Bullying and the longterm effects Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bullying and the longterm effects - Thesis Example Bullying Statistics (2009) asserts that Internet has invented quite a few new forms of bullying techniques through chat programs, email, or on social media sites. Cell phones are the newest form for bullying someone. All these forms are equally applicable to the present generation children studying in schools. Colorado Trust (2012) argues that the effects of bullying can prevail lifetime. Victims of bullying may have more health issues, low self-esteem, weaker social interactions and high chance of academic failures. At the same time, those who are involved in bullying develop a criminal record before age 24. The perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of teachers, parents, and other adults contribute a lot in reinforcing bullying. Many adults deal with the issue of bullying as a normal way of growing up and even instill bullying behavior themselves. It is such a serious issue that 30 states have enacted anti bullying laws so as to control and eradicate bullying from their states. State laws either define bullying or ask state boards of education to do so. Colorados law, for example, defines bullying as "any physical act, or verbal or written provocation, that may cause distress to anyone in the school or at any school related places including school grounds, school vehicles or at designated bus stop. In a state like Georgia, any district that fails to make anti bullying policy does not get state funding. Several states have integrated bullying prevention programs into the curriculum. In Virginia, every school needs to address the inappropriateness of bullying in their schools character program. Bully Police USA is an organization that scrutinizes state policy laws on bullying and grants rating to them. Oklahoma state education department spearheads research-based programs for the prevention of intimidation, harassment and bully ing of students at every public school in the state (State Policy Trends

Geography writing assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Geography writing assignment - Research Paper Example Series of Quakes Rattles South West China, Killing at least 64† (McDonald) examined multiple occurrences of quakes and aftershocks within a 5.6 magnitude strength causing more damage to property, displacing 100,000 people and killing at least 64 civilians. In the month before that, the Reuters news agency reported â€Å"Two Earthquakes in Iran Kill 300 and injure 5,000† near the towns of Ahar, Varzaghan and Harees. (Torbati) Earthquakes are naturally occurring phenomena that are beyond human control. People can however initiate early warning systems to help them escape the rather deadly effects of the earthquakes. Faulting and earthquake effects that must be taken into consideration during planning and in design for the restitution of the coastal lands around the world are always overlooked. This should always include the construction as well as the maintenance of the coastal infrastructure. The continued shifting and adjustment of the plates has a dramatic effect on the landscape. These range from the development of large depressions on the surface caused by the subsidence and tilting of the land surfaces due to down throwing of adjacent fault blocks. The effects of all these are experienced both in the human-economic spheres as well as on the physical landscape. The huge geographical components of the Asian-Pacific region has worst cases of natural hazards occasioned by frequent earthquakes, eruptions, and yearly monsoons due to its relative position on the ‘Pacific ring of fire.’ Moreover, the region harbors the highest number of mega-cities with more than over 8million populace exposed to the effects of natural hazards. Foregoing research further suggests that developing countries are highly exposed to risks of natural disasters as opposed to developed nations. At the same time, the high number of natural disasters experienced along the Asian-Pacific region is largely attributed to urbanization, increased population pressure on natural resources and the

Interviewing for the Future Essay Example for Free

Interviewing for the Future Essay Interviewing is considered by many people to be an art. As an adolescent, I never had the chance to interview someone before and it really made me have to expose myself to the world outside of my comfort zone. Being only eighteen years old, I wanted to explore my future career path a little more in depth from somebody who knows the field. I chose to do my interview on someone I admired off campus who works in my field of interest. As a freshman in college, most students don’t know which direction they want to go in, most of them are undeclared. Upon entering CCSU this fall I, too, was undeclared; however, very recently I discovered that I wanted to work in the field of dentistry. I noted that I wanted to talk to an expert, somebody who had been in the field for many years so I could get a concrete grasp on what a day-in-the-life was like. I decided that I wanted to know more on the field and conducted an interview with Lyudmila Adamitskaya, a dental hygienist at Smiles for the Future a pediatric dentist office in Glastonbury, CT. Before I decided to conduct the actual interview, I did some basic background research on Smiles for the Future. I looked at their company website to get a sense of what the atmosphere was like. After I got the general idea of what the pediatric dentistry field was similar too, I brainstormed a variety of questions. I wanted to know what it was like for Lyudmila and what the work environment was like. I had already known quite a bit about the actual field itself, but I wanted to find out things about the pediatric dentistry field that a person couldn’t read about in Chemistry books or through Anatomy lectures. I wanted to discover why she liked her job and what she didn’t like about her job. I desired to know the obstacles she had to overcome and if her expectations were fulfilled from what she had perceived them to be while in college. At first I couldn’t find the right words to put down on paper prior to the interview. From the in class essay we read â€Å"The Art of Interviewing† I took away a central point that really stood out to me, â€Å"Substance is powerful to conduct a meaningful interview† (Foster 1). This quote really jumped off the page for me because it made me think that if I didn’t have the questions I wanted answered, then what was the point of even doing the interview? This point certainly got me to brainstorm for quite a long time to get the right questions. I took away another point from the essay, â€Å"If the interviewer already suspects what content is coming then why conduct the interview?† (Foster 1). This acknowledgement made me really concentrate on questions I could not possibly know the answers to, so that my interview would be meaningful to me and not just a waste of time. I knew that going into the interview, I was going to be nervous but I had no idea what was going to happen. On the afternoon of September 24th, 2012 I walked into the colorful pediatric office of Smiles for the Future in Glastonbury, CT. I anxiously waited until Mrs. Lyudmila Adamitskaya was finished with a small girl who looked as if she were around six or seven years old. I looked around at my surroundings and noticed many toys thrown about the waiting room. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, I love working with children; however, today seemed different. I couldn’t place what it was that bothered me so much about this but I was abruptly pulled out of my dream-like state when Mrs. Adamitskaya greeted me with a warm and cheery â€Å"Hello!† The first thing I noticed about her was her bright purple scrubs. Her hair was neatly tied back and she had a professional, but friendly, demeanor about her. We shook hands briefly and she invited me to come to the back, into room six. She invited me to sit in the patient’s chair, which was significantly smaller than I was and we shared a brief ice-breaking laugh at the situation. She asked me how old I was and I told her I was eighteen and conducting the interview for my English class. I also told her how I was considering going into the field of pediatric dentistry. Immediately, I saw her face light up and I smiled at how much I could tell just from that simple body language she really enjoyed her job. I opened up the interview with the most basic question I could think of; what made you want to become a dental hygienist? She paused momentarily, trying to search for the right words, a puzzled yet relaxed expression on her face. Finally she stated with an enormous smile, â€Å"I always wanted to work in the medical field or dental field to make a difference in people’s oral and overall health† (Adamitskaya). Just that statement alone told me most of what I needed to know about Mrs. Adamitskaya’s attitude not only towards her patients, but towards all people. The statement told me that she genuinely cared how people were doing and she wanted to make a difference in the community. I nervously looked around the room at small stuffed animals and butterfly wallpaper and asked, â€Å"Do you like your work environment?† Mrs. Adamitskaya looked relieved and a little less under pressure. She quickly stepped back into the upbeat woman I first had seen and said, â€Å"I love my work environment because I get to work with amazing doctors and team members who dedicate their work and knowledge to improve and educate people about oral health† (Adamitskaya). This really perked my interest that she felt so strongly about the field and how much her doctors and co-workers cared for other patients as much as she did. I wanted to know more so I added â€Å"Do you like your job? What’s the best and worst part about your job?† She glanced around, looked at me and smiled. â€Å"I don’t like my job.† She paused, gave me a strange look and continued, â€Å"I love my job! I love it because everything we do is for our patients and it brings positive feedback. It encourages patients to keep coming back. It’s always rewarding to work with patients and make a difference in people’s lives and build relationships. The worst part would be the cost of health insurance for families† (Adamitskaya). I could sense she felt bad about the state of the economy, and briefly went on to discuss with me how â€Å"unfortunate it is that most families struggle to put food on the table at night while balancing family and school life† (Adamitskaya). When I saw how much this bothered her it made me eager to get more information on her personal background and struggles. I was nervous to ask at first, but my inner child’s curiosity got the best of me and I rather excitedly asked â€Å"What obstacles have you had to overcome to get where you are today?† She laughed a little; I’m assuming at how embarrassed I looked, I must’ve been a little flushed because my face felt hot as I waited for an answer. She proudly said, â€Å"Going through my college years, I didn’t speak English until I came to America when I was 22 years old. I was raising two children, working full time for minimum wage at Subway to put myself through school. I was trying to learn English and all the dynamics that go into a dental hygiene program at the same time. There were nights I didn’t sleep, but I did it all to provide a better future for my family† (Adamitskaya). It was at this point in the interview I really felt a huge personal connection with Mrs. Lyudmila Adamitskaya. I told her that I, myself, had been working two jobs and putting myself through college full time and she simply replied with a soft smile, â€Å"All hard work has rewards† (Adamitskaya). After this significant quote, Mrs. Adamitskaya wasn’t just another dental hygienist I was interviewing; she became somebody I truly admired. But I had to know if all that she worked for paid off for her and if in her heart her expectations were fulfilled. I asked, â€Å"Were your expectations fulfilled when you entered your career field from what you thought it would be like in college?† She eagerly answered very quickly, â€Å"Yes! They were fulfilled for certain. I am very pleased with what I have achieved over the last ten years of working as a dental hygienist† (Adamitskaya). When she said that her expectations were fulfilled, it somehow made me feel much more relaxed about the career path I had finally decided I wanted to go with. I then asked her what her opinion was on the industry in terms of job openings for after I completed college. She hesitated; looking almost worried, and said, â€Å"It’s easier to find a part time job rather than a full time position because of the economy, but it is an ever growing field and will always expand† (Adamitskaya). Her words had a way of relaxing me almost instantly. Mrs. Lyudmila Adamitskaya was definitely a woman who I would love to go back to for a second, third or even fourth interview with. She was extremely honest, kind and opened up her office doors to me in a very warm and friendly environment. I thanked her for meeting with me, shook her hand again and told her that I would love to meet with her again in the future to talk about dental hygiene and the wonderful world of pediatric dentistry. She laughed at my humor and said to â€Å"stay in school.† I walked back to my car with a newfound confidence in my ability to interview somebody. What I took away from this experience was not only how to interview a person I wanted to know more about, but how to go with the natural flow of conversation to fulfill my own curiosity. I had tons of questions lined up on paper, but I realized when I got back to my car that I hadn’t asked any of the basic questions I had written on the paper. I found that it was much more natural to talk from what I honestly wanted to know than from what I brainstormed in the midst of cramming all of my homework into one night. I learned that interviewing really isn’t as difficult as it had seemed before. It takes determination as well as a sense of confidence and curiosity in the subject to conduct a successful interview. Interviewing, from this experience, showed me that it’s not just about the answers, but how carefully the questions are tailored to how the person responds to a statement that is made. I learned that interviewing is truly an art form in itself. Work Cited Adamitskaya, Lyudmila. Personal Interview. 24 Sept, 2012. Foster, Linda. â€Å"The Art of Interviewing.† 25 Sept, 2012.

Hydropower And Wind Potentials In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay

Hydropower And Wind Potentials In Hong Kong Environmental Sciences Essay For decades mankind are in search for new energy resources to deal with the depleting fossil fuel. A lot of renewable energy and associated technologies were developed to assist current energy use to mitigate the imperative energy crisis. The current issues of climate change and global warming accelerated the needs into researches on renewable technologies even more. Hong Kong is a special city with limited energy resources in a densely populated space. Current energy source in Hong Kong mostly rely on imported fossil fuels. The intention of replacing fossil fuel with other alternatives have become clear in both Government and non- Government Organisations. The Energy Efficiency Office (EEO); Electrical, Mechanical Service Department (EMSD), HKSARG has performed a study on feasibilities of various kinds of renewable energy in Hong Kong in 2001 (EMSD, 2001), the study gave an overview on feasibility of Solar, Wind, Fuel cells, Energy-from-Waste, and some other alternative energy. Every technologies was analysed, giving a conclusion that solar will be the most viable renewable energy source. The study of Tidal, and Hydroelectricity, however, was loosely studied due to the belief that they are relatively new technologies. However, although they are not being researched until very recent years, they have been used by human long beyond history. Mills that uses tidal energy has been found in the 12th century (Wallechinsky), whereas the hydro-energy was used even further back to Ancient Greek and Roman, where they use hydro-power for grinding mills (The U.S. Department of Energy). BagcÄ ± carried out a research in 2008 targeted to study the potential of developing a zero energy region in outer Island. Peng Chau was analyzed with different implementations of renewable energy and it is shown that a combination of solar, wind and hydro energy were a possible solution towards an Island that is independent from fossil fuel energy supply (BagcÄ ±, 2009). Despite the researches above, there is little research on full scale analysis on the feasibility of Hydro and Tidal energy in Hong Kong. Therefore it is of interest to determine whether the advances of technologies have gain points for Tidal and Hydro energy as potential alternative energy sources in Hong Kong. Tidal Energy Figure 1. Operating principle of Tidal Barrages (Palmer, 2008) Tidal Energy is a result from gravitational force between celestial body such as the earth, moon, sun etc., as the moon is the nearest among other celestial body, it is usually considered as the only contributor to the tidal formation. The moon rotates around the earth every 27.3 days and the earth rotates along its axis every 24hr. The net effect is that tidal fluctuation occures twice each 24 hour 50 mins, same as the earth rotation period with respect to the earth-moon system (World Energy Council, 2004). The amplitude from such fluctuation is called the tidal range, and is the energy that can be captured through a turbo-generator in tide barrage to produce electricity (Figure 1). It is suggested that Tidal energy can provides 5 % of the electricity generated worldwide (Palmer, 2008). According to the meteorological data provided by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Hong Kong displays a gradual change in tidal characteristics, both in tidal range and tidal occurance of high and low tides travelling from southeast to the northwest across the territory. Within a tidal cycle, Waglan Island is the first to experience high tide and low tide whereas Tsim Bei Tsui is the last. Tsim Bei Tsui however, possess the largest mean tidal range of 1.4m, where Waglan Island and Victoria Habour generally possess a tidal range within 1m. (CEDD, 2002; HKO, 2009) Hydro energy Hydro energy shares the same energy carrier with Tidal energy, in which energy from water flow is captured with a marine turbine to generate electricity. It can be install anywhere as soon as water flow exists. Scales of Hydropower generator can be as large as constructions of dam to micro scales, usually found in small villages. Large scale generators were not considered to be implemented as no suitable sites were avaliable. In the report by EMSD, Hydro-energy were briefly analysed, and it is shown that potential of hydro-power in Hong Kong is relatively low compared to wind and solar energy (EMSD, 2001). Despite the feasilbility of Hydroelectricity dam in Hong Kong, there is a debate on the emission of greenhouse gas via this technology. A few studies had suggested that hydroelectric dam will generate three times more than fossil fuel plant to generate the same amount of electricity, in which plants died underneath an operating dam possess anaerobic digestion, generating a significant amount of GHG, especially in south America tropical (e.g. Brazil, Argentina) where hydroelectricity dam is the main source of renewable energy supply. Therefore the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cleannessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  of Hydropower is back in a debate (Graham-Rowe, 2005). Wind energy Wind energy is so well known and well developed that it is seen as the major potential renewable energy source that are viable in Hong Kong. Turbine were driven by wind to produce energy, scale of wind turbine are ranging from 198m high turbine generating 6 MW of electricity to some 2kW in micro size wind turbine. EMSD also analysed the potential sites for the installation of wind turbine, which a wind map was introduced for references by the public (Figure 2). Local applications include the famous 800kW wind turbine installed in Lamma Island, as well as the proposed wind farm in South-eastern Waters (EPD, 2006). Project Description This Project was targeted to review and anaylse the potential of Tidal and Hydro energy, and to compare them to the well developed Wind energy in Hong Kong. Since such energy sources are largely depend on meteorology, it is necessary to analyse as well as meteorological condition to determine which energy source are most suitable in Hong Kong. Moreover it is useful to review on current development of mentioned technologies to provide example for the implementation in Hong Kong. Objectives This project aims to: Give an overview of current energy consumption patterns in Hong Kong Provide an update on researches on Tidal, Hydro and Wind energy, these include Technologies involved and their latest development Overseas examples of application Potential strategy of implementation in Hong Kong Compare each of energy source to analyse their potential in Hong Kong, these include Meteorological assessment and potential energy gain Environmental Impact Assessment Cost Effectiveness / Costing Figure 2. Wind Power Density over the Region of Hong Kong (EMSD, 2001) Scope of Work To determine whether the technologies are competent in mitigation energy crisis in Hong Kong, it is always easier to understand how the locals use their energy, as well as the energy consumption in Hong Kong. Therefore it is reasonable to give a brief overview on energy flow pattern in Hong Kong. Energy source distribution, energy usage by different users can be obtained from the EEO, EMSD. Since Wind energy was well researched and there are a lot of applications in Hong Kong, wind energy will be used as a base for comparison with other technologies encountered in this project. Local and overseas examples will be discussed, as it provides a real life example into the application of such technologies. As mentioned before this project requires a significant amount of meteorological data, therefore meteorological observations from the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will be analysed to review the possibilities of implementing tidal, hydro and wind energy. Despite the HKO, observations from the Environmental Central Facilities can also available to the public for detail analysis of wind and tidal observations. (Environmental Central Facility) Lastly, if viable, a cost analysis on some of the technologies can be carry out to demonstrate the economy of such renewable technologies and thus cost effectiveness can be use as an indicator to compare the aforementioned technologies. Time Management This project is mostly a Literature Research Project with some analysis on meteorological observations. Major milestone includes: 31 January, 2010; submission of inception report 30 September, 2010; submission of preliminary findings 21 April, 2011; submission of project title and draft dissertation (tentative), and expression of intention to complete project 30 June, 2011; Oral Presentation (tentative) 8 August, 2011; submission of final dissertation (tentative) Appendix A shows a Gantt chart showing tentative schedule of the project, stating the milestones as well as phases of the project.

William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay -- Shakespeare M

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be considered an archetypal comedy due in large part to the ill-defined characters. Part of what makes this play work so well is that rather than becoming too invested in any one character’s hopes and fears or desires and struggles, the audience is simply rooting for things to work out well in general. If the audience became too attached to any one character, they might lose sight of the bigger picture in their concern over, for example, Demetrius remaining drugged at the end of the play, or the disturbing repercussions of Helena marrying a man who only a few acts earlier she had urged to â€Å"Use me but as your spaniel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2.i.212). The audience is not plagued by these difficulties, however, because the lovers are only one or two shades more real than the characters presented by the Athenian laborers in Pyramus and Thisbe. A couple of the lines uttered in and about the play-within-a-play are very remi niscent of the â€Å"real† lovers whose trials and travails make up the rest of the work. The most appropriate line uttered by the mechanicals is â€Å"My love! Thou art my love, I think.† (5.i.207). This pretty well sums up the situation of the four lovers. Even before any fairy drugs enter the picture, they can’t seem to keep their affections straight. Demetrius, we learn, â€Å"Made love to†¦Helena, and won her soul†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1.i.109-10). This comes out as he is in court with Hermia’s father, appealing to Theseus to force Hermia to marry him. His fickleness is in fact the cause of the entire conflict, since as far as we know the two couples were perfectly happy before his affections were switched. Later in the play, once the two coupl... ...worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.† (5.i.224-6). He refers here to theatre, but his statement can be more broadly applied to the idea of love as seen in this play. All four of the â€Å"real† lovers can be seen as â€Å"shadows† of actual people—they exist to be in love, to be in love with being in love, to talk about being in love, etc. They have no function beyond that and really are not capable of much more. The lovers of the play-within-a-play, without trying too hard, can seem to be remarkably similar to Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena. With just a little bit of imagination, they are in fact â€Å"no worse†. The play in Act 5 serves to reflect back an image of what we have just seen that is only slightly distorted, and it is in the smallness of the distortion that we can really understand how ridiculous the events that have just unfolded really are.

Philip Morris Marketing Analysis :: essays research papers

Philip Morris Marketing Analysis Definition of Industry Market Concept The tobacco industry consists of many competitors trying to satisfy a specific customer need. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard hold almost the entire market share in the tobacco industry. While each company has different advertising and marketing techniques, they all target the same customer group. Tobacco companies try their best to generate interest in their particular brand or brands. Companies market a number of attributes that usually include, but are not limited to: taste, flavor, strength, size and image in order to distinguish themselves from competitors (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). However, all tobacco companies are satisfying the same needs. Many long-time smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. They smoke because the nicotine is needed to help them feel normal (Focus group). Many addicts go through withdraw without nicotine. All tobacco companies have nicotine in their cigarettes, which fulfills the ne ed of long-time smokers. Other smokers depend on cigarettes in social settings. Many smoke to look sophisticated and mature. Tobacco companies make many kinds of cigarettes that target different groups. Social smokers may perceive certain brands as more sophisticated, and therefore they shy away from other lesser-known brands. For example, a person who smoked generic cigarettes at the bar may be perceived as uncultured. On the other hand, the smoker with the Marlboro Lights may be more socially accepted because they have a brand name product (Focus group). Many types of cigarettes cater to the many markets of smokers who want to portray a certain image in social settings. Tobacco companies do not create the need to smoke, but try to generate interest in their particular brand (Hays, New York Times, November 24, 1999). Overall, the tobacco companies satisfy consumer demand for the millions of adult Americans who choose to use tobacco by providing differentiated products to different target markets of smokers. Industry Concept The tobacco industry has developed a rather large array of products. Companies such as Philip Morris, Lorillard, RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson, as well as the other smaller competitors, all provide the same product- cigarettes. The tobacco industry is filled with fierce competitors. But underneath the brand names and images, the product is relatively the same. All tobacco companies produce an inhalant that is made with tobacco, tar, and nicotine. These materials are rolled in a special kind of slow-burning paper for longer smoking time.

Developmental Stages Essay

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development describes the impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. He believed that personality develops in a series of stages. In his theory he explains eight stages through which a healthy developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. According to Erikson (1950), â€Å"Each stage builds on the successful completion of earlier stages. The challenges of stages not successfully completed may be expected to reappear as problems in the future†. In Erikson’s first stage, infancy (birth to 18 months), he centers on the concept of trust vs. mistrust where the infants basic needs are being met. During this stage, the child’s relative understanding of the world and society comes from parents/primary caregiver. Infants are especially dependant for food, sustenance, and comfort. According to Erikson (1950), the major developmental task in infancy is to learn whether or not other people, especially primary caregivers, regularly satisfy basic needs. If caregivers are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant learns to trust that others are trustworthy. If they are neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns mistrust in that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable, and possibly dangerous place. As an infant, I was fortunate to experience the love and nurturing that was needed to gain trust from my caregivers. My mother would rock me to sleep while singing or reading to me. As a result, I developed a passion for music and reading. My parents made me feel like everything was going to be alright. I still believe no matter what happens that eventually everything is going to be alright. In Erikson’s second developmental stage, Early Childhood (18 Months to 3 years), he asserts that a child begins to explore his surroundings after they gain control of eliminative functions and motor abilities (Harder, 2002). A child has the opportunity to build self-esteem and autonomy as he gain more control over our bodies and acquire new skills (learning right from wrong). In this stage the parents or primary caregivers help the child by being patient and encouraging, which fosters autonomy in the child. Parents or caregivers who are highly restrictive are more likely to instill in the child with a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges. My parents allowed me to explore but not to the point where my safety was in jeopardy. They popped my hand if I reached for the socket, floor heater, ashtray, or anything else that was in harm’s way. It was during this stage of my life that I received praise for things that I accomplished; for instance, using the potty and putting my toys away. I learned how to master certain skills for myself. Erikson believes that the third stage, Play Age (3 to 5 years), is essential to a healthy child. It is during this time that children really learn what they live. They want to imitate adults and others around them. This is the stage where most healthy children begin to broaden their skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy. They also learn to cooperate with others and to lead as well as follow. Young children in this category face the challenge of initiative versus guilt. Nevertheless, Erikson (1968) said that at this stage children usually become involved in the classic â€Å"Oedipal struggle† and resolve these struggles through â€Å"social role identification†. As a result, the child can be immobilized by guilt. According to Erikson (1950) the child is fearful, hangs on the fringe of groups, continues to depend unduly on adults, and is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination. As a child, I remember walking in my mother’s shoes when she was not wearing them. We played dress up and pretended we were queens. My basic family was the most significant relationship. In Erik Erikson’s fourth stage, School Age (6 to 12 years), children are capable of creating, learning and accomplishing new task (Harder, 2002). They are becoming more aware of themselves as individuals and, as a result, they become more reasonable to share and cooperate. â€Å"They work hard at being responsible, being good and doing it right† (Allen & Marotz, 2003). Allen & Marotz (2003) also list some perceptual cognitive developmental traits specific for this age group. Children understand the concepts of space and time in more logical, practical ways and begin to gain a better understanding of cause and effect and calendar time. At this stage, children are eager to learn and accomplish more complex skills such as reading, writing, and telling time. They also get to form moral values, recognize cultural and individual differences and are able to manage most of their personal needs and grooming with minimal assistance (Allen & Marotz, 2003). At this stage, children might express their independence by being disobedient, using back talk, and being rebellious. For myself, I became disobedient but it didn’t take much for them to get me back on track. My parents only had to spank me several times in my life and never for the same thing. If children are encouraged to make and do things and are then praised for their accomplishments, they begin to demonstrate industry by being diligent, preserving at tasks until completed and putting work before pleasure. On the other hand, if children are punished or ridiculed for their efforts or if they feel they are not meeting others (teachers/parents) expectations, they develop feelings of inferiority about their capabilities. In Erikson’s fifth stage, Adolescence (12 to 18 years), he believes up to this stage development mostly depends upon what is done to us. From here on out what we do determines our development (Harder, 2002). The concept of identity vs. role confusion is used in that it is where a child is neither a child nor an adult. The adolescent is concerned with how they appear to others. This is when what was learned early on play an important part of how an adolescent see themselves. For example, if a child learned mistrust in infancy, shame in early childhood, guilt at play age, and inferiority at school age, what are the chances of this child having a positive image of themselves as an adolescent? Our task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from family. As they make the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. Initially, they are apt to experience some role confusion- mixed ideas and feelings about the speci fic ways in which they will fit into society- and may experiment with a variety of behaviors and activities. At this stage in my life my Grandma taught me some very valuable things. My grandma farmed a beautiful garden which she kept me involved with. From tiling the land, planting the seeds, and watering the garden I learned a great deal. Not only did I learn about vegetation, I learned about life. My grandma taught me the valuable lesson of reaping what you have sown and how one bad fruit can spoil the whole bunch. I also learned that you have to believe in yourself, as well as believe in a Higher Power. My grandma taught me how to live off the land, but most importantly, she showed me by being a good example for me to follow. Erikson (1968) is credited with coining the term â€Å"identity crisis† because each stage that came before and that follows has its own ‘crisis’, but even more so now, for this marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is necessary for this passage to take place because throughout infancy and childhood a person forms much identificati on. As a marked turning point in human development, it seems to be the reconciliation between the person one has come to be and the person society expects him to become. An emerging sense of self will be established by forging past experiences with anticipations of the future. In relation to the eight life stages as a whole, the fifth stage corresponds to the crossroads, a time of great change of the body as well as the mind. Youth is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. Currently, I find myself in Erik Erikson’s sixth stage of development, Young Adulthood (18 to 35 years). Erikson (1950) expressed that young adults are in a stage of intimacy versus isolation. The Intimacy vs. Isolation conflict is emphasized around the ages of 20 to 34. At the start of this stage, identity vs. role confusion is coming to an end, and it still lingers at the foundation of the next stage (Erikson, 1950). In this stage individuals develop intimate and close relationships with others (Crandell, C randell, & Vander Zanden, 2009). I find myself struggling with this particular concept extensively. With the type of personality that I have, I constantly look for everyone to â€Å"like† me; therefore I never really established a close and intimate relationship with a significant person that means anything. Zucker, Ostrove, & Stewart, (2002) reported that identity certainty may continue to increase over the course of adulthood. I am finding that having tried to make people â€Å"like† me that I lost a part of myself. I lost who I was. In finally having the chance to really experience life with someone who loves me for me, I can focus on doing things for myself as well as doing things for my significant other as well, thus making us both happy in our relationship. Erikson (1950) also argues that â€Å"Intimacy has a counterpart he calls distantiation which is the readiness to isolate and, if necessary, to destroy those forces and people whose essence seems dangerous to our own, and whose territory seems to encroach on the extent of one’s intimate relationsâ₠¬ . Once people have established their identities, they are ready to make long-term commitments to others. If people cannot form these intimate relationships (perhaps because of their own needs) a sense of isolation may result. In comparing Kohlberg’s and Erikson’s developmental theories, I discovered that I can relate my life to both theories. There have been both internal (Erikson) and external (Kohlberg) forces that have affected my life. Internally, it was the nurturing and love I received from my Grandmother as a child. She also taught me life lessons. Externally, I watched my grandmother care for her grandmother. It gave me a love and passion for caring for the elderly, not realizing that it was also teaching me how to care for her when she could no longer care for herself. In the mention of Erikson’s â€Å"identity crisis†, I realize that most of my life stages were identified by such crises. At the age of 5, I experienced abandonment and rejection from my father. This shaped my childhood and adolescent years around seeking to hurt before being hurt and also looking for love and attention in others. I learned that a child who grows up not receiving a lot of love and affection may later in life look for love in all the wrong places, thus leading to promiscuous behavior, gang involvement, and /or drug use to fill the void. Subsequently, as an adult I found it hard to acquire and maintain intimate relationships. Kohlberg’s moral development theory focuses more on reasoning. Though growing up I never tried to figure out why I was the way I was or why I did the things I did for attention or to get my way, I have begun to look at the reasons behind those actions and have started to correct the negative characteristics of my being. Other factors come into play when speaking of the developmental stages of one’s life. These factors include gender differences, environmental, cultural, and ethnical influences. My father, not having nurturing abilities, failed to realize or comprehend the devastation and effects of his leaving the home had on me. Environmentally, most of us lived off of the land and were friendly to each other. However, most of the environment was that of country living and also racial separation. Culturally, our elderly were not placed in nursing homes but remained in the home to be cared for by family. My grandmother cared for her grandmother who cared for her daughter, one not absent from the other. My grandma instilled in me many morals and values that influenced my behavior today. In conclusion, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development theorize that there are certain accomplishments that one must encounter to successfully move to the next stage in life. His findings have shown that, in life, sometimes it requires an â€Å"identity crisis† to force an individual into another stage so that person may keep moving forward. There are many different aspects of his psychosocial stages that can shape a person into a healthy human being. Personally, I feel that as growing through each stage of my life according to Erikson, I am on my way to being the perfect role model for his theory. References Allen, K. E., & Marotz, L. R. (2003). Developmental profiles (4th ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Crain, W. C. (1985). Theories of development. New Jersey:Prentice Hall. pp.118-136 Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., & Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.).Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton; Triad/Paladin (1977), p. 242. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, p. 54 Harder, A. F. (2002). The developmental stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.html Stevens, R. (1983). Erik Erikson, an introduction. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from http://openlibrary.org/books/OL3161476M/Erik_Erikson_an_introduction Zucker, A. N., Ostrove, J. M., & Stewart, A. J. (2002) College-educated women’s personality development in adulthood: Perceptions and age difference. Psychology and Aging. 17(2), 236-244.