Relationships in Pride and Prejudice

Austin writes about four relationships and shows the differences between their foundations; some eave good foundations and others are doomed to crumble and produce unhappy lives. These four relationships between Jane and Bentley, Lydia and Hickman, Charlotte and Mr.. Collins, and Elizabeth and Dared are different, but taken together provide a general guide to any relationship. First impressions are a very important part of the relationship and can influence, for better or worse, the rest of the relationship.First impressions can be affected by many things including preconceived prejudices, appearances, and social status. Austin believes that first impressions are very important. This is seen by Diana Francis, author of â€Å"An Overview of pride and Prejudice†, who says, â€Å"Austin began Pride and Prejudice in 1 796 under the title First Impressions. Her family found the novel entertaining and continued to reread it for at least two years†¦. She again began revision wo rk on First Impressions, though she was forced to retile it as the name had already been used by another novelist. Austin finally published it in 1813 under the title Pride and Prejudice. She came back to this concept much later, it seems, because she thought that this book could be a very influential book and needed to be written. This book is important because it shows the difference between good and bad foundations. It does this without directly saying what to do and what not to do like in the conduct books. In order to examine the foundation of the four key relationships, Austin must begin with each couple's first impressions.The author first shows the characters of Jane Bennett and Charles Bentley whose first impressions are based on an attraction to character. While they are both physically attracted to each other, they also see that the other one has a virtuous character. Ms. Jane Bennett is the eldest and most beautiful aught of a middle class family. She also has a sweet di sposition, is fairly well educated, and is not silly and mindless like some of her other sisters. Charles Bentley is a wealthy man who has just moved into the neighborhood.He is a good-looking man, he is very kind and polite, and well rounded. Bernard J. Paris, a professor at Michigan State University, describes their relationship: â€Å"The Jane-Bentley relationship may be more passionately intense, but it is presented as a happy accident. Fortunately for themselves, Jane and Bentley are what they appear to be† (100). Paris believes that it is an accident that Bentley moved to Interfiled, near to Jane, it is an accident that they were both attracted to one another's looks, and it is an accident that they were attracted to one another's personalities.Even though they do have a sweet love story, this could have happened to anyone really, and this is why Paris says their relationship is an accident. That is why they are not the main relationship of the book, because they are ju st average. Bentleys affection for Jane is shown when he goes out of his way to dance with her more than he dances with the other girls. He even describes her as â€Å"the most beautiful return have ever beheld! â€Å"(Austin 18). The reader can see that Jane likes Bentley just as much when the Bennett return home from the Emerson Assembly and the girls talk about how much they enjoyed themselves.Jane says about Bentley, â€Å"He is just what a young man ought to be, sensible, good humored, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! So much ease, with such perfect good breeding! † (Austin 24). Bentley and Jane seem to have a good, innocent relationship. The two show all the signs that they are willing to get to know each other on a deeper level and build a foundation so that their relationship will grow and flourish. The next couple that Austin discusses is Lydia Bennett and George Hickman, who are both very shallow. Their first impressions are based on physical attraction .Neither of them attempts to know one another deeper, which presents a problem and foreshadows the complications in their relationship. Lydia is one of the youngest Bennett daughters, around the age of fifteen, who is enthralled with any man in a uniform. She goes into town whenever she hears word of officers coming. She is one of the silliest Bennett girls, and this leads to her irresponsibility. She is â€Å"a young girl fascinated by the uniforms of he militia regiment and flattered by the attention and attractiveness Of Hickman, [and she] is easy prey for the disreputable young soldier' (Attachment 12).Paris notes about her upbringing, â€Å"Mr.. Bennett has power when he chooses to use it, but in general he has abandoned his paternal responsibility. His daughters are allowed to be idle and frivolous if they wish. Little effort is made either to form their characters or correct their manners† (101 The reader can infer that if the Bennett daughters, especially Lydia, had been raised better, Lydia would have made better choices in choosing a love interest. If Lydia had been raised to not be so silly and careless, she could have made better life choices.Lydia problems stem from the lack of good role models she had in her life. Her mother, whom she takes after, is also a very silly and frivolous woman, and her father does nothing to control his wife or his other daughters Lieutenant Hickman is a lieutenant in the army, who is stationed at Emerson and is good-looking. This makes him irresistible to Lydia, but she really knows nothing about his character or background. Austin uses Lydia fascination with soldiers to comment on how women in her era were often impressed by en in uniform.Daniel Pool, writer of What Jane Austin Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, states, â€Å"It is thus almost invariably the cavalry who really set feminine pulses racing in the nineteenth-century English fiction† (1 11). Hickman prides himself as being a dishonest and distru stful person from a very young age. He uses his words, charm, and good looks to try to make wealthy girls fall in love with him so he can use their money to pay off his innumerable debts.He, at first, started to talk to Elizabeth but stopped pursuing her when he found a girl with more money whom he could try to woo. When that fails, Hickman then tries and succeeds in misleading Lydia. He lies to Elizabeth about his true character. He also lies about his relationship with Dared and the time he tried to elope with Dairy's sister, Georgian, for her money. The lie that Hickman told builds up the prejudice that Elizabeth has toward Dared in the first place. In turn, this starts the relationship of Elizabeth and Dared off badly.Lydia immaturity and Hacksaw's dishonorable character suggest that this relationship is not a good one and will not prosper. Charlotte Lacuna's and Mr.. Collision's first impressions are based on social debility and security. They are both looking for social and mo netary comfort and stability in married life. They find that in each other. It is not a marriage that Austin promotes because it is not based on love. Charlotte Lucas lives near the Bennett and is a close friend of Elizabeth.Her family, like the Bennett, is not extremely wealthy and is in fact a little poorer than the Bennett. Charlotte is not very well educated, does not have a lot of money, and is not the prettiest girl. She realizes this and forms her view of marriage accordingly. She knows her circumstance and has set her standards for arraign very low so that they can be met or maybe exceeded easily. She had often talked to Elizabeth of her marriage expectations, stating, â€Å"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance .. It is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life† (Austin 40). Charlotte did not really expect love in marriage; she just wanted to be married because she needed the security it offer ed. She was nearing the age when she would be too old to be considered an eligible lady. Mr.. Collins is the distant and eccentric cousin of the Bennett who comes to sit and hopefully to find a wife. He is the clergyman of a parish on the estate of Lady Catherine De Burgh, and it is assumed he is not the first son in his family.Debra Attachment, the Vice President for Academic Affairs at New Mexico State University, tells us that the first son of the family would receive most of the inheritance, and â€Å"If he were a younger son, his family influence and financial support would generally provide him with either a lesser estate or with training for a profession (generally the church, the law, or the military) together with money or influence enough to obtain a professional position once his training was complete† (4). He is described by Mrs.. Bennett as an odious man, and he annoys the whole family except for Mr..Bennett who finds joy in laughing at his overcompensation of ev erything. Since the Bennett did not produce a male heir, Mr.. Collins will receive their estate when Mr.. Bennett passes because of a strict settlement on Longhorn. Because of this, the Bennett daughters will not inherit the estate which makes Mrs.. Bennett very upset. The reader can first see the flaws in Mr.. Collins when he comes to Longhorn. He picks out a wife in Jane, but when he finds out she already is poke for, he quickly changes to Elizabeth. Austin explains, â€Å"Mr..Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth -? and it was soon done – done while Mrs.. Bennett was stirring the fire. Elizabeth, equally next to Jane in birth and beauty, succeeded her of course† (Austin 132). We see that he does not really want to find love in anyone; He just wants to acquire a wife to look acceptable to society while tying to benefit from the entailment that will leave the Bennett daughters without a home. Since Elizabeth refuses his proposal, he moves on and finds Char lotte Lucas who is also looking for a convenient arraign.The idea of a pragmatic marriage seems harsh to society now, but in the Regency time period this was accepted. People did not usually marry for love; instead, they married for money. â€Å"Marriage in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England was as much (sometimes more) a matter of property as of love or companionship† (Attachment 38). Austin does not like this kind of marriage. She lifts up relationships based on love throughout her novels. This relationship does not seem like it will prosper because of the fact that the people know nothing about each other and have nothing in cornrow.The first impressions between Elizabeth Bennett and Fatalism Dared are obstructed by their pride and prejudice, so it blocks their attraction at first. They are both very proud people, and it initially hurts their relationship. Elizabeth Bennett the second oldest Bennett daughter, is strong-willed and very vocal in what she believ es. She is also very beautiful and the favorite daughter of Mr.. Bennett because she is the most like him. She is a very prideful person, and she develops prejudices against people without knowing them fully. Fatalism Dared, the good friend of Mr..Charles Bentley, is a very misunderstood character. He is a handsome and wealthy man. He comes off as a very cold and arrogant man to people who do not know him. Dared explains his behavior: Unfortunately an only son, (for many years an only child) I was spoilt by my parents, who though good themselves, (my father particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable,) allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly Of their sense and worth compared with my own. Austin 672) He was raised to be cold to the outside, but on the inside he is a kind ND gracious person; Elizabeth realizes this when he talk s to the people closest to him. It takes Elizabeth months to realize his true character, and she regrets her first impressions very much. Dared comes from a very rich family that belongs to the highest class. Because of this, he seems justified in the society for thinking of himself as higher than other people at times. When Dared arrives at the Emerson Assembly, he feels superior to the other people there and, because of this, only dances with Bentleys sisters, whom he considers to be his equal.When Dared is questioned about Elizabeth by Bentley, he distantly says, â€Å"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men† (Austin 18). Elizabeth, inadvertently, hears this and, because of this comment, begins to dislike him. She also believes things about Dared that she has been told by Hickman which makes her like Dared less. In order for their relationship to work, they will have to put aside their pride and prejudices and focus on getting to know one another, which they will continue to do throughout the next months.Paris believes hat their relationship will work because † it is based upon a real understanding of themselves and each Other and upon a proper combination of values† (100). This gives hope since Paris believes that they will prosper, even though they will have to go through trials. First impressions not only lay a foundation, but they provide insight into what the reader can expect. This foundation that is built helps the couple when they encounter misunderstandings of many kinds. Misunderstandings test the foundations of each relationship.Misunderstandings are one of the most important things in the development of a relationship. Austin takes these same four relationships through initial misunderstandings in order to continue to build their foundations. From these misunderstandings, each relationship is tested and tried to see if it will last. One sees the importance of a good foundation, which is established in first impressions, and continued on as the relationship progresses. Jane and Bentley, although they seem like a perfect couple, still have their troubles.Their misunderstandings are filled with heart-break and communication issues. When they had both developed feelings for each other, Bentleys friends start to try to influence him, to distance himself from Jane because they are not socially equal. Bentleys sister, Caroline, does not like Cane's family because they are not from the upper class, and they are not well mannered. Another one of Bentleys friend, Mr.. Dared, explains that he tried to break up their relationship because he did not feel that Jane liked Bentley as much as he liked her.Dared did not want his friend to get hurt. He was also fearful of the fact attachment was trying to marry Bentley so she could have his money. Dared later realizes that this is not the case and that her feeli ngs for Bentley are true and honorable. Caroline Bentley sends a misleading letter to Jane telling her that Bentley and his friends will be returning to London for the winter. She implies that Bentley will woo Darers sister, Georgian, which crushes Jane. Caroline also insinuates in this letter that Jane should suppress her feelings for Bentley. She is described by David M.Sheppard, author of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, as unable to think badly of anyone, and this can be to her disadvantage. In this case, Cane's refusal to see the bad in people hurts her because she believes the best in Caroline Bentley, even when Elizabeth tries to warn her. Paris says, â€Å"Jane is insecure about her own worth and acceptability and needs to approve of everyone lest they disapprove of her†¦ . If she likes others, they will like her†¦. To maintain her picture of the world, she denies, rationalizes, and distorts† (1 1 1). Dared is seen to be looking out for his friend's best i nterests.Caroline Benignly on the other hand, seems to only be vindictive and jealous when she tries to separate Bentley and Jane because she does not like the Bennett family. Dared tells Bentley about his concern about Cane's true feelings for him. Bentley listens to these concerns, but in the end he knows that Jane does love IM. Because Of this, he fights to make this relationship work against the wishes of his best friend. Bentley is very cautious to always listen to Dairy's advice and sometimes a little too much. Paris says, â€Å"Bangle's chief trait is his readiness to be led by others.It gives him [Bentley] a feeling of security to have his actions directed by Dared' (1 1 1-112). In this case, Bentley is very reliant on his friend, but as a grown man he needs to be able to make his own decision and not care about what others think. This is especially true when it comes to the woman he will spend the rest of his life with. He finally realizes his after he leaves Nether-field and breaks Cane's heart. He then goes against the wishes of his sister and has to prove to Dared that he and Jane really do love each other. When Bentley comes to this conclusion, Jane has to choose to forgive him.Even though Bentley broke her heart when he left Interfiled, Jane still forgives him because she feels that their love is true and will last Their misunderstanding tests the foundation of their relationship and makes it stronger. Lydia and Hacksaw's misunderstandings relate directly to their personalities because they are both characterized by lies and immaturity. Hickman convinces Lydia to run away with him, and Lydia goes along with it because she thinks that Hickman is going to marry her. But in fact, he has no plan to do so. Their elopement alone was a huge disgrace.This is seen when Mr.. Bennett says, â€Å"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn? † (Austin 662). He is using sarcasm to say that this is a dishonor t o their family and hurts their family status. Everyone knows that Hickman did not plan to marry her, and that was one of the biggest disgraces. Austin reveals the severity of their situation: it would have en more for the advantage of conversation, had Miss Lydia Bennett come upon the town† (Austin 560). To be â€Å"upon the town† means to become a prostitute, so this is a very harsh comment (Sheppard 561).They are finally discovered, and Hickman is paid by Dared to marry Lydia. This shows Darers good character to Elizabeth and removes some of the prejudices she has against him. The marriage helps the Bennett family tremendously because it would have ruined their family reputation if Hickman had just left Lydia after they had run off together. This is seen when even Attachment explains why Dairy's actions are so helpful: † . NY scandal committed by one member of a family implicated all – and could literally destroy the chances of the unmarried women in the family to find respectable mates.Thus, Lydia Bennett running off with Mr.. Hickman presents a danger not only to her own reputation and her own future but to those of her sisters as well† (3). This marriage is a very sad one because there is only physical attraction. There is a weak foundation in their relationship, so it can be guessed that they will both lead miserable lives together. Austin points out that â€Å"Hacksaw's affection for Lydia, was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; tot equal to Lydia for him† (Austin 574). This suggests that they will not have a good relationship because Lydia likes Hickman more than he likes her.They will have to work very hard in order to make this relationship work. This is not seen as a good relationship in the eyes of Jane Austin. Charlotte Lacuna's and Mr.. Collision's misunderstandings stem from the shallow foundation that they have. Their relationship is based on security and comfort in life, so they do not have any physical or character attraction to each other. Their married life is strained, and this is seen from the very ginning, when Collins proposes and asks about the date of their wedding.Austin notes, Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained† (Austin 228). Sheppard explains, â€Å"There is irony in this use of the term [disinterested] since it often connotes lack of concern with one's monetary interest, and Charlotte desire here centers around her own material benefit† (229). Charlotte situation is sad and ironic. She realizes this herself but knows there is nothing she can do about it since it stems from a lack of money, beauty, and youth.The irony in their relationship is that even though Charlotte wants a comfortable life, she cannot have that with Mr.. Collins because he is so hard to tolerate. She spends most of her time avoiding him. Sheppard says, Charlotte clearl y appreciates this reality; she also knows that, given her age and lack of either fortune or good looks, Mr.. Collins may be her last chance. With him, she will enjoy a comfortable income and home, the power of managing a household, and a much higher social position than she would have as a single woman. 231) Mr.. Collins' only mission in life is to please his patron, Lady Catherine De Burgh- Lady Catherine had suggested to him that he should find a good wife, and because he would eventually inherit the Bennett estate, he thought it a good idea to marry one of Mr.. Bonnet's daughters. After Elizabeth rejected him, he turned to Charlotte, who was willing to marry him because she also just wanted to be married in order to be comfortable. Charlotte would be comfortable because he made a decent amount of money, and Mr..Collins would be comfortable because he would please Lady Catherine. They would both be settled in society even though their comfort would come at a price. Their happines s is squandered. However, they both have their hobbies that keep them occupied. When Mr.. Collins was not doing clergy duties, Charlotte encouraged him to work in the garden as much as possible, and Charlotte stayed inside taking care of the household. This marriage is a very dull marriage, and it is not seen as a marriage that Austin likes because there is no love.Elizabeth and Darers relationship begins with many troublesome misunderstandings that in the end shape them into the best couple. Stuart M. Tape, author of â€Å"Elizabethan and Dairy's Mutual Mortification and Renewal†, says, â€Å"Each has changed because each has worked a change on the other. The happiness is deserved by a process of mortification begun early and ended late† (69). Even though they do have trials they turn themselves, individually, into better people, and their relationship is strengthened as well. This is where the theme of Pride and Prejudice mainly comes in.Attachment characterizes thei r misunderstandings: â€Å"Obstacles to their marrying include differences in wealth and social position, the behavior of members of their respective families, and their own proud and prejudiced views of themselves and each other . (2). The fact that Elizabeth prejudges people, in this case, hurts her because her presumptions about Dared are wrong, even though they are understandable at the time. John Lubber, the author of Jane Austin states, â€Å"Elizabeth is eventually proven very wrong in her hasty judgment of him, but there is considerable justification for her error. (46). The presumptions Elizabeth has are understandable. Because of Dairy's upbringing he comes off as cold and distant. Elizabeth also assumes that Hickman is a noble man and believes the lies he tells about Dared, which leads her to make more rash judgments against Dared. Dared, at first, does tot like Elizabeth, but after a couple of encounters with her, he begins to develop feelings toward her. Although he h as these feelings he â€Å"sees the connection as unsuitable to the dignity of his family† (Paris 104).Because of their difference in class, he feels that it would not be a good match from society's standpoint. Dared puts these feelings off for as long as he can before giving in. Paris says, â€Å"He is so much in love, however, that he decides to make a social sacrifice for the sake of personal satisfaction† (105). However, Elizabeth is offended when Dared proposes to her because the proposal is given in a way hat is not flattering to her. He then writes her a letter addressing her prejudices toward him. Alistair M.Ductwork, author of â€Å"Social Moderation and the Middle Way†, says, â€Å"There, in his letter to her following her rejection of his proposal, Elizabeth begins to see Dairy's character in a different â€Å"light† and to recognize how badly she misjudged him from a too easy acceptance of Hacksaw's partial view and a too hasty response to ex ternals -every charm of air and address. â€Å"‘ (46). Elizabeth has not found out his true character yet. After being rejected by Elizabeth, Dared writes and delivers a letter explaining the accusations she has about him.When she reads this letter, she begins to take back her prejudices because she begins to see his true character. At this point their relationship starts to turn for the better, and there is hope because their foundation is beginning to mend itself. Their misunderstanding is the most profound, but their reconciliation matches it. Society greatly influences the relationships in Pride and Prejudice. In the Regency time period, marriage was a central topic. In each of the four relationships, Austin reveals how society reacts by showing the response of the people around the relationships.When this is shown, one can see the conflict between the couples and the Regency society. But, where there is no disagreement with society, Austin shows how her view of marriage differs from the accepted view. Society in the nineteenth century is described by Attachment: This society was highly stratified: aristocrats tended to socialize with other aristocrats; the gentry (generally considered to be upper middle class by today's standards) socialized with other gentry; transported socialized with transported, the working poor with the working poor, and the poverty-stricken with other nonworking poor †¦ He class system in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century, though the rigid in theory, in the fact had considerable room for mobility (3). The ability to change classes is very helpful for a person and their descendants because they will not be forever confined to one class. This is helpful for the Bennett daughters because they can easily move up in life by marring men with more money. Student's works are characterized by her satirical language.This can be seen in the first line of the book: â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (2). Dorothy Van Ghent, the author of On Pride and Prejudice, states, This is the first sentence of the book. What we read in it is its opposite – a single woman must be in want of a man with a good fortune – and at once we are inducted into the Austin language and the energy -? . That arises from the compression between a barbaric subsurface marital warfare and a surface of polite manners and civilized conventions. 20 – 21) It can be seen that, in the society that the Bennett daughters were raised in, they were aware of their family financial mishaps. Because of this, the idea that they would have to array into money in order to be happy in life was pounded into their heads by their mother. Mrs.. Bennett is reflecting society by believing that the happiness of her daughters could only come from their marrying into money. But Austin proposes that money, in a relationship, is not neces sary, but that love must be present for happiness.Cane's and Bentleys relationship agrees with Student's view of marriage because their relationship is based on true love and attraction, even though they are from different classes of society. However, it is not in direct disagreement with society. Their relationship is more impractical in the eyes f society because they married for true love and attraction. Society, at this time, feels that love is good but marriage should be based on status and comfort in life. They believe that if a person finds these things in a spouse and happen to be attracted to this person that it is sheer luck.The reason that society really likes this relationship is because Jane is moving up in classes and marrying into money. Even though Bentley is marrying someone who does not have much money, it does not affect Bentley like it does Jane because she is solely dependent on Bentley. We see that society likes this relationship through the character of Cane's other. Before Jane and Bentley have announced their feelings, she brags to everyone about how they are going to get married and how much money Bentley brings in a year. We also see Mr..Bonnet's reaction to their relationship, as it is in contrast to his wife's. He is glad attachment has found love in Bentley and that she will be taken care of but says, â€Å"l have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income† (Austin 632). This means that they will continually be taken advantage of, which is seen to be true when Lydia and Hickman come to stay with them.One can assure that Lydia and Hickman will overstay their welcome and use them not only because of their bad character but because Jane and Bentley are compliant and always seek the approval of others. Lydia and Hacksa w's relationship does not agree with society or Austin. Austin views this relationship as selfish and superficial. They think only of themselves when they run off and disgrace the Bennett family. Society definitely does not like the idea of Lydia and Hickman just running off cause society wants them to be married.It is good that Lydia and Hickman get married, but, at the same time, it is not. They have no money except for the bride money that Hickman received from Dared and the little money he makes a year from the military. Because they do not have much money, they will have to be very cautious with their money, which does not seem likely with these two.

History Questions and Answers on France Essay

1.How far did Napoleon Bonaparte maintain the ideals of the French Revolution during the period 1799–1815? The key issue is the relationship between Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution. ‘How far’ invites candidates to consider the extent and limits of the claim that he maintained revolutionary ideals. These ideals can be summarised quickly as ‘liberty, equality and fraternity’. The Revolution had sought greater equalisation between classes, the rule of law and the end of secular and religious privilege. The focus should be on the period from 1799 to 1915 and there is no need for long narratives of the period from 1789 as long as answers can put Napoleon into context. Napoleon maintained that he was the son of the Revolution and his Code incorporated some measures that ensured the rule of law. He encouraged promotion by merit rather than by birth. He confirmed the changes to property ownership that had taken place. On the other hand, the Code benefited the middle classes more than the peasantry and the emphasis on authority in the family returned to pre-1789 values. His rule was authoritarian and the establishment of the Empire was a contradiction of republican principles. Opponents were prosecuted by an active police system, headed by Fouchà ©. Government institutions were not independent and Napoleon was able to nominate those to high offices. Lesser officials, although elected, could be removed. There is no need for long narratives of foreign policy but it will be relevant to explain how far it was driven by personal, rather than revolutionary, motives. Answers worth 22-25 will consider both sides of his rule and come to clear conclusions. 19-21 answers will be mostly secure but will miss some possible lines of discussion. 11-13 answers will show a basic knowledge of his rule but will be very narrative or descriptive, but sometimes incomplete. 14-15 can be awarded to fuller descriptions. 16-18 answers will make some salient points of comment in otherwise largely descriptive accounts. 2 How far did Napoleon Bonaparte achieve his aims in domestic policy? The key issue is Napoleon’s success in achieving his aims in domestic policy. The question is deliberately worded to exclude discussion of foreign policy and this will be irrelevant unless referred to briefly in an introduction or conclusion. For example, a good point would be that Napoleon achieved power largely by conquest and was then was brought down by failure abroad, not by internal opposition. But this does not mean that victory and defeat abroad must be described in detail. Answers can be awarded 11-13 marks when they contain relevant but basic descriptions of domestic policy. These answers will give little consideration to Napoleon’s aims and will probably be very uncritical. Fuller descriptions but with a similar approach can be awarded 14-15 marks. The 16-18 band will require some specific study of aims although these might be treated broadly; the description will be quite full. The discriminating factor for the 19-21 band will be the concentration on aims and their achievement although the essays will contain some gaps. For example, they might be very one-sided. More complete assessments that consider alternatives can be awarded 22-25 marks. Napoleon aimed at personal power and he secured this from 1799, with the Consulate, and then 1804, with the Empire, until 1814. But candidates should note his abdication before his unsuccessful return. Credit will be given when candidates consider how far he wished to continue the reforms of the Revolution. He sought to maximise his support and offered promotion by merit. However, political opponents were treated harshly by the police system under Fouchà ©. His attempts to stabilise the economy can be examined as can his relations with the Roman Catholic Church, which he stabilised. Candidates should consider the importance of the Code Napoleon. 3.The aims and methods of Cavour were completely different from those of Mazzini.’ How far do you agree with this judgement? The key issue is the comparison of Cavour and Mazzini. Answers should be reasonably balanced in their treatment of the two men. 60:40 either way can deserve any mark band; 70:30 will normally lead to the award of one band lower than would otherwise be given. The 11-13 band will require a basic knowledge and understanding of one man. Answers in the 22-25 band will be fully comparative. They will differentiate between aims and methods and support the argument by sound knowledge. Most candidates, even in this band, can be expected to agree with the claim in the question but credit should be given to candidates who are aware of some common ground, e.g. both wished to make Italy an independent state and saw Austria as the major stumbling block. 19-21 answers will show good qualities but will be less impressive, perhaps by lacking a distinction between aims and methods or by pursuing a more uneven comparison. There will be some comparison in the 16-18 answers but the approach will be mostly descriptive or narrative. The emphasis on narrative will probably be characteristic of answers in the 11-13 and 14-15 mark bands. In their aims, Mazzini always sought the unification of all of the Italian peninsula. Cavour began by seeking to make Piedmont a more important and extended state in northern Italy and was initially reluctant to embrace the southern states. Mazzini was a democratic republican. Cavour was a monarchist whose ideas of democracy were more limited. Mazzini wished Italians to gain independence by themselves; Cavour aimed to win European support for his designs. In methods, Mazzini embraced revolutionary methods, for example in the 1830s and in 1848. He tried to build an alliance of all classes although he failed to do so. Cavour began by strengthening Piedmont. He opposed revolutions but manipulated plebiscites to give the appearance of popular support for his policies. Diplomacy, especially with Napoleon III of France, was a vital means of isolating Austria and supplementing the weak Piedmontese army. To the dismay of Mazzini and Garibaldi, Cavour was willing to surrender some Italian territories to gain his wider ends (Nice and Savoy to France). Although not an ally of the Roman Catholic Church, Cavour saw the importance of not alienating the papacy, unlike Mazzini. 4.How far was Napoleon Bonaparte an oppressive ruler in his domestic policies from 1799 to 1815? The key issue is the assessment of Napoleon’s domestic policies. Foreign policy will be irrelevant unless mentioned briefly in an introduction or conclusion. For the highest marks, 21 – 25, Examiners will expect answers to consider the case for and against the claim that he was oppressive, coming to a clear conclusion. For 11-13 marks, answers should be expected to demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the main elements of domestic policies. Some policies might be seen by some as oppressive and by others as liberating. 1799 marks the appointment of Napoleon as First Consul after the fall of the Directory. Especially during the Consulate, he implemented many reforms such as the Code Napoleon and the Concordat (1801). The former helped to restore administrative order to France and guaranteed certain rights but it also strengthened Napoleon’s authority. The latter was a reconciliation between France and the Papacy/Roman Catholic Church. This pleased many French people who retained their religious views but it afforded Napoleon a considerable measure of control over the Church. The Empire (1804) saw Napoleon achieve even more power and he was dominant over every aspect of French life. Candidates can explain administrative measures that cemented the authority or oppression of the Emperor. Officials were nominated rather than freely elected. The most successful candidates should be able to note and assess the reasons for the continuing opposition to Napoleon within France which was controlled to some extent by a harsh police system. Answers worth 11-13 marks should display basically acceptable knowledge but there will be little considered assessment. 14-15 marks can be awarded to answers that are relevant and more detailed but still more dependent on narrative and description than assessment and comparison. 16-17 marks might be awarded to answers that contain more analysis and assessment but where the assessment might be largely implicit. 18- 20 marks will be appropriate for answers that focus on the key issue but in which there is evident imbalance and unevenness. The discriminating factor in the 21-25 mark answers might well be their success in providing convincing assessments. 5.‘From 1789 to 1799, who posed the more dangerous threats to the French Revolution: its internal or its external enemies? The key issue is the threats or dangers to the French Revolution. Candidates should note that the question ends in 1799 with the coup d’à ©tat of Brumaire, the end of the Directory, and Napoleon’s accession to the Consulate. No particular ceilings are suggested for incomplete answers but answers that end in 1794-95 with the fall of the Jacobins might be worth at least one band lower than would otherwise be awarded. Candidates should consider both internal and external threats. Answers that discuss only one aspect and completely ignore the other cannot expect more than a mark in a middle band. However, examiners will not look for an even balance in even the best essays; a reasonable balance but one that is weighted to one side can score very highly. The quality of the argument will be of prior importance. Internal enemies included the King and court to Louis’ execution in 1793. His recognition of the Revolution, and the concessions that he agreed, were half-hearted. Royalists within France and those who left the country (à ©migrà ©s) continued to agitate. The influential Church was hostile. Conservative regions of France, especially the more rural areas, were hostile to the changes, such as the Vendà ©e. From 1795, the Directory tried to draw back from the alleged excesses of previous years but was unsuccessful in controlling disorder until the advent of Napoleon. France had to face foreign enemies from the inception of the Revolution and open war broke out in 1792 against Austria and Prussia. The danger of overwhelming defeat and the fall of the Revolution seemed very real. Foreign enemies later included Britain, Holland and Spain. Although unsuccessful at home, the Directory had more success abroad, especially through the victories of Napoleon in Italy. Weak answers will probably be vague about the threats and might be confined to very general accounts of the Revolution. Answers in the middle bands might focus on threats but deal with them in a highly descriptive manner, lacking assessment and comparison. The most successful answers can be expected to be analytical, focused on assessment and supported by appropriate factual knowledge Why did Louis XVI’s policies from 1789 fail to prevent his execution in 1793? †¨The key issue is the assessment of Louis XVI’s policies as a reason for his execution. The question asks ‘Why†¦?’ and examiners will award the highest marks to answers that are analytical, providing a series of reasons for the execution of Louis XVI. However, excellent answers can be organised chronologically because the period from 1789 to 1793 saw many changes that can be examined sequentially. Candidates might examine his reluctance to accept the comparatively moderate changes that were demanded by the Third Estate in 1789. He sided with the First and Second Estates until he was forced to concede. He was forced to accept the Declaration of Rights and the Civil Constitution of the clergy. Suspicions that he wanted to overturn the concessions, probably with foreign assistance, were reinforced when he fled to Varennes. Answers in Band I should also consider the impact of other factors that led to the King’s execution. These included a worsening economic situation and the rise of political radicalism, leading eventually to the (brief) triumph of Robespierre and the Jacobins, who were directly responsible for Louis XVI’s execution. War and counter-revolution in the provinces threatened the gains of the Revolution and had an impact on the King’s situation. The Grand Peur, the Terror and the influence of Paris and the sans-culottes might be seen as evidence of the burgeoning influence of the urban lower classes. Some candidates might consider the reputation of the Queen, Marie Antoinette, and the royalist supporters. 7. ‘The divisions among the revolutionaries were the most important reason why Austria was able to suppress the revolutions in Italy and Germany in 1848–49.’ How far do you agree with this claim? †¨ The key issue is the reason for the failure of the revolutions of 1848–49 in Italy and Germany. Examiners will expect a reasonable balance in the discussion of the two regions for marks in Bands 1 and 2 (18–20; 21–25). 60:40 either way will be acceptable. An understanding of the revolutions in one region will be required for Band 5 (11–13). Candidates can argue that other factors were more important than divisions among the revolutionaries, for example Austrian military power, but the stated factor should normally be given some attention for Band 5. In Italy, the revolutionaries had different aims. For some, local grievances were most important. For example, Sicily resented rule by Naples. Mazzini and Garibaldi aimed at wider issues when they established the Roman Republic. Piedmont’s leaders had a different agenda. In Germany, Liberals demanded constitutional reform but disagreements appeared, for example over the role of Prussia. There was no coordination between the movements. Religious divisions between Catholics and Protestants were important. Candidates might explain the failure of the Frankfurt Parliament. On the other hand, Austria’s army was stronger than any force that the revolutionaries could muster. Their generals were more capable; answers might mention Radetsky in Italy. 8. How far did Napoleon Bonaparte ensure liberty and equality in his domestic government of France? †¨The key issue is the nature of Napoleon’s government of France. The question clearly refers to domestic issues; discussions of foreign policy or the impact of Napoleon’s rule on other countries will not be relevant unless they are a brief part of introductions or conclusions. One would expect answers in Bands 1 (21–25) and 2 (18–20) to consider arguments for and against Napoleon’s support for liberty and equality. However, examiners should not require an equal balance. The balance will reflect the argument. For example, it might reject ’liberal’ measures as of minor importance. Answers in other Bands might plump for an argument that accepts or rejects ’liberty and equality;’ without considering the alternative at all. It will be relevant to discuss the Code Napoleon (1804), an attempt to unify the diverse laws of France. Its confirmation of equality before the law and the end of privilege, and religious toleration would point towards Napoleon’s liberalism. Careers were open to talent. However, associations of workers were banned and women were given fewer rights than men. Napoleon kept a tight hold on power through his autocratic rule. Officials were nominated and the Empire ensured Napoleon’s personal rule. Opposition was suppressed and reference might be made to the work of Fouchà © as Minister of Police. Equality was limited by the restriction of promotion to Napoleon’s supporters. 9. Why was Napoleon Bonaparte able to become Emperor of France? †¨The key issue is the creation of the Empire by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Question asks ‘Why’ and examiners will be looking for analysis when awarding the two highest Bands. It will be relevant to explain the background to Napoleon’s rise to show his appeal after the instability of the previous decade. However, surveys need to be linked to the Empire to get a high reward. Napoleon offered military success in the revolutionary wars especially against Austria; the failure of the Egyptian campaign was offset by propaganda. He also gained support because of his ability to put down insurrection and disorder within France. He managed to out manoeuvre colleagues in the Consulate and caught the imagination of France by establishing the Empire, promising to safeguard the ideals of the Revolution and maintain order. He had pursued populist policies, for example in the Codes and through the Concordat. War was not a heavy expense for the French people but made Napoleon‘s reputation. Even the Egyptian expedition did not reflect badly on him. It will not be necessary, and probably irrelevant, to narrate the developments of foreign relations and campaigns but candidates can point out the resulting popularity within France. Although the Empire contradicted the republicanism that was at the heart of the French Revolution from 1792, it promised to maintain the ideals of the Revolution whilst, at the same time, ensuring order and efficiency. Some, such as extreme royalists and Jacobins, were not reconciled but Napoleon’s autocracy and the establishment of the Empire were not seriously threatened by oth er people or alternative ideas. 10 How far was France a police state under Napoleon Bonaparte from 1799 to 1814? †¨The key issue is in the phrase ‘police state’. The question asks ‘How far..?’ and candidates should examine both the extent and limits of the claim. However, examiners will not expect balanced answers. The French were completely free under Napoleon but many candidates might judge that France was indeed a police state and therefore devote most of their time to this argument. An uncritical acceptance of this view might be worth up to Band 2 (and Band 1 might be achieved by excellent discussions) but normally answers in the highest band might be expected to consider both sides. Napoleon seized power in 1799, reduced the other Consuls to impotence and then declared himself Emperor in 1804. Although these changes were approved by plebiscites, and were genuinely supported by most French people, they represented authoritarian rule and the results of the plebiscites were rigged to produce even larger majorities in favour. Fouchà © headed the Ministry of Police. Letters of arrest very similar to the Bourbons’ lettres de cachet were used. Opponents were detained. The press was heavily censored and the state itself engaged in widespread propaganda. Napoleon’s governments under the Consulate and Empire gave him considerable power over central and local administration. The Codes might have guaranteed some freedoms but they were also a device to bring order and obedience to France. The Concordat with the Papacy (1801) recognised the need to conciliate the Roman Catholic Church and it also allowed some toleration to Protestants but its justification to Napoleon was political rather than moral. On the other hand, it can be argued that police action was not indiscriminate. Many French people found conditions improving. There is no need to compare Napoleon’s rule with other revolutionary regimes (or other police states) but brief comparisons can be given credit. 11Why was Louis XVI executed in 1793? †¨The key issue is the reasons for Louis XVI’s execution. The question asks ‘Why?’ and candidates should provide a series of reasons. Most candidates can be expected to begin in 1789. It will be difficult to make material before 1789 relevant. Some might take a narrower approach with the rise of the Jacobins. As always, the main criterion in assessment will be the quality of the argument. The question can be tackled chronologically. It is easy to underestimate the support for Louis XVI in 1789. The decision to convene the Estates General was popular. The number of republicans was negligible. Nevertheless, his popularity continued to decline until his execution at a time when few monarchists in France dared to protest. Louis’ personality can be examined. He was well-meaning but lacked political skills. He had a strong sense of duty and monarchical obligation. He believed in divine right. Together, these made him reluctant to accept the (comparatively moderate) reforms that were demanded, such as the issue of voting in the Estates General, the August Decrees and Declaration of Rights, until he was forced into concessions, which consequently made him less, not more, popular. His defence of privileged classes was an important factor. He held out against the Civil Constitution. There were suspicions, not wholly unfounded, that he was angling for foreign intervention to regain power. The King was seen as sympathetic to the à ©migrà ©s. Whatever the truth about Marie Antoinette’s attitudes and actions, she was widely hated. The ill-fated flight to Varennes can be examined. It will be very relevant to show how extremists hijacked the Revolution. The dangers from war, internal unrest as in the Vendà ©e, and economic pressures led to the victory of extremists such as Robespierre and the defeat of moderate revolutionary forces. Louis’ execution was important in its own right but it was also a reflection of rivalries between different groups of radicals. 12 Who of Cavour, Garibaldi and Mazzini contributed most to the unification of Italy by 1871? †¨The key issue is the comparative contributions of three leaders of Italian unification. Band 5 (11–13) will need a basic understanding of the work of one man. However, even the best answers do not need to show an even balance between the three. Candidates can spend most time on their preferred choice but answers in the two highest bands will need a sound knowledge and understanding of all three. There is a comparative element in the question (‘contributed†¦most’) and answers in Band 1 (21–25) will be clear when offering their reasons. Answers in lower bands might be relevant, well informed and clearly argued but they will probably not justify their choice. A problem might be when candidates interpret the question as an invitation to write about only one leader – the most important. These answers might show the candidates to be capable of writing well but they will be incomplete. Such answers might be limited to a ceiling in Band 3 (16–17) although, as always, the overriding factor will be the quality of the argument. Cavour laid a firm foundation for unification by re-organising Piedmont. He was a successful politician who managed Piedmont with a combination of skill and bribery. He was a realist and ensured that he obtained foreign assistance, especially from Napoleon III’s France, before confronting Austria. He preferred to extend Piedmont’s influence by plebiscites, apparently democratic but actually carefully managed. It might be argued that unification went further than he intended but his acceptance of Garibaldi’s gains in the south confirmed his pragmatism and he was careful not to confront the Papacy. By the time of his death (1861), Italy was unified with the exceptions of Venetia and Rome. Garibaldi made his name in Italy and outside by his contribution to the failed revolutions of 1848–49. He did as much as anybody to popularise the cause of Italian unification. The 1860 invasion of the south was successful militarily and had knock-on effects by forcing Cavour to recognise the momentum of pressure for a larger Italy. Although his later career was less successful, his particular claims were to push for the unification of the peninsula as a whole and to win the support of the lower orders. Mazzini led the cause in the 1830s and 1840s, for example through the Carbonari and the 1848–49 revolutions. It might be claimed that his ideas were unrealistic: a secular democracy achieved by Italians alone. However, although he was to be less successful in practical terms than either Cavour or Garibaldi, his claim to have been the most important contributor depends largely on the way in which he began the struggle. Except for the monarchy, the final shape of Italy closely resembled his programme. 2 Was Robespierre more a success or a failure than a revolutionary leader? Robespierre soon gained a reputation in the Estates General of 1789 as a lawyer who defended the interests of the poor. He became a leader of the Jacobins and was one of the first to demand the establishment of a republic and the execution of King Louis XVI after the Flight to Varennes (1791). He opposed the war in 1792 because he feared that it would result in the rise of a dictator. Robespierre and the Jacobins (or Montagnards/Mountain Men) defeated the Girondins and dominated the new Committee of Public Safety (1793-95). While in a dominant position, he did not merely seek power for himself and was believed not to be corrupted by power or wealth. He was the ‘Incorruptible’. He believed the problems facing the republic (including external war, internal counter-revolutionary groups and inflation) could only be solved through the use of terror. The terror acted against real and suspected enemies of the revolution and extended into every corner of France. Victims were mostly the aristocracy, bourgeoisie and members of the clergy but also included members of other classes. In all, perhaps 40,000 people were executed. Robespierre advocated a Republic of Virtue. He took the anti-clerical policies of the revolution further by inaugurating the cult of the Supreme Being, based on Reason. He also took severe steps to solve the dual problems of inflation and food shortages. Assignats and price fixing were introduced but both were unsuccessful. Robespierre took on board Carnot’s proposals for mass conscription to fight the war against counter-revolutionary kingdoms. By 1794, the opposition was able to gather sufficient support to bring him down and he was executed. Answers in the higher bands will consider both successes and failures although answers need not be evenly balanced because arguments can stress either. Was he more a success than a failure? Successes might be seen in the defeat of counter-revolution from within and outside France. The establishment of the republic was a short-term success. Robespierre’s leadership of war was decisive. Failures might include the brief period of his rule. Enemies were paralysed briefly. His socio-religious and economic policies did not work. 14 ‘Italian unification was more a victory for Piedmont’s power than for nationalism.’ How far do you agree with this claim? After 1815, Piedmont emerged as the major Italian state to oppose Austria’s power in Italy. However, its leadership was not accepted universally and was unpopular in some quarters. Other places with their leaders had claims, e.g. Rome and Venice. Charles Albert of Piedmont played a controversial role in 1848, seeming to lead the resistance to Austria but in the narrower interests of Piedmont and being willing to exploit the problems of risings elsewhere. After 1848 and under Victor Emmanuel, Piedmont became the more obvious candidate for leadership of Italy. It was independent of Austrian influence, with a constitution including the Statuto, was the wealthiest state in Italy and possessed an army which, although not equal to that of Austria, was stronger than that of other Italian states. Responses might build on this to examine the particular role of Cavour. He aimed to modernise Piedmont and then win allies to help to weaken Austria. By his death in 1861 his policies were successful in expanding Piedmont’s role in the north and in the Duchies. Garibaldi’s success in the south led him to go further than he probably wanted. But by 1861 Venetia and Rome were still outside the new kingdom of Italy in which Piedmont was the most powerful state. Italian nationalism was diverse in its aims. Mazzini aimed at the unification of the entire peninsula but he was foiled in the 1830s and in 1848-49. Other leaders such as Manin in Venice and, briefly, the Pope in 1848-49 had very limited success. None of these gained universal support from inside or outside Italy and crucially lacked military power. However, the role of nationalists, especially Garibaldi, should not be underestimated. Garibaldi played a crucial role in Cavour’s later years and he continued to aim at the incorporation of Rome. Candidates might point out that the final stages of unification (Venetia in 1866 and Rome in 1870) owed little to either Piedmont or to other Italian nationalists. To achieve the highest bands answers need not be evenly balanced between Piedmont and nationalism but should be sound on each.

Cults Essay

The word cult is often thrown around in todays society as a derogatory term towards religions that are not well known or have aspects that are contrary to mainstream religions. According to mainstream media, cults have been responsible for massive pact suicides, and their followers are incestual and polygamous. The mass media shows the leader as a manipulative person who controls his/her believers as they blindly follow, not knowing the trouble that will certainly find them † . cult’ has become little more than a convenient, if largely inaccurate and always pejorative, horthand for a religious group that must be presented as odd or dangerous for the purpose of an emerging news story. â€Å"(3) Douglas Cowan and David Bromley show the harsh reality of the way the majority of the media likes to portray cults, probably for better ratings. There are several main cults that are often referenced when researching the topic. The first being The People’s Temple, the found er Jim Jones had a following of 912, that all died (including him) by cyanide laced drinks in 1978. This was known as the Jonestown Massacre, controversy surrounds it as it is debated hether or not it was a mass suicide or murder. Another commonly referenced cult is Heaven’s Gate, a UFO doomsday religion that ended in a 39 member suicide in 1997 when the group was attempting to leave earth because they believed it was about to be â€Å"recycled†. To learn and understand what a cult is, I will be define a cult, what features make a cult and who the people are that Join them, as well as discuss the founders of these religions. What is the definition of a cult? Depending on the intent of the author defining the word cult proves a difficult task. The scholars on the ubject of cults seem to have two different approaches when studying this topic. There are those who are a part of the anticult movement and often use the word â€Å"cult† in a negative fashion towards any religion that has formed in recent history. Those apart of the anticult seem to skirt around the subject of defining a cult or explaining what a cult exactly consists of. We are given the feeling as though they do not want to define it as they may cast an umbrella over other mainstream religions that have a similar form. It is even often used to describe popular trends that will upposedly not last, veganism is a term that has been described as a cult fad. You can see how it is almost always used negatively, or as something that has no real substance and will not stand the test of time like other religions have. In contrast, there are those who do not use the word cult but prefer the term â€Å"New Religious Movements†. These scholars have a more objective opinion, and use New Religious Movements to â€Å"†¦ represent fascinating glimpses into the way human beings construct religious meaning and organize their lives to give shape to religious experience. † (Cowan, Bromley, 3). It is important to be subjective when using the word cult and for purposes of this paper I will define cult in my own words and state that there is a difference between cults and New Religious Movements. A cult is a form of religion that is deceitful towards its own members with the leader abusing their powers. Although there have been many mainstream religions that have had a leader abuse their powers, it is necessary to point out the ditterence, which is that in a cult the head of the religion is the source of all their religious knowledge and do not have other ways of getting to know the religion without them. In comparison, mass religions have many leaders, many forms of knowledge and you can attain religious beliefs through many forms, not only the one source. Keeping in mind that using the word cult subjectively is imperative to this process, it is still easy to find movements that can be categorized under my own definition of the word cult. These would include the previously mentioned religions of The People’s Temple and Heaven’s Gate. When looking at these and other cults there are often many characteristics that they do have in common. It is typical for the cult to have only one leader, â€Å".. ho claims divinity or a special mission entrusted to him from Above. † (Harrison, 19) A lot of cult leaders use the money from the followers for personal profit. There is a major sense of belonging that comes along with being a part of a cult. There are many religions that also share this but cults often want their members to have this feeling with them alone, and discourage involvement with others who are not in their religion. One author that I found that was willing to at least describe a cult relationship for the purposes of her book was Singer. SHe says there are three actors to cultic relationships, using that term better describes his viewings of interactions that go on in cults. The three factors are as follows: 1. The origin of the group and role of the leader 2. The power structure, or relationship between the leader (or leaders) and the followers 3. The use of coordinated program of persuasion (which is called thought reform, or, more commonly, brainwashing)† (7) You can see from the quote that this cultic relationship isn’t Just solely related to religion alone, Singer includes cults that are formed around doctrines, theories and practices, but states that other esearchers may not identify this exactly as she does. According to the scholars of new religious movements, â€Å".. roups that are labeled â€Å"cults† often closely resemble a variety of conventional organizations in which these same characteristics are accepted as legitimate or necessary: communes and intentional communities, convents, monasteries, and other high-commitment religious societies, multilevel marketing organizations and armed forces training and combat units†¦ † (Bromley, Cowan, 5). There could be many reasons why a person would Join a cult, they could e the same reason’s one Joins any faith based group; a person is looking to belong, or meet others with similar morals. A prime reason why a person would Join a cult is that they are not doing this knowing that what they are becoming apart of is in fact a cult. Cults often are established off of a Christian based structure with similar values, and practices. A person may attend a cult thinking it is another sect of Christianity. Members of a cult learn ways to recruit new members, a typical form of recruiting is called â€Å"love-bombing†, where members seek out non-members and shower them ith many forms of attention and affection. Basically, being extremely nice to others with the intent on conversion. Anticult members are quick to let the public know that recruiting for cults can happen anywhere, on campus, on buses and trains, or on the street, letting us know that we can be recruited literally everywhere. In actuality it looks as though most â€Å"recruitment† for cults is done through family members or close friends. When seeing that it is family and friends who do the majority of converting it is easy to see now people would Join. It is not as though the trusted group are trying o harm others by recruiting, they are trying to help and see that others are also going to â€Å"find the truth† in a sense. It is similar to the common practice of missions trips that many Christian religions take part in where they travel to underdeveloped parts of the world, converting people to Christianity and also helping the community in some way. The difference being, hopefully no abuse of power or deceitfulness by the religion. It isn’t always understood why one does Join a cult but it is probable to say each individual has their own personal reasons why, and somehow in a way that eligion is giving them whatever it is they may be looking for. Friends? Belonging? Maybe they don’t agree with morals of other religions and this cult matches up with the lifestyle that they lead. There is a lot of information pertaining to the large numbers of youth attending cults and New Religious Movements, particularly between the ages of 18 and 22. Lorne L. Dawson describes the demographic of youth as the typical â€Å"All American boy or girl†. â€Å"A profile of the typical cult member reveals that he or she is white, middle or upper class, with at least some college education and nominally religious upbringing. 85) It might seem surprising that a lot of followers come from this kind of back round, but when looked at a little more in depth you see that often these young adults have either parental issues or have had some sort of middleclass failures. Those with problems in communicating with their parents often look to the leader of the cult for guidance and use them as a parental fgure. Those have failed according to middle class norms seem to be searching for validation. A lot of followers Join the cults in times of vulnerability and much needed support from others. While you can say that almost everyone has come from back ounds where they have felt vulnerable at points and needed the support of others, it seems imperative that cults cling on to those who have these types of issues going on as well as the added factor of age to convert potential members. The time of young adulthood is when most people are beginning the process of learning who they are and to have a supportive, flattering, group surround them can be very influential to their life. For most cults there is only one leader although this is not always true, using the examples from earlier, Heaven’s Gate had two leaders; Marshall Applewhite nd Bettie who liked to be called Ti and Do. Often the leader(s) starts this religion after some form of miraculous religious conversion where they may have had a near death experience or a vision, there are many different stories of leaders getting the â€Å"call to prophecy’. The leaders of cults are always charismatic, and seem to have all the answers. In a time in peoples lives when they are looking for affirmation it is easy to be drawn to someone who knows it all, and can give the yes and no answers. The leader forms very personal relationships with his followers, which sometimes turns sexual. As cults grow the leader is not always able to be so intimate with each member, and this can become problematic for the cult. In response when cults’ members become larger, the leader will start to segregate himself from the following, only allowing access to certain members who have earned that right. The leader becomes a sort of local celebrity in the eyes of the followers, and like celebrities, their fans stand by them even when arguments against their religious beliefs become even more valid. It is hard to say why a person may start a cult, money could be a huge contributing factor. Or the idea of a group of followers hanging onto every word d by the tounder may be exactly what a true narcissist is looking tor. Out ot all the New Age Religions it is hard to exactly pin point out which ones can be classified as a cult, in history, different Christian denominations have been labelled as cults and paid a price for it. In the nineteenth century The Salvation Army was labelled as a cult and its members were stoned, now it is viewed as a respected and legitimate faith base. So to stamp a religion that hasn’t been researched to its full extent can be harmful, and not fair to its members. To be close minded to the idea of new religious movements could erase the idea of religion altogether, as many religions are stuck in the past and not embracing the progressiveness of the times. If a religion is not abusing their powers or being harmful to its members who is to say that it cannot be fulfilling for someone who is looking for more in their life and doesn’t connect to mass religions? It is important to teach people to be able to question ideas and to critically think on new and old perspectives, hopefully by doing so people will not so easily be a part of such self-destructive religious groups. I work in the field of homeless and mental health and have met many clients who see themselves as closer to God than the rest of humankind so it is very plausible to me for cult leaders to truly believe that what they are doing is the right way to live, and the only way to live. All religions have outsiders who will say anything to bring that religion into a bad light, it is with great importance that we carefully and kindly dissect the true intent on all religions, not Just new age religions.

What Types Of Grouping And Peer Interactions Generate Authentic Essay

What Types Of Grouping And Peer Interactions Generate Authentic Student Engagement And Positive Learning Outcomes - Essay Example The study also observed that peer directed small groups can help in effective grouping techniques that eliminates the discrimination and improve positive learning outcomes. Most activities in science classes involve group work. When students work in groups, the experience is meant to be authentic and engaging, and should lead to meaningful learning. Teachers have often seen, however, group interactions that lead to student frustration. Often, poor group dynamics result in poor cooperation and communication. A lack of cooperation and communication will lead to passive compliance, rebellion or a refusal to participate. The purpose for choosing this topic is to research how to create positive group dynamics to improve student engagement. An overlying goal of this research is to develop a systematic approach to with-in class grouping, which promotes and fosters positive social interactions, increased student performance, and high levels of authentic student engagement. The Social Development Theory of learning suggested by Vygotsky will correspond to this review of research. Social Development Theory states that children learn through social interaction (Kearsley, 2008). These types of interactions are key to forming work groups that do, indeed, produce positive learning outcomes.... When some students are performing equally well with other students, a grouping of such students can help to revise the syllabus items for those students. However, there are different grouping styles observed in classes called, ability grouping, tracking etc., depending on the circumstance and need. Ability grouping also called instructional grouping, usually used for reading purposes in elementary schools. Whereas, tracking is usually observed in middle and higher classes to direct them to take particular courses basing on their performance levels in previous classes. Many teachers and scholars believe that grouping leads to 'discrimination and permanent labeling', hence do not observe grouping in teaching-learning process. One study conducted on Japanese teachers notified teacher's expressing that grouping hurts students emotionally, so they prefer having mixed-ability classrooms instead of grouping. Also some argue that grouping not only brings discrimination but also makes the children adopt the unwanted behaviors from other children in grouping, as grouping is a close social context. Though placing students into groups is an instructional technique to maximize the effectiveness of learning and classroom management, it should be done with careful planning and clear purpose. However, Cohen E.G., specifies some conditions that help the class room grouping to be productive and effective for the learning process. The paper observes the review of studies of interaction and while concentrating on the aspects like - interaction and achievement; task and interaction; the helpfulness of helping; interdependence and interaction; and reward interdependence. The author identified the aspects like- structuring the

Reflect and evaluate Apple's marketing principles & practices Essay

Reflect and evaluate Apple's marketing principles & practices - Essay Example The other marketing strategies and tactics – use of a brand name, consumer research, product innovation, advertising and promotion, service support – these are all helpful, but not in and of themselves. Ultimately, they only count in advancing corporate performance in so far as they deliver quality to meet the customers’ needs. More recently, marketing thrusts have tended towards what I would call the splashy and spectacular, or what others would call high-profile marketing. These can be found particularly in the advertising for sports events or concerts where a large amount of sales have to be transacted within a short period of time. There is a lot to be said, however, about word-of-mouth advertising, which is essentially low-key but very effective in the social media environment. The strongest testimony would indeed come from family, friends and close acquaintances whom we know and trust, particularly if we see them patronising the same products and services. Apple’s marketing principles When we researched on Apple’s marketing, the emphasis of most researches was focused on Apple’s innovation, its market savvy, and the vision of its former CEO, the late Steve Jobs. There is a problem with this, however, because the vision, market savvy, and ideas for innovation appear to be incidentals – things we get right only with a wing and a prayer, even in the best circumstances. Moreover, ever since the death of Steve Jobs, the constancy of these three back-bone factors has become uncertain for Apple because Jobs was the main wellspring from which they emanated. Unfortunately, Apple operated largely in a manner that was too closely identi-fied with Jobs personally. ... Unfortunately, Apple operated largely in a manner that was too closely identified with Jobs personally. In the course of my own readings, however, I am convinced that Apple has an element pervasive in its organisational culture that has developed into the winning market principle for its industry. This is simplicity, minimalism, and the quality of being understated (Vertygo, 2013). While also originally a Jobs attribute, this quality of being low-key and essentialist has, I believe, established a persistent trend in the way the company operates in a manner that defines it and its products. It is the concept upon which Apple’s brand image has been inextricably linked; its powerful digital and mobile devices such as the iPad, the iPod, the Mac, and the iPhone, which have been Apple’s greatest marketing successes, attracted the interest and commitment of the public because they were easy to operate (e.g., the absence of keys, knobs or switches) but delivered the desired qu ality of service in a manner compatible with our contemporary lifestyles (Van Dijk & Schipper, 2007). As for existing rivalry, Apple has redefined the market and reaped first option advantages with its revolutionary operating systems and its touch system technology. Through innovative products and technology, customers’ bargaining power is reduced for lack of competing alternatives or substitutes. How I assess Apple has done Taking a comprehensive look at Apple’s operations and it stated vision and principles, I believe that Apple has done more than apply them in the conventional way: the company has redefined what quality, innovation, and user friendliness means in the arena of digital communication devices. For all its

Technology makes communication easier in today's world. Many people Essay

Technology makes communication easier in today's world. Many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen. What d - Essay Example However, there are number of adverse effects of this trend, though only visible in the long term. Less communication leading to isolation One would easily assume that working from home using computer helps reduce wastage of time on travel to and fro. However, it also means that people no longer interact with others in the community. In other words, when someone works from home using computer, he shrinks into his own private world and does not get any chance to interact with other people, even the people next door. In simple words, it leads to alienation of individuals in the society. As Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark et al (1998) state man is a social animal that requires constant socialization, the absence of which will lead to many physical and mental illnesses which are seem to be increasing in the present world. For example, the increasing levels of stress related problems are attributed directly to the modern working culture, and thus to the use of computer that restricts social int eraction (Kraut et al). This, in turn, will lead to problems like high blood pressure. These issues are accompanied by all those problems which are associated with sedentary jobs in general starting from obesity. In addition, computer can be termed an asocial means of communication. The normal way of communication people have is to spend more time with ones friends and family and less time with strangers. However, computer altered this concept totally. Now, people prefer to spend more time with strangers whom they meet on the net and less time their near and dear ones. In other words, the entertainment offered by computer is totally asocial in nature. Impact of telecommuting on family Family, as the basic unit of society, requires proper attention and is the sphere where telecommuting has the greatest impact. To begin with, it is a common concept that when one works from home, he would get more time to interact with his family, thus leading to an improvement in familial relations. A ccording to many, it also provides time flexibility. However, in practice, what is seen is quite contradictory in nature. People often tend to spend more time on work than their usual working hours thus reducing the time spent on social interactions. In addition, there is more possibility of their work spillover affecting their family relations and family situations can affect the quality of their work. In addition, working from home takes away the usual concepts of weekend holidays and other free times and thus, instead of helping the people have more freedom, it only adds to their tension as many a time, working independently involves more care and responsibility than working under supervision. Effect on the quality of work It is often found that telecommuting seriously affects the quality of work done by employees. There are various reasons behind this fall. First of all, the raw recruits are denied the chance to interact with the more experienced ones who might be happy sharing their work-related experiences over a cup of coffee. In the office culture, a junior may get a ridiculously simple solution for a jargon nagging him for many days from a senior who had such experiences in the past. In addition, for bosses, it provides a chance to give a warning to an employee who errs very often. In fact, work-related knowledge grows only

Interpersonal communication Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Interpersonal communication - Term Paper Example However, this is not the only or the notable component of significance in communication because of its intricate steps through which communication and culture affects one another. We have cultural etiquettes, which control the suitable appearance for the language. Furthermore, in real life situations of individuals who are engaged in issues for not pursuing the right etiquettes shows to me that the way something is introduced can scale several significance in relation to the actual implications. Though it can only be entirely true in situation of romance research, there is no precise method of â€Å"you require having some spray to be romantic.† However, the knowledge of this principle of expression may just improve what one need to get through to their loved one (Floyd, 2009). Extensively speaking, communication style differs from one ethnicity to the other because of language development. What you have to know is that theorists have characteristic distinguished verb, digital , analog and communication, nonverbal communication, elements through their language. Based on the language, a number of them measure more on one given communication in relation to the others. ... On the other hand, those who were brought up in American culture may consider this form of treatment from the loved one to be â€Å"cold† because it lacks some basic ingredients of common usual expression. One other thing is that the presenter can be highly perceptive on choosing of verbal or non-verbal nods in relation to their language training that provide introduction of likely that some given nods are juts tuned out of their treatment (Forbes & Santa, 2011). The principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications A number of communication principles apply to everyday live. These principles are based on the functions of real life interpersonal communication and they are common to communication that no one should assume them. The first principle is that interpersonal communication is inevitable. Under this, when individuals state that they ceased to communicate that cannot happen because the very trial not to interact pass something. By not just words bu t by voice tone as well as through posture, gesture, and facial appearance, we often interact to those close to us. By these channels, individuals regularly get interactions from others. Furthermore, also when one is sleeping, they communicate. For this, what need to be understood is that common rules of interaction is persons are not thoughts readers or in other words individuals judge themselves though their conduct and not their intent (Floyd, 2009). The second principle is that interpersonal communication is irreversible. One cannot take back their utterance once they have been declared. The impact should unavoidably remain. In spite of the

Compare SPAIN and AUSTRIA on their GDP per capita over the last three Essay

Compare SPAIN and AUSTRIA on their GDP per capita over the last three years - Essay Example Spain and Austria indicate a greatly positive linear pattern. The variation surrounding the pattern values are distinguished by a quasi normal distribution with possibly levy distribution for far conclusion. Advancing nations make evident the percentage increase of values far below the average percentage increase for significant advanced economies. This signifies a deficit despite the huge relative development rates. Authentic economic development has been analyzed statistically from the time when Kuznet’s efforts on accounting of national income and collective element inputs were applied. Hodrick and Prescott (1980) brought in a concept of 2 components, initiating a model of 2 component economic development an economic pattern and a variation of business cycle factors. The pattern component is accountable for the long lasting development and describes economic effectiveness. In the end run, the variation component of economic development has to possess a 0 average value. In t he year 2010, shakes of the Global economic crisis let down the Spanish asset bubble leading to an asset collapse. Development trembled and unemployment started to increase. The asset let down brought about a disintegration of credit as banks crashed into huge decreased lending, leading to a depression. As the economy went down, the government revenue crumbled and government debt started to increase fast. By the year 2011 the nation encountered economic problems and was drawn in the European sovereign debt predicament. In the year 2012, the rate of unemployment began to rise again to a record height of 25% (Kitov, 2012). On 25th May 2012, Bankia during this period the 4th leading bank of Spain with 12 million clients, asked for an assistance of â‚ ¬19 billion, the huge bank assistance in the country’s history. The new running by Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri established losses subsequent to taxes of â‚ ¬4.3 billion (2.98 billion taking into consideration an economic credit ) in comparison to a profit of â‚ ¬328 Million established at what time when Rodrigo Rato was at the top of Bankia till May 9, 2012 (Kitov, 2012). The Austrian Economy has eroded the disaster well at the rear of an export leading recovery. Austria like other nations relying on export economies were hit hard by the crisis however the present recovery efforts present a leading chance to empower change efforts particularly in the following spheres. First, subsidized paths in early retirement need to be removed, secondly work incentives of less skilled employees need to be empowered and their expense of employment decreased. Thirdly, early child care facilities and full day learning should be developed. Fourthly, education restructuring need to advance and finally competition should be advanced in network service industry in addition to liberal fields. These restructuring directions are fundamental for the prospective development performance. This is for the reason that positive exte rior shakes at the back of European incorporation will, in large extent, not advance with similar intensity as in the last 3 years and drivers of development will rely largely on domestic resources. Economic vulnerabilities, while low in global assessment, have advanced. Public economy became worse marked by the crises, led by flexible

Global Internet Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Internet Advertising - Essay Example This paper is going to highlight some of the unanswered questions in the global advertising medium. Although global internet advertising is a good thing to business all over the world there are some areas that need to be further researched. One is that there are privacy concerns on the advertiser’s side and even the potential customers (Tungate, 2013). Business owners when advertising need to prove authenticity of the products or services they are advertising this has caused issues like hackers accessing financial data and employee information via the internet and using it for illegal means (Taylor, 2012). On the customer’s side, some customers have been duped and lied to about keeping their queries or purchases private only for traces to be left that could jeopardize the customer’sreputation and life (St, 2007). This issue needs to be further researched. Secondly, through the research on global internet advertising, there is an issue of Global Internet Access 100% connectivity and when can it be a reality (Hanafizadeh & Behboudi, 2012). It emerged that the whole world knows about the internet and even about internet advertising but not all people have internet access 100% connectivity (Frith& Mueller, 2010). This is either because of high data and broadband prices, lack of data booster in the regions they are situated or partial network coverage (Kogut, 2004). This means that a lot of business will not be reaching the intended target customers while customers will not get the advertisement that could change their daily lives(Krishnamurthy & OConnor, 2006). Further research should be done to establish when 100%comnncevtivty will be a reality especially in developing worlds. A final unanswered question that emerged from the research on global internet advertising was the issue of Advertising & technology (Bidgoli, 2004). To advertise on the internet means that one must be able to use a computer and use their own website or use another

Oligopoly and monopoly Essay Example for Free

Oligopoly and monopoly Essay An oligopoly is an intermediate market structure between the extremes of perfect competition and monopoly. Oligopoly firms might compete (noncooperative oligopoly) or cooperate (cooperative oligopoly) in the marketplace. Whereas firms in an oligopoly are price makers, their control over the price is determined by the level of coordination among them. The distinguishing characteristic of an oligopoly is that there are a few mutually interdependent firms that produce either identical products (homogeneous oligopoly) or heterogeneous products (differentiated oligopoly). Mutual interdependence means that firms realize the effects of their actions on rivals and the reactions such actions are likely to elicit. For instance, a mutually interdependent firm realizes that its price drops are more likely to be matched by rivals than its price increases. This implies that an oligopolist, especially in the case of a homogeneous oligopoly, will try to maintain current prices, since price changes in either direction can be harmful, or at least nonbeneficial. Consequently, there is a kink in the demand curve because there are asymmetric responses to a firms price increases and to its price decreases; that is, rivals match price falls but not price increases. This leads to sticky prices, such that prices in an oligopoly turn out to be more stable than those in monopoly or in competition; that is, they do not change every time costs change. On the flip side, the sticky-price explanation (formally, the kinked demand model of oligopoly) has the significant drawback of not doing a very good job of explaining how the initial price, which eventually turns out to be sticky, is arrived at. Airline markets and automobile markets are prime examples of oligopolies. We see that as the new auto model year gets under way in the fall, one car manufacturers reduced financing rates are quickly matched by the other firms because of recognized mutual interdependence. Airlines also match rivals fares on competing routes. In oligopolies, entry of new firms is difficult because of entry barriers. These entry barriers may be structural (natural), such as economies of scale, or artificial, such as limited licenses issued by government. Firms in an oligopoly, known as oligopolists, choose prices and output to maximize profits. However, firms could compete along other dimensions as well, such as advertising, location, research and development (RD) and so forth. For instance, a firms research or advertising strategies are influenced by what its rivals are doing. When one restaurant advertises that it will accept rivals coupons, others are compelled to follow suit. The rivals responses in an oligopoly can be modeled in the form of reaction functions. Sophisticated firms anticipating rivals behavior might appear to act in concert (conscious parallelism) without any explicit agreement to do so. Such instances pose problems for antitrust regulators. Mutually interdependent firms have a tendency to form cartels, enabling them to coordinate price and quantity actions to increase profits. Besides facing legal obstacles, cartels are difficult to sustain because of free-rider problems. Shared monopolies are extreme cases of cartels that include all the firms in the industry. Given that mutual interdependence can exist along many dimensions, there is no single model of oligopoly. Rather, there are numerous models based on different behavior, ranging from the naive Cournot models to more sophisticated models of game theory. An equilibrium concept that incorporates mutual interdependence was proposed by John Nash and is referred to as Nash equilibrium. In a Nash equilibrium, firms decisions (i. e. , price-quantity choices) are their best responses, given what their rivals are doing. For example, McDonalds charges $2. 99 for a Value Meal based on what Burger King and Wendys are charging for a similar menu item. McDonalds would reconsider its pricing if its rivals were to change their prices. The level of information that firms have has a major influence on their behavior in an oligopoly. For instance, when mutually interdependent firms have asymmetric information and are unable to make credible commitments regarding their behavior, a prisoners dilemma type of situation arises where the Nash equilibrium might include choices that are suboptimal. For instance, individual firms in a cartel have an incentive to cheat on the previously agreed-upon price-output levels. Since cartel members have nonbinding commitments on limiting production levels and maintaining prices, this results in widespread cheating, which in turn leads to an eventual breakdown of the cartel. Therefore, while all firms in the cartel could benefit by cooperating, lack of credible commitments results in cheating being a Nash equilibrium strategy—a strategy that is suboptimal from the individual firms standpoint. Models of oligopoly could be static or dynamic depending upon whether firms take intertemporal decisions into account. Significant models of oligopoly include Cournot, Bertrand, and Stackelberg. Cournot oligopoly is the simplest model of oligopoly in that firms are assumed to be naive when they think that their actions will not generate any reaction from the rivals. In other words, according to the Cournot model, rival firms choose not to alter their production levels when one firm chooses a different output level. Cournot thus focuses on quantity competition rather than price competition. While the naive behavior suggested by Cournot might seem plausible in a static setting, it is hard to image real-world firms not learning from their mistakes over time. The Bertrand models significant difference from the Cournot model is that it assumes that firms choose (set) prices rather than quantities. The Stackelberg model deals with the scenario in which there is a leader firm in the market whose actions are imitated by a number of follower firms. The leader is sophisticated in terms of taking into account rivals reactions, while the followers are naive, as in the Cournot model. The leader might emerge in a market because of a number of factors, such as historical precedence, size, reputation, innovation, information, and so forth. Examples of Stackelberg leadership include markets where one dominant firm dictates the terms, usually through price leadership. Under price leadership, the leader firms pricing decisions are consistently followed by rival firms. Since oligopolies come in various forms, the performance of such markets also varies a great deal. In general, the oligopoly price is below the monopoly price but above the competitive price. The oligopoly output, in turn, is larger than that of a monopolist but falls short of what a competitive market would supply. Some oligopoly markets are competitive, leading to few welfare distortions, while other oligopolies are monopolistic, resulting in dead weight losses. Furthermore, some oligopolies are more innovative than others. Whereas the price-quantity rankings of oligopoly vis-a-vis other markets are relatively well established, how oligopoly fares with regard to R and D and advertising is less clear.

Wearable Motion Detection Technology to Detect Falls

Wearable Motion Detection Technology to Detect Falls Louise Patterson 1. Project Title The development of a fully working model using wearable motion detection technology to detect and alert to falls within the home. 2. Abstract The focus of this document concerns the research and methodology into the problem of people with care needs being able to live independently within their own homes with minimum intervention. Elderly people particularly tend to have an increased risk of falling and sustaining serious injury than younger people. Other people with certain medical conditions also have a higher risk of falling due to seizures, balance problems etc. Current fall detection alert systems are expensive and obtrusive. They require landline phone connections and a call centre network with access to personal information to contact the appropriate carer. Sensors are rarely waterproof and can be easily damaged. The way the sensors are carried on the body can irritate and become annoying to the patient. One of the biggest, most costly failures of current systems occur when a call button has been touched by accident, resulting in accidental alerts being sent to the call centre. The main objective of this research and proposed model is to provide an investigation into the possibility of using new technology to provide a more effective system. Which Such a system will work only for fall detection and send alerts to appropriate personnel with the option for camera access to enabling them to view situation on way to alert. Specifically the project seeks to discover if new ring motion detection technology can be used to provide a more cost effective way of detecting falls within the home. Provisioning of a sensor which is both waterproof and unobtrusive to the wearer, which can be used to send an alert via txt or email directly to carers, thereby removing the need for an expensive, dedicated landline alert system and call centre network. Table of Contents (Jump to) 1. Project Title 2. Abstract 3. Aims 4. Objective 5. Justification 6. Literature Review 7. Methodology 8. Work Plan 9. References 3. Aims The aim of the project is to develop a working model for fall detection using motion detection technology in the form of a wearable ring, thereby replacing current, outdated and non user friendly equipment. Thereafter presenting the working model to appropriate bodies in order to facilitate a huge reduction in what has become a costly and awkward system to run and maintain for all parties. To achieve this, research in what defines a fall will be carried out as well as research for application creation using the processing language and motion detection programming using the available software development kits provided by the ring developers. Current fall detection applications will be researched to compare and improve on proposed model. To achieve this, research will be carried out to determine what defines a fall in the current system, as well as the range of fall detection applications currently available. Following this, research will be required into the most appropriate type of application creation tools to use in the working model. Tools include the type of processing language required and the particular motion detection programming available through the software development kits provided by the ring developers. Comparisons will be drawn from research findings in order to discover what improvements could be made on the proposed working model. 4. Objectives 5. Justification 6. Literature Review The purpose of the papers read is how to define the fall within the scope of the project and what technologies are best suited to project. With this in mind the following papers contain information on fall detection and the different technologies that may be used to complete a project of this type. Challenges, issues and trends in fall detection systems by Raul Igual, Carlos Medrano, and Inmaculada Plaza: Published online July 6 2013 in the BioMedical Engineering OnLine Fall detection system using Kinect’s infrared sensor by Georgios Mastorakis and Dimitrios Makris : Published December 2014 in the Journal of Real-Time Image Processing Heterogeneous multi-sensor fusion based on an evidential network for fall detection by Paulo Armando CAVALCANTE AGUILAR, Jerome Boudy, Dan Istrate, et. Al.: Submitted to HAL on the 14 Dec 2012. Accurate, Fast Fall Detection Using Gyroscopes and Accelerometer-Derived Posture Information By Qiang Li, John A. Stankovic, et. Al. Challenges, issues and trends in fall detection systems: this paper covers many of the different studies already taken place. It details the devices and methods used to detect falls. Fall detection system using Kinect’s infrared sensor : This paper cover the use of the xbox’s kinect sensors in fall detection. The same technology used in the nod ring. Heterogeneous multi-sensor fusion based on an evidential network for fall detection : covers how the network is used to alert and detect the falls. Accurate, Fast Fall Detection Using Gyroscopes and Accelerometer-Derived Posture Information: covers how the bodies position is used with accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect falls. 7. Methodology The research required to enable completion of the project will the follow the flow diagram used within Objectives. Secondary research will be carried out into what defines a fall. This will require papers, articles, books and websites to be read on the definition of what constitutes a fall. The information gained from this research will be compared and contrasted in to tables to analyse what movements and positions best constitute a fall and will cover the most appropriate scenarios for the system model. During this research any currently available algorithms, diagrams and coding will be collated, analysed and used to determine the fall definition selected for the project. Another aspect required for the system model is the final position of the fall and the time of inactivity that would indicate a fall. The data will be collated and analysed using graphs and diagrams to select the most appropriate solution that encompasses the most data to create an all-encompassing fall detection system. Time inactivity data will be collected from research data to compare and contrast time retrieved to select the median figure for inactivity and use this in the development of the system. Then all the collated data will be compared analysed and a conclusion drawn, showing the best options for the project, and the development of the equations required for coding of the device sensors. Once a fall definition has been selected the language used to program the device sensors needs to be researched and learned. The sensor device has available software developer’s kits (SDK) for android, iOS and UNIX among others. The use of these kits will require a steep learning curve and require reading and taking practical courses on learning the languages required. Learning the language, will be achieved through books, online courses and available API’s and code. The Project Supervisor will assist in the project ensuring the correct language is used and coding is fit for purpose. Although the ring comes with its own software, other methods of programming appropriate to the current skill set will be researched, by contacting developers through the developer’s forum and other programmers to assist with programming the sensors. At this stage any compatibility issues with the sensor and devices will be noted and used during the testing of the completed model to facilitate improvements. During the process of learning the coding language, the programming of the ring using this knowledge will be initiated. Sample codes will be modified and tested by programming the device to test functionality. Current fall technology research will include investigating current papers, applications and systems. Available current applications will be compared against the proposed project model to determine possible areas for improvement. Initial alert sending programming will be programmed within the rings SDK, producing results of positive fall detection and sending them to a receiving device. Knowledge and programming developed during research will be used to complete alert programming. Testing will be carried out using simulated alerts on various platforms, at different distances from sensor to base station. Results will be collated and displayed in graphs showing comparisons and analysis. The alert sending system which sends messages to mobile phones and emails will be programmed using the SDK or language used to program other functions. The completed model is to be tested using actual falls which creates an ethical issue. To address this issue local martial arts instructors will be approached to request their assistance with testing. The instructors will be asked to provide the test equipment to classes in order to record falls that take place during normal class activities. To fulfil any ethical considerations these tests will be recorded and the appropriate paperwork for consent obtained. These tests will ensure fall detection, alerts sending and receiving and the effective range of the system. The results will then be collated and reproduced in graphs, tables and illustrations to demonstrate success and failure rates, distance achieved and sending and receiving times. Future developments are investigated through searching for additional functionality of the sensor devices used within the model and possible cost effective additions which, when added to the system model improve the project and add features resulting in a reliable care model. The final step will be compiling the report for submission. This will done by pooling all research, tables, graphs and coding into the documentation required for the MSc project. 8. Work Plan The MSc Smart Networks course leader has stated the project must be completed and submitted for marking so graduation can be achieved in December or January. With this is mind the completed project must be submitted to lecturer in plenty of time to allow for marking and external evaluation. To ensure this is the case a final submission date of October 30th 2015 has been selected with a start date of the 22nd of June 2015. A draft submission is to be submitted no later than the 25th of September. Timeline As a literature review is a learning and development process this will be an ongoing method from June to the end of September. Programming and initial testing will commence in the first week in July and continue until a completed model is ready for final testing. Final testing is to commence in the third week of September and last for two weeks. Compiling of data and research will be compiled as an ongoing process, however writing the project will start in earnest at the same time as final testing. Due to the complexity of the project fortnightly meetings / tutorial sessions will be arranged with the supervisor. 9. References