Queen Music History free essay sample

Queen became one of the most well known Rock and Pop groups for the next 18 years and had a host of number one successes written by every member Of the group. Although still touring with original members Brian May and Roger Taylor, the Queen most recognized by its extravagant stage shows and music videos came to an end with the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991. Queen were responsible for fourteen albums covering a varied array of genres such as Rock, Progressive Rock, Rock and Roll, pop, Classical, Disco and Funk. Queens first album Queen featured a wide mixture of musical styles.The penning song Keep Yourself Alive, also the bands first single, written by Brian May was a rock song featuring the standard l, V, V chord progression but also marking several sounds that would become some of Queens trademarks for years to come. For example the intro and solo section involves Brian May using his trademark delay effect with the production feature of layered guitar. We will write a custom essay sample on Queen Music History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also the song My Fairy King by Freddie Mercury which featured the same guitar production but also operatic vocal arrangement with the use of layered vocals by the band.The lyrical theme varies over these songs such as Liar by Freddie Mercury, a standard rock song with a love theme. Modern Times Rock and Roll a heavy metal song by Roger Taylor written simply about the music and My Fairy King, by Freddie Mercury written about a mythical world. The mythical theme and folklore would feature heavily in Queens earlier works through Ogre Battle on the Queen II album, In The Lap of The Gods On Sheer Heart attack and The Prophets Song on A Night At The Opera.Many songs such as these could be called progressive rock in the use of production techniques such as layered vocals, guitars and long musical interludes during the music. At the same time, these albums featured an array of songs written by other members of the band such as Father to Son by Brian May which appeared on the Queen II album which lyrically was about a father explaining life to his son and Youre My Best Friend by John Deacon, a love song written when he was married in 1975. The release of the album A Day at the Races saw a turning point in the musical development of Queen. Where previously many songs had featured a prop rock and operatic arrangement, My Fairy King, Bohemian Rhapsody, and lyrically had little meaning or were merely based on folklore, the songs n A Day at the Races focused mainly on a love theme. This album featured songs such as Tie Your Mother Down by Brian May which was a rock and roll standard and The Millionaire Waltz a waltz time and again operatic rock song by Freddie Mercury it did not however feature any of the more mythically based songs from previous albums and focused more on a love theme throughout.The songs also had more standard solo section lengths rather than long drawn out layered guitar solos or piano interludes. Queens next album, News of The World would see some of the bands most well known songs and the transition into writing much more anthem based ones such as We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. Similarly with the next two albums Jazz (1980) and The Game (1978) whose tracks contain due on the rock trend for Queen with songs such as Dont Stop Me Now and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.In 1 982 however Queen would attempt to write an album with a Disco and Pop theme throughout with a large usage of synthesized instruments such as a drum machine. Although Hot Space was seen as a failure for the band musically it did show the bands understanding and ability to write other genres of music and produced one of their greatest hits, Under Pressure. The song Body language for example was recorded without any guitar on the track and The Bass line of Dancer was played on a keyboard synthesizer by Brian May.The album was not received well by the Queen fans or the critics, Hot Space takes all the things that Queen were known for and either removes them or treats them to ridiculous subversion. So that means drum machines instead of booming tom-toms, ludicrous brass arrangements instead of opulent guitar histrionics and, more than ever before, an obsession with sex. You know, rather than ogres and dragons and flouncing about Dont Talk! In defense of Queens Hot Space, Daniel Ross.It can be argued however that the attempt to write a full album in a genre of music with growing popularity showed Queens ability to follow the trends of the time l hate doing the same thing again and again and again. I like to see whats happening now in music, film and theatre and incorporate all of those things. Interview David Wig 1986 After the release o f Hot Space the members of Queen took a 2 year break from the band to work on solo projects although none reached any real success. Queens next two albums would see a return to their rock based albums with a mixture of Pop and Disco instrumentation. The Works and A Kind of Magic albums contained heavy rock tracks such as Hammer to Fall and Dont Lose Your Head, pop and disco such as Radio Gaga as well as softer ballads such as One Year of Love and Is This The World We Created. These albums were two of the bands most successful and also the Magic album would be the last the band would tour with as Freddie Mercury was diagnosed with HIVE and could no longer tour due to ill health.Although seen as much as a live performance band as an album band, Queen would release woo more successful studio albums, The Miracle and Innuendo which again featured a variety of songs and instrumentation from the rock song l Want it All, the progressive rock instrumental Chinese Torture, The Disco Scandal and the Pop song Im Going Slightly Mad. On the whole it is difficult to explain any real lyrical meaning to Queens songs.The songs w ere usually written by an individual and as shown by an interview with Brian May, strangely in those days we didnt really talk about what the songs where about, in retrospect it may have been quite interesting. Brian May (2002) We are the Champions: The Politics of Sports ND Popular Music by Ken McLeod. We do however know that some songs were relevant to the bands success and media relations for example the song Scandal is about the media attention surrounding Freddie Mercury s failing health and Brian Mays divorce and remarriage at the time.Lyrical similarities can be found between Queens early progressive rock lyrics which leaned towards folklore and works of fiction to other bands of the time such as T-Rexes with the song Ride a White Swan Wear a tall hat like a Druid in the old days, Wear a tall hat and a tattooed gown, Ride a white swan like the people of the Belton, Wear your hair long babe, you cant go wrong. And She Was Born To Be My Unicorn Darkly ghosting host, Haggard vizier of the moats, Seeks the candled shores of Gods. One salient feature of the music by Queen is the use of layered vocal harmonies shown in songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Somebody to Love The use of vocals by the band gave the impression of a choir singing when in fact only the four members of que en are. This effect was relatively new at the time of these songs especially Bohemian Rhapsody and was achieved by many different harmonies being sung into a multi track recorder ND constantly overdubbing one another. Once the track was mixed and panned correctly the effect of a large choral vocal ensemble can be heard.This is a technique which Queen would use for the rest of their albums with songs such as Bicycle (1978) and Need Your Loving Tonight (1979). Another salient feature of Queen is the use of the delay effect by guitarist Brian May. The effect appears on many solos of Queens work but can be most prominently heard during the Brighton Rock instrumental and the solo to Killer Queen. Digital delay units were not available at the time of the cording of these songs and May used twin tape delays often overdubbed with a third recording to give the effect of three guitars playing at the same time.Tape or Analogue delay systems worked by taking the one note played by the guitar then the tape deck playing that note back at a set time from the original note and so on. May, especially in long instrumentals, would often play the first note of a chord then as the tape played that delay he would play the second note of a chord and so on. By the time third delay was played back, a full chord was being sounded by a single guitar which he could then sustain and play over the top of. Http://map. Questions. Info/the-book/ queen-the-four -of-them-as-musicians/Brian-may. HTML Queen have influenced many artists since their last studio album in 1991. Bands of varied genres are known to have covered Queens work or given them credited for their own musical creations. The Heavy Metal band Metallic covered the queen song Stone Cold Crazy, and Wesley Jeans made a remix of Another One Bites The Dust. Some people to offer credit to Queen as one of their key musical influences are The Killers, Green Day, Lady Gaga, OFF Fighters, Guns Roses and many more. One key feature of Queen was their flamboyant live shows and performances by lead sing Freddie Mercury. Mercury wore striking and sensational clothing on stage from leotards to studded arm bands as well as using a trademark half microphone stand which he often used as a prop for his on stage actions. This idea of a visual performance as well as musical is a staple for most contemporary commercial music with extravagant shows from artists such as Lady Gaga or Robbie Williams. The lack of meaning surrounding many of Queens lyrics throughout their career is also something which has been noting due into contemporary music.The song One Vision ends simply with the words Fried Chicken also it is commonly believed that the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody were merely written to fit the music and hold no meaning. Other songs by Queen such as Somebody to Love were although meaningful to the listener where relevant, the lyrics were very much generic and standard to that genre. This is still the case with most contemporary commercial music and to those who have credited Queen with being one of their k ey influences with songs such as Micas Grace Kelly and Lady Sagas DO What you want.Queen released a wide array of albums covering varied genres from their rock, classical and progressive rock roots of the Albums Queen and A Day At The Races and the Rock themed News of The World. A disco album Hot Space and the pop and rock based The Miracle and Innuendo. Uniquely each member of queen wrote at least one number one song which is testament to their commercial knowledge and musical abilities as individuals as well as a group. Queens flamboyant portrayal of themselves mainly shown through lead singer Freddie Mercurys larger than life stage performances ND vocal style also added to their commercial success.

Percy Bysshe Shelley essays

Percy Bysshe Shelley essays Percy Bysshe Shelley, from the early 19th century, was the most determinedly professional writer of all the English Romantic poets . This is seen in not only his symphonic poems like the Ode to the West Wind, his lyrical sonnets such as Lines written among the Euganean Hills amongst The Cloud, To a Skylark and many others, his political rhymes like The Revolt of Islam and Queen Mab and his narrative verses like Adonais, Alastor and Epipsychidion. It is also obvious in his poetic dramas with Prometheus Unbound and The Cenci as prime examples and his famous essay The Defense of Poetry. In Shelleys view, the poet is a dreamer, a visionary who must use these dreams and visions to persuade men to shake off the chains of the past, of custom, of selfishness, and to press onward to the vital task of constructing a world characterized by kindness, generosity, and love. Shelley was born the eldest son of a wealthy squire on August 4th, 1792 at Field Place near Horsham. He attended Eton, the most famous of the English public schools , where he was bullied by older boys and resented their tyranny and became determined to fight against all forms of tyranny . At university, Shelley began reading books by radical political writers due to the influence of Sir Francis Burdett, the radical M.P who he met through his father and who really impressed him. He read the book Inquiry Concerning Political Justice, by William Godwin who was an atheist and anarchist. Godwins optimistic view of the nature of man appealed to Shelleys native idealism, his readiness to believe the best of man. Following the example of the master, Shelley became an atheist. Then came the Necessity of Atheism, a pamphlet expressing his support of Atheism and attacking the idea that Christianity is forced upon people. March 25th, 1811 would be the date that Oxford University expel...

Financial Accounting principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Accounting principles - Essay Example In actual practice, if a business is to be run at profit, it has to sell goods at such a price as will enable it to meet out not only expenses on account of cost of goods sold but also other numerous expenses like rent, salary, cartage, freight, commission , electricity, etc. Thus for making a profit, sales must be kept sufficiently high to meet all the other expenses. To emphasize the necessity of accounting, it can be said that accounting must provide the following information and we should ensure that we completely understand and analyze them: Accounting is defined as the 'the art of recording, classifying and summarizing in terms of money transactions and events of a financial character and interpreting the results thereof .' The American Accounting Association Committee defined accounting as - The process of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit informed judgment and decision by the user of the information. The Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) stated "the function of accounting is to provide quantitative information, primarily financial in nature about the economic entities that is intended to be useful in making economic decision." Business Managers and outside interested parties make use of accounting information for decision making that affect the business. The primary purpose of accounting is to provide information about financial transaction, i.e., transaction involving money of a business enterprise. When a person starts a business or even to maintain the accounts of his daily expenditure he must make use of financial accounts. The two primary objective of any business are To earn profit. To have sufficient funds to pay their debts as and when they are required to be paid. This information makes a firm or an individual person take the right business related decision which helps to take the business further. Thus, accounting information, if properly and systematically recorded and reported, can direct a business enterprise to run on successful and efficient lines. Before we move on to understand more about Financial accounting we must clearly understand the advantages-disadvantages and limitations of accounting. Advantages Maintenance of

FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS IN EU LOW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS IN EU LOW - Essay Example nce of the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) ruling was. In Defrenne, the individual acted against a condition in her contract of employment that required her to retire at the age of 40, whilst male employees continued up to the age of 55. She pleaded her defense on the basis of Article 141 of the Treaty of Amsterdam (then Article 119), guaranteeing equal pay for equal work. The fundamental problem at hand was whether the provision could be enforced horizontally- against a private party by such a party- as Sabena Airline was classified as a private party, albeit with the state as a majority shareholder, on the basis that it was constituted under private law, and with staff under private contracts of employment. However, the ECJ held that Article 141 did have direct effect so that the equal pay principle applied to contractual relations between employer and employee in a Member States. This was on the grounds that 'Article 119 is a mandatory in nature'. But because of a general principle of legal certainty, there could not be direct effect for retrospective applications, thus only claims for equal pay already brought at the date of the Defrenne judgment could be pursued in national courts. The Defrenne case also provides an example of the court interpreting the Van Gend En Loos conditions for direct effect flexibly. Article 141 states that 'the application of the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work', and this was deemed to lack sufficient precision to be invoked by a private party and enforced by a national court. This is on the basis that it did not impose a precise negative obligation on the Member States- or Belgium in this case- nor did it provide a clear definition of terms such as 'priciple' or 'pay' or 'equal work'.5 However, the case retains its credibility as the court segregated the principle of equal work, within the article, with the factual uncertainties regarding the terms stipulated. Indeed, the case shows a clear determination by the courts to ensure tht the EC's aims were not ignored by laggard Member States. As a conclusion, therefore, the aforementioned considerations portray that Defrenne was successful in her claims, and the court did give priority to the social, rather than economic, aims of Aritcle 141, upholding 'one of the fundamental human rights', and therefore pursing its obligation to ensure the respect of such rights.6 The case of Baudet7 was another case relying on the success of the Defrenne claim. However, Defrenne was only successful in claiming the first of her three claims- that in respect of wages paid to her during her employment by Sabena. The other two, the indemnity paid to her at the termination of her employment and her pension rights could not be claimed as the court deemed that

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and the First 100 Days Essay Example for Free

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and the First 100 Days Essay Though none opposes the fact that motivation is the real driving engine of every action, there is considerable differences among the theorists about its mechanism, especially when it comes to explore the possibility to bring out the best out in the employees of an organization, where one school of thought advocates for extrinsic motivation for instant solution and the other insists on capitalizing the long-term efficacy of intrinsic motivation. Under the present context of economic downturn, this issue is extremely important, as extrinsic motivation primarily involves money. Therefore, this paper explores the core elements of motivation and concepts of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards from relevant literature, before coming into its own conclusion. Core of Motivation The core of motivation contains three elements like Consciousness, Inverted Qualia and Absent Qualia. These three together create various mental states. Consciousness It has six major identifiable states like 1. State of awareness: When someone is aware of something (Rosenthal, 1986). 2. Qualitative states: Sensing something out of something like enjoying a meal or experiencing a pain. Such experiences are called qualia, and are regarded as intrinsic, private, ineffable and nomadic features of experience, (Dennet, 1990). 3. Phenomenal states: A state involving more than sensory qualia, covering spatial, temporal and conceptual organization of experiences about the world and the persons inference about it. 4. What-it-is-like states: Associating a sense of experience with another. 5. Access consciousness: Its like seeing a thing and ideating something and then deciding on something, where there may or may not be any relationship among the above-said three stages. 6. Narrative consciousness: This stream of consciousness contains a series of thoughts from the perspective of an actual or merely virtual self (Dennett, 1991). Inverted Qualia It refers to a personal package of intrinsic and intricate experiences, with which humans decipher various external signals and respond to them, where the nature of experience governs the nature of response. The difference in perception causes inverted qualia, as for example someone might like green tea and detest coffee for no unexplainable reasons. This trait has a strong connection with intrinsic motivation (Dennet, 1991) Absent Qualia The concept of absent qualia claims that functional duplicates of a creature would do the same. As for example, if Mr. X likes tea and dislikes coffee, then his absolute clone would also do the same, for which the clone would not need an intricate and intrinsic package of experiences (Dennet, 1991). This concept backs the idea of getting result through extrinsic reward – as for example, if Mr. X and Mr. Y do identical jobs under identical conditions, then if Mr. X feels satisfied with cash reward, Mr.  Y would too follow the suit without a second thought! This study thus highlights two sets of hidden relationships, one, between inverted qualia and intrinsic motivation/rewards, and two, between absent qualia and extrinsic motivation/rewards. In any case, humans (apparently) involuntary association with rewards too has its routes in their perceptions, which maintain a master list of individual desires, and accordingly propel them to fulfill such desires. Put into an imaginary diagram, the mechanism of human mind can look somewhat like below: Mechanism of Motivation Motivating Tools From the organizational perspective, the ways and means to motivate the employees can be many. However, the common ones among them are, 1. Rewards 2. Retention 3. Morale 5. Job-enrichment 6. Reinforcement 1. Rewards System: Rewards or recognition system has a great bearing on the emotional plane of humans. † Every behavior comes out of pain and gain principle, says Khera (2004, p. 110). There can be many types of tangible gains like money, vacations or gifts, or they can be intangible, like recognition, appreciation, sense of achievement, growth, responsibility, sense of fulfillment, self-worth, etc. 2. Retention: It highly motivates the employees, as Retention is critical to the long term health and success of the company (Heathfield, 2008). 3. Morale: The elements like praise, love and faith can charge up anyone under any circumstance. 4. Job Enrichment: It relates to the in-house grooming of the employees to become an expert in the related field. 5. Reinforcement. By all means, it is a tool to control the employee behavior (Positive, 2000), which binds the company activities together. Other Factors Related to Motivation There are three other factors that can be instrumental to keep employees motivated, and they are: Job Satisfaction, Goal-setting and Performance appraisals. They are considered to be the self-boosters of the employees, and according to Murphy (2001), belief is a thought that causes the power of subconscious to be distributed into all phases of life. Motivation and Reward System Reward systems are created to fuel the employee cooperation, effort and overall satisfaction of all members of the company Cacioppe (1999). Other researchers like Hackman (1997) Shea and Guzzo (1987) too have endorsed this view, and suggested to align rewards with group activities. The basic parameter of the formulating a reward structure, however, is expected to apply the common logic like optimizing the ability of the workforce as a whole, though in practice it might go down to an individual, especially where the work patterns are not interdependent. This situation commands a quick review of the nature of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic Rewards Deci (1975) says that intrinsic rewards evoke a sense of personal causation i. e.  , an inward mechanism serving as the guiding engine for the action, where its elements are usually intangible and working on the plane of ones perception, where the journey is being enjoyed over the outcome. Extrinsic Rewards Extrinsic rewards are supposed to generate perceptions of external causation (Deci, 1975) by being mostly tangible in nature – a hike in salary or status, or material gains in other forms. However, researchers like Guzzo, (1979) defies any division in the reward system and considers it a single, usable tools to tweak the frequency of desired response of the employees towards a desired direction. Researchers like Hull (1943) and Skinner (1953) placed extrinsic reward as a direct link between stimulus and response, and their views include punishment as a stimulus too, besides subscribing to the power of stimulus. Reaction No matter how much Hull (1943) and Skinner (1953) wanted to establish extrinsic motivation as the best motivating tool to earn competitive advantage, extrinsic motivation carries a hidden cost besides the cost involved in its implementation. Researchers like Deci and Ryan (1985) used attribution theory and suggested that humans constantly reassess the reasons for their behaviors besides others. Before that, Lepper et al. (1973) had observed that reinforcement generates two effects for the management, like gaining control over activity or fastening the process; two, the backlash effect in absence of reinforcement. The example below would explain it better: A group or an individual gets a reward of x amount of money for a period y, where x+y=m, m being the increased rate of production. Before that, the situation was y=z where production was z. Now in the absence of reinforcement and with the influence of attribution theory, the situation would stand like y-x = n, where n z. This clearly goes against the basic reason for motivating the employees, i. e. , to enhance the profit of the organization. Engagement occurs when an employee connects emotionally with his work, says Paul Glen (2007), and if one checks the mechanism of motivation, one gets convinced that extrinsic motivation cannot influence the employees to connect emotionally with their work, as it is guided by absent qualia, i. e. , a momentary and involuntary chase, where emotion has no role to play. On the other hand, the intrinsic motivation is guided by inverted qualia, i.  e. , conscious chase and that clearly takes along emotion in its journey and influence the human mind in no less than six ways. Conclusion The research and discussion above clearly shows that extrinsic motivation system can be a threat in disguise for the organizations especially under the present context of economic downturn, while intrinsic motivation can be the ideal solution under the same circumstance, where it can raise emotional attachment with the organization and inspire the employees to produce more for less. References Cacioppe, R. (1999). Using team-individual reward and recognition strategies to drive organizational success. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 20(6), pp. 322-331. Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. New York: Plenum Press. Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum. Denett, D. C. (1990). Quining qualia. In Mind and Cognition, W. Lycan (Ed. ), Oxford: Blackwell, 519-548. Dennett, D. C. (1991). Consciousness explained. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Glen, P. (2007). You Cant Outsource Retention. Computerworld, July 16, 2007. Guzzo, R. A. (1979). Types of rewards, cognitions, and work motivation. Academy of Management Review, 4(1), pp. 75-86. Hackman, J. R. (1997). Why teams dont work. In R. S. Tindale, J. Edwards, E. J. Posavac (Eds. ) Applications of theory and research on groups to social issues. New York: Plenum.

Acquired Immune Difficiency Syndrome :: essays research papers

Acquired Immune Difficiency Syndrome AIDS is a life and death issue. To have the AIDS diseas is at present a sentence of slow but inevitable death. I've already lost one friend to AIDS. I may soon lose others. My own sexual behavior and that of many of my friends has been profoundly altered by it. In my part of the country, one man in10 may already be carrying the AIDS virus. While the figures may currently be less in much of the rest of the country, this is changing rapidly. There currently is neither a cure, nor even an effective treatment, and no vaccine either. But there are things that have been PROVEN immensely effective in slowing the spread of this hideously lethal disease. In this essay I hope to present this information. History and Overview AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Defficiency Disease. It is caused by a virus. The disease originated somewhere in Africa about 20 years ago. There it first appeared as a mysterious ailment afflicting primarily heterosexuals of both sexes. It probably was spread especially fast by primarily female prostitutes there. AIDS has already become a crisis of STAGGERING proportions in parts of Africa. In Zaire, it is estimated that over twenty percent of the adults currently carry the virus. That figure is increasing. And what occurred there will, if no cure is found, most likely occur here among heterosexual folks. AIDS was first seen as a disease of gay males in this country. This was a result of the fact that gay males in this culture in the days before AIDS had an average of 200 to 400 new sexual contacts per year. This figure was much higher than common practice among heterosexual (straight) men or women. In addition, it turned out that rectal sex was a particularly effective way to transmit the disease, and rectal sex is a common practice among gay males. For these reasons, the disease spread in the gay male population of this country immensely more quickly than in other populations. It became to be thought of as a "gay disease". Because the disease is spread primarily by exposure of ones blood to infected blood or semen, I.V. drug addicts who shared needles also soon were identified as an affected group. As the AIDS epidemic began to affect increasingly large fractions of those two populations (gay males and IV drug abusers), many of the rest of this society looked on smugly, for both populations tended to be despised by the "mainstream" of society here. But AIDS is also spread by heterosexual sex. In addition, it

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature Vs. Nurture For centuries psychologists have argued over which plays the larger role in child development, heredity or environment. One of the first theories was proposed in the seventeenth century by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke believed that a child was born with an empty mind, tabula rasa (meaning â€Å"blank slate†) and that everything the child learns comes from experience, nothing is established beforehand. Years later, Charles Darwin brought forth his theory of evolution, which led to a return of the hereditarian viewpoint. With the twentieth century, however, came the rise of behaviorism. Behaviorists, like John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, argued that a child can be made into any kind of person, regardless of their heredity. Today, most psychologists agree that both nature (genes) and nurture (environment) play an important role, not independently, but as they interact together (Atkinson, p. 72). One of the most important factors believed to influence a child are parents. Parents are known to share a distinctive bond with their children. This special bond is what enables parents to shape their children. Whether it is into free-willed adolescents, ready to challenge any controversy, or into caring adults willing to spend the seventy cents a day to save a poverty stricken child. Parents have the power to mold their children. Setting firm, yet sensible, guidelines teaches children discipline and good behavior. Using physical abuse produces aggressive children, but having patience and understanding leaves a child better capable to handle stress in later years. How parents raise their children influences how they will turn out (Begley, p. 53). Surprisingly, a new debate is taking place. As the author of The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do; Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More, Judith Rich Harris argues that parents have absolutely no say in what kind of children they raise. She claims that after the parents contribute an egg or sperm filled with DNA, their job of â€Å"creating† a child is complete. Her book is backed by some 750 references, but most of her conclusions come from the observation of her own two daughters; one her own and one adopted (Begley, p. 53). Parents, however, do play an important role in childhood development. For the purposes of this essay, her theory that parents have no lasting effects on a child's personality will be argued. The following contains supporting scientific evidence. The DNA structure of a human, the genes, determines the height a person will reach, whether an individual's eyes will be green or brown, and if a person's hair will be straight or curly (Saplosky, p. 44). Research has also found that genes are 30 to 70 percent responsible for personality traits such as aggression, passion, shyness and intelligence. The other 30 to 70 percent of a person's personality develop from the environment (Pool, p. 2). Genes, however, are not what produces a behavior, an emotion, or even a thought. Instead, genes produce a protein that contains hormones, which carry messages between cells, and neurotransmitters that carry messages between nerve cells. The protein also contains receptors that receive the hormonal and neurotransmitter messages as well as enzymes that read the messages. So what does all this have to do with behavior? Well, the hormone does not cause a behavior either, but rather a reaction. This reaction is a tendency to respond to the individual's environment in a certain way. This response is behavior. Without the ever changing environment, behavior would not happen (Saplosky, p. 42-43). Wouldn't this fact make everyone act the same? Everyone lives in the same world. Everyone is facing the same problems of a growing population, pollution, and disintegrating resources. Wouldn't this make everyone act the same? Not at all. When speaking of the environment that shapes a person's personality, it isn't the environment that the world population shares. It includes more personal things like birth order and personal, unique life experiences. This is the â€Å"environment† that influences behavior. Things like the pollution leave no lasting effect on a child's behavior (Pool, p. 52). Everyone's genes also differ. Of the DNA found in every human being, only 5% can be coded and used to determine which proteins will be used. The other 95% of non coded DNA is used as a instruction manual for the operator. The environment being the operator which regulates the genes. In turn, a personality is produced. As well as having different genes to produce different proteins, the proteins produce hormones at different levels. For example, two people both have the same functioning gene. The hormones produced are the same, but function at different levels. Therefore, one of them may become more prone to depression than the other simply because the proteins in that person's genes function, in a sense, better (Sapolsky, p. 46). Parents can not determine whether or not their family history of shyness is passed on to their children, but they can determine if they are going to let it control their childrens' life. Studies done by Harvard scholar Jerome Kagan prove that parents who push their timid children to try new things end up with children who are far less fearful. On the other hand, overprotective parents did nothing to ease their childrens' discomfort. Intervention studies, studies similar to Kagan's, have shown that parents who purposely change their behavior can change their child's behavior. Although genes cannot be helped, parents can control whether or not they affect the child (Begley, p. 56). Research has also found that a child's experience of his or her parents is an especially strong sculptor in parts of the brain involved with emotion, personality, and behavior. Strong bonds with parents are found to increase a child's ability to learn and cope with stress. On the other hand, abusive parents raise children that in later years grow to express inappropriate aggression and have a small attention span. Having responsive, sensitive parents inspire trust and secure attachments. Yet, insensitive and withdrawn parents create an insecure attachment. Developmental psychologists agree, the bond children have with parents is essential for them to become well-functioning adults (Wright, p. 76). Megan Gunnar, a developmental psychologist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, studies relationships between parents and children. One of her studies focused on the relationship between attachment security and reaction to stress. Gunnar found that when infants were exposed to stressful situations, such as vaccinations, strangers, or separation from the mother, the stress hormone cortisol was produced. By the age of two, the hormone wasn't produced by the toddlers in stressful situations, although they acted out as if it were. These children, however, had secure attachments to their parents. Children who didn't have the security still produced the hormone cortisol (Wright, p. 76). Harris, who feels parents leave no impression on their children, believes that â€Å"Parental divorce has no lasting effects on the way children behave† (Begley, p. 56). Heredity, she says, is what makes a child act out about or during a divorce. The fact, though, is that the unstable situation of the family causes a child to act out (Edwards, p. 31). For a child, friends, pets, teachers, and others important people may come and go. Parents and their family, however, should always be there for them. When parents divorce, a child may feel lost and may not know how to handle it (Edwards, p. 31). Acting out is one way of showing anger and hurt. Parents, although they don't realize it, are shaping their child's personality. Whether it is by acting out or holding it all in, children are influenced by their parent's actions. Kids will be kids. It's a common phrase. Everybody uses it, but not everybody understands it. Parents often feel that, despite their efforts, their children will do what they want. They'll smoke and drink and party. They'll cuss and cheat. They'll go against their parents wishes. Why? Because human behavior often follows cultural norms (Pinker, p. 94). If the parents did their job well, the rebellion will only be a stage that the child will grow out of. If parents didn't do their job right, the stage may set the mood for the rest of the child's life. Parents are the most influential â€Å"environmental† factors in a child's behavior. A special bond is shared between children and their parents. As Roger Rosenblatt put it, â€Å"We do what we can as parents, one child at a time. We take what we get in our children, and they take what they get in us, making compromises and adjustments where we are able, making rules and explanations, but for the most part letting things happen. . . † (Rosenblatt, p. 90). Genes may determine the possibilities of personality available, but it is the parents that make those possibilities possible. Parents matter. Bibliography: Arkinson, Rita L. â€Å"Psychological Development† Introduction to Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. , 1993. Begley, Sharon. â€Å"The Parent Trap,† Newsweek, (September 7, 1998). p. 52-59. Edwards, Randall. Divorce Need Not Harm Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David and Leone, Bruno, Series Editors. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Kevles, Behhyann H. and Daniel J. â€Å"Scapegoat Biology. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 58-62. Pinker, Steven. â€Å"Against Nature. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 92-95. Pool, Robert. â⠂¬Å"Portrait of a Gene Guy. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 51-55. Rosenblatt, Roger. â€Å"A Game of Catch,† Time, Vol. 152 (July 13, 1998). p. 90. Sapolsky, Robert. â€Å"A Gene For Nothing,† Discover, (October 1997). p. 40-46. Waldman, Steven. â€Å"Divorce Harms Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints. Nature vs. Nurture Nature Vs. Nurture For centuries psychologists have argued over which plays the larger role in child development, heredity or environment. One of the first theories was proposed in the seventeenth century by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke believed that a child was born with an empty mind, tabula rasa (meaning â€Å"blank slate†) and that everything the child learns comes from experience, nothing is established beforehand. Years later, Charles Darwin brought forth his theory of evolution, which led to a return of the hereditarian viewpoint. With the twentieth century, however, came the rise of behaviorism. Behaviorists, like John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, argued that a child can be made into any kind of person, regardless of their heredity. Today, most psychologists agree that both nature (genes) and nurture (environment) play an important role, not independently, but as they interact together (Atkinson, p. 72). One of the most important factors believed to influence a child are parents. Parents are known to share a distinctive bond with their children. This special bond is what enables parents to shape their children. Whether it is into free-willed adolescents, ready to challenge any controversy, or into caring adults willing to spend the seventy cents a day to save a poverty stricken child. Parents have the power to mold their children. Setting firm, yet sensible, guidelines teaches children discipline and good behavior. Using physical abuse produces aggressive children, but having patience and understanding leaves a child better capable to handle stress in later years. How parents raise their children influences how they will turn out (Begley, p. 53). Surprisingly, a new debate is taking place. As the author of The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do; Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More, Judith Rich Harris argues that parents have absolutely no say in what kind of children they raise. She claims that after the parents contribute an egg or sperm filled with DNA, their job of â€Å"creating† a child is complete. Her book is backed by some 750 references, but most of her conclusions come from the observation of her own two daughters; one her own and one adopted (Begley, p. 53). Parents, however, do play an important role in childhood development. For the purposes of this essay, her theory that parents have no lasting effects on a child's personality will be argued. The following contains supporting scientific evidence. The DNA structure of a human, the genes, determines the height a person will reach, whether an individual's eyes will be green or brown, and if a person's hair will be straight or curly (Saplosky, p. 44). Research has also found that genes are 30 to 70 percent responsible for personality traits such as aggression, passion, shyness and intelligence. The other 30 to 70 percent of a person's personality develop from the environment (Pool, p. 2). Genes, however, are not what produces a behavior, an emotion, or even a thought. Instead, genes produce a protein that contains hormones, which carry messages between cells, and neurotransmitters that carry messages between nerve cells. The protein also contains receptors that receive the hormonal and neurotransmitter messages as well as enzymes that read the messages. So what does all this have to do with behavior? Well, the hormone does not cause a behavior either, but rather a reaction. This reaction is a tendency to respond to the individual's environment in a certain way. This response is behavior. Without the ever changing environment, behavior would not happen (Saplosky, p. 42-43). Wouldn't this fact make everyone act the same? Everyone lives in the same world. Everyone is facing the same problems of a growing population, pollution, and disintegrating resources. Wouldn't this make everyone act the same? Not at all. When speaking of the environment that shapes a person's personality, it isn't the environment that the world population shares. It includes more personal things like birth order and personal, unique life experiences. This is the â€Å"environment† that influences behavior. Things like the pollution leave no lasting effect on a child's behavior (Pool, p. 52). Everyone's genes also differ. Of the DNA found in every human being, only 5% can be coded and used to determine which proteins will be used. The other 95% of non coded DNA is used as a instruction manual for the operator. The environment being the operator which regulates the genes. In turn, a personality is produced. As well as having different genes to produce different proteins, the proteins produce hormones at different levels. For example, two people both have the same functioning gene. The hormones produced are the same, but function at different levels. Therefore, one of them may become more prone to depression than the other simply because the proteins in that person's genes function, in a sense, better (Sapolsky, p. 46). Parents can not determine whether or not their family history of shyness is passed on to their children, but they can determine if they are going to let it control their childrens' life. Studies done by Harvard scholar Jerome Kagan prove that parents who push their timid children to try new things end up with children who are far less fearful. On the other hand, overprotective parents did nothing to ease their childrens' discomfort. Intervention studies, studies similar to Kagan's, have shown that parents who purposely change their behavior can change their child's behavior. Although genes cannot be helped, parents can control whether or not they affect the child (Begley, p. 56). Research has also found that a child's experience of his or her parents is an especially strong sculptor in parts of the brain involved with emotion, personality, and behavior. Strong bonds with parents are found to increase a child's ability to learn and cope with stress. On the other hand, abusive parents raise children that in later years grow to express inappropriate aggression and have a small attention span. Having responsive, sensitive parents inspire trust and secure attachments. Yet, insensitive and withdrawn parents create an insecure attachment. Developmental psychologists agree, the bond children have with parents is essential for them to become well-functioning adults (Wright, p. 76). Megan Gunnar, a developmental psychologist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, studies relationships between parents and children. One of her studies focused on the relationship between attachment security and reaction to stress. Gunnar found that when infants were exposed to stressful situations, such as vaccinations, strangers, or separation from the mother, the stress hormone cortisol was produced. By the age of two, the hormone wasn't produced by the toddlers in stressful situations, although they acted out as if it were. These children, however, had secure attachments to their parents. Children who didn't have the security still produced the hormone cortisol (Wright, p. 76). Harris, who feels parents leave no impression on their children, believes that â€Å"Parental divorce has no lasting effects on the way children behave† (Begley, p. 56). Heredity, she says, is what makes a child act out about or during a divorce. The fact, though, is that the unstable situation of the family causes a child to act out (Edwards, p. 31). For a child, friends, pets, teachers, and others important people may come and go. Parents and their family, however, should always be there for them. When parents divorce, a child may feel lost and may not know how to handle it (Edwards, p. 31). Acting out is one way of showing anger and hurt. Parents, although they don't realize it, are shaping their child's personality. Whether it is by acting out or holding it all in, children are influenced by their parent's actions. Kids will be kids. It's a common phrase. Everybody uses it, but not everybody understands it. Parents often feel that, despite their efforts, their children will do what they want. They'll smoke and drink and party. They'll cuss and cheat. They'll go against their parents wishes. Why? Because human behavior often follows cultural norms (Pinker, p. 94). If the parents did their job well, the rebellion will only be a stage that the child will grow out of. If parents didn't do their job right, the stage may set the mood for the rest of the child's life. Parents are the most influential â€Å"environmental† factors in a child's behavior. A special bond is shared between children and their parents. As Roger Rosenblatt put it, â€Å"We do what we can as parents, one child at a time. We take what we get in our children, and they take what they get in us, making compromises and adjustments where we are able, making rules and explanations, but for the most part letting things happen. . . † (Rosenblatt, p. 90). Genes may determine the possibilities of personality available, but it is the parents that make those possibilities possible. Parents matter. Bibliography: Arkinson, Rita L. â€Å"Psychological Development† Introduction to Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. , 1993. Begley, Sharon. â€Å"The Parent Trap,† Newsweek, (September 7, 1998). p. 52-59. Edwards, Randall. Divorce Need Not Harm Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David and Leone, Bruno, Series Editors. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Kevles, Behhyann H. and Daniel J. â€Å"Scapegoat Biology. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 58-62. Pinker, Steven. â€Å"Against Nature. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 92-95. Pool, Robert. â⠂¬Å"Portrait of a Gene Guy. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 51-55. Rosenblatt, Roger. â€Å"A Game of Catch,† Time, Vol. 152 (July 13, 1998). p. 90. Sapolsky, Robert. â€Å"A Gene For Nothing,† Discover, (October 1997). p. 40-46. Waldman, Steven. â€Å"Divorce Harms Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints. Nature vs. Nurture Nature Vs. Nurture For centuries psychologists have argued over which plays the larger role in child development, heredity or environment. One of the first theories was proposed in the seventeenth century by the British philosopher John Locke. Locke believed that a child was born with an empty mind, tabula rasa (meaning â€Å"blank slate†) and that everything the child learns comes from experience, nothing is established beforehand. Years later, Charles Darwin brought forth his theory of evolution, which led to a return of the hereditarian viewpoint. With the twentieth century, however, came the rise of behaviorism. Behaviorists, like John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner, argued that a child can be made into any kind of person, regardless of their heredity. Today, most psychologists agree that both nature (genes) and nurture (environment) play an important role, not independently, but as they interact together (Atkinson, p. 72). One of the most important factors believed to influence a child are parents. Parents are known to share a distinctive bond with their children. This special bond is what enables parents to shape their children. Whether it is into free-willed adolescents, ready to challenge any controversy, or into caring adults willing to spend the seventy cents a day to save a poverty stricken child. Parents have the power to mold their children. Setting firm, yet sensible, guidelines teaches children discipline and good behavior. Using physical abuse produces aggressive children, but having patience and understanding leaves a child better capable to handle stress in later years. How parents raise their children influences how they will turn out (Begley, p. 53). Surprisingly, a new debate is taking place. As the author of The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do; Parents Matter Less Than You Think and Peers Matter More, Judith Rich Harris argues that parents have absolutely no say in what kind of children they raise. She claims that after the parents contribute an egg or sperm filled with DNA, their job of â€Å"creating† a child is complete. Her book is backed by some 750 references, but most of her conclusions come from the observation of her own two daughters; one her own and one adopted (Begley, p. 53). Parents, however, do play an important role in childhood development. For the purposes of this essay, her theory that parents have no lasting effects on a child's personality will be argued. The following contains supporting scientific evidence. The DNA structure of a human, the genes, determines the height a person will reach, whether an individual's eyes will be green or brown, and if a person's hair will be straight or curly (Saplosky, p. 44). Research has also found that genes are 30 to 70 percent responsible for personality traits such as aggression, passion, shyness and intelligence. The other 30 to 70 percent of a person's personality develop from the environment (Pool, p. 2). Genes, however, are not what produces a behavior, an emotion, or even a thought. Instead, genes produce a protein that contains hormones, which carry messages between cells, and neurotransmitters that carry messages between nerve cells. The protein also contains receptors that receive the hormonal and neurotransmitter messages as well as enzymes that read the messages. So what does all this have to do with behavior? Well, the hormone does not cause a behavior either, but rather a reaction. This reaction is a tendency to respond to the individual's environment in a certain way. This response is behavior. Without the ever changing environment, behavior would not happen (Saplosky, p. 42-43). Wouldn't this fact make everyone act the same? Everyone lives in the same world. Everyone is facing the same problems of a growing population, pollution, and disintegrating resources. Wouldn't this make everyone act the same? Not at all. When speaking of the environment that shapes a person's personality, it isn't the environment that the world population shares. It includes more personal things like birth order and personal, unique life experiences. This is the â€Å"environment† that influences behavior. Things like the pollution leave no lasting effect on a child's behavior (Pool, p. 52). Everyone's genes also differ. Of the DNA found in every human being, only 5% can be coded and used to determine which proteins will be used. The other 95% of non coded DNA is used as a instruction manual for the operator. The environment being the operator which regulates the genes. In turn, a personality is produced. As well as having different genes to produce different proteins, the proteins produce hormones at different levels. For example, two people both have the same functioning gene. The hormones produced are the same, but function at different levels. Therefore, one of them may become more prone to depression than the other simply because the proteins in that person's genes function, in a sense, better (Sapolsky, p. 46). Parents can not determine whether or not their family history of shyness is passed on to their children, but they can determine if they are going to let it control their childrens' life. Studies done by Harvard scholar Jerome Kagan prove that parents who push their timid children to try new things end up with children who are far less fearful. On the other hand, overprotective parents did nothing to ease their childrens' discomfort. Intervention studies, studies similar to Kagan's, have shown that parents who purposely change their behavior can change their child's behavior. Although genes cannot be helped, parents can control whether or not they affect the child (Begley, p. 56). Research has also found that a child's experience of his or her parents is an especially strong sculptor in parts of the brain involved with emotion, personality, and behavior. Strong bonds with parents are found to increase a child's ability to learn and cope with stress. On the other hand, abusive parents raise children that in later years grow to express inappropriate aggression and have a small attention span. Having responsive, sensitive parents inspire trust and secure attachments. Yet, insensitive and withdrawn parents create an insecure attachment. Developmental psychologists agree, the bond children have with parents is essential for them to become well-functioning adults (Wright, p. 76). Megan Gunnar, a developmental psychologist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, studies relationships between parents and children. One of her studies focused on the relationship between attachment security and reaction to stress. Gunnar found that when infants were exposed to stressful situations, such as vaccinations, strangers, or separation from the mother, the stress hormone cortisol was produced. By the age of two, the hormone wasn't produced by the toddlers in stressful situations, although they acted out as if it were. These children, however, had secure attachments to their parents. Children who didn't have the security still produced the hormone cortisol (Wright, p. 76). Harris, who feels parents leave no impression on their children, believes that â€Å"Parental divorce has no lasting effects on the way children behave† (Begley, p. 56). Heredity, she says, is what makes a child act out about or during a divorce. The fact, though, is that the unstable situation of the family causes a child to act out (Edwards, p. 31). For a child, friends, pets, teachers, and others important people may come and go. Parents and their family, however, should always be there for them. When parents divorce, a child may feel lost and may not know how to handle it (Edwards, p. 31). Acting out is one way of showing anger and hurt. Parents, although they don't realize it, are shaping their child's personality. Whether it is by acting out or holding it all in, children are influenced by their parent's actions. Kids will be kids. It's a common phrase. Everybody uses it, but not everybody understands it. Parents often feel that, despite their efforts, their children will do what they want. They'll smoke and drink and party. They'll cuss and cheat. They'll go against their parents wishes. Why? Because human behavior often follows cultural norms (Pinker, p. 94). If the parents did their job well, the rebellion will only be a stage that the child will grow out of. If parents didn't do their job right, the stage may set the mood for the rest of the child's life. Parents are the most influential â€Å"environmental† factors in a child's behavior. A special bond is shared between children and their parents. As Roger Rosenblatt put it, â€Å"We do what we can as parents, one child at a time. We take what we get in our children, and they take what they get in us, making compromises and adjustments where we are able, making rules and explanations, but for the most part letting things happen. . . † (Rosenblatt, p. 90). Genes may determine the possibilities of personality available, but it is the parents that make those possibilities possible. Parents matter. Bibliography: Arkinson, Rita L. â€Å"Psychological Development† Introduction to Psychology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. , 1993. Begley, Sharon. â€Å"The Parent Trap,† Newsweek, (September 7, 1998). p. 52-59. Edwards, Randall. Divorce Need Not Harm Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David and Leone, Bruno, Series Editors. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Kevles, Behhyann H. and Daniel J. â€Å"Scapegoat Biology. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 58-62. Pinker, Steven. â€Å"Against Nature. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 92-95. Pool, Robert. â⠂¬Å"Portrait of a Gene Guy. † Discover, (October 1997). p. 51-55. Rosenblatt, Roger. â€Å"A Game of Catch,† Time, Vol. 152 (July 13, 1998). p. 90. Sapolsky, Robert. â€Å"A Gene For Nothing,† Discover, (October 1997). p. 40-46. Waldman, Steven. â€Å"Divorce Harms Children. † in Child Welfare: Opposing Viewpoints.