Last Sacrifice Chapter Twelve

DIMITRI AND I BOTH FROZE as the shock of that name hit us. Sydney, glancing between our faces, gave us a dry smile. â€Å"I take it you know who that is?' â€Å"Of course,' I exclaimed. â€Å"She was my teacher. She went crazy and turned Strigoi.' Sydney nodded. â€Å"I know.' My eyes widened further. â€Å"Shes not †¦ she's not the one who had an affair with Lissa's dad, is she?' Oh dear God. That would be one of the most unexpected developments in the rollercoaster that was my life. I couldn't even begin to process the effects of that. â€Å"Not likely,' she said. â€Å"The account was opened several years before she was added as the beneficiary–which was right when she turned eighteen. So, if we're assuming the account was created around the time the baby was born, then she would have been way too young. Sonya's probably a relative.' My earlier astonishment was giving way to excitement, and I could see the same thing happening to Dimitri. â€Å"You must have records about her family,' he said. â€Å"Or if not, some Moroi probably does. Who's close to Sonya? Does she have a sister?' Sydney shook her head. â€Å"No. That'd be an obvious choice, though. Unfortunately, she has other family–tons of it. Her parents both came from giant families, so she has lots of cousins. Even some of her aunts are the right age.' â€Å"We can look them up, right?' I asked. A thrill of anticipation was running through me. I honestly hadn't expected this much information. True, it was small, but it was something. If Sonya Karp was related to Eric's mistress, that had to be something we could track. â€Å"There's a lot of them.' Sydney shrugged. â€Å"I mean, yeah, we could. It'd take a long time to find everyone's life history, and even then–especially if this was covered up enough–we'd have a hard time finding out if any of them is the woman we're looking for. Or even if any of them know who she is.' Dimitri's voice was low and thoughtful when he spoke. â€Å"One person knows who Jane Doe is.' Sydney and I both looked at him expectantly. â€Å"Sonya Karp,' he replied. I threw up my hands. â€Å"Yeah, but we can't talk to her. She's a lost cause. Mikhail Tanner spent over a year hunting her and couldn't find her. If he can't, then we're not going to be able to.' Dimitri turned away from me and stared out the window. His brown eyes filled with sorrow, his thoughts momentarily far away from us. I didn't entirely understand what was happening, but that peaceful moment in the library–where Dimitri had smiled and shared in the daydream of an ordinary life–had vanished. And not just the moment. That Dimitri had vanished. He was back in his fierce mode, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders again. At last, he sighed and looked back at me. â€Å"That's because Mikhail didn't have the right connections.' â€Å"Mikhail was her boyfriend,' I pointed out. â€Å"He had more connections than anyone else.' Dimitri didn't acknowledge my comment. Instead, he grew pensive again. I could see turmoil behind his eyes, some inner war. At last, it must have been decided. â€Å"Does your phone have reception out here?' he asked her. She nodded, reaching into her purse and handing him her phone. He held it a moment, looking like it caused him total agony to touch it. At last, with another sigh, he stood up and headed for the door. Sydney and I exchanged questioning looks and then both followed him. She lagged behind me, having to toss cash on the table and grab her laptop. I emerged outside just as Dimitri finished dialing a number and put the phone to his ear. Sydney joined us, and a moment later, the person on the other end of the line must have answered. â€Å"Boris?' asked Dimitri. That was all I understood because the rest was a string of rapid Russian. A strange sensation spread over me as he spoke. I was confused, lost because of the language †¦ but there was more than that. I felt chilled. My pulse raced with fear. That voice †¦ I knew that voice. It was his voice and yet not his voice. It was the voice of my nightmares, a voice of coldness and cruelty. Dimitri was playing Strigoi. Well, â€Å"playing' was really too gentle of a word. Pretending was a better way to describe it. Whatever it was, it was pretty damned convincing. Beside me, Sydney frowned, but I didn't think she was experiencing what I was. She had never known him as Strigoi. She didn't have those horrible memories. His change in demeanor had to be obvious, but as I glanced at her face, I realized she was focused on following the conversation. I'd forgotten she knew Russian. â€Å"What's he saying?' I whispered. Her frowned deepened, either from the conversation or me distracting her. â€Å"He †¦ he sounds like he's talking to someone he hasn't spoken to in a while. Dimitri's accusing this person of slacking off while he's been away.' She fell silent, continuing her own mental translation. At one point, Dimitri's voice rose in anger, and both Sydney and I flinched. I turned to her questioningly. â€Å"He's mad about having his authority questioned. I can't tell, but now †¦ it sounds like the other person's groveling.' I wanted to know every word, but it had to be hard for her to translate to me and listen at the same time. Dimitri's voice returned to normal levels–though still filled with that terrible menace–and among the flurry of words, I heard â€Å"Sonya Karp' and â€Å"Montana.' â€Å"He's asking about Ms. Kar–Sonya?' I murmured. She hadn't been my teacher for a long time. I might as well call her Sonya now. â€Å"Yeah,' said Sydney, eyes still on Dimitri. â€Å"He's asking–er, telling–this person to locate someone else and see if he can find Sonya. This person †¦' She paused to listen again. â€Å"This person he's asking about sounds like he knows a lot of people in the area she was last seen in.' I knew â€Å"people' in this context meant â€Å"Strigoi.' Dimitri had risen quickly in their ranks, asserting his will and power over others. Most Strigoi operated solo, rarely working in groups, but even the lone ones recognized threats and more dominant Strigoi. Dimitri was working his contacts, just as he'd said earlier. If any Strigoi had heard about his transformation–and believed it–they wouldn't have been able to pass the news quickly, not with their disorganization. As it was, Dimitri was already having to play leapfrog to find sources who knew other sources who might know Sonya's location. Dimitri grew loud and angry again, his voice becoming–if possible–more sinister. I suddenly felt trapped, and even Sydney looked scared now. She swallowed. â€Å"He's telling this guy that if he doesn't get answers by tomorrow night, Dimitri's going to find him and rip him apart and †¦' Sydney didn't bother finishing. Her eyes were wide. â€Å"Use your imagination. It's pretty terrible.' I decided then that I was kind of glad I hadn't heard all of the conversation in English. When Dimitri finished the call and returned Sydney's phone, that mask of malice melted from his face. Once again, he was my Dimitri, Dimitri the dhampir. Dejection and despair radiated off him, and he slumped against the cafe's wall, staring upward into the sky. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to calm himself, seize control of the emotions that had to be warring within him. He'd just done something that might give us clues we needed †¦ but it had been at a terrible cost to himself. My fingers twitched. I wanted to put a comforting arm around him or at least pat his shoulder so he'd know he wasn't alone. But, I held back, suspecting he wouldn't like it. At last, he turned his gaze back to us. He'd regained his control–at least on the outside. â€Å"I've sent someone to ask about her,' he said wearily. â€Å"It might not work out. Strigoi are hardly the type to keep a database. But they do occasionally keep an eye on one another, if only for their own self-preservation. We'll find out soon if there are any hits.' â€Å"I †¦ wow. Thank you,'I said, fumbling at the words. I knew he needed no thanks, but it felt necessary to me. He nodded. â€Å"We should get back to the Keepers †¦ unless you think this is a safe place to stay?' â€Å"I'd rather stay off civilized radar,' said Sydney, moving toward the truck. â€Å"Besides, I want my car keys back.' The ride back felt ten times longer. Dimitri's mood filled up the whole cabin, almost suffocating us with its despair. Even Sydney could feel it. She'd let him drive again, and I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. Would the road distract him from his Strigoi torment? Or would his agony distract him from the road and put us off in a ditch? Fortunately, we made it back safe and sound and found two of the Keepers waiting for us in the lot, a Moroi woman and a human guy who both looked fierce. I still couldn't shake the strangeness of both races being battle-ready. I wondered if these two were a couple. Back in the camp, we found the communal bonfire ablaze and people sitting out around it, some eating and some just socializing. I'd learned at breakfast that the fire was always there for those who wanted to bond but that plenty of families kept to their own households as well. We went back to Raymond's house, but only Sarah and Joshua were there. She was cleaning up dishes, and he sat restlessly in a chair. As soon as he caught sight of me at the door, he sprang up, radiant smile on high-beam again. â€Å"Rose! You're back. We were starting to worry †¦ I mean, not that anything had happened to you–not with your skills–but that maybe you'd just left us.' â€Å"Not without our car,' said Sydney, placing the truck keys on the table. The CR-Vs were sitting there already, and relief flooded her face as she snatched them up. Sarah offered us leftovers, which we declined, having stocked up on snack food at Rubysville's gas station. â€Å"Well,' she said, â€Å"if you're not going to eat, you might as well join the others out at the fire. Jess McHale might sing tonight if they can get her to drink enough, and drunk or sober, that woman has the finest voice I've ever heard.' I briefly met Dimitri and Sydney's eyes. I admit, I was a little curious to see how this wilderness group partied it up, even though moonshine and folk songs weren't really my first choice of entertainment. Dimitri still wore that haunted look from the phone call. I had a suspicion he would have been content to isolate himself in our room, but when Sydney said she'd go to the fire, his response came automatically: â€Å"I'll go too.' I knew instantly what he was doing. His Strigoi days tormented him. Talking to Strigoi tormented him. And maybe–no, certainly–he wanted to hide away and try to block it all out, but he was Dimitri. Dimitri protected those who needed it, and even if listening to fireside songs wasn't exactly life-threatening, it was still a semi-dangerous situation for a civilian like Sydney. He couldn't allow that. Plus, he knew Sydney would feel safer with both of us nearby. I started to say I'd join them, but Joshua spoke before I could. â€Å"Do you still want to see my cave? There's a little light left outside. You'll get a better view that way than if we have to use a torch.' I'd forgotten about my last conversation with Joshua and started to decline his offer. But then, something flashed in Dimitri's eyes, something disapproving. So. He didn't want me going off with some young, good-looking guy. Was it legitimate concern about the Keepers? Was it jealousy? No, surely not the latter. We'd established–many, many times–that Dimitri wanted no romantic connection with me. He'd even stood up for Adrian earlier. Was this some kind of ex-boyfriend thing? Back in Rubysville, I'd believed Dimitri and I could be friends, but that wouldn't happen if he thought he could control me and my love life. I'd known girls with exes like that. I wouldn't be one. I could hang out with whomever I wanted. â€Å"Sure,' I said. Dimitri's expression darkened. â€Å"I'd love to.' Joshua and I headed off, leaving the others behind. I knew part of my decision was to prove my independence. Dimitri had said we were equals, yet he'd made an awful lot of decisions in this escape plan without me. It was nice to feel like I had the upper hand for a change, and besides, I liked Joshua and was kind of curious to learn more about how his people lived. I don't think Sydney wanted me to leave, but Dimitri would look after her. As Joshua and I walked, we passed plenty of Keepers out and about. Just like earlier, I received a fair amount of stares. Rather than lead us down the road to where his father lived, Joshua took me around the small mountain. It was still good-sized, but after living near the Rockies, everything in the Appalachians seemed â€Å"small' to me. I guess I was a mountain snob. Still, the mountain extended quite a ways, and we moved farther and farther from the Keepers' main settlement. The forest grew thicker, the light growing scarce as the sun finally began sinking into the horizon. â€Å"I'm kind of on the outskirts,' Joshua said apologetically. â€Å"We keep growing and growing, and there's not much room in the town's center.' I thought â€Å"town' was an optimistic term but didn't say so. Yeah. I was definitely a snob. â€Å"But the caves keep going, so there's still space.' â€Å"Are they natural?' I asked. â€Å"Some are. Some are abandoned mining caves.' â€Å"It's pretty out here,' I said. I liked all the deciduous trees. I might be homesick for Montana, but the wide leaves here were a neat contrast to pine needles. â€Å"And hey, at least you get lots of privacy, right?' â€Å"True.' He smiled. â€Å"I figured you'd think it was †¦ I don't know. Too rustic. Or savage. You probably think we all are.' His observation startled me. Most of the Keepers had been so fiercely defensive of their way of life that I hadn't thought anyone would even think an outsider would question it–or that any Keeper would care if we did. â€Å"It's just different,' I said diplomatically. â€Å"A lot different from what I'm used to.' I felt a flash of homesickness for all the people and places I was now cut off from. Lissa. Adrian. Our other friends. Court. St. Vladimir's. I shook the feeling off quickly. I had no time to mope and could at least check on Lissa later. â€Å"I've been to human towns,' continued Joshua. â€Å"And other places the Tainted live. I can see why you'd like them.' He turned a bit sheepish. â€Å"I wouldn't mind electricity.' â€Å"Why don't you guys use it?' â€Å"We would if we could. We're just too far out, and no one really knows we're here anyway. The lily-people say it's better for hiding us.' It hadn't occurred to me that they simply endured these conditions because they were forced to in order to conceal themselves. I wondered how many of their choices came from clinging to the so-called old ways †¦ and how much was influenced by the Alchemists. â€Å"Here we are,' said Joshua, pulling me from my musings. He gestured to a dark hole at ground level. The opening was big enough for an adult to enter. â€Å"Nice,' I said. I'd noticed earlier that some of the caves were set higher into the mountains and had watched their residents either climb the rock bare-handed or use homemade ladders. An easy-access doorway seemed luxurious. Joshua looked surprised at my praise. â€Å"Really?' â€Å"Really.' We'd ended up losing too much daylight. He paused to light a torch, and then I followed him inside. We had to duck a little at first, but as we went deeper into the cave, the ceiling slowly expanded and opened up into a wide, rounded space. The floor was hard-packed dirt, the stone walls rough and jagged. This was a natural cave, but I could pick out the efforts made to civilize it. The floor had been cleaned and leveled, and I saw some stones and rocks in a corner that looked like they'd been gathered up to clear space. A couple pieces of furniture had already been moved in: a narrow wooden chair and a mattress that looked like it could barely hold one person. â€Å"You probably think it's small,' said Joshua. It was true, but it was actually bigger than my dorm room at St. Vladimir's. â€Å"Well †¦ yeah, but I mean, how old are you?' â€Å"Eighteen.' â€Å"Same as me,' I said. This seemed to make him pretty happy. â€Å"Having your own, um, cave at eighteen is pretty cool.' It would have been cooler still with electricity, Internet, and plumbing, but there was no need to bring that up. His blue eyes practically shone. I couldn't help but notice what a pretty contrast they made against his tanned skin. I dismissed the thought immediately. I wasn't here for a boyfriend. But apparently, I was the only one who believed that. Joshua suddenly took a step forward. â€Å"You can stay if you want,' he said. â€Å"The other Tainted would never find you here. We could get married, and then when we had kids, we could build a loft like my parents' and–‘ The word married had me moving toward the entrance as shocked and panicked as I would be by a Strigoi attack. Except, I usually had fair warning before those. â€Å"Whoa, whoa, slow down.' No. I hadn't seen a proposal coming. â€Å"We just met!' Thankfully, he didn't come closer. â€Å"I know, but sometimes that's how it is.' â€Å"What, marriages between people who hardly know each other?' I asked incredulously. â€Å"Sure. Happens all the time. And seriously, just in this short of time, I already know I like you. You're amazing. You're beautiful and obviously a good fighter. And the way you carry yourself †¦' He shook his head, awe on his face. â€Å"I've never seen anything like it.' I wished he wasn't so cute and nice. Having creepy guys profess their adoration was a lot easier to deal with than one you liked. I remembered Sydney saying I was a hot commodity here. Scorching was more like it, apparently. â€Å"Joshua, I really like you, but,' I added hastily, seeing hope fill his features, â€Å"I'm too young to get married.' He frowned. â€Å"Didn't you say you were eighteen?' Okay. Age was probably not a good argument around here. I'd seen how young people had kids back in Dimitri's home-town. In a place like this, they probably had child marriages. I tried another angle. â€Å"I don't even know if I want to get married.' This didn't faze him. He nodded in understanding. â€Å"That's smart. We could live together first, see how we get along.' His serious expression turned back into a smile. â€Å"But I'm pretty easygoing. I'd let you win every argument.' I couldn't help it. I laughed. â€Å"Well, then, I'm going to have to win this one and tell you I'm just not ready for †¦ any of it. Besides, I'm already involved with someone.' â€Å"Dimitri?' â€Å"No. Another guy. He's back at the Tainted Court.' I couldn't even believe I was saying that. Joshua frowned. â€Å"Why isn't he here protecting you then?' â€Å"Because †¦ that's not how he is. And I can take care of myself.' I'd never liked the assumption that I needed rescuing. â€Å"And look, even if he wasn't in the picture, I'm leaving soon anyway. It would never work out between you and me.' â€Å"I understand.' Joshua looked disappointed but seemed to be taking the rejection okay. â€Å"Maybe when you've got everything sorted out, you'll come back.' I started to tell him not to wait for me and that he should just marry someone else (despite how ridiculous it was at his age), but then I realized that was a pointless comment. In Joshua's fantasies, he could probably marry someone else now and then add me on to his harem later, like Sarah and Paulette. So, I just simply said, â€Å"Maybe.' Groping for a change in subject, I searched for anything to distract us. My eyes fell on the chair and a leafy pattern carved into it. â€Å"That's really neat.' â€Å"Thanks,' he said, walking over. To my relief, he didn't pursue the earlier topic. He ran his hand lovingly over the ornately carved wood. The design looked like braided leaves. â€Å"I did it myself.' â€Å"Really?' I asked in true surprise. â€Å"That †¦ that's amazing.' â€Å"If you like it †¦' His hand moved, and I feared there was a kiss or embrace coming. Instead, he reached into his shirt pocket and produced a finely carved wooden bracelet. It was a simple, sinuous design, the true marvel being how narrow and delicate it was to all be one piece. The wood had been polished to brilliance. â€Å"Here.' He handed me the bracelet. â€Å"This is for me?' I ran my finger along the smooth edge. â€Å"If you want it. I made it while you were out today. So you'll remember me after you leave.' I hesitated, wondering if accepting this would be encouraging him. No, I decided. I'd made my views on teenage marriage clear, and anyway, he looked so nervous, I couldn't stand the thought of hurting his feelings. I slipped it onto my wrist. â€Å"Of course I'll remember. Thank you.' From the happy look on his face, taking the bracelet made up for my earlier refusal. He showed me a few more details around the cave and then followed my suggestion to join the others at the fire. We could hear the music echoing through the trees long before we made it back, and while it was hardly my style, there was something warm and friendly about this community's way of life. I'd never been to summer camp, but I imagined this was what it'd be like. Sydney and Dimitri sat near the group's edge. They were quiet and watchful, but everyone else sang, clapped, and talked. Again, I was stunned at how easily dhampirs, humans, and Moroi could all be involved with one another. Mixed couples were everywhere, and one–a human and Moroi–were openly making out. Every so often, when he kissed her neck, he'd also bite and take some blood. I had to glance away. I turned back toward my friends. Sydney noticed me and looked relieved. Dimitri's expression was unreadable. Like always, the others' eyes followed my movement, and to my surprise, I saw open jealousy on some of the guys' faces. I hoped they didn't think Joshua and I had been off getting naked in the cave. That was hardly the reputation I wanted to leave behind. â€Å"I have to talk to Sydney,' I told him over the noise. I decided it'd be best to keep my distance before any rumors started, and truthfully, Sydney looked like she wanted me by her side. Joshua nodded, and I turned away. I'd taken two steps when a fist suddenly came right toward my face. I'd had no defenses up and just barely had the presence of mind to turn my head and catch the blow on my cheek, rather than end up with a broken nose. After the initial surprise, all my training kicked in. I quickly sidestepped out of the line of attack and put my body into a fighter's stance. The music and singing stopped, and I turned to face my attacker. Angeline. She stood in a way similar to my own, fists clenched and eyes completely honed in on me. â€Å"Okay,' she said. â€Å"It's time to find out how tough you really are.' What it was time for was someone–say, like, a parent–to come and drag her off and punish her for punching guests. Amazingly, no one moved or tried to stop her. No–that wasn't quite true. One person stood up. Dimitri had sprung to action the instant he saw me in danger. I expected him to come pull Angeline away, but a group of Keepers hastily moved to his side, saying something to him that I couldn't hear. They didn't try to physically restrain him, but whatever they said, it kept him where he stood. I would have demanded to know what they'd told him, but Angeline was coming at me again. It looked like I was on my own. Angeline was short, even for a dhampir, but her whole body was packed with strength. She was pretty fast too, though not fast enough to get that second hit in on me. I neatly dodged it and kept my distance, not wanting to go on the offensive with this girl. She could probably do a fair amount of damage in a fight, but there was a sloppy– no, more like rough–edge to it. She was a scrapper, someone who'd done a lot of brawling but without any formal training. â€Å"Are you insane?' I exclaimed, moving out of the way of another assault. â€Å"Stop this. I don't want to hurt you.' â€Å"Sure,' she said. â€Å"That's what you want everyone to think, right? If you don't actually have to fight, then they'll all go on believing those marks are real.' â€Å"They are real!' The insinuation that I'd faked my tattoos sparked my temper, but I refused to get drawn into this ridiculous scuffle. â€Å"Prove it,' she said, coming at me again. â€Å"Prove you're who you say you are.' It was like a dance, keeping away from her. I could have done it all night, and a few dismayed cries from the crowd demanded we â€Å"get on with it.' â€Å"I don't have to prove anything,' I told her. â€Å"It's a lie then.' Her breathing was heavy now. She was working a lot harder than me. â€Å"Everything you Tainted do is a lie.' â€Å"Not true,' I said. Why was Dimitri letting this go on? Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of him, and so help me, he was smiling. Meanwhile, Angeline was still continuing her tirade as she tried to hit me. â€Å"You all lie. You're all weak. Especially your â€Å"royals.' They're the worst of all.' â€Å"You don't know them at all. You don't know anything about them.' She might be able to carry on a conversation, but I could see her growing increasingly frustrated. If not for the fact I was pretty sure she'd hit me in the back, I would have taken the noble approach and simply walked away. â€Å"I know enough,' she said. â€Å"I know they're selfish and spoiled and don't do anything for themselves. They don't care about anyone else. They're all the same.' I actually agreed with Angeline about some royals but didn't like the generalization. â€Å"Don't talk about things you don't understand,' I snapped. â€Å"They're not all like that.' â€Å"They are,' she said, pleased to see me angry. â€Å"I wish they were all dead.' It was hardly enough to push me into offense mode, but the comment did cloud my thoughts enough that I let her get through my guard, just a little. I never would have let that happen with a Strigoi, but I'd underestimated this wild girl. Her leg snaked out just enough to hit my knee, and it was like tossing a spark into gasoline. Everything exploded. With that hit, I stumbled slightly, and she pushed her advantage. My battle instincts took over, and I had no choice but to strike back before she could hit me. People began cheering now that the fight was â€Å"really going.' I was on offense, trying to subdue her, meaning the physical contact had jumped up exponentially. I was still better than her, no doubt, but in trying to get to her, I put myself in her range. She landed a few blows on me, nothing serious, before I was able to tackle her to the ground. I expected that to be the end, but she pushed back against me before I could fully restrain her. We rolled over, and she tried to take the dominant position. I couldn't allow that and managed a punch on the side of her face that was a lot harder than the earlier one. I thought that would be the end of the fight. My hit had knocked her off me, and I started to stand, but then that little bitch grabbed my hair and jerked me back down. I twisted out of her hold–though I'm pretty sure she took some hair away with her–and this time managed to fully pin her, throwing all my weight and strength into it as I pressed down. I knew it had to be painful but didn't really care. She'd started it. Besides, this skirmish had gone beyond defense. Pulling someone's hair was just playing dirty. Angeline made a few more attempts to break away, but when it became clear she couldn't, those around us began whistling and cheering. A few moments later, that dark and furious look vanished from Angeline's face, replaced by resignation. I eyed her warily, not about to let down my guard. â€Å"Fine,' she said. â€Å"I guess it's okay. Go ahead.' â€Å"Huh? What's okay?' I demanded. â€Å"It's okay if you marry my brother.'

Effects of Globalization Towards Our Culture Essay

This article focuses on the globalization of culture and the role of media in the ensuing identity crisis (both individual and social) resulting from this process. The article tries to display the basic concept of the process of globalization with all of its effects, threats, challengesï ¼Å'and opportunities and will illustrate its interaction with the media in developing countries. The essay will show that the main components of power structure in today’s world can be linked to these two complimentary processes –globalization and the information era. The interaction between these two phenomena has changed the quality of communications which, in turn, is creating new personal and social identities (personification and personifying). According to survey results, it is clear that in societies which are not efficient in reinforcing and strengthening their communication infrastructures and which are unable to compete with the new methods of communication and information exchange, identity formation gains political, economic and culturally adverse and asserts an unrepairable damage. In conclusion, the article tries to present some proposals for developing countries’ media –as the active player of this era – and offers ways to deal with the unavoidable process of globalization and identity crisis. Globalization, the New Phenomenon Globalization, which also has been called global construction, global orientation and global expansion by various schools of thought, is the latest phase process in an old process rooted in the expansion of modern capitalism and encompassing the political, economic and cultural realms worldwide. Modern capitalism that first emerged in the sixteenth century is a far more complex phenomenon embracing a broader economic spectrum and a more detailed definition than the concept of common market. Thus, some experts view it as â€Å"contraction and condensation at the global scale coupled with ever-increasing expansion of awareness† (Robertson, 1992, p. 8). Many have expressed different and even contradictory definitions of globalization in their discussions over the past few years. According to British sociologist Anthony Giddens, some social sectors are utterly pessimistic about globalization and reject it in its entirety. On the other hand, there are those who perceive globalization as an undeniable reality with profound and inevitable consequences. Yet there are others, who are generally referred to as Global Expansionists. They view globalization as an inescapable development developing ever-increasing momentum due to the intensification of global interactions and the waning importance of national boundaries. They believe that national economies, cultures and policies will integrate into a global network and that local and national authority and hence dominance will diminish in favor of a homogenous global economy and culture (Held, 2000). On the other side of the spectrum, there are opposing arguments against the virtues of globalization. Giddens (1999b) refers to them as the pessimists, and they include a gamut of those from the traditionalists to those challenging the dominance of capitalism. They perceive globalization as synonymous to westernization and Americanization. They even include the environmentalists. This school of thought argues that globalization will create a world of winners and losers along with the global conquest and economic domination of specific political groups, especially in the wealthy nations like the U.S. These groups are strong enough to resist any pressures to alter the new world-order and could impose their desires and goals as global agendas and work plans. The promoters of this school of thought point out to the waning of national sovereignty and local identity and the eventual prevalence of inequality and injustice in the world (Rupert, 2000). Meanwhile, some dispute the idea of the â€Å"global village† introduced by Marshall McLuhan and envision more of a â€Å"global pillaging† for the underdeveloped countries (Held, 2000, p. 25). There are other theoreticians who dispute this widely held view. For example, Giddens challenges this prospect and believes that the wealthy should not be blamed for all the negative aspects of this phenomenon, which actually is to some extent very similar to the westernization process. However, globalization is becoming ever-increasingly decentralized and thus it is not dominated by a certain group of countries or multinational companies. Even the western countries are being affected by this new trend. There is increasing evidence of Inverted Colonialism. Inverted Colonialism could be defined as the impact of non-western countries on the development of western culture and economy (Giddens, 1999a). According to Giddens not only is globalization a novel experience, it is a revolut ionary phenomenon. In addition to its economic consequences, its political, technological and cultural impact can not be underestimated. More than anything, globalization is influenced by the advancement of communication systems. In the middle of these two extreme positions, there is a third opinion, which is called â€Å"transformationalism.† This perspective gives limited importance to globalization and emphasizes the significance of national and local institutions (Mirabedini, 2001, p. 147). This third view does not condemn the whole of globalization and praises its positive aspects. These scholars note that although globalization imposes a great deal of pressure on local economies and cultures, it is possible to transform this threat into an opportunity, thereby resisting being conquered by it. Based on this viewpoint, the leaders of the world would support the notion of democratization of global institutions; and nations could play a decisive role in the policymaking process under the framework of the new world order and solidify their territorial rights and legitimacy (Held, 2000). The acceptance of this notion is reflected in the response of former French Premier Leonel Jospin on the issue of France’s national identity in the globalization process. He said, â€Å"We will do our best to make globalization an internal and endemic process in compliance and harmony with our way of life.† He argued that â€Å"The course this globalization process takes will depend on the action we take in relation to it, because although globalization is a fact, it is not an end in itself. We must bring it under control if we are to enjoy its benefits and prevent its negative aspects† (Jospin, 2001). It can thus be concluded that the present range of opinions on globalization, differs from the definition of capital expansion of the 16th century. In this sense it is a new concept based on the ever-increasing time-space compression and the enhancement of public knowledge and awareness due to the profound alteration in communication systems and its immense impact on economic, political and cultural trends. It can be stated fairly that â€Å"Globalization is a complex phenomenon, marked by two opposing forces. On the one hand, it is characterized by massive economic expansion and technological innovation. On the other hand, there is increased inequality, cultural and social tumult, and individual alienation† (Mowlana, 1998, p. 22). Globalization of Culture and Identity in the Information Era On the subject of globalization, the most controversial debate is raised on the issue of cultural globalization and its main topic, the â€Å"identity crisis† and the role of mass media as a facilitating tool for its expansion or limitation. The notion of cultural globalization has prompted various reactions, reflecting contradictory implications. Some perceive this phenomenon as an instrument for establishment of universal unity and democracy based on a global culture signified as the â€Å"global village.† According to the principles of McLuhan (1968, 1964), this is due to the expansion of new communication systems. However, others disagree and contend that globalization has not resulted in a unified political and economic identity (Rajaei, 2001). In contrast, cultural globalization has destroyed national identities. Fukuyama challenges the idea of cultural globalization. He argues that despite external economic pressures, societies tend to preserve their individual identities and cultural values eventually determine the economic direction of the countries. This doesn’t mean that societies will not be impacted by the globalization trend. However, there are more profound elements in national cultures, whic h resist the uniformity derived from economic and political ideologies. Critics argue that cultural globalization will result in cultural dominance and supremacy. The deterioration of endemic cultures will be replaced with a universal culture promoting excessive consumption and dominance of the economic and information technology powers of the world. These scholars believe that the western world is unfit to provide a suitable response to cultural globalization. This is because it is being challenged by numerous social and cultural predicaments, itself. Tomlinson, one of the world-class theorists says: â€Å"The cultural globalization that we are witnessing today is not the net result of human endeavors and experiences and even it has not equitably benefited from cultural diversities. Rather it is the manifestation of dominance of a certain overpowering culture† (Skelton & Allen, 1999, p. 23). These researchers emphasize that the efforts made to conform to the aggressive culture or interpret western culture in various parts of the world have had disastrous results and have revealed insurmountable cultural gaps. Thus, it is impossible to create a global culture with this procedure, and it only widens the existing gap between cultures. Doubtless, globalization has affected certain values rooted in major religions and cultures of the world. Concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, individualism and pluralism, individual interaction with the society and the very meaning of life are all warped and corrupted by global capitalism, international markets, mass media and the promotion of excessive consumption. Even some local languages and valuable traditions are on the verge of disappearance as the result of globalization. Global consumerism is now forming a homogeneous global culture where indigenous cultures of the South are being replaced by Western cultures (Muzaffar, 2002).

Psychoanalysis of Iago Essay

In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the character Iago lacks a superego which allowed his id to run free and this caused him to lack any form of sympathy and to become a sociopath. This led to him hurting everyone he could and to his eventual downfall. He also tried to justify his actions throughout the play to reinforce his righteous ego. First to understand Iago and his actions we must look at what the id, ego, and superego actually are. According to Freud these are different divisions that make up your mind. The id is the primitive side of your mind. Its only purpose is to seek out and obtain pleasure. The id will do anything it has to obtain it goals no matter how amoral or dangerous its actions may seem. Freud states that the superego is the complete opposite of the id. The superego’s goal is to apply moral values to obtain one’s wishes. The superego imposes guilt, shame, self-doubt, and anxiety to control one’s actions. The ego is the section of your mind you are most aware of. The ego’s goal is to compromise between the two other sections by using logic. It tries to satisfy both the id and the superego. Sometimes the ego becomes overwhelmed and to protect itself it must deploys defense mechanisms. This relates to Iago because he lacks a superego which tells him right from wrong. Since his superego is no longer functioning the ego does not have to compromise between the two sides. However his ego is not useless it still has a purpose. It uses logic to get what his id wants that’s why Iago always has a plan to obtain what he desires and it also justifies his actions. His ego also justifies his actions so he can live with himself. Therefore Iago’s id and ego are operating as they should and it is his superego that is absent. Without a superego and left with his id in control, Iago has all of the traits of a sociopath according to the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. The first trait that Iago has in common with a sociopath is deception. Iago constantly lies throughout the novel to just about everyone he meets. One example of this is when he is speaking with Montano and he says, â€Å"Tis evenmore the prolongue to his sleep. He’ll watch the horologe a double set If drink rock not his cradle.†(Othello II, III, 89). In this quote Othello is trying to spread a  rumor about Cassios’s drinking problem. Except Cassio does not have one. Iago is trying to ruin Cassio’s reputation. This example also leads to another trait of Iago’s which is his conning and manipulation. Like deception Iago uses manipulation throughout the play. For example Iago is talking to Roderigo and he says, â€Å"Thou art sure of me. Go, make money. I have told tee often, and I re-tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted. Thine hath no less reason.†(Othello I, III, 53). In this quote he is trying to convince Roderigo that he into giving him all of his money because they share the same cause. However Iago is just trying to use Roderigo to obtain money. The final trait Iago has is that he lacks empathy and he lacks remorse. I excellent example of this is when Iago’s wife, Emilia, is about to illuminate Iago’s plan to ruin Othello. Iago stabbed Emilia, his wife, before she could elaborate and later on she died from her wounds. Iago felt no remorse for the death of his wife and showed no empathy towards her when he stabbed her. Sociopaths are very capable of self – control. Like Iago they use logic to take calculated risks and to blend in with society. Iago does this throughout the novel which is why he was known as honest Iago because he blended in so well that no one suspected that he was committing any amoral acts. Most of Iago’s actions throughout the novel can be associated with calculation, deception, Manipulation, and lack of empathy and remorse. These are the traits of a sociopath therefore Iago can be considered a sociopath. Iago’s traits and actions would cause most people to become guilt ridden even without a superego. However Iago does not because his ego deploys a defense mechanism. This mechanism is called rationalization. Iago makes up excuses and justifications for his actions. For example the whole point of him trying to make Othello jealous was to get Cassio fired. He felt that he was more deserving of Cassio’s position however once he has the position he continues to try to ruin Othello’s life. He also justified his actions against Othello by telling himself that Othello slept with his wife however this was just a rumor and was never proven. He justifications is how he is able to able to live with the things he had done. The plot of this entire novel is based on Iago’s sociopathic traits. Without any of these traits the plot of this novel would dramatically change. Iago is a direct cause for  most of the events in the novel such as Othello becoming suspicious of Desdemona or the deaths of some of the characters. Without these traits Iago would no longer act like a sociopath and therefore he would no longer be the antagonist. The character Iago is very much a sociopath. He lacks sympathy for others and will take advantage of them given the chance. His lack of a superego accounts for this because his id is allowed to run free without any restrictions. This leaves his ego to justify his actions and to make calculated decisions to satisfy the id without getting caught. However his id’s desires eventually lead to his and everyone else’s downfall.

Nursing informatics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing informatics - Research Paper Example With computerized maintenance management systems, Tran & Taylor (2009) argues that healthcare professionals from different health care settings can retrieve patient information without the need to inquire from the patient. The systems save time for clinicians and other health care providers in retrieving patient information, providing accurate information about the patient, and providing effective care based on the past medical records. They also increase productivity in that health professionals can easily access the patient records and further provide quality care that aligns with the patient medical record. Computerized maintenance management systems monitor patient well being and improve safety and quality health care. They also improve communication in health care providers across the globe without the need to walk miles. Through internet, most health care professionals can interact with others across health care sites and as a result, exchange information on how to improve a ce rtain patient’s well-being. ... For instance, nursing involvement in the planning play a significant role of minimizing the overall health cost, thus reducing mistakes and improving health efficiency. Still, nursing involvement in the implementation of the systems help to record and retrieve patient information. By investing in health care technology, communication and coordination in health care improves. Health care providers also increase in their accountability to patients. They save time used when retrieving and recording patient information. With technology in mind, health professionals have been in a better position to compile patient medical information and access it at ease when required. In most cases, health professionals use electronic methods to compile information such as patient’s medical diagnosis, insurance information, prescription, and the effects of the treatment. With this information, a health professional can easily comprehend the patient’s progress over a span of time. Still, c ompiling patient information enables other health professionals to comprehend medical background of the patient despite not being familiar with the patient. The use of handheld devices by the nursing staff The use of handheld devices and computers by nurses can boost speed and competence of nursing documentation. Electronic handheld devices are importance resource tools for nurses. It allows nurses to gather information on various subjects such as drug lists and medical references. Most handheld devices such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) boost the quality of nursing care in the hospital setting. The PDAs is a handheld device capable of sending and receiving data, accessing the internet, and storing books with quality information. This tool increases the quality of

The Athlete's Shack Wireless Upgrade Term Paper

The Athlete's Shack Wireless Upgrade - Term Paper Example 2 Assessment For catering the needs of the business for TAS, there is a requirement of secure and effective wireless network connectivity for all the 10 stores within the same area. There are no requirements for establishing connectivity on long distant stores. However, security is a primary concern, as data channels will be established in the environment. For addressing the security issue, Cisco provides rich features and adds an extra layer of security on the wireless networks. The embedded security technologies on a wireless architecture are now standardized, as they are available by default in all vendor manufactured wireless devices. Some of these technologies are WEP, WPA etc. Moreover, after securing the data in transit by encryption, we have also proposed a wireless intrusion prevention system that will continuously monitor and prevent the network from cyber threats. However, there is no guarantee of the network security, if the iPads are misused and stolen or snatched from o ne of the employees of TAS. For addressing human threats, acceptable use policy and password policies will be implemented. 3 Solution As the TAS environment requires wireless connectivity, ‘access points’ are required. ‘Access points’ are the device which is used to connect devices equipped with wireless technology. ‘Access points’ transmits and receive radio signals adjacent to a network hub over a limited distance. However, distant varies from different model types and wireless technology adopted. The TAS requirement is to provide access of network resources to the staff for connecting the iPads. Cisco delivers a borderless mobility experience which gives users access to the information and resources with the quality and performance. 3.1 Wireless connectivity of TAS sites TAS haw 10 stores within the same area, and there is no information regarding the distance of each of these sites with each other. When designing a wireless point to point c onnectivity, the distance is always considered due to limitation of wireless technology. Cost is also a major factor when implementing and designing a wireless network. There are two methodologies which can be adopted for connecting all 10 sites to provide Internet connectivity. 3.1.1 Wi-Fi 802.11/y It is a relatively new wireless standard defined by IEEE 802.11 standards with more enhanced capabilities as compared to 802.11n. It operates on 3.6 to 3.7 GHz on 54 Mbps with the distance of 3 miles (Parsons & Oja, 2009). The distance which is required to connect all of these 10 sites can be achieved by connecting via 802.11y Wi-Fi technology. However this technology is currently available only in United States of America. The hardware which is required to connect all these 10 sites is relatively of low cost. This is a low cost solution but it has certain limitations as it is available only in the United States. There are very few IEEE 802.11y complaint devices available. The router can be installed at any one end of either side to broadcast the signals

Myeloproliferative Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Myeloproliferative Disorders - Essay Example In 2005, similarity in the major disease groups of MPDs got some explanation when Janus Kinase 2 V617F (JAK2- V617F) which in fact represents a G to T somatic mutation of JAK2 at nucleotide 1849, in exon 14, which eventually end up in the substitution of valine to phenylalanine at codon 617 (Tefferi 2006). Apparently, it seems that all group members of MPDs contain JAK2-V617F in equal proportion in all patients, persistently; which raises the question of capturing all disorders in the group through a single mutation, how is it possible But this is not the case! In fact, various diseases of the group carry this mutation in their genetic materials with different proportions in different patients; moreover, these diseases do not constantly carry this mutation as a universal principle. ... Various researchers have got the evidence to describe that the proportion of the patients with one of the three diseases of MPDs carry JAK2-V617F in different proportions and among these diseases PV is the disease which carries it to the maximum level. According to Tefferi (Tefferi 2006), almost all patients with PV carry the mutation while in the remaining two diseases, ET and IM, about half of the patients each in the two groups carry JAK2-V617F. While Jones et al (Jones 2005) gave could capture lower frequency of the mutation in these diseases, like: 81 percent of the patients with PV could show JAK2-V617F, 43 percent with IM and 41 percent with ET were able to reflect the mutated genetic material. This non-consistent behaviour of the mutated genetic material demands some further exploration in this area. One possible explanation in the favour of single mutation with multiple diseases still exists and which is related to sensitivity and specificity of the tests capturing the findings, which support JAK2-V617F. There are chances that mutation is present in the disease groups belonging to MPDs but the available tests are not efficient enough to detect that. For this answer we need to wait for the availability of refined testing system. At the same time it seems obvious that some other mechanisms are also operating in differentiating the progenitor to different diseases. Whether these mechanisms are timed before, after or at the same time as the mutation develops; it is to be answered. Jamieson et al (Jamieson 2006) found through their study that: in samples of PV patients, the cells with haematopoietic stem cells phenotype produced JAK2-V617F which in

Part III for Personnel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Part III for Personnel Management - Essay Example Thus, in all fairness it must be said Ford took an extremely irresponsible decision to generate short term gains while risking its goodwill. A rational customer would have never opted for a saving of $11 and agree for an unsafe fuel tank. An unsafe fuel tank is a permanent source of hazard. All statistics of rates of accidents per thousand motorists really do not make any sense as nobody can be sure that they would not be those unfortunate few that would have to suffer. It would truly have been similar to making air bags optional? If Ford would have told potential customers about the hazardous fuel tank then hardly any rational customer would have purchased that model. However, with deft advertisements and publicity the company could have projected the lurking dangers in such a favorable light that some of unsuspecting customers could have still opted for that model. The definition of criminal homicide is ‘willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another’ (Justia.com 2010). Though Ford was aware of the fragile fuel tank in Pinto and did not make any attempt to modify it, still the company should not have been guilty of criminal homicide as it did not specifically make the fuel tank unsafe with the express intention of burning three sisters to their death. Further, traffic fatalities are, as a rule, not classified as criminal homicide even if there is some fault with the manufacturer in producing the output. The manufacturer would, however, have to face punitive fines for their negligence in failing to adequately address safety concerns in their product. Ford was handed down a punitive fine of $3.5 million and had to pay an additional $3 million in compensatory damages in Richard Grimshaw case but in none of the incidents could Ford be held guilty of criminal homicide. Esteem needs that consist of recognition, attention, social status, accomplishment and self respect are entirely a matter of the mind that can

Planning Care Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Planning Care - Case Study Example Apart from this, he has a past history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and chronic renal impairment. He has history of self-medication with Panadol few times a week and admits of medication noncompliance. His current admission is due to acute onset of chest pain and shortness of breath leading to emergency admission to the rural hospital where he was diagnosed with acute anterior myocardial infarction and was treated with thrombolytic therapy. There was abatement of symptoms, and he was sent to the metropolitan hospital for coronary angiography and further investigations. Mr. Walker understands that his disease is a result of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is caused by life-style associated risk factors. His diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are interrelated to his dietary habits, perhaps obesity, and it in turn is causing chronic renal dysfunction, which may be further aggravated by his hypertension. His type 2 diabetes is an independent risk factor for his hypercholesterolemia, and both combined together would aggravate his atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and deteriorate the outcome in terms of adverse cardiac events. Moreover self-medication and non-compliance to medications would also worsen the clinical picture. He also understands that smoking and alcohol use are risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and they both may accelerate atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and worsen his prognosis (Tacoy et al., 2008, 402-407). Mr. Walker has been educated on the relationship between the kidneys and hypertension. His chronic renal disease will cause hypertension, and hypertension will contribute to the development of chronic renal disease. Given his baseline myocardial infarction, hypertension is major modifiable risk factors for atherosclerosis. Therefore, he was educated on the need for medication compliance and regularity of treatment (Zoccali, Mallamaci, and Tripepi, 2002, 381-386). Mr. Walker has been educated that non-pharmacologic or lifestyle measures are important not only to prevent hypertension, but his overall condition of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, all will respond to such measures. He has been educated on basic dietary measures such as low-fat diet, low-salt diet, diet high in fruits and vegetables, and abstinence from alcohol would reduce his high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, blood sugar, and weight, which all together would reduce his risks of coronary artery disease (Chyun et al., 2003, 302-318). Mr. Walker has been educated on physical activity and has been demonstrated what kinds of activity may be suitable for him. He has also been alerted about resumption of physical activity very slowly following his myocardial infarction. He has been told that regular exercise increases work capacity. Training increases exercise capacity by increasing both maximal cardiac output and the ability to extract oxygen from the blood. Although he appeared less motivated about doing a regular exercise program, it was stressed repeatedly to him that regularity and persistence in such a program will help him (Ignarro, Balestrieri, and Napoli, 2007, 326-340). Mr. Walker has been given information on cessation of smoking since cigarette smoking is perhaps the most preventable known cause of CHD today, leading to more deaths

Gas line explosion in Fresno Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gas line explosion in Fresno - Essay Example During the explosion, at least 11 people were injured. Most of the victims were inmates who were near the blast site. In this case, the inmates had been assigned cleaning and maintenance duties at the firing range (Marcum & Therolf, 2015). However, three other inmates were unhurt. Firefighters assigned to put out the explosion revealed that, the blaze blackened front loader and formed a crater at the site. The explosion however did not create property damage in the area. Although there were no indications that the PG&E Company had a hand in the fiery accident, the Fresno County Sheriffs are investigating the company’s natural-gas operations. Extensive scrutiny is conducted due to the company’s natural-gas operations that killed at least 8 people after the San Francisco blast in San Bruno suburb (Marcum & Therolf, 2015). On the other hand, the National Transportation Safety Board is blaming PG&E safety practices and Iax lapse by state regulators especially for this occurrence. The State regulators had earlier leveled the biggest-ever fine against utility in the state to cost at least $1.6 billion. This was against PG&E for its role in the Bruno blast (Marcum & Therolf, 2015). Catastrophic pipeline emergencies remain rare. However, with the increasing pipeline catastrophes across the United States, adequate preparation and responses remain important in minimizing life and property risks from pipeline emergencies. To plan effectively for pipeline catastrophes, it is important that emergency responders understand how best the emergency response works. Additionally, the authorities in charge must use resources and tools available in assisting with disaster preparedness and response. Excavators and pipeline organizations must always coordinate before digging. Communities must also consider implementing some of the recommended practices by the PIPA. Most of these recommendations address on people and property protection. They also

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence Essay - 1

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence - Essay Example Patriot women also engaged in their traditional weaving to make clothes for local consumption. Reduced market on imported products did not only interfere with local economic development but also forced local community to appreciate traditional values. Although women were not allowed to actively participate in the country’s economy, Africa America and housewives utilized their purchasing power to support patriot women by cause through refusing to purchase British manufactured products. Refusal to purchase and consume British manufactured products was used to communicate a very critical political message to the British government. In addition, to demonstrate their concern in the United States of America affairs, American women formed the first women political Movement Edenton Tea Party. The formation of this movement resulted in the signing by 51 women an agreement to officially boycott tea and other products that were produced in Britain. Even though, it was an America policy to use local products at the expense of international produced products; it was America women who enacted the initiative in their household. In 1778, a good number of women confronted a merchant who was holding and selling British coffee and confiscated the coffee.  Although women role in the war was concentrated in family economic, the revolution witnessed women participation in broader economic perspectives.  Ã‚   Women actively participated in the lively revolution by being recruited in legislative bodies and in the military.   

Comparison between five process models of software engineering Essay Example for Free

Comparison between five process models of software engineering Essay IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org A Comparison Between Five Models Of Software Engineering Nabil Mohammed Ali Munassar1 and A. Govardhan2 1 Ph.D Student of Computer Science Engineering Jawahrlal Nehru Technological University Kuktapally, Hyderabad- 500 085, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Professor of Computer Science Engineering Principal JNTUH of Engineering College, Jagityal, Karimnagar (Dt), A.P., India Abstract This research deals with a vital and important issue in computer world. It is concerned with the software management processes that examine the area of software development through the  development models, which are known as software development  life cycle. It represents five of the development models namely, waterfall, Iteration, V-shaped, spiral and Extreme programming. These models have advantages and disadvantages as well. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to represent different models of software development and make a  comparison between them to show the features and defects of each model. Keywords: Software Management Processes, Software  Development, Development Models, Software Development Life  Cycle, Comparison between five models of Software Engineering. increased recently which results in the difficulty of  enumerating such companies. During the previous four  decades, software has been developed from a tool used for  analyzing information or solving a problem to a product in  itself. However, the early programming stages have  created a number of problems turning software an  obstacle to software development particularly those  relying on computers. Software consists of documents and  programs that contain a collection that has been  established to be a part of software engineering  procedures. Moreover, the aim of software engineering is  to create a suitable work that construct programs of high  quality. 1. Introduction Computer Science No one can deny the importance of computer in our life,  especially during the present time. In fact, computer has  become indispensible in todays life as it is used in many  fields of life such as industry, medicine, commerce,  education and even agriculture. It has become an  important element in the industry and technology of  advanced as well as developing countries. Now a days,  organizations become more dependent on computer in  their works as a result of computer technology. Computer  is considered a time- saving device and its progress helps  in executing complex, long, repeated processes in a very  short time with a high speed. In addition to using  computer for work, people use it for fun and  entertainment. Noticeably, the number of companies thatproduce software programs for the purpose of facilitating  works of offices, administrations, banks, etc, has Theories Computer Function Client Problems The Software engineering Tools and techniques to solve problems Fig. 1 Explanation of software engineering conception. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org 95 2. Software Process Models concern. A software process model is an abstract representation of a process. It presents a description of a process from some particular perspective as: The pure waterfall lifecycle consists of several nonoverlapping stages, as shown in the following figure. The model begins with establishing system requirements and  software requirements and continues with architectural  design, detailed design, coding, testing, and maintenance. The waterfall model serves as a baseline for many other  lifecycle models. 1. 2. 3. 4. Specification. Design. Validation. Evolution. General Software Process Models are 1. Waterfall model: Separate and distinct phases of specification and development. 2. Prototype model. 3. Rapid application development model (RAD). 4. Evolutionary development: Specification, development and validation are interleaved. 5. Incremental model. 6. Iterative model. 7. Spiral model. 8. Component-based software engineering : The system is assembled from existing components. System Requirements Software Requirements Architectural Design Detailed Design Coding There are many variants of these models e.g. formal development where a waterfall-like process is used, but the specification is formal that is refined through several stages to an implementable design[1]. Testing Maintenance Fig. 2 Waterfall Model[4]. 3. Five Models A Programming process model is an abstract representation to describe the process from a particular perspective. There are numbers of general models for software processes, like: Waterfall model, Evolutionary development, Formal systems development and Reusebased development, etc. This research will view the following five models : 1. Waterfall model. 2. Iteration model. 3. V-shaped model. 4. Spiral model. 5. Extreme model. These models are chosen because their features correspond to most software development programs. Requirements Definition System and Software Design Implementation and Unit Testing Integration and System Testing 3.1 The Waterfall Model The waterfall model is the classical model of software  engineering. This model is one of the oldest models and is  widely used in government projects and in many major  companies. As this model emphasizes planning in early  stages, it ensures design flaws before they develop. In  addition, its intensive document and planning make it  work well for projects in which quality control is a major Operation and Maintenance Fig. 3 Waterfall model[2]. The following list details the steps for using the waterfall IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org model: 1 System requirements: Establishes the components  for building the system, including the hardware  requirements, software tools, and other necessary  components. Examples include decisions on  hardware, such as plug-in boards (number of  channels, acquisition speed, and so on), and decisions  on external pieces of software, such as databases or  libraries. 2 3 Software requirements: Establishes the expectations  for software functionality and identifies which system  requirements the software affects. Requirements  analysis includes determining interaction needed with  other applications and databases, performance  requirements, user interface requirements, and so on. Architectural design: Determines the software  framework of a system to meet the specific  requirements. This design defines the major  components and the interaction of those components,  but it does not define the structure of each  component. The external interfaces and tools used in  the project can be determined by the designer. 4 Detailed design: Examines the software components  defined in the architectural design stage and produces  a specification for how each component is  implemented. 5 Coding: Implements specification. 6 7 the detailed starting coding. There is no overlap between stages. In  real-world development, however, one can discover issues  during the design or coding stages that point out errors or gaps in the requirements. The waterfall method does not prohibit returning to an  earlier phase, for example, returning from the design phase  to the requirements phase. However, this involves costly  rework. Each completed phase requires formal review and  extensive documentation development. Thus, oversights  made in the requirements phase are expensive to correct  later. Because the actual development comes late in the process,  one does not see results for a long time. This delay can be  disconcerting to management and customers. Many people  also think that the amount of documentation is excessive  and inflexible. Although the waterfall model has  instructive because it emphasizes  project development. Even if one  model, he must consider each of  relationship to his own project [4]. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. design Testing: Determines whether the software meets the  specified requirements and finds any errors present in  the code. Maintenance: Addresses problems and enhancement  requests after the software releases. In some organizations, a change control board maintains  the quality of the product by reviewing each change made  in the maintenance stage. Consider applying the full  waterfall development cycle model when correcting  problems or implementing these enhancement requests. In each stage, documents that explain the objectives and  describe the requirements for that phase are created. At the end of each stage, a review to determine whether the  project can proceed to the next stage is held. Your  prototyping can also be incorporated into any stage from  the architectural design and after. Many people believe that this model cannot be applied to  all situations. For example, with the pure waterfall model,  the requirements must be stated before beginning the  design, and the complete design must be stated before 96 4. 5. 6. ï‚ · 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. ï‚ · its weaknesses, it is  important stages of  does not apply this  these stages and its Advantages : Easy to understand and implement. Widely used and known (in theory!). Reinforces good habits: define-before- design, design-before-code. Identifies deliverables and milestones. Document driven, URD, SRD, †¦ etc. Published documentation standards, e.g. PSS-05. Works well on mature products and weak teams. Disadvantages : Idealized, doesn’t match reality well. Doesn’t reflect iterative nature of exploratory development. 3. Unrealistic to expect accurate requirements so early in project. Software is delivered late in project, delays discovery of serious errors. Difficult to integrate risk management. Difficult and expensive to make changes to documents, †swimming upstream†. Significant administrative overhead, costly for small teams and projects [6]. Pure Waterfall This is the classical system development model. It consists of discontinuous phases: 1. 2. 3. Concept. Requirements. Architectural design. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org 4. 5. 6. Detailed design. Coding and development. Testing and implementation. Table 1: Strengths Weaknesses of Pure Waterfall Strengths ï‚ · ï‚ · Minimizes planning  overhead since it can be done up front.  Structure minimizes  wasted effort, so it  works well for  technically weak or  inexperienced staff. Risk reduction spirals can be added to the top of the  waterfall to reduce risks prior to the waterfall phases. The waterfall can be further modified using options such as  prototyping, JADs or CRC sessions or other methods of  requirements gathering done in overlapping phases [5]. Weaknesses 3.2 Iterative Development ï‚ · Inflexible ï‚ · Only the final phase  produces a nondocumentation  deliverable. ï‚ · Backing up to address mistakes is difficult. The problems with the Waterfall Model created a demand  for a new method of developing systems which could  provide faster results, require less up-front information,  and offer greater flexibility. With Iterative Development,  the project is divided into small parts. This allows the  development team to demonstrate results earlier on in the  process and obtain valuable feedback from system users. Often, each iteration is actually a mini-Waterfall process  with the feedback from one phase providing vital  information for the design of the next phase. In a variation of this model, the software products, which are produced  at the end of each step (or series of steps), can go into  production immediately as incremental releases. ï‚ · Pure Waterfall Summary The pure waterfall model performs well for products with  clearly understood requirements or when working with  well understood technical tools, architectures and  infrastructures. Its weaknesses frequently make it  inadvisable when rapid development is needed. In those  cases, modified models may be more effective. ï‚ · 97 Modified Waterfall The modified waterfall uses the same phases as the pure  waterfall, but is not based on a discontinuous basis. This  enables the phases to overlap when needed. The pure  waterfall can also split into subprojects at an appropriate  phase (such as after the architectural design or detailed design). Table 2: Strengths Weaknesses of Modified Waterfall Strengths ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · More flexible than the  pure waterfall model. If there is personnel  continuity between the  phases, documentation  can be substantially reduced.  Implementation of easy  areas does not need to  wait for the hard ones. Weaknesses ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · Modified Waterfall Summary Milestones are more  ambiguous than the  pure waterfall. Activities performed  in parallel are subject  to miscommunication  and mistaken  assumptions. Unforeseen  interdependencies can  create problems. Fig. 4 Iterative Development. 3.3 V-Shaped Model Just like the waterfall model, the V-Shaped life cycle is a  sequential path of execution of processes. Each phase  must be completed before the next phase begins. Testing  is emphasized in this model more than the waterfall  model. The testing procedures are developed early in the  life cycle before any coding is done, during each of the  phases preceding implementation. Requirements begin the  life cycle model just like the waterfall model. Before IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org development is started, a system test plan is created. The test plan focuses on meeting the functionality specified in requirements gathering. 98 Requirements The high-level design phase focuses on system  architecture and design. An integration test plan is created in this phase in order to test the pieces of the software  systems ability to work together. However, the low-level  design phase lies where the actual software components  are designed, and unit tests are created in this phase as  well. System Test Planning High Level Design Low Level Design The implementation phase is, again, where all coding  takes place. Once coding is complete, the path of  execution continues up the right side of the V where the  test plans developed earlier are now put to use. ï‚ · Simple and easy to use. Each phase has specific deliverables. Higher chance of success over the waterfall model  due to the early development of test plans during the  life cycle. Works well for small projects where requirements are  easily understood. Unit Test Planning Integration Testing Unit Testing Implementation Advantages 1. 2. 3. Integration Test Planning System Testing 4. Fig. 6 V-Shaped Life Cycle Model[7]. 3.4 Spiral Model The spiral model is similar to the incremental model, with  more emphases placed on risk analysis. The spiral model  has four phases: Planning, Risk Analysis, Engineering and  Evaluation. A software project repeatedly passes through  these phases in iterations (called Spirals in this  model). The baseline spiral, starting in the planning  phase, requirements are gathered and risk is  assessed. Each subsequent spiral builds on the baseline  spiral. Requirements are gathered during the planning  phase. In the risk analysis phase, a process is undertaken  to identify risk and alternate solutions. A prototype is  produced at the end of the risk analysis phase. Software is  produced in the engineering phase, along with testing at  the end of the phase. The evaluation phase allows the  customer to evaluate the output of the project to date  before the project continues to the next spiral. In the spiral model, the angular component represents  progress, and the radius of the spiral represents cost. Fig. 5 V-Model [3] ï‚ · Disadvantages 1. 2. Very rigid like the waterfall model. Little flexibility and adjusting scope is difficult and  expensive.  Software is developed during the implementation phase,  so no early prototypes of the software are produced. This Model does not provide a clear path for problems  found during testing phases [7]. 3. 4. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. Advantages High amount of risk analysis. Good for large and mission-critical projects. Software is produced early in the software life cycle. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. Disadvantages Can be a costly model to use. Risk analysis requires highly specific expertise. Project’s success is highly dependent on the risk  analysis phase. Doesn’t work well for smaller projects [7]. 4. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org ï‚ · 1. Spiral model sectors Objective setting :Specific objectives for the phase are identified. 2. Risk assessment and reduction: Risks are assessed and activities are put in place to reduce the key risks. 3. Development and validation: A development model for the system is chosen which can be any of the general models. 4. Planning: The project is reviewed and the next phase of the spiral is planned [1]. 99 under which the system would produce win-lose or loselose outcomes for some stakeholders. 3. Identify and Evaluate Alternatives: Solicit  suggestions from stakeholders, evaluate them with respect  to stakeholders win conditions, synthesize and negotiate  candidate win-win alternatives, analyze, assess, resolve  win-lose or lose-lose risks, record commitments and areas  to be left flexible in the projects design record and life  cycle plans. 4. Cycle through the Spiral: Elaborate the win conditions  evaluate and screen alternatives, resolve risks, accumulate  appropriate commitments, and develop and execute  downstream plans [8]. 3.5 Extreme Programming An approach to development, based on the development  and delivery of very small increments of functionality. It  relies on constant code improvement, user involvement in  the development team and pair wise programming . It can  be difficult to keep the interest of customers who are  involved in the process. Team members may be unsuited  to the intense involvement that characterizes agile  methods. Prioritizing changes can be difficult where there  are multiple stakeholders. Maintaining simplicity requires  extra work. Contracts may be a problem as with other  approaches to iterative development. Fig. 7 Spiral Model of the Software Process[1]. ï‚ · WinWin Spiral Model The original spiral model [Boehm 88] began each cycle of  the spiral by performing the next level of elaboration of  the prospective systems objectives, constraints and  alternatives. A primary difficulty in applying the spiral  model has been the lack of explicit process guidance in  determining these objectives, constraints, and alternatives. The Win-Win Spiral Model [Boehm 94] uses the theory  W (win-win) approach [Boehm 89b] to converge on a  systems next-level objectives, constraints, and  alternatives. This Theory W approach involves identifying  the systems stakeholders and their win conditions, and  using negotiation processes to determine a mutually  satisfactory set of objectives, constraints, and alternatives for the stakeholders. In particular, as illustrated in the  figure, the nine-step Theory W process translates into the  following spiral model extensions: 1. Determine Objectives: Identify the system life-cycle  stakeholders and their win conditions and establish initial  system boundaries and external interfaces. 2. Determine Constraints: Determine the conditions Fig. 8 The XP Release Cycle ï‚ · Extreme Programming Practices Incremental planning: Requirements are recorded on Story Cards and the Stories to be included in a release are determined by the time available and their relative priority. The developers break these stories into development Tasks. Small Releases: The minimal useful set of functionality that provides business value is developed first. Releases of the system are frequent and incrementally add functionality to the first release. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org Simple Design: Enough design is carried out to meet the  current requirements and no more. Test first development: An automated unit test  framework is used to write tests for a new piece of  functionality before functionality itself is implemented.  Refactoring: All developers are expected to re-factor the  code continuously as soon as possible code improvements  are found. This keeps the code simple and maintainable.  Pair Programming: Developers work in pairs, checking  each other’s work and providing support to do a good job.  Collective Ownership: The pairs of developers work on  all areas of the system, so that no islands of expertise  develop and all the developers own all the code. Anyone  can change anything. Continuous Integration: As soon as work on a task is  complete, it is integrated into the whole system. After any  such integration, all the unit tests in the system must pass. Sustainable pace: Large amounts of over-time are not  considered acceptable as the net effect is often to reduce  code quality and medium term productivity.  On-site Customer: A representative of the end-user of the  system (the Customer) should be available full time for the  use of the XP team. In an extreme programming process,  the customer is a member of the development team and is  responsible for bringing system requirements to the team  for implementation. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. XP and agile principles Incremental development is supported through small,  frequent system releases. Customer involvement means full-time customer  engagement with the team. People not process through pair programming,  collective ownership and a process that avoids long working hours. Change supported through regular system releases.  Maintaining simplicity through constant refactoring of  code [1]. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Advantages Lightweight methods suit small-medium size projects. Produces good team cohesion. Emphasises final product. Iterative. Test based approach to requirements and quality assurance. ï‚ · 1. Disadvantages Difficult to scale up to large projects where documentation is essential. Needs experience and skill if not to degenerate into code-and-fix. Programming pairs is costly. 2. 3. 4. 100 Test case construction is a difficult and specialized skill [6]. 4. Conclusion and Future Work After completing this research , it is concluded that : 1. There are many existing models for developing systems for different sizes of projects and requirements. 2. These models were established between 1970 and 1999. 3. Waterfall model and spiral model are used commonly in developing systems. 4. Each model has advantages and disadvantages for the development of systems , so each model tries to eliminate the disadvantages of the previous model Finally, some topics can be suggested for future works: 1. 2. 3. Suggesting a model to simulate advantages that are found in different models to software process management. Making a comparison between the suggested model and the previous software processes management models. Applying the suggested model to many projects to ensure of its suitability and documentation to explain its mechanical work. REFERENCES [1] Ian Sommerville, Software Engineering, Addison Wesley, 7th edition, 2004. [2] CTG. MFA – 003, A Survey of System Development Process Models, Models for Action Project: Developing Practical Approaches to Electronic Records Management and Preservation, Center for Technology in Government University at Albany / Suny,1998 . [3] Steve Easterbrook, Software Lifecycles, University of Toronto Department of Computer Science, 2001. [4] National Instruments Corporation, Lifecycle Models, 2006 , http://zone.ni.com. [5] JJ Kuhl, Project Lifecycle Models: How They Differ and When to Use Them,2002 www.businessesolutions.com. [6] Karlm, Software Lifecycle Models, KTH,2006 . [7] Rlewallen, Software Development Life Cycle Models, 2005 ,http://codebeter.com. [8] Barry Boehm, Spiral Development: Experience, Principles, and Refinements, edited by Wilfred J. Hansen, 2000 . Nabil Mohammed Ali Munassar was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1978. He studied Computer Science at University of Science and Technology, Yemen from 1997 to 2001. In 2001 he IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org received the Bachelor degree. He studied Master of Information Technology at Arab Academic, Yemen, from 2004 to 2007. Now rd he Ph.D. Student 3 year of CSE at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad, A. P., India. He is working as Associate Professor in Computer Science Engineering College in University Of Science and Technology, Yemen. His area of interest include Software Engineering, System Analysis and Design, Databases and Object Oriented Technologies. Dr.A.Govardhan: received Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in 2003, M.Tech. from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1994 and B.E. from Osmania University in 1992. He is Working as a Principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Jagitial. He has published around 108 papers in various national and international Journals/conferences. His research of interest includes Databases, Data Warehousing Mining, Information Retrieval, Computer Networks, Image Processing, Software Engineering, Search Engines and Object Oriented Technologies. 101

Personality Psychology Essay Example for Free

Personality Psychology Essay The term personality is derived from the Latin word persona meaning a mask. Personality is a patterned body of habits, traits, attitudes and ideas of an individual as these are organized externally into roles and statuses and as they relate internally to motivation, goals and various aspects of selfhood. According to Robert Park and Earnest Burgess Personality is the sum and organization of those traits which determine the role of the individual in the group. According to Linton, personality embraces the total organized aggregate of psychological processes and status pertaining to the individual. Parsonality says Maclver is all that an individual is and has experienced so far as this all can be comprehended as unity. According to Lundberg the term personality refers to the habits, attitudes and other social traits that are characteristic of a given individual’s behavior. By personality Ogburn means the integration of the socio-psychological behavior of the human being, represented by habits of action and feeling, attitudes and opinions. Davis regards personality a psychic phenomenon which is neither organic nor social but an emergent from a combination of the two. According to Young personality is the totality of behavior of an individual with a given tendency system interacting with a sequence of situations. On the basis of these definitions it may be said there are two main approaches to the study of personality: 1. The psychological 2. The sociological The psychological approach considers personality as a certain style peculiar to the individual. This style is determined by the characteristic organization of mental trends, complexes, emotions and sentiments. The psychological approach enables us to understand the phenomena of personality disorganization and the role of wishes, of mental conflict and of repression and sublimation in the growth of personality. The sociological approach considers personality in terms of the status of the individual in the group, in terms of his conception of his role in the group of which he is a member. What others think of us plays a large part in the formation of our personality. Thus personality is a sum of the ideas, attitudes and values of a person which determine his role in society and form an integral part of his character. Personality is acquired by the individual as a result of his participation in group life. As a member of the group he learns certain behavior systems and symbolic skills which determine his ideas, attitudes and social values. These ideas, attitudes and values which an individual holds comprise his personality. In brief it can be said: 1. Personality is not related to bodily structure alone. It includes both structure and dynamics. 2. Personality is an indivisible unit. 3. Personality is neither good nor bad. 4. Every personality is unique 5. Personality refers to persistent qualities of the individual. It expresses consistency and regularity. 6. Personality is acquired. 7. Personality is influenced by social interaction. It is defined in terms of behavior. Determinant Personality is a result of the combination of four factors- physical environment, heredity, culture and particular experiences. Geographical environment sometimes determines cultural variability. Man comes to form ideas and attitudes according to the physical environment he lives in. To the extent that the environment determines cultural development and to the extent that culture in turn determines personality a relationship between personality and environment becomes clear. Montesque in 18th century claimed that the bravery of those blessed by a cold climate enables them to maintain their liberties. Great heat enervates courage while cold causes certain vigor of body and mind. The people of mountain as well as deserts are usually bold, hard and powerful. However physical conditions are more permissive and limiting factors than causative factors. They set the limits within which personality can develop. Hereditary is another factor determining human personality. Some of the similarities in man’s personality are said to be due to his common heredity. Every human group inherits the same general set of biological needs and capacities. These common needs and capacities explain some of our similarities in personality. Man tends to resemble his parents in physical appearance and intelligence. However heredity does not mould human personality alone and unaided. We can assume that there are genes for normal personality traits just as there are genes for other aspects of human life and functioning. Heredity only furnishes the materials out of which experience will mould the personality. Experience determines the way these materials will be used. An individual may be energetic because of his heredity but whether he is active on his own belief or on behalf of others is a matter of his training. There can be little doubt that culture largely determines the types of personality that will predominate in the particular group. According to some sociologists personality is the subjective aspect of culture. They regard personality and culture as two sides of same coin. Spiro had observed the development of personality and the acquisition of culture are not different processes but one and the same learning process. Personality is an individual aspect of culture while culture is a collective aspect of personality. Each culture produces its special type or types of personality. A given cultural environment sets its participant members off from other human beings operating under different cultural environments. According to Frank culture is a coercive influence dominating the individual and molding his personality by virtue of the ideas, conceptions and beliefs which had brought to bear on him through communal life. The culture provides the raw material of which the individual makes his life. The traditions, customs, mores, religion, institutions, moral and social standards of a group affect the personality of the group members. From the moment of birth the child is treated in ways which shape his personality. Every culture exerts a series of general influences upon the individuals who grow up under it. It can be summed up that culture greatly moulds personality. The individual ideas and behavior are largely the results of cultural conditioning. However it should not be concluded that culture is a massive die that shapes all that come under it with an identical pattern. All the people of a given culture are not of same cast. Personality traits differ within any culture. Personality is not totally determined by culture even though no personality escapes its influence. It is only one determinant among others. Personality is also determined by another factor the particular and unique experiences. There are two types of experiences one those that stem from continuous association with one’s group, second those that arise suddenly and are not likely to recur. The type of people who meet the child daily has a major influence on his personality. The personality of parents does more to affect a child’s personality. The social rituals ranging from table manners to getting along with others are consciously inculcated in the child by his parents. The child picks up the language of his parents. Group influences are relatively greater in early childhood. This is the period when the relationships of the child with the mother, father and siblings affect profoundly the organization of his drives and emotions, the deeper and subconscious aspects of his personality. Group interaction moulds the child’s personality. It may also be inferred that personality is a matter of social situations. It has been shown by social researchers that a person may show honesty in one situation and not in another. The same is true for other personality traits also. Personality traits tend to be specific responses to particular situations rather than general behavior patterns. It is a dynamic unity with a creative potential. Heredity, physical environment, culture and particular experiences are thus the four factors that explain personality –its formation, development and maintenance. Beyond the joint influence of these factors however the relative contribution of each factor to personality varies with the characteristic or personality process involved and perhaps with the individual concerned. How to develop 1. - 1 - Think positive thoughts, both about yourself and others in general. The thoughts that we think soon turn into the words we say and the actions we take. Having good thoughts about yourself gives you self-confidence and self-respect, essential in any good person. . - 2 - Never lose a chance to prove yourself. In our day to day life we came across several opportunities which could help our self in defining our personality. for example if you are in a conversation with a group or a individual you must talk in a way that you can prove others what you are really. and it does not matter if you say a line or a speech. the thing which will matter is the words of yous. whether they were able to leave an impact on others or not. 3. 3 - Look for famous people w hose personality defined them. Athletes, artists, actors and musicians are people who face challenges in their careers everyday. They have to have patience and perseverance in order to succeed. Many of them are humble in spite of their success and fame. These are life skills which is learned culminate in the creation of a good personality. 4. - 4 - Look deep inside yourself and think about who you are. Many people find themselves to be better than apparent by reflection. 5. - 5 - Help wherever and whenever you can. A little sacrifice can go along way in changing another persons day. 6. - 6 - Always be yourself. If you are following some famous personality or you are being just you. Make sure that you never lose yourself. It means that you have to stick to that behavior every time. Feel it in your blood. 7. 7 Learn to love other people. Many bad personalities come about because people do not want to forgive each other and thus become filled with so much inter personal hate that they hate other people. This makes them come off as bad and self centered when all they lack is the insight to forgive and forget whatever may be the root of conflict between them. Types Of Personality 1. Type A ;amp; Type B Personality; 2. Introvert ;amp; Extrovert Personality Type A Personality Is restless, so that he always moves, walks ;amp; eats rapidly Is impatient with the pace of things Does several things at once Schedules more ;amp; more Does not have time to relax ;amp; enjoy life Type B Personality – More relaxed, sociable ;amp; balanced outlook of life Hardworking but feel no pressing conflict with people or time Slide 3: By Manjiri Shanbhag 2. Introvert ;amp; Extrovert Personalities Introvert Personality Basically shy, prefer to be alone ;amp; have difficulty in communicating. Are quite, introspective, well-ordered, emotionally unexpressive ;amp; value oriented Prefers small groups of intimate friends ;amp; plans well ahead Extrovert Personality are outgoing, objective, aggressive ;amp; relate well with people sociable, lively, impulsive, seeking novelty ;amp; change, carefree ;amp; emotionally expressive Major contributing factors to Personality : By Manjiri Shanbhag Major contributing factors to Personality Major contributing factors to Personality : By Manjiri Shanbhag HEREDITY- Heredity refers to factors that were determined at conception These are the characteristics that are generally considered to be imported completely or substantially from one’s parents. For eg. Physical stature, facial attractiveness, temperament, biological rhythms etc. The role of heredity on personality development is still an unsettled area of understanding. ENVIRONMENT- This is a broad term and includes factors such as culture which influences norms, attitudes and values that are passed along from one generation to the next and creates consistencies over time. Every culture has its own subcultures, each with its own views about such qualities as moral values and standards, cleanliness, and definition of success. Although culture has significant influences on personality development, a linear relationship cannot be established between personality and the given culture for two reasons: The cultural impacts upon an individual are not uniform, because they are transmitted by certain people-parents and others-who are not at all alike in their values and practices, and The individual has some experiences that are unique. Each individual reacts in his or her own way to social pressures, the differences in behavior being caused by biological factors. Major contributing factors to Personality Major contributing factors to Personality : By Manjiri Shanbhag Major contributing factors to Personality FAMILY- The family has considerable influence on personality development, particularly in the early stages. The process can be examined from three different perspectives: Identification can be viewed as the similarity of the behavior (including feelings and attributes) between child and model Identification can be looked as the child’s motive or desire to be like the model Identification can be viewed as the process through which the child actually takes on the attributes of the model The identification process is fundamental to the understanding of personality development SOCIALIZATION- Socialization involves the process by which a person acquires, from the enormously wide range of behavioral potentialities at are open to an individual This process involves the organizations and groups SITUATIONAL- Situations seem to differ substantially in the constraints they impose on behavior. Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Personality Theories Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Psychoanalytic Theory- This theory was developed by Sigmund Freud, in his 40 years of writing and clinical practice He developed The first comprehensive personality theory A method for treating neurotic ills, and An extensive body of clinical observations based on his therapeutic experiences and self-analysis Freud associated the mind as an ice-berg where in only a small portion is visible which represents the conscious experience and the other major mass below water level represents unconscious. This unconscious mind is a storehouse of impulses, passions, and primitive instincts that affect our thoughts and behavior Freud sought to explore this unconscious mind, and he did so by the method of free association. Freud saw personality as being composed of three elements- id, ego and super ego This tripartite division of personality is know an tructural model of mental life He insisted that these structures be considered as hypothetical contrcuts, since the field of neuro-anatomy was not sufficiently advanced to locate them within the central nervous system The Id- According to Freud, the Id employs to rid the personality of tension: reflex actions and primary process. Personality Theories Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Personality Theories Contd†¦ Psychoanalytic Theory – The Ego – Ego is making you realize the reality. Mental images cannot satisfy your needs, as such the reality and existence must be considered. Ego is developed from the id due to the necessity to deal with reality. For eg, if you show images of food items to a starving man he will never be satisfied. The tension of hunger will be reduced only by having food. The Super Ego – This is third part of the personality, representing your internal representation of values, beliefs and morals of the society as learned from your parents when you were child. To function constructively in the society, you should acquire system of values, norms, ethics, and attitudes which must be compatible with the society. The super ego judges whether an action is right or wrong as per the standards raised by the society. As such the id seeks pleasure, the ego tests the reality and the super ego strives for perfection. Freud believed that the conflict between the id impulses-primarily sexual and aggressive instincts-and the restraining influences of the ego and the super ego constituted the motivating sources of personality This study contributed to four areas: Creative Behavior; ii. Dissatisfaction; iii. Group Development; iv. Leadership and influence However, since id, ego, super ego are primarily ‘ black-box’ explanation of human beings, as such the theory fails to reflect the human personality and behavior. This is the criticism which this theory faces. Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Social Learning Theory – The social learning theories of personality consider human behavior as an important behavior. It focuses on the behavior patterns and cognitive activities in relation to the specific conditions that evoke, maintain or modify them. This behavior is emphasized by the human behavior in a particular situation There are two ways of learning : 1. through reinforcement, direct experience and 2. learning by observing others, which is called Vicarious learning. Some of the personal variables that determine what an individual will do in a particular situation include the following: Competencies- intelligence ability, social skills, other abilities. Cognitive Strategies- Habitual ways of selectively attending to information and organising meaningful units. Outcome expectations- Expectations about the consequences of different behaviors and the meaning of certain stimuli Subjective value outcome- Different individuals behaving differently in the same situations Self regulatory systems and plans- Individual differences in self-imposed goals, rules guiding behavior, self-imposed rewards for success or punishment for failure, and ability to plan and execute steps leading to a goal will lead to differences in behavior. All these variables interact with the conditions of a particular situation to determine what an individual will do in that situation The social learning theorist have been criticized for over-emphasizing the importance of situational factors in behavior to the neglect of individual differences. An individual is regarded as flexible, malleable, and passive victim of external stimuli-the permanent pawn of environmental fate. Environmental conditions are held to be superior to human nature. Personality Theories Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Personality Theories Self Concept Theory – Carl Rogers and Abrham Maslow are credited with the humanistic theory of personality. Rogers Self Concept theory – This approach to personality is described as phenomenological, which is the study of the individual’s subjective experience, feeling, and private concepts as well as his views of the world and self. The behavior is dependent on how we perceive the world, that is the behavior is a result of immediate events as they are actually perceived and interpreted by the individual. Such an approach to personality emphasizes the self and its characteristics. This is often referred to as self theory personality because the best vantage point for understanding behavior is from the internal frame of reference of the individual himself. Basic to Rogers’ personality theory are two concept theory: self and self-actualization. The self consist of all the ideas, perceptions and values that characterize ‘I’ or ‘Me’; it includes the awareness ‘What I am’ and ‘What I can do’. Self-concept denotes the individual’s conception of the person he is. It is one’s image of oneself. This perceived (self-concept) influences both the person’s perception of the world and his own behavior. Self-actualization is the basic motivating force representing the inherent tendency of the organism to develop all its capabilities in ways which serve to maintain or enhance the person. Central to the humanistic approach are the following concepts: An individual is an integrated whole, Animal research is irrelevant to human behavior, Human nature is essentially good, Man has creative potential, and Psychological health of man is most important Personality Theories : By Manjiri Shanbhag Trait Theory – A personality trait is understood as being an enduring attribute of a person that apprears consistently in a variety of situations. A trait differentiates one from another in a relatively permanent or consistent way. This is abstract from an individual’s behavior and serves as an useful ‘ unit of analysis’ to understand personality. There are two ways of analyzing personality traits: (i) the person describes himself by answering questions about this attitudes, feelings, and behaviors; (ii) someone else evaluates the person’s traits either from what he knows about the individual or from direct observations of behavior. With the first method, a personality inventory is most often used, whereas the second usually involves using a rating scale. This is essentially a questionnaire in which the person reports reactions or feelings in certain situations. A personality inventory asks the same questions of each person, and the answers are usually given in a form that can be easily rated. This inventory is to measure a single dimension of personality or several personality traits simultaneously. A rating scale is a device for recording judgment about a trait. The rating scale is filled up by someone else by what he or she knows about the individual or by studying his or her behavior in certain situations. A major objection to trait theories is that they are very descriptive rather than analytical and are a long way from being comprehensive theories of personality. Behavior cannot be explained by trait theory. Personality Theories Personality Dimensions : By Manjiri Shanbhag Personality Dimensions Authoritarianism – Is a concept developed by psychologist Adorno during World War II to measure susceptibility to autocratic, fascist, or anti-democratic appeals. Since then the concept has been extended to the authoritarian personality, a generic term used to describe an individual who has strong belief in the legitimacy of established mechanisms of formal authority, views obedience to authority as necessary, exhibits a negative philosophy of people, adheres to conventional and traditional value systems, is intellectually rigid and opposes the use of subjective feelings. Machiavellianism- This is a term derived from the writings of Nicoli Machiavelli, which refers to individual’s propensity to manipulate people. Machiavellians would be prone to participate in organizational politics. They are also adept at interpersonal game-playing, power tactics, and identifying influence systems in organizations. Locus of Control- Refers to an individual’s belief that events are either within one’s control (internal locus of control) or are determined by forces beyond one’s control (external locus of control). These traits are m anifested in different behaviors which are significant to managers.