Happiness Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Happiness Research - Essay Example Based on the appraisal-based theory of happiness, Myers and Diener maintain that one's personality traits, the characteristics of one's social milieu etc can determine one's happiness. Whereas a person's age, sex, race, and income etc cannot determine factors of happiness, "better clues come from knowing a person's traits, whether the person enjoys a supportive network of close relationships, whether the person's culture offers positive interpretations for most daily events, whether the person is engaged by work and leisure, and whether the person has a faith that entails social support, purpose, and hope." (Myers and Diener, 1995, p 17). In a reflective exploration of the arguments put forward by Myers and Diener, it becomes lucid that family support and family relations are two important factors that contribute to happiness or the subjective well-being of an individual. In their article, Myers and Diener offer crucial premises concerning the happiness or satisfaction with life and they suggest that personality traits, supportive network of close relationships, culture, work and leisure, social support, purpose, and hope etc can determine one's happiness. It is fundamental to investigate the premise by the authors that people who have strong family relations are happy and healthy. ... Thus, in their important study titled "Family Support, Family Income, and Happiness: A 10-Year Perspective", North, Holahan, Moos, and Cronkite examined the role of income and social support in predicting coexisting happiness and change in happiness and the conclusions of their study support the premise of Myers and Diener that people who have strong family relations are happy and healthy. "Income had a small, positive impact on happiness, which diminished as income increased. In contrast, family social support, measured by 3 subscales, Cohesion, Expressiveness, and Conflict, showed a substantial, positive association with concurrent happiness, even after controlling for income." (North, Holahan, Moos, and Cronkite, 2008, p. 475). Therefore, it is essential to realize that family social support has a great influence on the happiness of an individual, as against income, and financial stability. The family support and family relations are among the most fundamental elements determining the well being of an individual and the organization of family life can influence the individual's happiness. Based on literature review on the topic, Myers and Diener maintain that the impoverished social connections in the ever more individualistic modern societies hinder happiness and well being of individuals. "Individualistic societies offer personal control, harmony between the inner and outer person, and opportunity to express one's feelings and talents, though with the risks of a less embedded, more detached self." (Myers and Diener, 1995, pp 14-15). The social support system as well as family support and relations can greatly help one in realizing happiness. The value

Alice Munros Boys and Girls Essay examples -- Boys and Girls, Alice Mu

â€Å"Boys and Girls† is a short story, by Alice Munro, which illustrates a tremendous growing period into womanhood, for a young girl living on a fox farm in Canada, post World War II. The young girl slowly comes to discover her ability to control her destiny and her influences on the world. The events that took place over the course of the story helped in many ways to shape her future. From these events one can map the Protagonist’s future. The events that were drawn within the story provided the Protagonist with a foundation to become an admirable woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story there are several aspects of the Protagonist’s character that play a major role in the shaping of her future. During her childhood she often demonstrates a sense of fear when she is sent to her bedroom. â€Å"We were afraid of the inside, the room were we slept (pg. 549).† She is intimidated by her personal space because she does not have control over it. Later, she gains control by adding lace to her side of the room; symbolically adding personality to herself and slipping into womanhood. When she felt uncomfortable she exercised her imagination, to psychologically regain control over the confusion in her life. Her subconscious effort to control confusing times were carried on to her later years as she was constantly put in difficult situations, which helped her to adjust quickly to change during adulthood. The dreams she created changed when she began to place emphasis on her appearance-that which she could control, other than past dreams of heroism that seemed so distant from reality. The Protagonist filled her childhood with much pride and maintained a consistent focused upon the activities that filled her childhood. She relished working at the side of her father, taking immense pride in every aspect of her assigned duties. She proclaimed, â€Å"I worked willingly under his eyes, and with a feeling of pride (pg. 551)† Once after her father introduced her to a feed sales man as â€Å"my new hired man (pg. 551),† the Protagonist was flooded with pride as she â€Å"turned away and raked furiously, red in the face with pleasure (pg. 551).† In her later years her pride helped her to assemble strong self-confidence she used in her years of growing. Passion and depth were characteristics that impacted her future as a woman. Her passion and depth was revealed early on in the story ... ...uide boys and girls through a difficult transition period. During her childhood she loved to have influence upon her younger brother. Her need to influence carried on to her adulthood. Story telling was an essential part of her class. It was her conscious way of helping her students to deal with the confusing and threatening world around them. As a child her imagination was a comfort zone for her. She provided her students with that atmosphere. As a child she dreamed of a different world, on she described as â€Å"On that presented opportunities for courage, boldness and self sacrifice (pg 550).† Teaching was an ideal job for the protagonist to attain as it allowed her to remain influential and child like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Boys and Girls† describes a major turning point in a girl’s life, turning down a path towards womanhood. Her childhood fears of the dark and fears of being less than a perfect worker to her father and her control of her brother slowly dissolve. Her decision to free the terrified horse highlights her pivotal journey into adulthood. And her ability to cry with sensitivity over her decision of freedom, demonstrates the acute sensitivity of a woman.

Impact of the Recession on Construction Contractors Essay

The current crisis in the world’s financial system has left the construction industry facing its toughest challenges for a generation. Salaries are falling; job cuts are predicted to reach 400,000 in England alone; and the impacts look set to get much worse before they get better. No country is immune from the impact of this and the UK, and much of the rest of the world, is already in, or about to enter a recession. Even buoyant construction markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are starting to feel the effect, with construction growth rate expected to slow from 20% to 15% in 2009 (Al Mal Capital). The United Nations (UN) predicts world economic output will shrink by as much as 0.4% in 2009 (UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects Report, 2009). These are serious times, however, the industry needs to be prepared to contribute to the recovery by retraining workers, maintaining the highest of standards of quality and supporting innovation. Construction professionals must not lose sight of their commitment to issues of sustainability, health and safety, ethical business practices and improved building standards. These will future-proof the industry and allow it to grow after the economy recovers. Companies seeking to find an extra edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace are likely to employ greater innovation as they look to become more efficient. This could have far reaching benefits for the industry in the future, where innovation has never been more vital. Construction Output It is clear that construction is in for a period of deflation. Forecasts suggest that there will be a 7% decline in output over the next three years, however, this figure is heavily contingent on Government spending coming through as planned (Construction Products Association). In the second quarter of 2008 new order figures were at their lowest level since 2004; 14% below the average last year. Housing orders were down 30%, private industrial orders by 36% and commercial orders by more than  £1bn from 2007 (Construction Products Association). A rapid decline in private work has been partly propped up by more public sector spending, however the outlook for the private sector over the next few quarters is set to get worse. The Olympics will prop up the industry to a certain extent but the cessation of office development will have a much greater effect. Overall, even if all public sector funding was spent next year, the construction industry in 2009 would still see the largest percentage of fall in output since the early nineties, when over 500,000 left the industry. This has been brought about by the sharp fall in private sector investment in construction – offices, retail, entertainment, as well as private house building. Public Sector Spending The Government’s decision to bring forward  £3bn of capital spending on infrastructure was cautiously welcomed by the construction industry (Pre-budget statement, November 2008). Given the extremely high levels of borrowing that the Treasury is expecting over the next few years, there is a risk that Government will fund later debt repayments with cuts in capital spending on construction further down the track. There is also a risk that delays in the Government’s existing build programmes will lead to increased under-spend. Programmes such as the Building Schools for the Future Programme have already fallen behind schedule, and reports suggest that this is as a result of bureaucracy rather than lack of funding. Business Finance and Loss of Confidence According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), more than half of British firms have seen a decline in the ease of access to capital since the onset of the credit crunch; 30% of businesses have been, or expect to be refused new credit; and 78% expect business conditions to be worse next year. The Government must urgently take steps to unblock the financial markets and improve the flow of capital to business. The fiscal mitigation measures that were recently announced by the Chancellor (Pre-budget statement, November 2008) were not sufficient to address the underlying loss of confidence facing all UK businesses (and people). More innovative ways could be investigated by Government to help the industry survive, such as providing credit insurance; relaxing bonding requirements on public projects; setting up project bank accounts; and providing tax breaks/concessions for sustainable construction R&D. At present, the latter has effectively ground to a halt largely as a result of the deeply entrenched uncertainty that abound. Jobs & Loss of Skills Almost 400,000 jobs in the construction sector in England could be lost over the next two years (assuming GDP shrinks by 2.2% in 2009 and rises by 0.75% in 2010). It is predicted that the worst affected area will be London, where 23% of workers are expected to be made redundant (Public and Corporate Economic Consultants for the Local Government Association). On the other hand, Eastern Europeans are responding to the downturn in the market by returning home, and this has eased the severity of the job situation in many instances. Given the forecasts for construction output in 2009, it could be assumed that jobs in the public sector may offer more security than those in the private sector. This reinforces the need for Government to establish how an accelerated public spending package will be implemented. It is essential that the government makes sure timetables don’t slip, and that it does what it can to speed up deal flows and bidding times. Through no fault of its own, the Construction Industry, in particular the house-building Industry, is having to dramatically re-structure and down-size merely to survive. The loss of technical resource and therefore expertise has been considerable and there are already signs that an upturn in the fortunes of the UK economy will not see these people return. This is a real concern, particularly as the science and technology that underpins UK sustainable construction is becoming even more complex and at a time when we need experienced people if we are to meet our sustainability objectives. Furthermore, it is not something that can be addressed overnight by short-term training and/or education. Procurement It has been reported that the credit crunch is likely to reverse the industry’s trend towards negotiated contracts and partnering. Instead, there could be a swing back towards single-stage, lowest bid tenders aimed at achieving the lowest possible outturn cost. While single-stage tendering may be seen as a quick fix during the economic downturn, this does not take the long-term view, nor adequately consider best value for money. It does however provide a more risky financial environment which is likely to become a fertile breading ground for claims and liquidations as contractors cut their profits to secure work in a decreasing market. Partnering has proved itself as the most efficient way of undertaking all kinds of construction work including new buildings and infrastructure, alterations, refurbishment and maintenance. Indeed the figures show that that in the four years from 2001 to 2005,  £700m of public money was saved, and the potential for two and a half billion in savings, would have been feasible had best practice been adopted across the board. When times are hard, best practice is at its most crucial to successful business. Fraud An unexpected knock-on effect of the credit crunch has been a dramatic rise in worldwide construction fraud. Evidence suggests that the average construction company’s loss to fraud has increased by 69% in the last year (Kroll Global Fraud Report), driven largely by tough economic conditions. A total of 890 senior executives participated in the worldwide survey, which covered 10 industries, with just over one-quarter based in Europe. More than 95% of the construction companies surveyed said they had suffered from corporate fraud in the past three years – up by 77% from last year’s survey. Most frequent types of fraud occurring in the construction industry include theft of physical assets or stock, financial mismanagement, management conflict of interest, and corruption and bribery. Companies will need to be even more vigilant than usual to reduce fraud in the construction industry. Sustainability Opinion is divided about the impact of the credit crunch on the sustainability agenda. A recent survey from the UK Green Building Council (UK GBC) suggests that while the conventional building industry suffers, the sustainable building sector is experiencing growth. Asked whether the financial crisis has impacted on their organisation in tackling sustainability, 56% of UK GBC members said sustainability had become a bigger focus. Only 18% said the credit crunch has had an adverse effect on efforts to address sustainability. On the other hand, a survey of small-medium sized contractors suggests that tough government targets on sustainable construction are being missed, as buildings fail to achieve the standards set by the Code for Sustainable Homes (National Federation of Builders). The survey revealed that contractors appeared to be quite knowledgeable about the driving issues and regulations for sustainability, but in over half (53%) of projects tendered for, sustainability was not a client requirement. Either way, it is important that new buildings, not least those procured by government, are of the highest possible environmental standards. Green building can be at the heart of a low-carbon economic recovery, boosting growth and creating green collar jobs. This is particularly true in existing homes and buildings, where we need a massive programme of refurbishment to cut carbon, reduce energy bills and produce more comfortable places to live and work. By continuing to build using sustainable technologies the built environment will be preserved for future generations, and a proven record in sustainable design will be invaluable in gaining new contracts in the growing sustainable market. Education and Training The future success of the construction industry depends on the availability of skilled professionals. The credit crisis poses a significant threat to the number of students enrolling in graduate construction courses. Students may be apprehensive about pursuing a career in construction in this unstable climate. This would result in a loss of specialist skills, which in turn would hinder the recovery and future development of the industry. Sandwich courses could be at particular risk because of the lack of available placements available. Many companies are reducing the number of placements they have for students or not taking on any at all. This could result in a reduction in the number of places available on the courses because they can not guarantee work experience placements. Apprenticeships in the UK house-building industry have also suffered as a direct result of the credit crunch. However, opportunities still exist in the bigger public sector infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, railways and roads. As a result of these risks the Government is working with Construction Skills to try and secure as many positions as possible for students. A new taskforce is being created to ensure that construction training is as effective as possible, and apprenticeship funding will also be increased to over  £1 billion to try and prevent skill shortages (Department for innovation, Universities & Skills). For professionals already within the industry, there is research to suggest that individuals with specialist skills or training could potentially gain a competitive advantage in the current economic climate (Chartered Institute of Management). The research predicts that professional qualifications could result in an additional  £152,000 in lifetime earnings. It also suggests that a working knowledge of sustainable building and other innovative methods will be a particular advantage, with major projects on the horizon requiring an extensive skilled workforce in these areas. It is important for employers to train and encourage further development if they want to secure the future of the construction industry. This will ensure that their workforce is properly trained in up-to-date techniques and will put them in a stronger and more competitive position to win new contracts when market conditions improve. Although it may be inevitable for some to make financial cuts to survive, it is crucial to maintain a constant number of new innovative minds that will allow the industry to recovery and continue to grow.

The Greek Hero Jason - Character Profile History

Jason is the Greek legendary hero best known for his leadership of the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece and for his wife Medea (of Colchis). Along with the Theban Wars, and the hunting of the Calendonian boar, the story of Jason is one of the three great pre-Trojan war adventures in Greek history. Each has a main story with variations: this is Jasons quest. Jasons Royal Roots Jason was the son of Polymede, a possible daughter of Autlycus, and his father was Aison (Aeson), the oldest son of Aeolidae ruler Aeolus son Cretheus, founder of Iolchus. That circumstance have made Aison king of Iolchus, but Pelias, Cretheus stepson (and the real son of Poseidon), usurped the crown and tried to kill the infant Jason Fearing for their son after Pelias usurped the throne, Jasons parents pretended their baby had died at birth. They sent him to the wise centaur Chiron to be raised. Chiron may have named the boy Jason (Iason). King Pelias consulted an oracle, who told him that he should be wary of a one-sandaled man. Once grown, Jason made his way back to claim his throne and on the way he met an old woman and carried her across the Anauros or Enipeus River. She was no ordinary mortal, but the goddess Hera in disguise. In the crossing, Jason lost a sandal, and so when he arrived in Pelias court he was wearing one sandal (monosandalos). In some versions, Hera suggested that Jason should seek the Golden Fleece. The Task of Fetching the Golden Fleece As Jason entered the market-place at Iolchus, Pelias saw him, and, recognizing him as the one-sandaled man who had been foretold to him, asked him his name. Jason declared his name and demanded the kingdom. Pelias agreed to surrender it to him, but asked Jason first to remove the curse on the family of Aeolidae by fetching the Golden Fleece and soothing the spirit of Phrixis. The golden fleece has its own tale, but it was the fleece of the ram that became the constellation Aries. The Golden Fleece was suspended in an oak grove in the possession of king Aeà «tes in Colchis (or hung in Aeà «tess temple), and guarded day and night by a dragon. Jason collected a set of 50–60 heroes, known as the Argonauts, and sailed off on his ship the Argo—the greatest ship ever built—in search of adventure. Jason Marries Medea The trip to Colchis was adventurous, full of battles, nymphs and Harpies, adverse winds and six-armed giants; but eventually Jason arrived at Colchis. Aeà «tes promised to give up the fleece if Jason would yoke two fire-breathing oxen and sow the teeth of the dragon. Jason succeeded, aided in this endeavor by a magic ointment provided by Aeà «tess daughter Medea, on condition that he marry her. On the return voyage of the Argonauts, they stopped at the island of the Phaeacians, ruled by King Alcinoos and his wife Arete (featured in The Odyssey). Their pursuers from Colchis arrived at about the same time and demanded the return of Medea. Alcinoos agreed to the Colchians demand, but only if Medea werent already married. Arete secretly arranged the marriage between Jason and Medea, with Heras blessings. Jason Returns Home and Leaves Again There are various tales of what happened when Jason returned to Iolchus, but the one that is best known is that Pelias was still alive, and he brought the fleece to him, and set out for one more sail to Corinth. On his return, he and Medea conspired to kill Pelias. tricked his daughters into killing Pelias, cutting him into pieces and boiling him him, by promising that she would restore Pelias not just to life, but to youthful vigor—something Medea could do if she wanted to. After killing Pelias, Medea and Jason were ejected from Iolcus and they went to Corinth, a place where Medea had a claim to the throne, as the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Jason Deserts Medea Hera also favored Medea, as well as Jason, and offered their children immortality. [2.3.11] Through her Jason was king in Corinth, and Medea, as her children were born, carried each to the sanctuary of Hera and concealed them, doing so in the belief that so they would be immortal. At last she learned that her hopes were vain, and at the same time she was detected by Jason. When she begged for pardon he refused it, and sailed away to Iolcus. For these reasons Medea too departed, and handed over the kingdom to Sisyphus.—Pausanias In the Pausanias version, Medea engages in the sort of helpful but misunderstood behavior that scared Achilles father and Metaneira of Eleusis, who witnessed Demeters attempt to immortalize her baby. Jason could only believe the worst of his wife when he saw her engaging in such a dangerous activity, so he deserted her. Of course, the version of Jasons desertion of Medea told by Euripides is much more sinister. Jason decides to repudiate Medea and marry the Corinthian king Creons daughter, Glauce. Medea doesnt accept this change in status gracefully but arranges the death of the kings daughter by poison gown, and then kills the two children she has borne Jason. Death of Jason The death of Jason isnt as popular a topic of classical literature as his adventures. Jason may have killed himself in despair after the loss of his children, or killed in a fire at the palace in Corinth. Sources Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. London: Routledge, 2003.  Leeming, David. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology. Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, 2005.  Smith, William, and G.E. Marindon, eds. A Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, Mythology, and Geography. London: John Murray, 1904.