Home Depot and Lowes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Home Depot and Lowes - Case Study Example They were initially set up as a local hardware store but it turned out to be a nationwide chain of home improvement stores. They serve to all the needs for complete home improvements like products from bathrooms to the storage rooms and paints to safes. Lowes store has approximately 216, 000 employees all over its stores. Home Depot was started in the year 1978 and is operating currently in all 50 states of United States. They were initially a warehouse and then turned out as one of the America's best home improvement retailers providing products from appliances to hard wares. They have approximately 209, 300 employees working with them through out their stores. Both these organizations provide all the home improvement products under one roof. Lowes and Home Depot have their own websites for the customers to browse through and purchase products. They offer variety of facilities as an online shop. In the recent decade online shopping has become on of the most comfortable and preferred was of buying goods and services. The E-commerce times (2005) stated "Online shopping has increased over last year because both new and experienced Internet buyers are not only researching products and comparing prices online before making a purchase, but they are also finding good holiday discounts online," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//Net Ratings. It is important to keep the information and the content interesting so that there is a high inflow of new and existing customers to the site. There are few factors that are very essential for a website. The Gantt chart below represents the important aspects of a website from the Polls result of Port 80, Australian web industry association. Good functionality 1 4.35% Site content 9 39.13% Meeting customer's expectations 3 13.04% Search engine optimization 2 8.70% Good graphic design 2 8.70% Keeping content current 1 4.35% Professional presentation 2 8.70% User friendliness 3 13.04% Security of site where apply eg credit cards, privacy 0 0% A study on the websites of the home improvement retailers Lowes and Home depot: Lowes' website: Lowes has an exclusive website, www.lowes.com. The site is simple and neat which has its name and their caption which is "Let's build something together". The focal point is the photo at the centre of the home page. The picture simply demonstrates the availability of all the home improvement products at the store. The picture has all the products required for a complete living providing a spacious atmosphere interpreting the availability of modest merchandises. The description below that states "Campus kick off", which insists on the availability of all the home improvement products with them under one roof. The first glance of the site provides idea about the products available at the store, the offers at the store, quick link to other services and the service desk. The products in the site are separated according to the departments and rooms. This helps in easy identification and selection of products. The page also helps customer choose products by the offers at the store and ther e are a lot of useful information about Lowes in the home page. The

Water resources Essay Example for Free

Water resources Essay 1) Describe the path a molecule of water might follow through the hydrologic cycle from the ocean Evaporation takes place and the water molecule is taken high up in the atmosphere, where temperatures are very low. Continued accumulation of the molecules of water saturates the air and hence rain clouds are formed though condensation process. Precipitation in the form of rainfall, snow then occurs. Where precipitation occurs depends on whether or not the clouds were transported to land by advection process, or remained in the ocean. The cycle is at this point complete and the process starts all over again. 2) to land and back again. In the case where the clouds containing the water molecules are transported to land from the ocean by air currents through a process called advection, condensation as well as precipitation occurs over land. Some of the water on reaching the ground evaporates to the atmosphere while some penetrate to the ground to form underground water. But the largest portion of the water goes back to the ocean in the form of surface run off through streams and rivers. 3) Describe the least one example of the environmental costs of water diversion from river to farms or cities. Water pollution: On diversion to farms, the water is mainly used for irrigation purposes. Yet in these farms chemical fertilizers and pesticides are widely applied. The overflow of water is then released back to the rivers, often without proper treatment, carrying with it elements of the chemical fertilizers as well as those of pesticides from the farms, thus polluting river water downstream as well as lakes, seas and oceans into which he rivers drain their water. 4) Explain the difference between point and non-point pollution. Which is harder to control? Why? Point pollution is pollution that originates from a single source. Non-point pollution originates from many points. Non point pollution is harder to control because the sources are many thus not easily identifiable. 1) How does tectonic plate movement create ocean basins, mid ocean ridges, and volcanoes? The movement of tectonic plates could be in the direction of each other or drifting apart. When the plate drifts apart, and it so happens that their boundary is in the ocean, the result is to open a gap in this boundary. This gap, depending on the extend of movement, could form an oceanic basin, a mid oceanic ridge, or even a volcano. 2) Describe some of the mining, processing, and drilling methods that can degrade water or air quality. Underground mining pollutes underground water. Most mineral processing methods consume a lot of water and use chemicals that pollutes water in rivers when released back to them. 3) What resources, aside from minerals themselves, can be saved by recycling? Water resources, Forests, 1) What are the major sources of global energy? Hydroelectricity, Wood fuel, oil, and electricity from nuclear-powered power stations. 2) What are proven-in-place reserves? These the amount of oil that has been estimated to exist in an oil ground/field. 3) What are biofuels, how could they contribute to sustainability? Biofuels are fuels that are extracted from products of plants. The sources of these fuels are renewable thus support sustainability. Reference Shortle, J, Gerrard, D. (2001). Environmental policies for agricultural pollution control. NY: CABI.

A Study On The Social Security Social Policy Essay

A Study On The Social Security Social Policy Essay Social security defined as the protection which society provides for its members through a series of public measures against the economic and social distress that otherwise would be caused by the stoppage or substantial reduction of earnings resulting from sickness, maternity, employment injury, invalidity and death (ILO 1984:3), is perennial and ubiquitous as human society. It plays a significant role in the lives of many people especially those with minimal incomes. As noted by Hill (2006) it is collective action to protect individuals against income deficiencies Social security system therefore, is made up of one or more social security programmes, a method of financing, and a mode of administration, that can be configured to achieve particular social security objectives (Dixon 1999:10). This does not, however, necessarily imply uniformity of social security systems globally. This paper therefore seeks to examine the discrete social security systems that exist in different countries and as such bring to bear the sources of their difference. It would be argued that the distinction among countries is as a result of the diverse histories of social security provision as well as the different welfare regimes that take place in the various countries. The paper will further explore the diversity in relation to selective or universal social security systems in terms of social insurance, social assistance and social allowance/contingent benefits and draw on examples from UK, USA, Sweden, and Germany to substantiate the discussion. Social security is intrinsically aimed at poverty prevention or alleviation, compensation as well as redistribution of income. This function can be delivered through non systemic social security such as the family, voluntary organizations (charity, friendly societies, credit unions and trade unions) as well as market. The state however, plays a very significant role of social security provision in many countries. Notwithstanding the permeating nature of social security, there is diversity in the systems of operation globally and this is as a result of the ideological underpinnings of different countries. In other words, the social security provisioning in countries depend on the political ideologies and welfare regimes that exist and this to a large extent shape the system of social security. Dixon (1999:1) captures this as he writes the right of social security is realized in varying degrees in different countries, as determined by their traditions, history, level of socioeconomic development and the prevailing political and social philosophies, which come together and determine who should be the social security winners or losers. Thus, eligibility for social security benefits is one form of distinction that exists in different countries. This has to do with the conditions or prescriptions to be satisfied in order to receive a particular social security benefit. Either by way of selective me ans-test or universal citizenship benefits as well as contributory or non contributory tax financed benefits. Selective social security is where only particular individuals or groups are covered by a social security programme and this is usually based on means-test subject to household income and resources. The major function of selective social security is poverty alleviation and this is achieved through social assistance programmes. Social assistance is a selective means-tested social security system in which resources are targeted at those most in need. In the words of Dixon (1999:5), it is a selective-categorical approach to social security. This system unlike social insurance does not rely on personal contribution but is funded through public revenues (taxes and budgets). Eligibility is based on citizenship as well as residency and beneficiaries need to satisfy certain conditions like low income to qualify for allowances, grants and other supports to supplement their incomes. This could be provided in cash as in the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in USA, tax credits i n UK or in kind food stamps programme available to low income individuals and families in the USA (Walker2005:6). Universal social security on the other hand is a social security programme that gives coverage to the entire population whether citizens or residents and is a non contributory system. This social allowance program provides benefits to all legal residents (Bradshaw Deacon 1983) or citizens and financing is generally through public revenues. The essential function of this system is the prevention of poverty. Dixon (1999:8) describes this as a universal-categorical approach to social security, whereby usually flat-rate and uniform cash pensions and benefits are provided to residents (usually subject to minimum residency period requirement) or citizens in designated categories of presumed need, commonly without reference to their current or past employment experience. He further goes on to say social allowance recognizes common responsibility of all people for the welfare of others (Dixon 1999:64). Countries with such universal social security programs in terms of social allowance include UK, Sweden, New Zealand, Denmark etc. In the UK and Sweden, child allowances are major universal social security systems. In addition, Sweden has a basic universal non contributory citizens pension. Other universal social security systems include New Zealand old age allowance and Denmarks universal pension for old age or disability (OECD 1996). Moreover, citizenship based benefits is another form of universal social security in which a universal basic income is provided to citizens. Participation tested universal systems also provide universal benefits based on modified social insurance. Furthermore, social insurance is yet a strategy of social security and this is earnings related as well as contributory. In the terms of Dixon (1999:4) social insurance is an employment-related, contributory approach to social security. This is a selective social security system in which entitlements are based on prior contributions and either financed from current contribution revenue or past contribution income accrued. In addition, contribution is mandatory and may be based on flat rates or earnings related and its primary social security goal is to prevent poverty. The social insurance strategy is basically a major social security system globally for most pension schemes and as noted by Dixon (1999), about 148 countries have adopted it at least for one of their social security programmes. In addition to the differences in social security strategies outlined above, another source of difference in social security systems is attributable to the different types of welfare regimes. Welfare regimes according to Walker (2005:13) refer to the different ways in which countries or jurisdictions organize economic production and transfers within the context of a capitalist market economy. Based on the type of regime, social security provision could be shifted to the family, market or state. For instance in a liberal regime, emphasis is on the markets and hence the individual relies on family and private insurance for social security. In other words, collective welfare is provided through the market with residual targeted state support for those who are unable to contribute (Walker 2005). Countries within this category include USA and to some extent UK. A socially democratic regime emphasize on universalistic modified social insurance with dominant role of the state. Social security is seen as a universal right for citizens and as such universal basic benefits. As noted by Walker (2005:16), receipt of a public service or benefit becomes both a right and a badge of citizenship, a statement of equal worth and solidarity. The social security is funded through public revenues (taxation). For example Sweden and Denmark within this regime have universal child allowance and basic universal pensions respectively. On the other hand, in the conservative regimes, social security is provided through collective transfers or social insurance with little or no social assistance. The role of the state is that of promoting the welfare of its citizens through regulation and, where appropriate, facilitation (Walker 2005:16). Pooling of risk is a key component of this social security system. Emphasis is on the family and support is provided to the male breadwinner while the female homemaker is dependent on her employed husband (Walker 2005). In addition compensatory rights for workers as well as earnings related social insurance and family allowance are other forms of support. This regime is found in Germany, France and Japan. In the light of the foregoing discussion, the paper did bring to bear that social security is very crucial for poverty alleviation and prevention. This therefore explains its dominance globally but in different forms. The paper has discussed the difference in social security systems in relation to coverage (selective/universal) and the different strategies used as well as the different social security regimes which also shape the social security systems of various countries. Despite the diversity in systems of social security, it is possible to identify major strategies through which these social securities are constructed globally. This paper therefore looked at three major strategies, social assistance, social insurance and social allowance/contingent benefits in relation to UK, USA, Sweden and Germany as well as the different social security regimes. In conclusion, it can be emphasized that though social security systems differ in varied countries, they all aim at poverty alleviat ion or prevention, social compensation, redistribution of income, fostering social cohesion as well improving on the standard of living of people. References Bradshaw, J. Deacon, A. (1983) Reserved for the Poor Blackwell Ditch, J (1999) Poverty and Social Security in the European Union, in J. Ditch (ed.) Introduction to social security: Policies, benefits and poverty, London: Routledge, pp 227-38 Dixon, J. (1999) Social Security in Global Perspective Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers London Eardley, T. et al., (1992) Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Country Reports DSS Research Report No 47, Off Pubs. 42 f8919/46 Hill, M. (2006) Social Policy in the Modern World: A comparative text Blackwell. International Labour Organization (1984) Introduction to Social Security Geneva: ILO Kingson, E. Schulz, J. (1997) Social Security in the 21st Century New York: Oxford University Press Millar, J. (ed.) Understanding Social Security, 2009, Bristol: The Policy Press. Titmuss, M. R. (1956) The Social Division of Welfare University Press Walker, R. (2005) Social Security and Welfare: Concepts and Comparisons Open University Press

A Discourse on Inequality Essay -- Jean Jacques Rousseau Inequality Es

A Discourse on Inequality In Rousseau’s book â€Å"A Discourse On Inequality†, he looks into the question of where the general inequality amongst men came from. Inequality exists economically, structurally, amongst different generations, genders, races, and in almost all other areas of society. However, Rousseau considers that there are really two categories of inequality. The first is called Natural/Physical, it occurs as an affect of nature. It includes inequalities of age,, health, bodily strength, and the qualities of the mind and soul. The second may be called Moral/Political inequality, this basically occurs through the consent of men. This consists of the privileges one group may have over another, such as the rich over the poor. Rousseau came to the conclusion that the best way to examine the inequality in society is to examine the beginning of mankind itself. He tried to imagine the early state of man assuming there was ever actually a state where man existed only with the nature, in a solitary, and primitive lifestyle. He did not however revert as far back to the idea of the Neanderthal man to examine the ideas man held and where they came from. Instead, he looked at a state where man looked, and seemed to have the same physical abilities as he does today. Rousseau also concedes that a time where the ideas of government, ownership, justice, and injustice did not exist may not have ever existed. If what many religions tell us is true, then, in mans beginning, he was from the start, handed down laws from god which would influence his thinking and decisions. Through this, the only way such a period could come about would have to be through some catastrophic event, which would not only be impossible to ex plain, but consequently, impossible to prove. Therefore, imagining this state could prove not only embarrassing, but would be a contradiction to the Holy Scriptures. In the â€Å"natural state†, Rousseau suggests that we should strip man of all the â€Å"supernatural gifts† he may have been given over the course of time. He says we should â€Å"consider him, in a word, just as he must have come from the hands of nature, we behold in him an animal weaker than some, and less agile than others; but, taking him all around, the most advantageously organized of any.† He presumes that man’s needs would be easily satisfied. His food was easily gained, as wa... ...e significantly because in more instances remaining a part of the group was more of a benefit then not. Now that groups were steadily together, they began to expand their knowledge, their tool making abilities had increased, they learned to make huts, and did so because they believed they were easier to defend. Others would not try and take over this hut, not because it belonged to the one who built it, but either because it served no use to them, they were weaker, they could build it themselves, or most likely, they knew that they would have to fight with the family if they did attempt to take it. Instead, this person was likely to become a neighbor, rather then an enemy for the sheer motive of convenience. Essentially, the fact that others stood by as one did something for oneself, mimicked it rather than tearing it down, allowed for the ideas of property, and ownership. Property, as it grew large in its ideology would become too big for those who would eventually try to tear it down, this would lead to laws and groups who would enforce it as being a valid concept. Thus Ownershi p, Property, and Law are the basis for the outbreak and ever present inequality in our lives.

A Worn Path Critical Analysis Essay

â€Å"How old are you Granny? † he was saying. â€Å"There is no telling mister,† she said, â€Å"no telling. † â€Å"Well, Granny,† he said, â€Å"You must be a hundred years old and scared of nothing (216-217). † Granny is an old woman; described as â€Å"being so old that her skin was as if she had a tree in the middle of her forehead with numberless branching wrinkles (213). † Phoenix Jackson is her name. She is an African American woman, very old, withered and frail. Phoenix is the protagonist in Eudora Welty’s story â€Å"A Worn Path. Throughout time, people have gone on their own journeys, traveling rocky roads, climbing mountains while overcoming obstacles along the way; while grasping on to hope to strengthen each step they take. This short story begins in southern Mississippi, likely in the early 1900’s. It is a cold December morning, the earth still frozen; and once again Phoenix will begin her long journey through the thick pine woods. Despite the odds that are against her, Phoenix’s determination and undying love for her grandson will carry her the many miles she has to travel. What are the odds that are against Phoenix? See more:how to write a critical analysis outline What obstacles does Phoenix have to overcome? What is her destination? The greatest odd that stands against Phoenix is her age. She is very old and tired. On her journey she must walk over a hill, when she reaches the top she says, â€Å"Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far (214). † Despite her age, Phoenix still exists, because she has a purpose. She is able to conquer all because of the love she has for her grandson. Phoenix knows that it is up to her to walk to town to retrieve the medicine he needs to live. She is all he has, he depends on her. The strength she receives Lewis2 feeds off of the love she has for him. Phoenix endured many obstacles on her journey to town. One of the biggest obstacles she has to overcome is a wild dog. The wild dog appears and causes Phoenix to fall down. She is not able to get up, so she talks to herself, â€Å"That black dog comes up out of those woods to stall you off (216). † She is telling herself this because it helps her to be strong as if she is thinking your not going to let this dog deter you, are you? Now, along comes the second obstacle. A hunter appears with his dog. He is a white man. Even though he is a God send and saves her; he is a racist and bully. He tells her she needs to go home where she will be safe. She tells him no! She is on her way to town, and she is not stopping until she gets there. Then he tries to intimidate Phoenix by pointing a gun right in her face and asking her if it scares her with an arrogant smirk on his face. She stands up to him, stares him straight in the eyes and tells him she is not scared of it or him and has seen many guns in worse situations. During this time he drops a nickel; Phoenix sneakily picks it up and puts it in her pocket. As he walks away she says to herself, â€Å"God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing (217). † Even though she knows stealing is wrong, she feels that God will pardon her and this time it is justifiable due to the humiliation he put her through. Once again for the sake of her grandson she finds the inner strength she needs to continue on. She finally arrives to the town of Natchez and went straight to the Dr. ’s office. She was so tired now that she was depending solely on her feet to guide her and take her up the flights of stairs that stood before her and to the correct office; where she faces yet Lewis3 another obstacle. Now, standing in the office, when the receptionist asks for her name, her mind goes blank. The receptionist starts making racial slurs, â€Å"A charity case I suppose (218). † It wasn’t until the nurse who knew Phoenix came out and refreshed her memory that she finally remembered why she was there. She is overwhelmed by guilt, wondering how she could forget her grandson, her life, her purpose. She begins reflecting her life as if she is trying to find a justifiable reason for forgetting about him. She blames this on the fact that she is uneducated. She makes a vow with herself never to forget her grandson again. The receptionist who seemed very cold in the beginning now finds within herself compassion towards Phoenix and offers to give her a few pennies. Even though Phoenix is uneducated she lets her know five pennies make a nickel, with that, the receptionist gives her a nickel. Phoenix is happy, she now knows that the nickel along with the nickel she took from the hunter is enough money to buy her grandson a Christmas present. This replenishes her soul and spirit to begin her long journey on the path back home. For whatever reason, Phoenix is the only one in the world her grandson has to care for him. This is her purpose in life. She has traveled down this path at least two or three years to get his medicine. She also knows that when she leaves him, he is all by himself until she returns. There is nothing a good grandmother would not do for the sake of her grandchild. This is enough purpose to give Phoenix the endurance she needs to go on. This story shows us that love can conquer all things.

Psychological persperctive in health and social care Essay

The behaviourist perspective The behaviourist perspective is an idea that we can understand any type of behaviour by looking at what the person has learned. This includes personality traits such as shyness, confidence, optimism or pessimism. Behaviourist psychologists explain all human behaviour as resulting from experience. Two key psychologists are Pavlov and skinner, although these two theorists believed that different processes were involved, they both explained all types of behaviour as being the result of learning. This is everything from shyness to aggression and happiness to depression. Classical conditioning Classical conditioning was a theory developed by a Russian psychologist called Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). He was working with dogs to investigate their digestive systems. The dogs were attached to a harness and Pavlov attached monitors to their stomachs and mouths so he could measure the rate of salivation. He noticed that the dog began to salivate when someone entered the room with a bowl of food, but before the dog had eaten the food. Since salivation is a reflex response, this seemed unusual. Pavlov decided that the dog was salivating because it had learned to associate the person with food. He then developed a theory. Food automatically led to the salivation response, since this response had not been learned, he called this an unconditioned response, which is a response that regularly occurs when an unconditioned stimulus is presented. As food automatically leads to this response, he called this unconditioned stimulus, which is a stimulus that regularly and consistently leads to an automatic response. Pavlov then presented food at the same time as ringing a bell (neutral stimulus), to see if the dog would learn to associate the bell with food. After several trials, the dog learned that the bell was associated with food and eventually it began to salivate only when the bell was rung and no food was presented. It therefore has learned the conditioned response (CR) of salivation to the conditioned stimulus (CS) of the bell. Operant conditioning This sort of learning is associated with the theories of Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904 – 1990). Skinner was an American psychologist who worked  mostly with rats and pigeons, to learn some of the key principles of learning new behaviours. He used a very famous device, called a skinner box. Skinner famous device was a box which contained a lever which, when pressed, releases a food pellet into the box, thus reinforcing lever-pressing behaviour. When the rat is first placed in the box it will run around and sniff the various items in the box and at some point it will press the lever, releasing a food pellet. After a while of the repeated performed action the rat will learn this behaviour (pressing the lever) is automatically followed by the release of a food pellet (the consequence). Because the pellet is experienced as reinforcing (something the rat would like to have more of), this consequence increases the probability of the behaviour being repeated. There are two types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Skinner investigated negative reinforcement by running a very low electrical current throughout the floor of the Skinner box. The current can be de-activated if the rat pressed the lever. The behaviour of lever pressing was thus negatively reinforcing. For humans, this can be demonstrated by the example of using pain relief. For example, if you have aches and pains and you take a painkiller, which results in the aches and pains going away, you are negatively reinforced for taking a painkiller. Punishment occurs only when behaviour is followed by a consequence that is experienced as unpleasant. Skinner investigated this by giving the rat a small electric shock when the rat pressed the lever. The consequence of the lever pressing (the electric shock) was experienced as unpleasant, so the rat learned to stop pressing the lever. Social learning theory The effects of other individuals on behaviour There are many influences on our behaviour, for example peers, siblings, parents, television, media, sports personalities and other celebrities. Well according to social learning theory, role models are very important. While we may learn new behaviours from anyone, the likelihood of imitating behaviours is strongly influenced by the way we perceive the person performing the behaviour (the model). If we observe someone we admire behaving in a particular way, we may be more likely to imitate such behaviour. If, for example The effects of groups on behaviour Our behaviour is strongly influenced by the presence of others, however much we believe ourselves to be truly individuals in our beliefs and behaviour. Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the experiments conducted in the 1950’s by social psychologist Solomon Asch. He was interested in a concept called majority influence. This is when the presence of other people causes us to change our public behaviour or opinions because we do not want to stand out from the crowd (be different). We have a powerful desire to belong and will ‘go along’ with what others in our group say, think and do in order to FIT IN. This is what he did to test this idea. A group of six of the experimenter (people who were play-acting according to instructions) were joined by a naive participant (a genuine participant who knew nothing about the nature of the experiment) in a task that supposedly tested visual perception. The experimenter explained that the task involved stating whet her a target line. The effects of culture and society on behaviour The term culture refers to the shared values, norms, language, customs and practices of a group. Most of us tend to think of culture as being specific to different countries. It is important to understand how culture affects our behaviour in order to gain a full understanding of people we come across and those we work with. The self-fulfilling prophecy This part is an important concept in psychology that plays a big role on the way we behave towards others and expect them to behave towards us. If we believe ourselves to be worthy, pleasant and likeable then we will most definitely be polite and cheerful towards those we meet and this will create a favourable impression. In response to those who may come into contact with us view us favourably and behave in a positive way towards us, with the result that our own positive self-beliefs are confirmed. To put it another way, we are angry, full of resentment, believe the world is against us and more, then we are likely to behave in a more aggressive, confrontational or argumentative way, in which case that is how we will be viewed, which will confirm our views of ourselves and the world. Role theory Between role theory and the self-fulfilling prophecy there is a similarity, in that role theory comments that because we live within a particular culture, society and social group, we are influenced by other people. This influence helps lead us to taking up certain roles and trying to live up to the expectations that go with that role. Albert Bandura Social learning theory explains behaviour as the result of learning from people we are exposed to in our environment. We can also learn new behaviours from people we observe, either in real life or in the media. This is known as observational learning and this theory was developed by the American psychologist, Albert Bandura. The person we learn from is known as a role model, and the process of imitating is called modelling. However, we do not imitate all behaviour we observe and remember. Whether or not it is in our interests to imitate particular behaviour is influenced by characteristics of the model. If we see a model being punished for certain behaviour, we are less likely to imitate it than if we see him or her being positively reinforced. The psychodynamic approach The importance of the unconscious mind: Sigmund Freud Freud was one of the earliest thinkers to bring to public attention the idea that we are not always aware of all aspects of ourselves. He suggested that what we are aware of is represented in our conscious mind but many of our memories, feelings and past experiences are locked up in a part of our mind he called ‘unconscious’. We cannot access the contents of our unconscious, but they often ‘leak out’ in dreams and slips of the tongue. Freud believed that the conscious mind was like the tip of an iceberg – only a small part being available to awareness. Part of the unconscious that we can easily access he called the pre-conscious. This contains information not yet in consciousness but that can easily be retrieved (e.g. the name of your friends dog). The rest, well under the surface, consisted of the unconscious. Importance of early experiences The importance of early experience in determining later behaviours is clearly  illustrated by Freud’s developmental theory of psychosexual stages. He believed that we all go through several stages of psychosexual development. At every stage, the individual’s libido (energy) is focused on a part of the body that is particularly relevant at that stage. If the needs of the developing child are met at each stage, it moves on to the next developmental stage. If however, there is struggle or conflict or some unsatisfactory experience, the individual becomes ‘fixated’ (stuck) at this stage. This results in certain ways of being, or personality traits, which are carried through into adulthood and which can explain behaviour later in life. The earliest stage is the ‘oral stage’. The focus here is on the mouth and activities such as sucking, biting and licking. (You will probably have noticed that young babies seem to put everything in their mouths.) Freud believed that there could be two reasons for fixation. If the infant was weaned too early, it would feel forever under-gratified and unsatisfied and would develop into a pessimistic, sarcastic person. If, on the other hand, it was over- gratified (weaned too late) the individual would develop a gullible personality, naively trusting in others and with a tendency to ‘swallow anything’. This stage lasts from birth to roughly 18 months. If the infant successfully passes through the oral stage without becoming fixated, the next stage is the ‘anal stage’, which lasts from approximately one to three years. Here the libido is focused on aspects to do with potty training. If there is a battle with parents about potty training with the child feeling forced to use the potty before they are r eady, or feeling over – controlled in various areas, they may rebel by retaining their faeces: the child refuses to ‘go’, thus holding on to control and withholding satisfaction from the parent. This type of fixation is called ‘anally retentive’ and is associated with later personality characteristics such as obstinacy, miserliness and obsessive traits. The alternative scenario is that the child is not given enough boundaries over potty training so they take excessive pleasure in excretion and become a messy, creative, disorganised sort of person. During the ages of four to five the child passes through the ‘phallic stage’. Fixation at this stage is associated with anxiety and guilty feelings about sex and fear of castration for males. If this stage is not resolved, the theory suggests that a boy may become homosexual and a girl may become a lesbian. Freud thought these were  abnormal fixations; however most people today would not view them in this way. Between the ages of five to seven and the onset of puberty, the child enters the ‘latency stage’, which is not strictly speaking a developmental phase but a time when the focus is on s ocial pursuits such as sport, academic excellence and the development of friendships. The final psychosexual stage is the ‘genital stage’, which begins at puberty. Freud believed that the less fixated the individual has become during the earlier stages, the more easily this stage will be negotiated, resulting in the ability to form strong heterosexual relationships with an ability to be warm and loving as well as to receive love in a new, mature fashion. A second important feature of early experience is the development of ego defence mechanisms. The use of a defence mechanism allows us to block out events that threaten to overwhelm us. A final influence is that of the mind. Freud suggested that the mind (which he called the psyche) is divided into three dynamic parts. The id is a part of the mind which is totally unconscious and which exists at birth. It is focused on getting what it wants and consists of aggressive, sexual and loving instincts. It is the part of us that says ‘i want it now!’ The superego is formed as a result of socialisation and consists of all instructions, morals and values that are repeatedly enforced as we ar e growing up. It takes on the form of a conscience and also represents our view of our ideal self. The main role of the superego is to try to subdue the activity of the id. The ego tries to balance the demands of the id and the superego. It is the rational part of the mind, always seeking to do what is most helpful to the individual. Different behaviours can be understood by trying to infer which part of the psyche is dominant at any time. A person who is very submissive, guilty and always wanting to please may have a very strong superego. A person who is impulsive, careless of other people’s feelings, doesn’t think through the consequences of their actions and is perhaps inclined to aggression, either verbal or physical, probably has a dominant id. A person who can be submissive and assertive when necessary, who is bale to think about other people’s feelings but also consider and value their own needs, has probably got a strong enough ego to balance the demands of the id and the superego. They are likely to have quite a rational and realistic outlook on life. Erik Erikson Erik Erikson was a psychologist who agreed with much of Freud’s theory in so far as he thought that we developed through a series of stages. However, he thought that these continued throughout our lifetime and were essentially social in nature. He also believed that Freud put too much emphasis on our desire for individual gratification and not enough on our need to be accepted by society and lead a meaningful life. Erikson suggested that we move through a series of psychosocial crises with a different social focus at each stage. For example between birth and the age of one, the life crisis concerns developing trust or mistrust in self and others. The social focus at this stage is the mother. The humanistic perspective Human psychology looks at human experience from the viewpoint of the individual. It focuses on the idea of free will and the belief that we are all capable of making choices for ourselves. Two psychologists associated with this approach are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Abraham Maslow Maslow (1908-1970) was an American psychologist who believed that we are all seeking to become the best that we can possibly can- spiritually, physically, emotionally and intellectually. He called this Self-actualisation. He constructed a theory known as the hierarchy of needs, in which he explained that every human being requires certain basic needs to be met before they can approach the next level. Maslow believed that until our basic psychological needs are met, we will focus all our energies on getting them met and not be able to progress further. When people are well-housed, well-fed and comfortable physically, we begin to focus on our emotional needs, like the need to belong and be loved and to feel self-esteem. When our lives are such that these needs are also met, we strive to self-actualise. As Maslow said ‘A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if that person is to be ultimately at peace with their self’. What a person can be, they must be. This need we call self-actualisation. Carl Rogers Rogers (1902-1987) was particularly interested in the concept of self. There are many aspects of the self but two are especially important here. Self-concept refers to the way in which we view ourselves. This includes  physical, biological attributes like being male or female, blonde or brunette, short or tall, as well as personality traits like being kind, humble, assertive and hard working. The self -concept is formed from an early age and young children internalise other people’s judgements of them, which then become a part of their self –concept. If a child is told their silly, naughty apart of self-concept will contain these aspects. Another way of looking at it is a child is praised, encouraged to succeed and told they are valued; they will have a positive self-concept and see themselves as someone who is worthwhile and competent. Rogers believed that we also hold a concept of self, called the ideal self. This holds a view of ourselves as we feel we should be an d as we would like to be. When there is a mismatch between our actual self and our ideal self we become troubled and unhappy. The cognitive/information processing perspective This psychological perspective has gained enormous ground since the 1960’s, when the influence of behaviourism began to happen. With the development of computers came the idea that brain activity was like the operation of a computer. A great deal of research had been devoted to understanding cognitive processes such as attention, memory, perception, information processing, problem solving, thought language and other aspects of cognition. A way to understand this perspective is it relates to health and social care, we are going to concentrate on just two theorists: Jean Piaget and George Kelly. Jean Piaget Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss psychologist who initially worked on measuring intelligence. During his research he noticed children of the same age made the same mistakes in logic, however bright they were. He came to the conclusion that cognition develops through a series of stages, each new stage building on the previous one. George Kelly George Kelly (1905-1966) developed a unique psychological theory known as the psychology of Personal Constructs. He saw the individual as a scientist, making predictions about the future, testing them and, if necessary, revising them according to new evidence. A construct is a way of construing (interpreting and making sense of) reality and the environment. For example if an individual develops The biological perspective Maturational theory The theory of maturation holds that the effects of the environment are minimal. The child is born with a set of genetic instructions passed down from its parents, and its cognitive, physical and other developmental processes merely unfold over time, rather than being dependent upon the environment to mature. It is, in effect, a theory which states that development is due to nature not nurture. This is quite a contrast to the learning theory or humanistic theory, where the effects of nurture are paramount. Gesell’s theory of maturation Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) believed that development occurred according to a sequence of maturational processes. For example, development in the womb follows a fixed set of stages: the heart begins to form first, along with the rudimentary nervous system. Bones and muscles develop next and over time the organism develops into a fully functioning human being, ready to be born. As the child develops from birth onwards, its genes allow it to flower gradually into the person he or she is meant to be. The environment should provide support for this unfolding of talents, skills, personality and interests but the main thing driving this development is the maturational process. Genetic influences on behaviour Genes can affect behaviour in many ways. Some disorders, like Huntington’s disease, are caused by a single dominant gene, which either parent can pass on to their child. Others, like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anaemia, are caused when both parents pass on the gene for the disorder. Disorders that occur regardless of the environmental influences, such as those listed above, are genetically determined disorders. This means that the individual who inherits the gene or genes is certain to develop the disorder, regardless of the environmental factors. An example of this is Huntington’s disease. This disorder usually begins to show when the individual is aged between 30 and 50 years. Symptoms of dementia appear and the individual is likely to die about 15 years after the onset. Some of the changes in  behaviour are listed below, though this list is not comprehensive: Hallucinations and delusions Severe confusion Progressive memory less Inappropriate speech; use of jargon or wrong words Personality changes including anxiety and depression, withdrawal from social interaction, decreased ability to care for oneself and inability to maintain employment. Disorders that are not genetically determined, but where an individual’s genes may leave them with a vulnerability to developing the disorder, are far more common. A classic way of measuring the contribution of genes to any type of behaviour is through twin studies. There are two types of twins. Monozygotic or identical, twins share 100 percent of their genetic material since they are formed from only one fertilised egg, which has divided into two. Dizygotic or (fraternal) twins share only 50 per cent of genetic material since they occur when two eggs are fertilised by different sperm at the same time. If, the reasoning goes, one of a pair of monozygotic twins has a disorder, it would be expected that, if genes are the only influence, the second twin must also have the disorder. The influence of the nervous and endocrine systems on behaviour The autonomic nervous system produces its effects through activation of nerve fibres throughout the nervous system, brain and body or by stimulating the release of hormones from the endocrine glands (such as the adrenal and pineal glands). Hormones are biochemical substances that are released into the bloodstream and have a profound effect on target organs and on behaviour. They are present in very small quantities and individual molecules have a very short life, so their effects quickly disappear if they are not secreted continuously. There are a large number of hormones including: Melatonin, which is released by the pineal gland and acts on the brainstem sleep mechanisms to help synchronise the phases of sleep and activity. Testosterone, which is released in the testicles and may influence aggressiveness. Oxytocin, which is released by the pituitary gland and stimulates milk production and female orgasms. Some hormones are released as a response to external stimuli. For example, the pineal gland responds to  reduced daylight by increasing production of melatonin. Other hormones follow a circadian rhythm, with one peak and one trough every 24 hours. (Circadian means ‘about a day’ and refers to a 24 hour rhythm). For instance, levels of cortisol rise about an hour before you wake up and contribute to your feelings of wakefulness or arousal.