these proposed reforms and its opposers. One thing the defenders of the status quo ignore is the lock-down period. Although Enron insists that the lock-down period was an a routine administrative necessity that had been panned for some time, others feel the timing was just too convenient, given how desperate the company was to hold up the price of its stock just at a time when a number of financial losses were about to be exposed, and many employees might have chosen decided to sell off some stock. We will write a custom essay sample on Retirement Security in the Wake of the Enron Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If the system is to be free of regulation, and everyone must be responsible for their own decisions, then they must be able to make those decisions and act on them. The lock-down period had nothing to do with free-market decision making. There is also a basic inequity here. As several of the proposed bills acknowledge, if there is going to be a lock-down period, it must apply to the people in the most senior management positions as well as to the rank and file workers. One thing Americans always ask for is a level playing field.

Stamp Act Impact statements free essay sample

Thus, colonists immediately protested the Stamp Act. While colonist leaders sent representatives to the Stamp Act Congress asking Parliament to repeal or cancel it all together, violent protests were erupted through the colonies. In several cities, mobs attacked stamp distributors houses and businesses as well as those of government officials. These actions were partially coordinated by a growing network of groups known as the Sons of Liberty. The famous slogan Taxation without representation stemmed from this act. 3.The Stamp Act led to the introduction of colonial boycotts of British goods cause people could not afford this tax nor felt that it was in their rights to pay it. This move put the British economy, which exported about 40 percent of its manufactures to America, in considerable danger. 4. The fact that tax was repealed showed the American people that it was possible for them to oppose British rule peacefully and get results. Thus, this act was the beginning to the attainment of our American independence from Britain. We will write a custom essay sample on Stamp Act Impact statements or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One example of further protest from the awareness of their opposition would be the Boston Tea party. This was a protest against the Townsend Act (tariff n tea), however, without noting the positive results (getting the Act repealed) from the Stamp Act boycotts and riots these boycotts would have not taken place. 5. With all the opposition on British Government came great conflict between the American colonists and the British. Tension was gradually rising between civilians and British soldiers. This was one of the disputed disagreements that had steered to the Boston Massacre which was a violent act on the colonists by the British.Shays Rebellion: Daniel Shays of western Massachusetts led a revolt of rammers to protest the states high taxes, which had been increased to unprecedented heights in order to pay back debts. 1 As a result to the rebellion leaders lost faith in the Articles of Confederation that this movement ultimately led to the constitution. There was little confidence in the national government under the Articles. 2. The Articles provided for a very weak central government, and Shays rebellion illustrated it weakness. People feared the rebellion would get out of control and that we needed a stronger, not weaker, central government.Thus, the American Illinois went seeking for a stronger more stable central government. 3. The uprising prompted many in the government to call for reform. Multiple calls were made for a central government with more power. Several states, including New York, agreed to meet in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss possible amendments to some areas of the Articles of Confederation. 4. The rebellion led to the writing of the new constitution. The new constitution includes Sherman Great Compromise that combined the New Jersey and Virginia Plan. 5.Americans realized there were elements of conflict between social classes from the actions of Shays rebellion. This provoked a series Of similar revolts by farmers in other states. Kansas-Nebraska Act: A controversial 1854 legislation that opened Kansas and Nebraska to white settlement; free or slave territory? 1 . The Kansas- Nebraska had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Which allowed colonists to decide either territory would be antislavery or pro-slavery. 2. This act legalized the concept of popular sovereignty, which allowed the settlers of the new territories to decide if slavery would be legal, or not.Anti-slavery advocates were outraged because, under the terms of the Missouri Compromise, slavery would have been outlawed in both territories, but this act would make it conceivable depending on the outcome of the vote. 3. After the Act was passed, pro-slavery and anti- slavery settlers rushed to Kansas, each side hoping to determine the results of the first election held after the law went into effect. The conflict turned violent (hence the name bloody Kansas) and aggravated the split between the North and South. 4.Thus, this caused a mini civil war in Kansas from competing state governments. Anti-slavery and pro-slavery settlers began to fight over land, towns, water, and there was little law and order. 5. Every northern Whig had opposed the bill; almost every southern Whig voted for it. With the emotional issue of slavery involved, there Was no Way a common ground could be found. Most of the southern Whig soon were swept into the Democratic Party. Northern Whig reorganized themselves with other non- slavery interests to become the Republican Party. Thus the Whig party was no more.Manifest Destiny(1 835-1850): the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable. 1. With the belief that the US had the right to expand westward came actual western expansion. Western expansion had a generally negative effect on Native Americans driving them out of their territories. 2. The manifest-destiny passion also aggravated territorial tensions with Britain-?tensions that had been mounting since the War Of 1812. Although some disputes had been temporarily settled during Monomers and Dames presidencies, several major issues remained unresolved.Some f the disputes include the issue over for control of land in northern Maine called the Arrestors war, and the conflict over the land of Oregon. 3. Settlers moving west took any of several major routes, most of which started in Missouri. Of these, the Oregon Trail is most famous. Hundreds of thousands of Americans moved to Oregon Territory (now Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) during the years before the Civil War, most of them settling in the fertile Willamette Valley. 4. Additionally, western expansion navigated the US to a gold rush located in California. As a result of the riches California became a boomtown.

20 Exploratory Essay Topics Interesting Facts about Personal Names

20 Exploratory Essay Topics Interesting Facts about Personal Names Welcome to our second guide where we discuss 20 topics for an exploratory essay on â€Å"what’s in a name†. If you’ve missed our first guide where we discussed 10 facts for an exploratory essay on â€Å"what’s in a name† then we recommend that you go through that first before going through this one. In this guide, you’ll be introduced to 20 Topics relevant to your assignment, so you can begin writing without having to worry about where to start. We’ve also included a sample exploratory essay by choosing one of the 20 topics outlined below to give you a good idea about how an exploratory essay is faithfully written. Having essay examples on â€Å"what’s in a name† will prove to be very helpful as it will assist you tremendously in writing your essay. Once you’re done reading this guide, we highly recommend taking a look at our final and third guide, â€Å"how to write a deep exploratory essay on what’s in a name†. This last guide is perfect for polishing your writing skills and getting to know how a remarkable exploratory essay is written. Without further ado, here are 20 topics for an exploratory essay on what’s in a name: Why Personal Names Are of Psychological Significance The Relationship between Personal Names and Human Psychology Do Names Affect Your Life Significantly? Studies and Experiments Suggest They Do Why Deeper Research and Studies into Names Have Been Largely Neglected by Psychologists What Kind of Roles Does a Name Play in Your Life? The Reason Behind Trusting a Person Whose Name is Easy to Pronounce Why Boys with Feminine Names are More Likely to Bully in School Evidence Suggests Women with Masculine Names are More Attractive Physically Does Culture, Religion or Fashion Influence How We Name Our Children? Studies Show that You Cannot Have a Unique Name German Researchers Reveal the Most Appealing Names on Online Dating Platforms Why Psychologists Should Devote Their Time to Researching the Significance and Importance of Names Is there a Relationship between Names and Facial Appearance? The Effect of Names on Your Job and Professional Life How People Perceive You When You Have a Jewish or Muslim Name Psychological Factors that Affect Preferences for First Names Evidence Suggests that Your Name Might Make You a Future Smoker The Effect of Names on an Individual’s Self-Esteem and How They Seem to Feel Depressed The Definition of Attractive and Unattractive Names According to Psychologists Why Parents Should Be Careful When Choosing Their Children’s Names Liked the topics? There’s just so many to choose from, you may not know where to start. Allow us to help you with that: when choosing a topic, shortlist the ones which can be researched easily. This will assist you to writing the perfect exploratory essay without having to worry about what topic to choose. Below, we’ve written a sample exploratory essay for you on one of these 20 topics so you can have an idea about how to write an exploratory essay on your own. It’s good to take a peek or two when you are writing just to make sure you are doing it right. Anyhow, here is the exploratory essay: Sample Exploratory Essay: Do Names Affect Your Life Significantly? Studies and Experiments Suggest They Do According to Shakespeare, names are unimportant and arbitrary but research and evidence has shown otherwise, since a number of psychologists have taken a keen interest in exploring the significance of names and their effect on our lives as well as our interests. Studies now suggest that people’s lives are indeed influenced by their first names. Researchers have now found how people’s names affect their lives. For example, women that have a masculine name tend to achieve greater success in the legal profession while women with attractive names are considered more physically attractive. On the other hand, when research was conducted on boys[4]   that had feminine first names, it was concluded that they were more mischievous misbehaving at school and even after school. Although the reason was unclear, many psychologists agree that this was due to lower self-esteem and because their classmates might be embarrassing them by calling out their names. However, to this day, the real reason has not been unearthed. Our names also affect how others perceive us. During the studies, researchers found out that a name’s ethnicity plays a significant role in how we choose our jobs, our hometown and the people we interact with. In a recent study conducted by UC Irvine, it was concluded that easy to pronounce names are more truthful and trustworthy in the eyes of strangers, while people with hard to pronounce names are â€Å"hard† to trust. The study showed that easily pronounced names are also easily remembered, which is why our brain signals our instinct to trust that person. A study conducted by German researchers, found something of significance about the names. These researchers sent 47,000 emails to online daters and found out that people tend to go for attractive names. The best part? These emails did not include photos, but only names and a general introduction. This goes to show how important it is to choose an attractive name instead of a random one. For example, Alexander is one of the best names for males while for females, Charlotte is considered a top choice. These experiments and studies concluded that there is much to be revealed about names than meets the eye. Although psychologists neglect to investigate this matter further, it’s about time they started taking an interest in names and their effect on human behavior. Many studies and experiments have shown that names play an important role in our lives. Conducting more experiments and studies on a large scale would contribute a lot to what’s in a name and the significance of this subject. Now, let’s head to our final guide on how to write a deep exploratory essay on what’s in a name which rounds off our bare essentials for writing a marvelous exploratory essay. References: Robin S. S. Kramer, Alex L. Jones, (2015) Do People’s First Names Match Their Faces? Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis Vol. 12, No. 1  jasnh.com/pdf/Vol12-No1-article1.pdf Kenneth M. Steele, Laura E. Smithwick, (1989) First Names and First Impressions: A Fragile Relationship, Sex Roles, Vol. 21, Nos. â…ž , Mars Hill College  http://www1.appstate.edu/~kms/documents/SteeleSmithwick1989.pdf Jochen E. Gebauer, Mark R. Leary, Wiebke Neberich; (2011) Unfortunate First Names Effects of Name-Based Relational Devaluation and Interpersonal Neglect, Sage Journals  http://spp.sagepub.com/content/3/5/590.short Andrew M. Colman, David J. Hargreaves, WladySlaw Sluckin; (1980) Psychological Factors Affecting Preferences for First Names* ARG, University of Leicester  https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/npb/people/amc/articles-pdfs/psycfact.pdf Andrew M. Colman, David J. Hargreaves, WladySlaw Sluckin; (1983) The Attractiveness of Names Human Relations, Volume 36, Number 4, pp. 393-402  https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/npb/people/amc/articles-pdfs/psycfact.pdf Hewitt, E.A. (no date) ‘WHAT’S IN A NAME: Gender, power, and Classic Maya women rulers’, Ancient Mesoamerica, 10(2), pp. 251–262. David N. Figlio, (2005) Boys Named Sue: Disruptive Children and their Peers NBER Working Paper No. 11277  nber.org/papers/w11277

WRITE MY ESSAY

WRITE MY ESSAY Essay writing or research paper writing usually may take a lot of time unless you are experienced writer, who has years of essay and research paper writing experience. The idea of creating this type of help writing service emerged long ago. While you can save up your time, we can do a great writing job for you. What does it take to receive a well-written essay? You have to place an order. It is like a sign for us that says ‘write my essay’ for me and we start writing for you.    While other companies that do exist online, have more expensive prices, we have created a special business formula that allowed us to make prices much more affordable than average ones specifically for our customers. We are professional writing service that is able to provide you with custom written papers within set time-frame. The team of professional writers is always here to and ready to help. If you need an urgent essay written within 6 hours for you, we are able to provide a custom written essay within shortest deadline possible. So, go ahead and place your order right now. If you have any questions a friendly Customer Service Representative will be happy to help you 24/7. WRITE MY ESSAY Essay writing or research paper writing usually may take a lot of time unless you are experienced writer, who has years of essay and research paper writing experience. The idea of creating this type of help writing service emerged long ago. While you can save up your time, we can do a great writing job for you. What does it take to receive a well-written essay? You have to place an order. It is like a sign for us that says ‘write my essay’ for me and we start writing for you. While other companies that do exist online, have more expensive prices, we have created a special business formula that allowed us to make prices much more affordable than average ones specifically for our customers. We are professional writing service that is able to provide you with custom written papers within set time-frame. The team of professional writers is always here to and ready to help. If you need an urgent essay written within 6 hours for you, we are able to provide a custom written essay within shortest deadline possible. So, go ahead and place your order right now. If you have any questions a friendly Customer Service Representative will be happy to help you 24/7. WRITE MY ESSAY If you find yourself choosing a perfect college application essay topics, here is a list of bright and winning essay topics and concepts. If you decide to choose your topic randomly, it is not such a good idea. You need to find a topic where you would be able to uncover from within and show your true nature. You must show yourself to the reader. Need professional help, then just apply â€Å"write my essay†. We want to share with you some common ideas that are applicable to college application essay writing. First, brainstorm all possible ideas and then narrow them down to several mostly interesting and important to you subjects. Remember that you have to support your topic with interesting and meaningful details. All these actions will prompt you to fresh thoughts, self re-evaluation and new discoveries about yourself and your life. You may find a lost puzzle to something that was incomplete in your life before. Apply all of this to your essay. Significant life experience that changed your point of view How you have developed over the past years? Why you have chosen a particular path, profession, career or business? Your plans after you graduate from college? Your long-term life and career goals? Why do you want to spend another 4 years of your life at this college?

A Rhetorical Analysis of James Ladsen and Joseph Epstein Essay

A Rhetorical Analysis of James Ladsen and Joseph Epstein - Essay Example The essay "A Rhetorical Analysis of James Ladsen and Joseph Epstein" talks about the hubris that can be defined as tempting to face, or otherwise thumbing one’s nose at that which is already predetermined. This ancient Greek term for insolence and arrogance to fate plays a powerful role with respect to the way how current culture is defined and practiced. Essentially, the culture that exists within the United States, and to a large part around the globe as a result of globalization, can be understood as one that places a fundamental level of importance on maintaining youth and vitality; even at ages in which these are all but an unrealistic hope. Accordingly, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a rhetorical response to Ladsen’s â€Å"The Natural Order† as it relates to the idea of hubris. Likewise, this rhetorical response will be compared and contrasted with Joseph Epstein’s essay â€Å"Perpetual Adolescence†. Through such a level of analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will come to gain a more valuable and nuanced interpretation of why our current culture is so fixated on the idea of perpetual youthfulness; and whether or not this is a positive or negative attribute. Firstly, in terms of Ladsen’s story, entitled â€Å"The Natural Order†, the author represents the internal and external dialogue that is taking place between a middle-aged married man and one of his longtime best friends. The middle-aged married man is indicative of what might be termed as a â€Å"conservative†.

Hospitality Entrepreneurship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hospitality Entrepreneurship - Assignment Example The qualities and attributes are usually same in every entrepreneurial act as long as the focus is on the basics, however it differs when you proceed further into the operations, like the basics in every service based or small business entrepreneurship would be more or less same. The characteristics of Marriott were that he was having willingness to take risks and a desire to make his dreams come true, he possessed self-confidence and met the challenges that confront him, he believed a lot on his hard work and efforts rather than blaming his fate. Of course the rewards that he got for doing all that are quite visible. The other things that are attached with the Hospitality Entrepreneurship are Segmentation, Location (Depends on business type), Communication, Advertising and Sales Promotion, Finance Management and above all the Human resource employed. The segmentation is necessary in Hospit... If you are having a hospitality entrepreneurship the three things you have to worry about are Location, Location and Location, as you should facilitate the target audience with the facility of identifying you easily. The communication is another aspect of hospitality business, as the customers cannot expect you to do some other work than their work. The sales promotion is necessary in order to attract the old customers and also for the purpose of getting them back. You also need to take care about the finance, every thing should be operated within the allocated budget otherwise things would be sooner out of your hands and finally Human resources are the key in hospitality, as the customer wants you to be very frank and well mannered at the same time. So the initial mission of Marriott was to provide people with entertainment and a unique service which today has become so common, it would not be unfair to say that Marriott is the role model in brining innovation in the hospitality industry. "To develop successful innovation, a corporation should establish a conducive organizational climate. Traditional managers tend to adhere more strictly to establish hierarchical structures, to be less risk oriented, and to emphasize short terms results, all of which inhibit the creativity, flexibility, and risk required for new ventures. Organizations desiring an intrapreneurial climate need to encourage new ideas and experimental efforts, eliminating opportunity parameters, make resources available, promote a teamwork approach and voluntary intrapreneurship, and enlist top management's support." (Hisrich, M. Peters, D. Shepherd 54) The management of the external resources has turned these days extremely important, if this section would be

China Versus India Economic Growth Research Paper

China Versus India Economic Growth - Research Paper Example In terms of per capita GDP, India is way behind China with only $1124 compared to China’s $7518. (Runckel, 2002) China has a remarkably well developed infrastructural system. A number of prime factors that have developed a vast difference between the two countries’ economies, this include; labor development, manpower, water management, communication, healthcare services and facilities and also civic amenities (Zeng & Bigsten, 2006). All these key aspects become clearly defined in China, a nation that has placed positive impacts in the country's economy turning it to a leading in the world (Runckel, 2002). Although India has in the recent times grown and developed tremendously, it still faces problems such as unemployment, poverty, lack of civic amenities and many more. Unlike India, China has continued investing large amounts toward the development of manpower and strengthening of its infrastructure (Chow, 2001). Furthermore, in the sector of manufacturing, China is way ahead of India. In terms of world rankings, China is the third largest nation in manufacturing just behind America and Japan (InternationalMonetaryFund, 2006). India is at the distant 12th and this point out to the fact that its success in expanding the nation’s service industry is yet to be seen in the sector of manufacturing (Zeng & Bigsten, 2006). China was quick in embracing globalization and other open market economies. While the liberalization of India’s policies started in the early 1990s, China had by the mid 1980s welcomed Direct Foreign Investment and also private investment (Chow, 2001). This introduced a significant change in the country’s economy and its Gross Domestic Product increased considerably (Zeng & Bigsten, 2006) Nevertheless, India enjoys a large upper hand over China in the sector of IT/ BPO (Runckel, 2002). India’s documented earnings from the BPO sector in 2010 alone were $49.7 billion, while China’s earnings were $35.76 billion (InternationalMonetaryFund, 2006). In the world’s top ten BPO list, seven India cities feature prominently while only a single city from China is on the list (Runckel, 2002). Also, despite China being one of the Socialist countries, it started towards the match to liberalization of its economy way ahead of India. This strengthened its economy to a great deal (InternationalMonetaryFund, 2006). China is also lagging behind India in tax incentives. Its capital market lags behind India’s capital market in terms of transparency and predictability (Zeng & Bigsten, 2006). India’s stock market is highly transparent and predictable. India possesses Asia’s oldest stock exchange, The Bombay Stock Exchange. China is home to both Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange (Zeng & Bigsten, 2006). As far as the issue of capitalization gets concerned, Bombay Stock Exchange is smaller than Shanghai Stock Exchange. Shanghai Stock Exchange holds $1.7 trillion with about 8 49 listed companies while Bombay Stock Exchange owns $1 trillion with close to 4833 listed companies (InternationalMonetaryFund, 2006).  In spite the size that makes the two different, BSE operates on the principles of global guidelines and is highly stable because of the quality of the listed corporations (Runckel, 2002). Over the years, both these two

A Video Recorded Interview To Look At Skills Social Work Essay

A Video Recorded Interview To Look At Skills Social Work Essay I was asked to complete a video interview to practice my interviewing skills and analyse my ability to do so effectively. In this essay, I will highlight my strengths and weaknesses, and identify any future learning needs I wish to develop. It is vital for social workers to conduct successful and ethical interviews in their profession, it is therefore critical that I understand the values and techniques used, so that I myself can complete a profitable interview in the future. Firstly, I considered practicalities, such as venue and environment, where I tried to create an atmosphere where the client felt comfortable. I tried to not consciously fidget or distract the client (by playing with my hair/hands) and tried to avoid any intrusions (no one knocked at the door) which could disrupt the clients concentration or affect her mood. I also ensured that we had complete privacy throughout the interview, as this would make the client more comfortable and willing to share information. The working alliance, outlined by Koprowska (2005), indicates that a more successful interview will take place when the interviewer is understanding, attentive and respectful. I believe I demonstrated all these qualities, but my strongest attribute was showing the client respect. I did this by listening attentively, demonstrated by appropriate eye gaze (Egan, 2010) and nodding (Koprowska, 2005), which suggested interest and encouragement (Mehrabian, 1972). I sometimes used vocal prompts, such as yes yes, which also encourages the client to continue talking, but do not act as interruptions to her speaking (Koprowska, 2005). Another way in which I conveyed respect was by being courteous, which is highlight by the GCSS Code of Practice. I was polite and demonstrated good manners, but also communicated core values of social work such as anti-oppressive practice (by recognising the uniqueness of the client Thompson, 2006) and adopting a person-centred approach (by putting the clients needs first), which in turn highlighted my respect to the clients worth and dignity (Koprowska, 2005). I also delivered the interview in accordance with the GSCC Code of Practice by being clear and concise I used direct, simple language and kept the conversation on the subject at hand and directed at the key issues. I used both open and closed questions in the interview as I wished to gain factual information from the client (Koprowska, 2005), but I mainly used open questions as I wanted to elicit more expansive answers (p 83). I also demonstrated use of a probing question so that the client would elaborate on one of her answers. Edenborough (2002) recognises that a probing question can be used to gain further information but it has been suggested that too many probing questions can make the client feel as though she is being interrogated. Therefore, I did not use many. However, they were not necessary as the client was quite articulate in her answers. Tone of voice and pace of speech is another important aspect of verbal communication, especially when working with visually impaired service users (Koprowska, 2005). I believe my tone of voice varied appropriately in the interview, but I was not aware of the pace of my speech. However, I can recall from my shadowing experience, that the social worker spoke slowly and allowed small silences between questions to ensure that the service user had finished talking and giving their answers. I believe this to be a very valuable skill to have when working with visually impaired service users. Walmsley (1994) reports that while only 7% of words and 38% of voice leads to communication, a majority of 55% of communication is due to gestures and expression, and Argyles (1975) research suggested that a persons physical gestures and their mode of sitting can tell us much about that person. It is therefore vital to use non-verbal communication in social work interviews. I sat back in my chair and faced the client squarely to demonstrate a relaxed, open atmosphere to create a sense of involvement with the client (Egan, 2010). My facial expression was neutral with occasional smiles, but it was not distracting as Egan (2010) points out that this can create a tense and uncomfortable environment. Being natural helps put the client at ease (Egan, 2010). I demonstrated a natural persona by laughing with the client when she made a humorous comment. This showed empathy and hopefully added to the rapport building relationship. However, this is the extent of my non-verbal communication and an area that should be improved to include non-vocal prompts and gestures. This will aid the client to understand and validate the verbal conversation I am communicating (Koprowska, 2005). Another limitation in my interview skills is that I did not reflect or summarise at the end of the interview. Edenborough (2002) names the reflecting question, which is the ability to reflect back on the clients answers, which is something I did not consider. Neither did I paraphrase, which checks out understanding (Koprowska, 2005, p87). In addition, I did not end the interview well. I did not conclude or summarise, which Koprowska (2005) identifies as being important to collect up and agree key points (p87). Although, I politely thanked the client for attending the interview, I demonstrated a very poor ending to the interview which should be improved. Not only did I not end the interview well, I did not particularly start it well either. In the engage and explain phase of the interview, I said hello and informed the client that I would be asking her some questions, but I did not elaborate, did not introduce myself or check the clients understanding about the purpose of the interview. This may have jeopardised our relationship and rapport-building. Fortunately in this case, I believe that this did not affect the conversation and there was open and free communication between myself and the client. To conclude, I believe I demonstrated some strong qualities and abilities throughout the interview (for example, showing respect), but there are many aspects which I need to improve on, such as summarising and non-verbal communication. Although I attempted to create a friendly and relaxed environment, the interview appeared to be quite structured and forced, but this may have been because the interview was being recorded and assessed. However, this was my first interview that I have conducted and my nerves may have caused this slight inconsideration. Undertaking reflection upon the interview has highlighted the importance of preparation and planning needed for a successful interview and how this process with essentially help me to develop a more confident approach in future social work practice. Argyle, M. (1975). Bodily communication. Methuen: London, UK Edenborough, R. (2002). Effective interviewing: A handbook of skills and techniques. Kogan Page Ltd: London, UK Egan, G. (2010). The skilled helped: A problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping. Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning: Belmont, CA, USA Koprowska, J. (2005). Transforming social work practice: Communication and interpersonal skills in social work. Learning Matters Ltd: Exerter, UK Mehrabian, A. (1972). Non-verbal communication. Aldine Atherton: Chicago, USA Thompson, N. (2006). Anti-discriminatory practice. (4th Eds). Palgrave Macmillan: Hampshire, UK Walmsley, H. (1994). Counselling techniques for managers. Kogan Page: London, UK UNIT TWO SHADOWING A SOCIAL WORKER The organisation in which my shadowing opportunity took place was the visual impairment team (VIT) in Rotherham. I shadowed the only social worker in the team for one day. When people are experiencing sight problems, they are referred to an ophthalmologist by their GP or optician, where they are either registered as severely sight impaired or sight impaired. If consent is given, their information is passed on to the social services, where the VIT will contact them to arrange a home visit. I had the opportunity to assist SW* on two of these initial home visits. The VIT offers a person-centred assessment of the care needs of people with a visual impairment and provides specialist equipment and independence training in mobility, communication and daily living skills. Information about some of the resources available to service users was made apparent by the SW during an initial home visit which I was able to observe. Debbie* was a widow in her 50s who had recently been registered as sight impaired. This was the first visit SW made to Debbie, and SW was interested in finding out what Debbies strengths and needs were. Debbie was quite articulate in explaining where she needed help and extra support. For example, she explained that the lighting in her lounge and bedroom was not bright enough for her to see, so SW explained that she would liaise with the council to fit brighter lights. Debbie also expressed that she had trouble reading, and was becoming bored of watching television all of the time, so SW recommended the talking newspaper and audio books, which Debbie was quite interested in. Debbie explained that she frequently visited a local resource centre to engage in activities and would be interested in other groups she could attend. Debbie lived in an elderly neighbourhood and found this quite isolating, and stated that she only had one regular friend. Debbie stated that she had previously bee n prescribed with anti-depressants, at this point SW advised Debbie to seek medical advice from her GP as it appeared that her isolation may be impacting on her emotional wellbeing. On reflection I feel that the SW was able to investigate this further by effectively asking probing questions (see Edenborough, 2002). This communication skill is highly important for SW as verbal communication is vital in this area of social work, as non-verbal communication may be lost on the visually impaired service users. Gaining more information allowed SW to identify appropriate intervention (GP advice) as she was actively analysing/processing the information being given. This type of thinking is closely linked to reflective practice (see Fook Gardner, 2007). When SW asked for my thoughts, I was also able to reflect on the situation and identify that although Debbie presented with low self-esteem and confidence, she appeared to be motivated by wanting to become more involved in community based resources/activities and therefore a good method of intervention would be to encourage and support her to access this.. Below is what I would consider to be an important quote from the Person-Centred Support: What Service Users and Practitioners Say (2008) report: An idea which came from service users themselves will only be realised if individuals are empowered to play their full part, not only in determining their own lives but also in the transformation of public services (p1). Person-Centred Support: A Guide for Service Users (2008) identifies eight important aspects of person-centred support. These included choice and control, listening and information. SW listened intensively to Debbie and was able to pick up hidden feelings behind what Debbie said. SW also gave Debbie plenty of information about available resources and services, which allowed Debbie to have control and make choices about what sort of services she would like. Allowing service users to make their own choices is also written in the GSCC Code of Practice (1.3) and encourages anti-oppressive practice (AOP). Dominelli (2002) states that in order for a practitioner to engage in AOP, they must conceptualise their relationships with clients and move away from privileging their own expert knowledge while devaluing those of the people with whom they work (p34). Essentially, this means that the social worker and service user should work in partnership, where they negotiate with one another to set and achieve goals and objectives (page 36). This empowers the service user and creates a person-centred approach. It was evident that SW adopted a person centred approach and was also able to empathise with the service user as she also had a visual impairment and is also herself a service user. SW demonstrated her knowledge of section 5 of the National Occupational Standards (NOS). She had in-depth knowledge of the services available and of direct payments. During my shadowing opportunity, we discussed relevant legislation and SW reminded me that the VIT work within the statute of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA 1995, 2005) and NHS and Community Care Act (1990). SW demonstrated many skills and values, which are outlined by the Code of Practice. For example, SW promoted Debbies independence by assisting her to understand her rights (3.1) and promoted her interests by treating her as an equal (1.4), which is also in accordance with the DDA. SW worked in accordance with the NOS by exercising good practice and contacting Debbie after she was referred to the VIT (2G) and by arranging a formal initial assessment to assess Debbies needs (2H), which is also in accordance with the NHS and Community Care Act. Prior to my shadowing opportunity, I was worried as to whether I would be able to follow all the rules and procedures set out by the Code of Practice and NOS once in the world of social work, but after observing SW I was assured that knowledge and skills would come with practice and time. I was already familiar with some of the theoretical perspectives and legislation behind SWs work and believe completing any forthcoming placement will allow me further opportunities to apply theory to practice and to identify appropriate methods of intervention in different social work settings. *False names have been used to respect the confidentiality of the social worker and service user. Disability Discrimination Act (1995, 2005) Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan: Hampshire, UK Edenborough, R. (2002). Effective interviewing: A handbook of skills and techniques. Kogan Page Ltd, London Fook, J. Gardner, F. (2007). Practising critical reflection: A resource handbook. McGraw-Hill Companies: Berkshire, UK General Social Care Council Code of Practice for Social Care Workers (2004) National Occupational Standards for Social Work (2002) National Health Service and Community Care Act (1990) Person Centred Support: A Guide for Service Users (2008) Joseph Roundtree Foundation Person Centred Support: What Service Users and Practitioners Say (2008) Joseph Roundtree Foundation UNIT THREE REFLECTING ON FUTURE LEARNING NEEDS During the past five months, I have gained a wide theoretical/knowledge base of social work principles and had the opportunity to apply this to some practical practice experiences (interview and shadowing). Reflecting on these experiences has helped me to identify some key areas which I feel may need to be improved in order to develop my learning, and are highlighted within the body of this report. Writing assessments and reports has been recognised as core skills in social work practice. Therefore, it is essential that I am capable of collecting and presenting information in the form of an assessment/report, especially as my placement is with a Youth Offending Team and I will be required to write coherent reports for other professional bodies that can provide accurate insight of service user experiences and needs that are backed up by relevant theory and knowledge. From completing the ICT assignment, I have gained knowledge on how to format Word documents and search for information on the internet, which will be highly useful when it comes to writing a report. Although I possess these basic skills, learning how to complete a successful assessment/report within legislative and policy frameworks is a major area for development, as this will play a large role in my placement. A major learning goal for my next academic year is that of reflective thinking and writing. Before starting this course, I had not completed a reflective account of writing. Rather, I had only completed experimental reports and critical essays. Even though my skills in reflective writing are improving, I still find this quite difficult. I also need to improve my ability to critically reflect upon my work. Giddens (1991) highlights that I will have to constantly adapt to changing conditions (cited in Fook Gardner, 2007, p10) in the world of work, and critical reflection will allow me to stand back to analyse the issue and manage it more effectively, which in turn will act as a process for me to learn and develop my professional practice (Fook Gardner, 2007). In order to critically reflect back on my practice, I must first learn how to effectively apply theory to practice. I must use a theoretical framework to inform my decisions when on my placement, and then use formal and informal knowledge sources to guide my practice (Oko, 2008). The GSCC Code of Practice clearly points out that a social worker must strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users (p14). This is vital to form a healthy professional relationship between the social worker and the service user. Service users may be vulnerable and susceptible to discrimination or unjust treatment; therefore, the social worker must not abuse the service users trust or demonstrate oppressive practice, but instead be honest and trustworthy (2.1), communicate in a straightforward way (2.2) and respect confidential information (2.3). I believe two of the most important aspects highlighted by the Code of Practice is that the social worker should be reliable and dependable (2.4) and should honour work agreements and arrangements (2.5). Service users, who can sometimes feel lost and helpless, rely on their social worker to provide services and support to help them lead an independent life as possible, but if the social worker cannot commit to ag reed meetings or agreed plans (Koprowska, 2005, comments on the importance of punctuality), the service users trust and confidence in the social worker and social care services will diminish. Social workers should be sensitive to the needs and experiences of service users and should act appropriately. I aim to develop my skills in understanding the experiences of service users and IDENTIFYING their needs, as this information and knowledge will allow me to target specific potential problem areas and produce more focused support and services. A way I have been able to demonstrate my ability to identify a service users need is when I visited Debbie* during my shadowing opportunity. Debbie had sight problems, and the aim of the visit was to assess any specific areas that she may need help/SUPPORT with. Later, when discussing/reflecting with the social worker I was shadowing, I was able to identify that although Debbie needed practical sight-related help, (e.g. brighter lights in her lounge), she also appeared to be isolated/depressed and have low self-esteem. I discussed/considered various group activities and social groups that may help Debbie to overcome her loneliness and boost her confidence in herself. These were discussed with Debbie, to ensure a person-centred approach was taken and allowed her choice and control. Adopting this approach essentially lends support to the principles of anti-oppressive practice (Thompson, 2006). Another way in which I believe I have demonstrated sensitivity towards service users was in my video interview. Although this was not conducted with a service user, this video analysis enabled me to reflect back on my performance, where I realised I showed great respect towards the client. This is a skill I will transfer when practising social work. Although I believe to have some shown some strengths in my interview assessment and shadowing experience, questioning my techniques has helped me to consider areas on which I need to improve. I acknowledge that my reflecting and summarising in the interview was weak and is an area I definitely need to work on. I must do this to ensure that the client understands the information which was referred to and understands any goals, aims or objectives (Koprowska, 2005). I learned from both experiences that effective communication is of critical importance when working with service users and must be a two way process that values the input of service users. Reflecting on my shadowing experience and working with clients who experience sight impairments is a good example of how communication is key, especially verbal communication, as non-verbal communication and the clients ability to interpret body language may be lost on them (Koprowska, 2005). As a social work student I need to develop on all of these skills during my placement and to build on my academic learning to progress professionally. In addition, I need to increase my confidence and ability to apply this to social work practice and intervention. I acknowledge that continuous reflection of my learning needs is going to be vital to ensure that I become a competent social worker. One who can successfully transfer these learned skills and attributes to different social work settings and to different service user groups to ensure that the best possible care and support is provided. *False names have been used to respect the confidentiality of the service user General Social Care Council Code of Practice for Social Care Workers (2004) Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity. Polity: Cambridge, UK Koprowska, J. (2005). Transforming social work practice: Communication and interpersonal skills in social work. Learning Matters Ltd: Exerter, UK Oko, J. (2008). Transforming social work practice: Understanding and using social work theory. Learning Matters Ltd: Exeter, UK Thompson, N. (2006). Anti-discriminatory practice. (4th Eds). Palgrave Macmillan: Hampshire, UK Fook, J. Gardner, F. (2007). Practising critical reflection: A resource handbook. McGraw-Hill Companies: Berkshire, UK

Introduction to Computer Organization and Computer Evolution Essay

In describing computers, a distinction is often made between computer architecture and computer organization. Although it is difficult to give precise definitions for these terms, a consensus exists about the general areas covered by each. Computer Architecture refers to those attributes of a system visible to a programmer or, put another way, those attributes that have a direct impact on the logical execution of a program. Examples of architectural attributes include the instruction set, the number of bits used to represent various data types (e.g., numbers, characters), I/O mechanisms, and techniques for addressing memory. Computer Organization refers to the operational units and their interconnections that realize the architectural specifications. Examples of organizational attributes include those hardware details transparent to the programmer, such as control signals; interfaces between the computer and peripherals; and the memory technology used. As an example, it is an architectural design issue whether a computer will have a multiply instruction. It is an organizational issue whether that instruction will implemented by a special multiply unit or by a mechanism that makes repeated use of the add unit of the system. The organizational decision may be based on the anticipated frequency of use of the multiply instruction, the relative speed of the two approaches, and the cost and physical size of a special multiply unit. Historically, and still today, the distinction between architecture and organization has been an important one. Many computer manufacturers offer a family of computer models, all with the same architecture but with differences in organization. Consequently, the different models in the family have different price and performance characteristics. Furthermore, a particular architecture may span many years and encompass a number of different computer models, its organization changing with changing technology. A prominent example of both these phenomena is the IBM System/370 architecture. This architecture was first introduced in 1970 and included a number of models. The customer with modest requirements could buy a cheaper, slower model and, if demand increased, later upgrade to a more expensive, faster model without having to abandon software that had already been developed. These newer models retained the same architecture so that the customer’s software investment  was protected. Remarkably, the System/370 architecture, with a few enhancements, has survived to this day as the architecture of IBM’s mainframe product line. II.Structure and Function A computer is a complex system; contemporary computers contain millions of elementary electronic components. The key is to recognize the hierarchical nature of most complex systems, including the computer. A hierarchical system is a set of interrelated subsystems, each of the latter, in turn, hierarchical in structure until we reach some lowest level of elementary subsystem. The hierarchical nature of complex systems is essential to both their design and their description. The designer need only deal with a particular level of the system at a time. At each level, the system consists of a set of components and their interrelationships. The behaviour at each level depends only on a simplified, abstracted characterization of the system at the next lower level. At each level, the designer is concerned with structure and function: †¢Structure: The way in which the components are interrelated †¢Function: The operation of each individual component as part of the structure The computer system will be described from the top down. We begin with the major components of a computer, describing their structure and function, and proceed to successively lower layers of the hierarchy. Function Both the structure and functioning of a computer are, in essence, simple. Figure 1.1 depicts the basic functions that a computer can perform. In general terms, there are only four: †¢Data processing: The computer, of course, must be able to process data. The data may take a wide variety of forms, and the range of processing requirements is broad. However, we shall see that there are only a few fundamental methods or types of data processing. †¢Data storage: It is also essential that a computer store data. Even if the computer is processing on the fly (i.e., data come in and get processed, and the results go out immediately), the computer must temporarily store at least those pieces of data that are being worked on at any given moment. Thus, there is at least a short-term data storage function. Equally important, the computer performs a long-term data storage  function. Files of data are stored on the computer for subsequent retrieval and update. †¢Data movement: The computer must be able to move data between itself and the outside world. The computer’s operating environment consists of devices that serve as either sources or destinations of data. When data are received from or delivered to a device that is directly connected to the computer, the process is known as input-output (I/O), and the device is referred to as a peripheral. When data are moved over longer distances, to or from a remote device, the process is known as data communications. †¢Control: Finally there must be control of these three functions. Ultimately, this control is exercised by the individual(s) who provides the computer with instructions. Within the computer, a control unit manages the computer’s resources and orchestrates the performance of its functional parts in response to those instructions. FIGURE 1.1 A FUNCTIONAL VIEW OF THE COMPUTER At this general level of discussion, the number of possible operations that can be performed is few. Figure 1.2 depicts the four possible types of operations. The computer can function as a data movement device (Figure 1.2a), simply transferring data from one peripheral or communications line to another. It can also function as a data storage device (Figure 1.2b), with data transferred from the external environment to computer storage (read) and vice versa (write). The final two diagrams show operations involving data processing, on data either in storage (Figure 1.2c) or en route between storage and the external environment Structure Figure 1.3 is the simplest possible depiction of a computer. The computer  interacts in some fashion with its external environment. In general, all of its linkages to the external environment can be classified as peripheral devices or communication lines. There are four main structural components (Figure 1.4): †¢Central Processing Unit (CPU): Controls the operation of the computer and performs its data processing functions; often simple referred to as processor †¢Main memory: Stores data †¢I/O: Moves data between the computer and its external environment †¢System interconnection: Some mechanism that provides for communication among CPU, main memory, and I/O FIGURE 1.3 THE COMPUTER FIGURE 1.4 THE COMPUTER: TOP-LEVEL STRUCTURE There may be one or more of each of the aforementioned components. Traditionally, there has been just a single CPU. In recent years, there has been increasing use of multiple processors in a single computer. The most interesting and in some ways the most complex component is the CPU; its structure is depicted in Figure 1.5. Its major structural components are: †¢Control unit: Controls the operation of the CPU and hence the computer †¢Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU): Performs the computer’s data processing functions †¢Registers: Provides storage internal to the CPU †¢CPU interconnection: Some mechanism that provides for communication among the control unit, ALU, and registers FIGURE 1.5 THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) Finally, there are several approaches to the implementation of the control unit; one common approach is a microprogrammed implementation. In essence, a microprogrammed control unit operates by executing microinstructions that define the functionality of the control unit. The structure of the control unit can be depicted as in Figure 1.6. FIGURE 1.6 THE CONTROL UNIT III.Importance of Computer Organization and Architecture The computer lies at the heart of computing. Without it most of the computing  disciplines today would be a branch of the theoretical mathematics. To be a professional in any field of computing today, one should not regard the computer as just a black box that executes programs by magic. All students of computing should acquire some understanding and appreciation of a computer system’s functional components, their characteristics, their performance, and their interactions. There are practical implications as well. Students need to understand computer architecture in order to structure a program so that it runs more efficiently on a real machine. In selecting a system to use, they should be able to understand the tradeoff among various components, such as CPU clock speed vs. memory size. [Reported by the Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Computer Society and ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)]. IV.Computer Evolution A brief history of computers is interesting and also serves the purpose of providing an overview of computer structure and function. A consideration of the need for balanced utilization of computer resources provides a context that is useful. The First Generation: Vacuum Tubes ENIAC: The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer), designed by and constructed under the supervision of John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania, was the world’s first general-purpose electronic digital computer. The project was a response to U.S. wartime needs during World War II. The Army’s Ballistics Research Laboratory (BRL), an agency responsible for developing range and trajectory tables for new weapons, was having difficulty supplying these tables accurately and within a reasonable time frame. Mauchly, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and Eckert, one of his graduate students, proposed to build a general-purpose computer using vacuum tubes for the BRL’s application. In 1943, the Army accepted this proposal, and work began on the ENIAC. The resulting machine was enormous, weighing 30 tons, occupying 1500 squre feet of floor space and containing more than 18,000 vacuum tubes. When operating, it consumed 140 kilowatts of power. It was also substantially faster than any electromechanical computer, being capable of 5000 additions per second. The ENIAC was a decimal rather  than a binary machine. That is, numbers were represented in decimal form and arithmetic was performed in the decimal system. Its memory consisted of 20 â€Å"accumulators,† each capable of holding a 10-digit decimal number. A ring of 10 vacuum tubes represented each digit. At any time, only one vacuum tube was in the ON state, representing one of the 10 digits. The major drawback of the ENIAC was that it had to be programmed manually by setting switches and plugging and unplugging cables. The ENIAC was completed in 1946, too late to be used in the war effort. Instead, its first task was to perform a series of complex calculations that were us ed to help determine the feasibility of the hydrogen bomb. The use of the ENIAC for a purpose other than that for which it was built demonstrated its general-purpose nature. The ENIAC continued to operate under BRL management until 1955, when it was disassembled. The von Neumann Machine: The task of entering and altering programs for the ENIAC was extremely tedious. The programming process could be facilitated if the program could be represented in a form suitable for storing in memory alongside the data. Then, a computer could get its instructions by reading them from memory, and a program could be set or altered by setting the values of a portion of memory. This idea, known as the stored-program concept, is usually attributed to the ENIAC designers, most notably the mathematician John von Neumann, who was a consultant on the ENIAC project. Alan Turing developed the idea at about the same time. The first publication of the idea was in a 1945 proposal by von Neumann for a new computer, the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer). In 1946, von Neumann and his colleagues began the design of a new stored-program computer, referred to as the IAS computer, at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. The IAS computer, although not completed until 1952, is the prototype of all subsequent general-purpose computers. Figure 1.7 shows the general structure of the IAS computer. It consists of: †¢A main memory, which stores both data and instructions †¢An arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) capable of operating on binary data †¢A control unit, which interprets the instructions in memory and causes them to be executed †¢Input and output (I/O) equipment operated by the control unit FIGURE 1.7 STRUCTURE OF THE IAS COMPUTER Commercial Computers The 1950s saw the birth of the computer industry with two companies, Sperry and IBM, dominating the marketplace. UNIVAC I: In 1947, Eckert and Mauchly formed the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation to manufacture computers commercially. Their first successful machine was the UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer), which was commissioned by the Bureau of the Census for the 1950 calculations. The Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation became part of the UNIVAC division of Sperry-Rand Corporation, which went on to build a series of successor machines. The UNIVAC I was the first successful commercial computer. It was intended, as the name implies, for both scientific and commercial applications. The first paper describing the system listed matrix algebraic computations, statistical problems, premium billings for a life insurance company, and logistical problems as a sample of the tasks it could perform. UNIVAC II: The UNIVAC II which had greater memory capacity and higher performance than the UNIVAC I, was delivered in the late 1950s and illustrates several trends that have remained characteristic of the computer industry. First, advances in technology allow companies to continue to build larger, more powerful computers. Second, each company tries to make its new machines upward compatible with the older machines. This means that the programs written for the older machines can be executed on the new machine. This strategy is adopted in the hopes of retaining the customer base; that is, when a customer decides to buy a newer machine, he or she is likely to get it from the same company to avoid losing the investment in programs. The UNIVAC division also began development of the 1100 series of computers, which was to be its major source of revenue. This series illustrates a distinction that existed at one time. In 1955, IBM, which stands for International Business Machines, introduced the companion 702 product, which had a number of hardware features that suited it to business applications. These were the first of a long series of 700/7000 computers that established IBM as the overwhelmingly dominant computer manufacturer. The Second Generation: Transistors The first major change in the electronic computer came with the replacement of the vacuum tube by the transistor. The transistor is smaller, cheaper, and dissipates less heat than a vacuum tube but can be used in the same way  as a vacuum tube to construct computers. Unlike the vacuum tube, which requires wires, metal plates, a glass capsule, and a vacuum, the transistor is a solid-state device, made from silicon. The transistor was invented at Bell Labs in 1947 and by the 1950s had launched an electronic revolution. The National Cash Registers (NCR) and, more successfully, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) were the front-runners with some small transistor machines. IBM followed shortly with the 7000 series. The second generation is noteworthy also for the appearance of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). DEC was founded in 1957 and, in that year, delivered its first computer, the PDP-1 (Programmed Data Processor). This computer and this company began the minicomputer phenomenon that would become so prominent in the third generation. The IBM 7094: From the introduction of the 700 series in 1952 to the introduction of the last member of the 7000 series in 1964, this IBM product line underwent an evolution that is typical of computer products. Successive members of the product line show increased performance, increased capacity, and/or lower cost. Table 1.1 illustrates this trend. The Third Generation: Integrated Circuit A single, self-contained transistor is called a discrete component. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, electronic equipment was composed largely of discrete components–transistors, resistors, capacitors, and so on. Discrete components were manufactured separately, packaged in their own containers, and soldered or wired together onto masonite-like circuit boards, which were then installed in computers, oscilloscopes, and other electronic equipment. Early second-generation computer contained about 10,000 transistors. This figure grew to the hundreds of thousands, making the manufacture of newer, more powerful machines increasingly difficult. In 1958 came the achievement that revolutionized electronics and started the era of microelectronics: the invention of the integrated circuit. Microelectronics: Microelectronics means, literally, â€Å"small electronics.† Since the beginnings of digital electronics and the computer industry, there has been a persistent and consistent trend toward the reduction in size of digital electronic circuits. The basic elements of a digital computer, as we know, must perform storage, movement, processing, and control functions. Only two fundamental types of components are required: gates and memory  cells. A gate is a device that implements a simple Boolean or logical function. Such devices are called gates because they control data flow in much the same way that canal gates do. The memory cell is a device that can store one bit of data; that is, the device can be in one of two stable states at any time. By interconnecting large numbers of these fundamental devices, we can construct a computer. We can relate this to our four basic functions as follows: †¢Data storage: Provided by memory cells. †¢Data processing: Provided by gates. †¢Data movement: The paths between components are used to move data from memory to memory and from memory through gates to memory. †¢Control: The paths between components can carry control signals. When the control signal is ON, the gate performs its function on the data inputs and produces a data output. Similarly, the memory cell will store the bit that is on its input lead when the WRITE control signal is ON and will place the bit that is in the cell on its output lead when the READ control signal is ON. Thus, a computer consists of gates, memory cells, and interconnections among these elements. The integrated circuit exploits the fact that such components as transistors, resistors, and conductors can be fabricated from a semiconductor such as silicon. It is merely an extension of the solid-state art to fabricate an entire circuit in a tiny piece of silicon rather than assemble discrete components made from separate pieces of silicon into the same circuit. Many transistors can be produced at the same time on a single wafer of silicon. Equally important, these transistors can be connected with a process of metallization to form circuits. Figure 1.8 depicts the key concepts in an integrated circuit. A thin wafer of silicon is divided into a matrix of small areas, each a few millimetres square. The identical circuit pattern is fabricated in each area, and the wafer is broken up into chips. Each chip consists of many gates and/or memory cells plus a number of input and output attachment points. This chip is then packaged in housing that protects it and provides pins for attachment to devices beyond the chip. A number of these packages can then be interconnected on a printed circuit board to produce larger and more complex circuits. As time went on, it became possible to pack more and more components on the  same chip. This growth in density is illustrated in Figure 1.9; it is one of the most remarkable technological trends ever recorded. This figure reflects the famous Moore’s law, which was propounded by Gordon Moore, cofounder of Intel, in 1965. Moore observed that the number of transistors that could be put on a single chip was doubling every year and correctly predicted that this pace would continue into the near future. FIGURE 1.9 GROWTH IN CPU TRANSISTOR COUNT The consequences of Moore’s law are profound: 1.The cost of a chip has remained virtually unchanged during this period of rapid growth in density. This means that the cost of computer logic and memory circuitry has fallen at a dramatic rate. 2.Because logic and memory elements are placed closer together on more densely packed chips, the electrical path length is shortened, increasing operating speed. 3.The computer becomes smaller, making it more convenient to place in a variety of environments. 4.There is a reduction in power and cooling requirements. 5.The interconnections on the integrated circuit are much more reliable than solder connections. With more circuitry on each chip, there are fewer interchip connections. IBM System/360: By 1964, IBM had a firm grip on the computer market with its 7000 series of machines. In that year, IBM announced the System/360, a new family of computer products. Although the announcement itself was no surprise, it contained some unpleasant news for current IBM customers: the 360 product line was incompatible with older IBM machines. Thus, the transition to the 360 would be difficult for the current customer base. This was a bold step by IBM, but one IBM felt was necessary to break out of some of the constraints of the 7000 architecture and to produce a system capable of evolving with the new integrated circuit technology. The 360 was the success of the decade and cemented IBM as the overwhelmingly dominant computer vendor, with a market share above 70%. The System/360 was the industry’s first planned family of computers. The family covered a wide range of performance and cost. Table 1.2 indicates some of the key characteristics of the various models in 1965. The concept of a family of compatible computers was both novel and extremely successful. The characteristics of a family are as follows: †¢Similar or identical instruction set: The program that executes on one machine will also execute on any other. †¢Similar or identical operating system: The same basic operating system is available for all family members. †¢Increasing speed: the rate of instruction execution increases in going from lower to higher family members. †¢Increasing number of I/O ports: In going from lower to higher family members. †¢Increasing memory size: In going from lower to higher family members. †¢Increasing cost: In going from lower to higher family members. DEC PDP-8: Another momentous first shipment occurred: PDP-8 from DEC. At a time when the average computer required an air-conditioned room, the PDP-8 (dubbed a minicomputer by the industry) was small enough that it could be placed on top of a lab bench or be built into other equipment. It could not do everything the mainframe could, but at $16,000, it was cheap enough for each lab technician to have one. The low cost and small size of the PDP-8 enabled another manufacturer to purchase a PDP-8 and integrate it into a total system for resale. These other manufacturers came to be known as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and the OEM market became and remains a major segment of the computer marketplace. As DEC’s official history puts it, the PDP-8 â€Å"established the concept of minicomputers, leading the way to a multibillion dollar industry.† Later Generations Beyond the third generation there is less general agreement on defining generations of computers. Table 1.3 suggests that there have been a number of later generations, based on advances in integrated circuit technology. GenerationApproximate DatesTechnologyTypical Speed (operations per  second) With the rapid pace of technology, the high rate of introduction of new products and the importance of software and communications as well as hardware, the classification by generation becomes less clear and less meaningful. In this section, we mention two of the most important of these results. Semiconductor Memory: The first application of integrated circuit technology to computers was construction of the processor (the control unit and the arithmetic and logic unit) out of integrated circuit chips. But it was also found that this same technology could be used to construct memories. In the 1950s and 1960s, most computer memory was constructed from tiny rings of ferromagnetic material, each about a sixteenth of an inch in diameter. These rings were strung up on grids of fine wires suspended on small screens inside the computer. Magnetized one way, a ring (called a core) represented a one; magnetized the other way, it stood for a zero. It was expensive, bulky, and used destructive readout. Then, in 1970, Fairchild produced the first relatively capacious semiconductor memory. This chip, about the size of a single core, could hold 256 bits of memory. It was non-destructive and much faster than core. It took only 70 billionths of a second to read a bit. However, the cost per bit was higher than for that of core. In 1974, a seminal event occurred: The price per bit of semiconductor memory dropped below the price per bit of core memory. Following this, there has been a continuing and rapid decline in memory cost accompanied by a corresponding increase in physical memory density. Since 1970, semiconductor memory has been through 11 generations: 1K, 4K, 16K, 64K, 256K, 1M, 4M, 16M, 64M, 256M, and, as of this writing, 1G bits on a single chip. Each generation has provided four times the storage density of the previous generation, accompanied by declining cost per bit and declining access time. Microprocessors: Just as the density of elements on memory chips has  continued to rise, so has the density of elements on processor chips. As time went on, more and more elements were placed on each chip, so that fewer and fewer chips were needed to construct a single computer processor. A breakthrough was achieved in 1971, when Intel developed its 4004. The 4004 was the first chip to contain all of the components of a CPU on a single chip: the microprocessor was born. The 4004 can add two 4-bit numbers and can multiply only be repeated addition. By today’s standards, the 4004 is hopelessly primitive, but it marked the beginning of a continuing evolution of microprocessor capability and power.

Katherine Mansfield Essay

Her feelings of disjuncture were accentuated when she arrived in Britain in 1903 to attend Queen’s College. In many respects, Mansfield remained a lifelong outsider, a traveler between two seemingly similar yet profoundly different worlds. After briefly returning to New Zealand in 1906, she moved back to Europe in 1908, living and writing in England and parts of continental Europe. Until her premature death from tuberculosis at the age of 34, Mansfield remained in Europe, leading a Bohemian, unconventional way of life. The Domestic Picturesque Mansfield’s short story â€Å"Prelude† is set in New Zealand and dramatizes the disjunctures of colonial life through an account of the Burnell family’s move from Wellington to a country village. The story takes its title from Wordsworth’s seminal poem, â€Å"The Prelude,† the first version of which was completed in 1805, which casts the poet as a traveler and chronicles the â€Å"growth of a poet’s mind. †[4] Although the Burnell family moves a mere â€Å"six miles† from town, the move is not inconsequential; it enacts a break with their previous way of life and alerts the family members to the various discontinuities in their lives. Beneath the veneer of the Burnells’ harmonious domestic life are faint undercurrents of aggression and unhappiness. The haunting specter of a mysterious aloe plant and a slaughtered duck in their well-manicured yard suggests that the family’s â€Å"awfully nice† new home conceals moments of brutality and ignorance toward another way of life that was suppressed and denied. [5] As I will propose, these two incidents echo the aesthetic concept of the sublime, as they encapsulate a mysterious power that awes its beholders and cannot be fully contained within their picturesque home. Through her subtle, dream-like prose, Mansfield deploys traditional aesthetic conventions like the picturesque while simultaneously transfiguring, subverting, and reinventing them in a modernist context. The concept of the picturesque was first defined by its originator, William Gilpin, an 18th century artist and clergyman, as â€Å"that kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture. †[6] Thus, a scene or representation is beautiful when it echoes an already-established, artistic conception of beauty, revealing the self-reinforcing way in which art creates the standard of beauty for both art and life. Mansfield presents these picturesque moments in order to demystify them and reveal the suppression and violence they contain. In addition to â€Å"Prelude,† her stories â€Å"Garden Party† and â€Å"Bliss† dramatize the transformation and inversion of picturesque moments of bourgeois life and domestic harmony. While she seems to exhibit a certain attachment to these standard aesthetic forms, Mansfield subtly interrogates many of these conventions in a strikingly modernist way. Through her childhood in a colony, Mansfield also became attuned to the violence and inequalities of colonialism. As Angela Smith suggests, her early writings demonstrate a keen sensitivity towards a repressed history of brutality and duplicity. [7] In her 1912 short story â€Å"How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped,† she questions and overturns the perspective of the colonialist, whose vantage point historically trumps that of the native. The deliberate ambivalence of the word â€Å"kidnapping† dramatizes the conflict between the colonist’s perspective and Pearl’s joyful, eye-opening experiences during her abduction. In a similar way, empire dramatized for Mansfield the way that a picturesque, bourgeois household could suppress alternative perspectives. The Sublime In â€Å"Prelude,† the mysterious, sublime aloe plant disrupts the pleasant domesticity of the Burnell household. Their well-manicured yard with its tennis lawn, garden, and orchard also contains a wild, unseemly side—â€Å"this was the frightening side, and no garden at all. †[8] This â€Å"side† contains the aloe plant, which exerts a mysterious, enthralling power over its awed beholders. In its resemblance to the ocean, the aloe assumes the characteristics of the sublime: â€Å"the high grassy bank on which the aloe rested rose up like a wave, and the aloe seemed to ride upon it like a shop with the oars lifted. Bright moonlight hung upon the lifted oars like water, and on the green wave glittered the dew. †[9] For many writers and poets, the ocean was a manifestation of the sublime because of its unfathomable power and scale that awed and humbled its observers. The aloe’s strikingly physiological effect on its viewers recalls Edmund Burke’s sublime, which overpowers its observer and reinforces the limitations of human reason and control. In his famous treatise on the sublime, Burke writes: â€Å"greatness of dimension, vastness of extent or quantity† is a powerful cause of the sublime, as it embodies the violent and overpowering forces of nature. [10] In a similar vein, the child, Kezia Burnell’s first impression upon seeing the â€Å"fat swelling plant with its cruel leaves and fleshy stem† is one of awe and wonder. [11] In this case, the sublimity of the aloe plant disrupts and challenges the domestic picturesque as it defies mastery, categorization, and traditional notions of beauty. In its resistance to categorization and control, the sublime embodies the part of the ungovernable landscape that the Burnell family cannot domesticate and the picturesque cannot frame. As a result, in â€Å"Prelude,† the magnitude of the sublime interrupts and fractures the tranquil surface of the picturesque by exposing the unfathomable depths beneath it. The colonial backdrop of the Burnells’ yard also contributes to the mysterious, occult power of the aloe. This unruly part of their property hints toward a landscape that eludes domestication and serves as a constant reminder that the Burnell family is living in a land that is not quite theirs and cannot be fully tamed. [12] At the age of 19, Mansfield wrote that the New Zealand bush outside of the cities is â€Å"all so gigantic and tragic—and even in the bright sunlight it is so passionately secret. †[13] For Mansfield, the bush embodies the history of a people whose lives have been interrupted and displaced by European settlers. [14] After wars, brutal colonial practices, and European diseases had devastated the local Maori population, the bush became a haunting monument to their presence. As the Burnell family settles down to sleep on the first night in their new home, â€Å"far away in the bush there sounded a harsh rapid chatter: â€Å"Ha-ha-ha†¦ Ha-ha-ha. †[15] In her subtle way, Mansfield unveils the voices of those whose perspectives are excluded from this portrait of nocturnal domestic harmony. In a similar way, the aloe plant exudes an unfathomable history that is beyond the time and place of the Burnells. Even its age—implied by the fact that it flowers â€Å"once every hundred years†Ã¢â‚¬â€suggests that the aloe exists on a different scale than its human beholders. [16] In its ancient, superhuman scale, the aloe gestures towards the â€Å"gigantic,† indicating a subtle, but implicitly threatening power within, or in proximity of the home. The aloe is a kind of lacuna in the imperial landscape of New Zealand, whose power threatens the colonial household and its control over the landscape. [17] By disrupting and encroaching upon the ostensibly safe domestic sphere, the aloe also echoes the â€Å"unheimlich,† or uncanny, an aesthetic concept explored by Sigmund Freud in his 1919 essay, â€Å"The Uncanny. † The uncanny becomes, in part, an invasive force violating the sacred, domestic sphere and hearkens back to a previously repressed or hidden impulse: â€Å"The uncanny is something which ought to have remained hidden but has come to light. †[18] In â€Å"Prelude,† the aloe is initially depicted as a threatening force that â€Å"might have had claws instead of roots. The curving leaves seemed to be hiding something. †[19] Positioned within the safe space of their property, the aloe is a menacing, ungovernable force that seems to encroach upon it. The plant becomes part of the repressed history of the landscape—a history that is only apparent to Kezia, her mother Linda Burnell, and her grandmother Mrs. Fairfield, who are attuned to the forces below the surface of the picturesque exterior. Violent Underpinnings Beneath many of Mansfield’s picturesque domestic scenes are moments of violence and rupture. In â€Å"Garden Party,† for instance, a poor man falls to his death during the preparations for a much-anticipated social gathering of the wealthy Sheridan family, undermining the convivial spirit of the occasion. In â€Å"Prelude,† Pat, the handyman, slaughters a duck while the children watch with grotesque enthrallment as it waddles for a few steps after being decapitated. â€Å"The crowning wonder† of the dead duck walking hearkens back to Burke’s sublime, which is experienced in â€Å"Prelude† within the confines of the private residence. [20] The sublimity of this apparent defiance of the properties of death acts as a dramatic external force imposing on the observers’ intellect and reason in a profoundly Burkian way. But later that night, when the duck is placed in front of the patriarch, Stanley Burnell, â€Å"it did not look as if it had ever had a head. †[21] The duck’s picturesque dressing—â€Å"its legs tied together with a piece of string and a wreath of little balls of stuffing round it†Ã¢â‚¬â€conceals its violent death. [22] In a similar way, the â€Å"awfully nice† picturesque house is imposed upon the landscape, as if it had never been any other way. [23] Through reconfiguration and transformation, a new imperial order conceals the fact that an older order once lay beneath it. In both cases, the picturesque functions as a way of naturalizing the violent order of domination. As Pat’s golden earrings distract Kezia from her grief over the duck’s death, the duck’s pretty garnish conceals its â€Å"basted resignation. †[24] There is no such thing as a pure aesthetics, Mansfield seems to suggest, as each serene moment is implicated in some act of violence, brutality, or suppression. In â€Å"Prelude,† the good-natured Pat disrupts a pre-existing picturesque scene in which ducks â€Å"preen their dazzling breasts† amidst the pools and â€Å"bushes of yellow flowers and blackberries. †[25] Tellingly, the duck pond contains a bridge, a typical feature of the picturesque that reconciles or bridges the gap between different aspects of the scenery. In this way, the Burnell family’s cultivation of the land by planting and slaughtering ducks disrupts another underlying order. Their unquestioning appropriation of this pre-existing order mirrors the way colonial life disrupted and undermined the indigenous Maori life. Juxtaposing two picturesque scenes that interrupt and conflict with one another, Mansfield questions and unravels the conventional image of the picturesque. This interplay of various conflicting aesthetic orders constitutes part of Mansfield’s modernist style, in which aesthetic forms are ruptured, fragmented, and overturned. As the yard’s landscape bears traces of the Maori past, so the quiet harmony of the Burnells’ domesticity is underscored by deep, unspoken tensions and an animosity that hints at the uncanny. In fact, the only character who expresses any contentment is Stanley, who reflects, â€Å"By God, he was a perfect fool to feel as happy as this! †[26] Yet even he shudders upon entering his new driveway, as â€Å"a sort of panic overtook Burnell whenever he approached near home. †[27] Beneath this veneer of marital bliss and familial harmony, his wife Linda occasionally ignores her children and expresses hatred towards her husband and his aggressive sexuality: â€Å"there were times when he was frightening—really frightening. When she screamed at the top of her voice, ‘You are killing me. ’†[28] Meanwhile Stanley and Beryl, Linda’s sister, seem to have a flirtatious, indecent relationship: â€Å"Only last night when he was reading the paper her false self had stood beside him and leaned against his shoulder on purpose. Hadn’t she put her hand over his†¦ so that he should see how white her hand was beside his brown one. †[29] Dramatizing these dynamics, Mansfield suggests that a â€Å"happy† household outside of town is not as â€Å"dirt cheap† as Stanley boasts; it comes at the cost of servitude, sexual aggression, and a ravaged Maori landscape. [30] Through these layers, which Mansfield subtly strips off one at a time, she artfully exposes the way that an existing political and aesthetic order is not what it seems to be or how it has always been. Her short stories are fraught with their own tensions; while exposing the picturesque as false and absurd, she nevertheless draws on its conventional associations. Similarly, her subtle attempts to question colonial power are embedded in a seemingly idealized portrait of colonial life. Mansfield creates a seemingly beautiful or normal image, such as the happy family in â€Å"Prelude,† â€Å"Bliss,† or â€Å"Garden Party,† and then slowly challenges it through a subtle counter-narrative. In this way, her deployment of modernist techniques is less pronounced than that of James Joyce and her other modernist contemporaries. Just as she challenges aesthetic conventions, Mansfield unravels the reader’s ideas about her own stories by presenting a seemingly beautiful, transparent narrative that is haunted by tensions, lacunae, and opacity. Like the headless walking duck, these fictions of transparency and harmony quickly collapse upon closer inspection.