Industrial Activity and Environment in China Article

Industrial Activity and Environment in China - Article Example There is a need to find some ways to enable economic growth as well as reducing the environmental pollution. The article discusses the economic aspects with respect to the environmental perspective. However, China is considered as the reference country to depict the industrial growth and the concentration of different harmful pollutants to the atmosphere. As China has the world’s biggest population, the number of industries in China is increasing day by day and with the increase China has become the biggest producer of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that with this massive amount of air pollution about 300, 0000 people die annually. There is a need to consider the environmental health with the economic growth. Despite the fact that the China has the world’s biggest population, the average air pollution decreased due to the certain efforts of China’s environmental regulatory authorities. Results show that the average atmospheric SO2 levels decreased around 1997 to 2002, while, a little increase was seen in 2000. However, an increase in the average atmospheric SO2 is seen around 2002 to 2004. Similarly the average level of soot emission also decreased around 1997 to 2002 and a minor increase was seen around 2002 to 2004. The similar case is with the dust emissions from industries. These are the three major components of air pollution. The decrease in these three components consequently lowered the pollution intensity, which was at the recorded level in 1998 and now it is on the lowest level. The major producers of the pollutants are the China’s manufacturing industries like the steel/iron industries in China. Thus the industries are considered as the dirtiest industries among all other.

Basic personality of an individual

Basic personality of an individual Its very important for an individual to know about his personality. â€Å"Personality has been defined as an individuals characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour, together with the psychological mechanismshidden or notbehind those patterns†. No two persons can be the same they differ at any point even the twins possess different personality behaviour. Over period of research analysis it was found out that the personality is determined by the Heredity, Environment and Situation of the individual. (Robbins Judge, 2009) I have never thought of what my personality is, so when i was asked to write an essay on what my personality was it was just a great task for me to writing about my personality. Later with the help of Prentice Halls Self Assessment Library i came to know a little about my personality. At first it seemed to be a normal one for me to attend the test but later after seeing the results had me to take the test seriously and was involved in the test to find my personality. So with the help of this Self Assessment test, this essay will be discussing my personality behaviour and the thing that motivate me in the job environment. My basic personality: Emotional stability, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and openness to experience. These are called as Big Five models of personality (Robbins Judge,2009).Emotions are the intense feelings that are directed at someone are something. I am always enthusiastic person but becoming a calm person by and by. I always lose my calmness easily but by doing some personality development classes I have started being a calm person and enthusiastic person. When a work is assigned to me and if it is capable of me to work i do it with enthusiasm and finish it. I am a person who thinks that the responsibility is achieved and cannot be taken. It is us who are responsible for ones future and about dependability to say I depend on many sources like my friends, elders during some actions. As I used to like in the residential campus from my schooling so in the starting days i used to be an introvert person being alone and used to talk to only few persons but by and by as the time passes I changed myself into an extrovert person and started getting together with other persons and like the company of others. I am also not an openness person because comfortableness is found in the ones which are familiar to me rather than the ones that are not familiar to me. Jungian 16-Type Personality: This test tells that my score result is ENTP which means i am an innovative, individualistic, versatile and entrepreneurial. I have an idea of establishing an sole business for profits and also like to face risks and take challenges it was easy forme to adopt to the surrounding and I am an person who does not like to be independent and like to be a fellow person in a group rather than a some person in a group. Am I a Type-A? : In this personality test i achieved A+ personality type. I believe that it reflects only some of my qualities like that aggressive, moving, walking, eating rapidly and the impatient quality and job satisfaction in routine and really on speed. As of doing work i dont like to do both things at a time but rather like concentrating on each thing and like to work out in groups I dont like to wok on long term results but rather like to work on fast yielding results.. Ambiguity: Ambiguity refers to the term doubtfulness or uncertainty. This can be interacted as the uncertainty in the behaviour of the person seen at different situations. (Ritov and Droary, 1996) I do agree with the test partially as it reflects my personality because i tend to be more comfortable in front of the known people rather than the ones whom i dont know. I like the things going in the same way rather than changing immediately. But this one is worked out to be only outside the organization but within the organization the result reflects my personality. So for me the result reflects my personality in the work place or an organization because I like to work in a group if i am uncertain of what i am i cant be friendly to the other people. So by this I cant say that i can handle ambiguity depending on the circumstances around me. Creativity: Creativity is one of the finest ability to survive in the present world. â€Å"Roger von Oech Creative thinking involves imagining familiar things in a new light, digging below the surface to find previously undetected patterns, and finding connections among unrelated phenomena.†Ã‚   I am not an creative person but was good at studies and score good percentage but the creative ability is very less in me .During my group presentation I could find the things that are available only but could not come up with anything new which my fellow mates could come up with on a particular idea. Hence i can judge to myself that i am low at creative thinking Being creative is seeing the same thing as everybody else but thinking of something different All the five assessments test discussed above are about my personality now we will discuss about the things that motivate me and there insights. The first test is about what Motivates Me? Motivation means â€Å"The process that accounts for an individuals intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal†. (Robbins Judge, 2009: 175).The key elements in motivation are Intensity, Direction, Persistence. For the test the analysis was made on the Growth, relatedness and Existence needs. I prefer to be given an loyal pay for the work done that was done me rather than adjusting with the unbalanced pay and if you are paid according to the work this would motivate you and make you to work hard .It was during my job as a marketing sales executive where my boss called everyone up and said he would be giving an bonus payment for the ones who makes more sales for every three months, this announce by the boss has made everyone to work hard and it helped everyone on both sides. Dominant Needs: The dominant test was carried out on four social needs Achievement, Affiliation, Autonomy, Power. I agree with the test result because i am so much focused to excel in my studies during my under graduation time because of my failure in a unit ,so during the next exam I thought to improve myself and perform better than the past result and achieved it and the similar one is being following in my life like doing the things with comparing the past results. Even the companies take the past result into consideration and plan the present strategy. The other social needs are still satisfactory for me. On the test result of what i value most? It Is a very good test question for me because it reflects most of my ideas in doing or choosing an job at an organization. As of the result shows my ideas of an ideal job whether it is a good pay, prestigious title, vacation time, security in job, recognition,interesting work, plesent working conditions friendly co-workers but i scored quite low in the flexible schedule which says that i like to work in an designed schedule rather than frequent changes. The next test is Whats my view on the nature of people? This test result was based on the Douglas McGregors Theory X and Theory Y. It is said by the Douglas McGregors that the person with Theory X possess to be lazy, disinterest in working while the Theory Y is quite contradictory to Theory X. Persons with Theory Y tend to work interestingly and are very responsible in their work.Based on the scores of the result the personality of a person is divided evenly. According to the assessment test result I am flexible in the selection of my senses. An example for this can be during the group formation of a particular unit. Each and everyone are new for me and I have no idea of their knowledge, personality and behaviour. Few of them looked to be smart , not active, lazy and thought I had fallen in an unexpected group and have decided to try my luck in the group but as the timed passed by the group was more friendly and everyone are quite different from what I judged. The next test is on the course performance goals? The test is basically trying to test our reasons to study and whether it is an goal oriented study course work or not. I have come to Australia from India for doing my Post graduation in Telecom and Business Management. As I want to explore my knowledge globally and three would be no sense if I have come here without any goal and waste my money. I have done my Under graduation in India and as have a goal of establishing an business and thought to establish that business in Australia. So thought to do my post Graduation in Australia which help me in two things like getting to know the Australian culture and will also be obtaining a study degree. The next question is about how confident am i in my Abilities to succeed? Without self confidence and hard work achieving goals is not easy. Robbins and Judge (2009) states that self-efficacy refers to an individuals belief that he or she is capable of performing a task .An example for this can be the recent job which i had got in an software company .My role is to call the customers and remind them to make their outstanding balances, at first when i started making calls i was so much shocked by the responses of the customers and as it a new challenge for me to compete i thought to withdrew from the job by the response of the customers but the team leader helped me in rising my confidence and after that the job was not as it is before . The next test is about my Attitude toward Achievement: this test helps in understanding the reaction of the individual on the success of the others. The scores tell me that i favour very less seeing the successful people fall. An example for this can be the present fall of an Indian originated MNC company SATYAM. The chairman of the company had worked hard to build-up the company but he had been cheating the company share holders from past few years showing fake annual results of the company. I do also like to see the successful people being rewarded. An example for this can be the Issue of Oscar award to the Indian Musician A.R.Rahman. I like to get paid for what i do and expect to be given the same importance as other who do the same work as I do. In a short and simple to say i expect the outcomes to be the same as the incomes of which i keep. The assessment result says my character as the equity sensitivities which is an mirror image of my quality and idea. The job motivation potential is calculated depending on the factors of skills,task identity,task significance,Autonomy and Feedback.I like to work in a job where there is variety ,less contribution moderate autonomy and a constant feedback for my work. During my job as an call centre operator i used to have variety tasks to complete and my contribution would be less for the company and used to get a constant feedback for every call I talk. Do I want an Enriched job? Everyone like to have a enriched job. â€Å"job enrichment strategies may not have the same effects in more collectivistic cultures than they do in individualistic cultures† (Robbins and Judge, 2009: 237).The result shows that i like have a job with innovation, security, friendly employees and my ability to excel. It would be wonderful thing to summarise my essay in few lines. With the help of this essay it was able for me to know my personality and motivation. My personality is an emotional stability one with a less creative knowledge and stress based and have ambiguity quality and need to reduce this. On for the ones that motivates me are the during my job is the good pay for the job ,friendly environment, power to do, security in the job, mindset of the people, aim oriented and the attitude towards the achievement and the level of confidence in achieving the goal.

Free Hamlet Essays: Imagery in Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Imagery in Hamlet  Ã‚   The imagery in the play of Hamlet is composed of disease, poison, and decay this adds to the overall atmosphere of horror and tragedy. First, hamlet uses images of disease to show the state of the country of Denmark and his mother. Second, the imagery of poison is used to describe his father’s death. Lastly, Hamlet describes his feelings toward himself and Claudius and his feelings toward his mother by using images of decay. In Hamlet, as in all literature, imagery adds to reader’s ability to imagine the feeling of the story. In the first act of Hamlet, Hamlet uses imagery of disease to describe the state of Denmark. He is unhappy with what has happened with the country. "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark." He is describing how disgusted he is with his mother and how she is sleeping with his uncle using images of disease. "It will but skin and film the ulcerous place / Whiles rank corruption, mining all within, infects unseen." The imagery of disease is a main factor in this story and is used in large amounts. It shows a feeling of disgust that Hamlet has with the surrounding situation in the play and his life. Imagery of poison is used when the ghost describes the death of Hamlets father in a way to disgust Hamlet and goad hi into revenge. "†¦/ thy uncle stole / with juice of cursed hebona in a vile, / And in the porches of my ears did pour / The leperous distilment, whose effect / Holds such an enmity with blood of man / †¦ / And curd, like eager droppings into milk, / †¦ / with vile and loathsome crust / All my smooth body." The imagery of poison is used to express and induce a feeling of horror into the reader. Hamlet is obsessed with suicide and wants his skin to melt off because he is disgusted with himself. "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew†¦" This adds a felling that hamlet is disturbed and growing worse. He then wants the king to die like a beggar and rip out his guts. "Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress / through the guts of a beggar." This shows an effect that hamlet is angry and disturbed by adding a felling of horror.

“I wish I could remember” by Christina Rossetii Essay

Christina Rossetii had expressed her regret and longing to recall the â€Å"first day, first hour, first moment† of the â€Å"unrecorded† first meeting of her youthful love. She consider the first meeting â€Å"mean so little† in the old days, she thought it was â€Å"dull† to remember the youthful love that she knew would not last long in her life. However, as time pass by, She felt regretful she would like and wish to â€Å"recall† the memory of the â€Å"days of day† and â€Å"first touch of hand in hand†. Metaphor, simile and personification were used in the poem as to express her emotion of regret. Christina Rossetii wrote â€Å"my tree† as to represent her life with metaphor. Also, she express memory to â€Å"thaw of bygone snow† by simile. She also made use of personification as to show the memory fade out into slip away. Besides, she had make use of words related to senses such as â€Å"touch†, â€Å"see† and â€Å"say†. Moreover, she used repetition, alliteration, assonance and internal rhymes. For repetition, she repeated the word â€Å"I could† many times as to express her longing to remember the memory of the meeting. For alliteration, she used the words like â€Å"meeting me† to attract us. For assonance, she stress on the vowel sound ‘O’ very much to catch our soundings. And for internal rhymes, she used words like ‘hour’ and ‘your’, ‘see’ and ‘foresee’, ‘o ne’ and ‘know’. Christina Rossetii used the image of season, time, memory, nature, evasion and nothingness in â€Å"I wish I could remember†. She made the contrast in summer and winter in season as she express the past has gone just like the â€Å"bygone snow† by using metaphor and now her â€Å"first day, first hour, first moment† just like season and time go so fast and could not be caught. Besides, she showed her longing to remember the moment by making use of the words of recollect’, ‘remember’, ‘recall’ and ‘bygone’. Moreover, she created the image of nature with words like ‘tree’ and ‘blossom’ as things change everyday like nature does although it is beautiful and wonderful that she miss that particular â€Å"first day†. Also, she indicated her love has gone and so as the memory of that day as the evasion with words like slip away by personification. She did not want to remember that day in her life as she didn’t think it was worth and just to evade. Besides, she used the nothingness with words â€Å"traceless†, â€Å"aught† to show the vanishing memory of  the first meeting memory. She loved to use conditionals in the sonnet s to express her longing for going back to the past and recollect the first meeting memory. She had used the falling tone as to express her regret, sadness and longing to remember also. Christina Rossetii stress on her theme that we would feel different at different stages of our life. And as her own experience, she thought the first meeting was not a big deal in her life and did not worth to remember it. But while she realized that feeling last long and she thought this mean so much and she just want to recollect that memory of the first day. We always learnt to regret and cherish after losing but not before losing it, we should learn to cherish everything around us as not to be regretful till the end.

Effect of Temperature on Content of Vitamin C Essay

Introduction A daily intake of Vitamin C is essential for humans. Without it, the disease scurvy develops as sailors, explorers and people during the long winters in the Northern hemisphere found before the time of Captain Cook. The British Navy started giving sailors lime juice to prevent scurvy on long voyages in 1795. Vitamin C is found in high levels in foods such as oranges, limes, lemons, blackcurrants, parsley and capsicums. Vitamin C is water soluble and is therefore not stored or synthesized in the body, thus a daily supply is required. It breaks down, and is no longer effective due to factors such as extreme temperatures or storage for more than a few days. Aim To investigate the effect of temperature of juice on the content of Vitamin C. Variables Independent: Temperature of orange juice – 25 °C, 50 °C, 100 °C Dependent: Content of Vitamin C recorded by the number of Iodine drops Controlled: Amount of orange juice – 2mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Amount of starch solution – 2mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Amount of hydrochloric acid 1M – 2 drops from a dropper bottle Controlled: Amount of distilled water – 4mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Molar concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) – 1M controlled using the same dropper bottle of HCl each time Hypothesis As the temperature of the juice increases the content of Vitamin C will decrease. Materials: Nudie orange juice Iodine Starch solution Dropper bottle hydrochloric acid 1M Distilled water 3 conical flasks Test tube rack Bunsen burner 25mL pipette 250mL beaker Heat proof mat Safety Glasses Thermometer Gloves Safety coat Method 1. Place 10mL of Nudie orange juice in a 250mL beaker. 2. Using a Bunsen burner, heat the juice to 25 °C. 3. Measure temperature by placing a thermometer in the juice. 4. Once juice is 25 °C, using a 25mL pipette, add 2mL of the juice into a clean conical flask. 5. Using a 25mL pipette, add 4 mL of distilled water and 2mL of starch solution. 6. Add 2 drops of hydrochloric acid 1M (HCL). 7. Using a dropper bottle of iodine, add iodine drops counting the number of drops added and mixing the solution after each drop. 8. Once the solution starts to turn purple, record the number of iodine drops added for purple to appear. 9. Clean conical flasks using water. 10. Repeat steps 1-9 with 50 °C juice and 100 °C juice. Complete 3 trials for each. Risk Assessment: Risk Prevention Hydrochloric can irritate the skin if in contact Keep the lid closed when not in use. Wear gloves, a safety coat and glasses Risk of Bunsen burner burning the skin Turn the Bunsen burner off when not in use Use a heat proof mat underneath it Keep a safe distance when burning Test tubes are breakable and my cut the skin Keep test tubes in the test tube rack Handle with care Results: Effect of temperature of juice on the content of Vitamin C Temperature of orange juice Number of Iodine drops Average 25 °C 16 drops 14 drops 13 drops 14 drops 50 °C 7 drops 10 drops 8 drops 8 drops 100 °C 5 drops 3 drops 5 drops 4 drops Discussion Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is an essential water-soluble nutrient for humans and some animal species. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant serving to prevent cellular damage which is the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. Vitamin C is also required to make collagen, a protein that aids the healing of wounds. The body also needs vitamin C as it improves the absorption of iron and supports the immune system. Vitamin C can be found predominantly in citrus fruits and green vegetables. The Recommended Daily Intake (RDA) is 60 mg per day. Vitamin C deficiency may cause Scurvy. Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps. Vitamin C is the most unstable vitamin which can be easily denatured. At high temperature, in the presence of sun light and oxygen present in air, vitamin C reacts and it is oxidized. Excessive amounts of heat can destroy vitamin C completely. At 70 °C vitamin C is denatured so it should be preserved below 70 °C to avoid heat damage. (Admin, 2013) This experiment should show a result of decreased vitamin C content as the  temperature is increased. It can be seen from the results table and graph of this experiment that the lower the temperature the more vitamin C is present in the orange juice. Each trial was fairly precise and the average showed a near consistent decrease in vitamin C content as the temperature increased. The average drops at 25 °C were 14 and the average at 100 °C was 4 showing a decrease in 10 drops. The results supported the hypothesis as it was clearly seen that as the temperature of the juice increases the content of Vitamin C will decrease. The procedural method was solid and straightforward. There were, however a couple possible sources of error. Using droppers to measure the hydrochloric acid and add the iodine is not very accurate and may produce different quantities which could affect the results. This random error maybe reduced by getting a more accurate measuring device. The major problem however was the interpretation of the colour purple once adding the iodine drops. This is a random error as it affects each result differently depending on the interpretation. To reduce this error, a colour chart should be used to compare with the solution to give a more accurate result on the interpretation of purple. Oxygen and sunlight also denatures vitamin C. The longer the juice was left in the open the more oxygen and sunlight that could decrease the content of vitamin C. The me thod needs to be changed so that it states to put the lid back on the orange juice or a specific time added so each trial the juice is exposed to air for the same amount of time to get more precise results. Conclusion Vitamin C is the most unstable vitamin which can easily be denatured. The investigation was successful with some random errors however the results still supported the hypothesis. Only minor changes are necessary to the experiment but overall the results coincided with the research of the effect of temperature on vitamin C content. To keep high presence of vitamin C while cooking it is recommended that the vegetables are cooked in low heat and small amounts of water for short periods to minimize the loss of vitamin C. Bibliography Admin. (2013, February 14). At What Temperature Does Vitamin C Denature? Retrieved April 15, 2014, from Vitaminable: http://www.vitaminable.com/at-what-temperature-does-vitamin-c-denature.html Ehrlich, S. D. (2011, July 7). Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from University of Maryland Medical Center: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid Office of Dietary Supplements. (2011, June 24). Vitamin C. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from Office of Dietary Supplements – National Institutes of Health: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/

Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay

Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Lack of High School Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Lack of High School Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Social Factors Which Contribute to the Lack of High School Female Students in Sports In the United States, organized sports activities constitute a crucial part of high school life, particularly for male students. However, the situation is not the same for female high school students who have been historically sidelined in sporting activities at the high school levels (Arzu, Tuzun, Eker, 2006). In an attempt to ensure equality with respect to the access to all institutional activities, including sports, the Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments was passed. It has played a crucial role in ensuring that female students would also be involved into sports activities (United States Department of Justice, 2012). Before the passage of Title IX legislation, female students were mainly involved in the cheering of their male counterparts. However, the passage of the law helped in ensuring actual female participation in the field. Despite the significant efforts adopted at the policy level aimed at improving female students’ participation in sports activities at v arious institutional levels, equality in sports participation between male and female students is an issue that still has to be realized. It is evident by the under-representation of female students in all sports activities at all institutional levels (Cozby, 2012). Title IX greatly emphasizes the structural mechanisms that institutions can implement in order to ensure equal participation in sports between female and male students. Nevertheless, such structural measures tend to be ineffective when not used in combination with other measures that deal with the social barriers to participation in sports (Gratton Jones, 2010). Underrepresentation of female students in sports stems from the fact that the ratio of male students taking part in sports to the overall male student population has been consistently higher than the ratio of female students participating in sports to the overall female student population. To this end, there is the need to have an understanding of the factors th at hinder and promote female students’ participation in sports activities at various institutional levels. The proposed study seeks to explore the social factors contributing to lack of participation in sports by high school female students. Statement of the Problem The specific research problem to investigation relates to the social factors that contribute to lack of female participation. Various studies have tried to outline the issue of sports participation. However, few of them have focused specifically on social factors, especially for young females (Coleman, Cox, Roker, 2008; Craike, Symons, Zimmermann, 2009). Moreover, a majority of studies on sports participation and the factors that influence the process have utilized structured quantitative approaches, which are deemed effective only when describing phenomenon rather than exploring it. Therefore, there is a need to make use of unstructured qualitative approach in order to develop a comprehensive list of social factors influencing female participation in sports (Dagkas, Benn, Jawad, 2011). Knowledge gained from current research will supplement the existing information regarding social factors that influence female participation in sports. Moreover, the findings from the proposed rese arch will be helpful in formulating measures that can be used to improve female participation in sports activities. Purpose of the Study The proposed qualitative grounded theory seeks to explore the social factors contributing to lack of female high school students’ participation in sports activities. In this respect, the proposed study will gather the views of female students having varying levels of sports participation in order to ascertain the social factors that either encourage or discourage them from participating in sports activities. The proposed study also seeks to explore the reasons for participating or lack thereof, as well as the ways that can be used in encouraging female students to participate in sports. In addition, despite the fact that participation in sports by female students has received considerable attention in literature, relatively few studies have tried to address the social factors at the individual level that encourage or discourage female students from participating in sports. Therefore, the proposed study seeks to address such gap in literature. Research Questions 1.What are the experiences and motivations that female high schools associated with participation in sports? The focus of current research question is on the manner in which female students describe and perceive sports, including their experiences associated with it. In addition, emphasis is placed on the factors that encourage or discourage participation in sports. The differences in the perceptions, experiences and motivations among female students with varying levels of sports participation will be reported. It will be helpful in ascertaining which perceptions and experiences associated with high levels of sports participation and vice versa. 2. How to transitions in high school affect participation in sports among female students? Current research question emphasizes on the key transitions that take place in the lives of female high school students, and how they affect the level of participation in sports events. Some of the transitions that may influence the female high school students include the progression to higher grades and transition to young adulthood among others (Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni, 2003). In order to answer the question whether such transitions encourage or discourage participation in sports, it is necessary other potential transitions. They include the developmental challenges associated with adolescence, including how they affect participation in sports (Hsu, et al., 2011). 3. What are the environment factors affecting participation in sports among female high school students? Current research question emphasizes on the environmental factors that may influence participation in sports among young female students in high school. Environmental factors relate to the descriptions that participants will provide regarding the school and their area of residence. Some of the environmental factors that will be investigated in the proposed research include the availability and accessibility of sports facilities in school and within the community, opportunities to participate in sports and perceptions regarding the nature of sports facilities among others (Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey, 2010). 4. What are the social factors that influence participation in sports among female high school students? Current research question places emphasis on the social factors that influence participation in sports among young female students. The scope of social factors is diverse and will comprise of such factors as gender influences, influence of peer grouping, socioeconomic status (Dollman Lewis, 2010), influence of culture, influence of religion and family background among others. Specifically, the study will try to delineate the social factors that are associated with low levels of participation in sports. 5. What are the psychological factors that influence participation in sports among female high school students? Above-given research question will emphasize on the psychological factors influencing participation in sports among young female students. Some of the psychological factors that will be explored in the proposed study will include the perceived competence and ability in sports, self-motivation to participate in sports and personal effort and commitment to participate in sports (Kurc Leatherdale, 2009). Theoretical Perspectives on Gender Inequality in Sports Participation A number of theoretical perspectives have been used in explaining gender disparity in sports participation, which include male dominance, masculinity and influence of religion on women. With respect to male dominance, lack of female participation in sports has been attributed to a patriarchal system characterized by males having power, exercising authority, dominating leadership roles and exercising authority over women and children (Eitzen, 2012). In the context of sports, male dominance is manifested through men managing and controlling almost all sports organizations across the globe, including the United States. In addition, male dominance is evidenced by the relatively small percentage of women in decision-making positions in sports organizations and institutions when compared to men. Essentially, sports is perceived to perpetuate the already existing dominance in other aspects of society. Masculinity adopts a different view in trying to explain lack of female participation in s ports by suggesting that sports is perceived to be a masculine activity. Therefore, women are considered intruders. In this regard, women trying to participate in sports may face institutional and ideological barriers that diminish their desire to participate in sports events (Eitzen, 2012). O’Reilly (2012) suggested that the fact that sports is considered to be an activity that allows men to show their masculine competency implies that women have no place in sports. It is similar with activities considered feminine, where males have no place. Therefore, the masculine-feminine dichotomy can be used in explaining lack of female participation in sports (OReilly, 2012). The influence of religion on women has also been used in explaining low level of female participation in sports, particular for Muslim women. In this regard, Islamic concerns associated with modesty and body culture explains such tendency among Muslim women and girls (Benn, Pfister, Jawad, 2010). Sports particip ation among Muslim women is limited by sportswear, which is considered revealing in Muslim world. The influence of religion on female sports participation is evident by the fact that Arab countries have the lowest female representation in sports when compared to countries from other countries (Benn, Pfister, Jawad, 2010). Despite the fact that such three theoretical perspectives can be based on different explanations, they all comprise of social factors that warrant investigation with respect to how they influence sports participation among young females. Empirical Research on Factors Influencing Sports Participation The issue of sports participation has been vastly explored in literature by various authors. One of the factors reported in literature that influences sports participation among both girls and boys relates to perceived image associated with sports (Casey, Eime, Payne, Harvey, 2009; Dollman Lewis, 2010; Grubbs Carter, 2002; Murphy, Dionigi, Litchfield, 2014). In this regard, Casey et al (2009) reported that girls in grade 7 are positively influenced by sports and physical activities. Another study by Kurc Leatherdale (2009) also reported that sports activities are perceived by students as fun, resulting in high rates of sports participation among both male and female students. In another study, Coleman, Cox and Roker (2008) reported significant differences in terms of images and perceptions towards sports among female students with different levels of sports participation. Specifically, the authors reported that female students having high levels of sports participation had posit ive perceptions regarding sports in general, whereas non-participants had negative perceptions of it. The competitive nature of sports has also been identified as a barrier to sports participation among Australian students. Specifically, female students reported significant differences regarding their perceptions about the competitive nature of sports, which hindered their participation (Murphy, Dionigi, Litchfield, 2014). The authors also reported that the competitive nature of sports reduces the perceived level of fun associated with it. Regarding the image of sports, it can be inferred that sports activities perceived to be fun and positive images and experiences associated with sports are facilitators of sports participation. However, the competitive nature of sports activities acts as a barrier that prevents young people from participating in it. The role of social support in influencing sports participation has also been affirmed by various studies. In this respect, various aspects of social support have been explored, including social relationships with friend, family, peers and role models among others. For instance, Casey et al. (2009) found that support from friends, teachers and family influenced the decision made by rural adolescent girls to participate in sports and physical activities. In another study by GÃ ³mez-LÃ ³pez, Gallegos, Extremera (2010) inadequate social support was identified as a barrier to sports participation among university students. The findings of GÃ ³mez-LÃ ³pez, Gallegos and Extremera were also consistent with the findings reported by Hsu, et al. (2011) who found that support from friends and family is a significant predictor of participation in sports and physical activity. In addition, lack of family support has been cited by students as one of the primary barriers to sports participation (Kelishadi, Hosseini, Mirmoghtadaee, Mansouri, Poursafa, 2010). Another study by Kurc and Leatherdale (2009) explored the relationship between social support and levels of participation in sports and physical activities and showed that male and female students having low social support were less likely to participate in sports and physical activities when compared to students having higher social support. Other studies that have identified lack of family support as a barrier to sports participation include the works of Shields, Synnot, Barr (2012) and Yungblut, Schinke, McGannon (2012). The role of the family, besides social support, is also crucial in influencing participation in sports and physical activities. Various studies have investigated the effect of different family aspects in influencing sports participation. For instance, it has been found that having active parents and siblings is positively associated with sports participation among young people. In addition, family encouragement and family members’ physical activities behavior have been reported to be predictors of participation in sports (Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni, 2003). On the other hand, discouragement from family members negatively influences sports participation among young people (Lovell, El Ansari, Parker, 2010). The significant role that fathers play in influencing sports participation has been emphasized in literature. In addition, the nature and level of participation in sports is usually influenced by the beliefs and expectations of parents, particularly fathers. Despite the fact that most studies acknowledge the crucial role that fathers play, Ullrich-French Smith (2009) found out that the relationship with mother played much greater role in continued participation in soccer among boys aged between 10 and 14 years. The crucial role that the family plays in influencing sports participation was discredited by Thompson et al. (2010). They found that the family is an insignificant factor with respect to influencing participation in sports. It is mostly attributed to such factors as different interests and ages of children and adults, busy lifestyle, transportation problems, inadequate money to support family physical activity, bad weather and facilities being inaccessible. Among Muslim girls, parental influence has been cited as one of the primary obstacles to sports participation, especially among girls (Dagkas, Benn, Jawad, 2011). Other parent-related barriers to sports participation include unhealthy parental modelling and poor parent relationship (Casper, Bocarro, Kanters, Floyd, 2011). The socializing nature of sports has also been reported as a crucial factor for sports participation in various studies. For instance, Craike, Symons and Zimmermann (2009) found out that making sports appealing to the socializing needs of women plays an important role in increasing sports participation. In addition, Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey (2010) revealed that women who participate in sports are mainly motivated by the need for social interaction. Therefore, the authors conclude that socialization plays a crucial role in influencing sports participation. In another study by Jamalis and Fauzee (2007), the findings indicated that majority of students who take part in after-school activities were mainly motivated by the need to socialize with friends. Socioeconomic position is another factor that has been found to influence participation in sports among young people. Casper, et al. (2011) explored the relationship between socioeconomic status and participation in sports among young people in middle school, and found that more constraints to sports participation were reported among lower socioeconomic status students, girls and Latinos who did not participate in sports. In another study by Dollman Lewis (2010) to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic position and the level of participation in sports and physical activities among young South Australians aged 10-15 years, it was found that students from high socioeconomic positions reported higher participation in organized sports compared to low socioeconomic position students. In addition, low socioeconomic position girls had lower parental support to participate in sports and physical activities. Cultural influence as a barrier to sports participation has also been investigated in literature. With respect to this, Araki, Kodani and Gupta (2013) studied the meanings and understandings that various cultures associate with sports. The authors found that culture had a profound impact on the motivation to take part in sports and physical activities, as well as the experiences associated with them. Another study by Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni (2003) reported cultural values as one of the socio-environmental factors that influence participation in sports and physical activities. In a study by Kahan (2009) to determine the correlates, types and level of physical activity and sports participation among university students of Middle Eastern origin, it was found the level of sports participation was influenced significantly by religion and the level of acculturation to the American culture. Specifically, the study reported that highly acculturated and moderately religious individuals wer e more likely to participate in sports. A number of socio-environmental factors influencing sports participation have also been explored in literature. They include social preconceptions, cultural values, participation in community sports and physical activities and availability of sports facilities in schools. Apart from the socio-environmental factors that influence sports participation, studies have also reported a number of individual factors that influence the level of sports participation, which include students’ perceived competence in sports (Craike, Symons, Zimmermann, 2009), goal orientation and physical appearance, personal choice and motivation to participate in sports (Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey, 2010), and self-esteem (Markowitz, 2012). A positive association exists between self-esteem and the levels of sports participation (Markowitz, 2012). As Markowitz explains, despite the fact that sports participation helps in building one’s self-esteem, a reciprocal relationship exists between them in t he sense that self-esteem is a determinant of sports participation. Specifically, students having lower self-esteem are likely to report lower levels of sports participation when compared to students having high self-esteem. Despite the fact that the issue of sports participation is vastly explored in literature, little attention has been directed towards the social barriers that influence sports participation among women. In addition, most studies have used structured quantitative measures, which are only effective in describing phenomena rather than exploring it. As a result, there is a need to use unstructured qualitative methods in understanding the topic of interest. Research Method The proposed study is primarily explorative, which justifies the use of a qualitative approach in addressing the research problem. The study places an emphasis on gathering detailed information to help understand human behavior, including factors that determine human behaviors. In this case, such method relates to the female students’ decision on whether to participate in sports or not. The explorative nature of proposed research is the main reason for preferring a qualitative approach to a quantitative one that is mainly used in confirmatory research (Creswell, 2011). According to Daymon and Holloway (2010), confirmatory research focuses on determining the relationships between variables using statistical techniques. Anyway, it cannot be applied to the proposed study, which focuses on exploring the social factors contributing to lack of participation in sports among female high school students instead of determining the relationships that may exist between the identified soci al factors. In addition, the qualitative approach was deemed suitable for the proposed study because it will not utilize a tentative hypothesis to be evaluated. On contrary, the study will utilize open research questions, which means that the researcher anticipates the discovery of new insights in the course of the research. The proposed study is flexible, which makes it inappropriate for quantitative research (Daymon Holloway, 2010). The specific qualitative design that will be employed in the proposed study is grounded theory. Silverman (2013) points out that the grounded theory is a research tool that seeks to help the researcher in exploring and conceptualizing social patterns about a topic that is under investigation. Moreover, grounded theory seeks to help the researcher in developing theory about the topic being studied (Nardi, 2003), which in the context of the proposed study is the factor that hinders female high school students from participating in sports. By employing grounded theory, the proposed research study seeks to develop a conceptual model that can be utilized in having a detailed understanding of the factors that affect the decision made by female high school students on whether to participate in sports or not. Data Collection and Analysis Data for the proposed research will be collected using semi-structured interviews (Silverman, 2013). In this respect, the researcher will conduct interviews to a point at which no new information can be received. The semi-structured interviews will be guided by an interview protocol, which focuses mainly on the social factors that influence the behaviors and attitudes of female high school students towards level, reasons and ways that can be used in encouraging sports participation among female high school students. All the interview sessions will be recorded upon the consent of participants. In addition, the recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim. After that, thematic content analysis will be used to process the transcribed qualitative data. The proposed qualitative grounded theory research seeks to explore the factors that discourage female students from participating in sports. Data will be gathered using semi-structured interviews, which will be transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings presented by the proposed research will be helpful in understanding why female high school students refrain from participating in sports events.

Free Essays on Chaucer

At present, sex is the mind’s preoccupation, and in the body we can only mentally fornicate. To-day, we’ve got no sex. We have only cerebral excitations. The mind will have to glut itself, and the ego will have to burst like the swollen frog, and then perhaps we shall know true sex, in ourselves. D.H. Lawrence from â€Å"Leave Sex Alone† Sex, Silence and other Pornographic Indiscretions When twentieth century writer D.H. Lawrence began publishing poetry about the beauty and love that he found within sex, he became one of the most despised and censored authors of his time. With his notion that â€Å"sex isn’t sin† he claimed that sex is a creative passion until the human mind deforms and dilutes it. Despite the prevalence of sex in literature, its appearance in all genres has been met with misunderstanding, condemnation and even blatant oblivion or ignorance of its significance. While poets like Lawrence have been blatant and undisguised in their socially contrasting ideas regarding sex, other poets have offered more subtle subversions on this topic. Geoffrey Chaucer, for example, incorporated a variety of sexual acts within his works The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. His medieval audience would have generally qualified sex in either one of two basic understandings- either as an element of romance or marriage that represented love and devotion or, as expostulated by St. Augustine and St. Jerome, as a sinful blemish that continually distorted the spirituality and faith in God of man. And, while Chaucer’s characters include prudish clergy as well as bawdy adulterers, his works support neither of these assertions. Evident in Chaucer’s fabliau’s, lays and even literary confessions is the suggestion that its very base, sex is neither an expression of love or sin, but rather a human preoccupation that completely lacks meaning and overall purpose. His characters discredit the significance of... Free Essays on Chaucer Free Essays on Chaucer At present, sex is the mind’s preoccupation, and in the body we can only mentally fornicate. To-day, we’ve got no sex. We have only cerebral excitations. The mind will have to glut itself, and the ego will have to burst like the swollen frog, and then perhaps we shall know true sex, in ourselves. D.H. Lawrence from â€Å"Leave Sex Alone† Sex, Silence and other Pornographic Indiscretions When twentieth century writer D.H. Lawrence began publishing poetry about the beauty and love that he found within sex, he became one of the most despised and censored authors of his time. With his notion that â€Å"sex isn’t sin† he claimed that sex is a creative passion until the human mind deforms and dilutes it. Despite the prevalence of sex in literature, its appearance in all genres has been met with misunderstanding, condemnation and even blatant oblivion or ignorance of its significance. While poets like Lawrence have been blatant and undisguised in their socially contrasting ideas regarding sex, other poets have offered more subtle subversions on this topic. Geoffrey Chaucer, for example, incorporated a variety of sexual acts within his works The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. His medieval audience would have generally qualified sex in either one of two basic understandings- either as an element of romance or marriage that represented love and devotion or, as expostulated by St. Augustine and St. Jerome, as a sinful blemish that continually distorted the spirituality and faith in God of man. And, while Chaucer’s characters include prudish clergy as well as bawdy adulterers, his works support neither of these assertions. Evident in Chaucer’s fabliau’s, lays and even literary confessions is the suggestion that its very base, sex is neither an expression of love or sin, but rather a human preoccupation that completely lacks meaning and overall purpose. His characters discredit the significance of...