Painting: Vincent Van Gogh, Bedroom in Arles

On a smaller canvas than two other similar paintings, Vincent Van Gogh carefully painted for the third time his bedroom in Arles, a charming town in the south of France, and thus created this approximately 22 ? x 29’’ artwork. In fact, Van Gogh made three almost identical paintings on the theme of his bedroom and are named  « Bedroom in Arles  ». The first one, kept at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is painted in October 1888. About a year after, Van Gogh made two copies: one of which is the same size and is preserved today at the Art Institute of Chicago. The third one is currently at De Young Museum in San Francisco (but originally belongs to the Musee d’Orsay in Paris) and is smaller than the others1. This oil painting on a linen canvas represents Van Gogh’s tidy bedroom. Nothing lets us think that this is the room of a painter. We do not know this because he does not display his painting equipment. Nothing lies around, not even a paint tube in a corner or a brush. This bedroom seems to be for relaxation and not for his work as a painter. Here, he could finally forget his fatigue, have some comfort, sleep in peace. The bed is thus the dominant subject of the painting, suggesting the importance of comfort and rest. By painting his bedroom where everything is in its place, the painter may also want to show that he is a very neat man who cares for himself, and who organizes his life in a reasonable manner. In addition to the prominent bed, this room exudes quietness and expresses, absolute rest by its various shades. Indeed, the room has beautiful shiny colors. In Holland, where the painter was born2, the weather is not always nice and the sky is therefore often gray. Here however, there are multiple vibrant colors that certainly illustrate the happy life he had in France. Perhaps he had come to Arles for the sun and for him, it was an immense joy to live in such bright bedroom, bursting with colors. What is also fascinating about this piece of art is how the painter highlights the simplicity of his bedroom through the medium of color:  « the pale lilac walls, the floor of an old brown, the chairs and bed chrome yellow, the blood red cover, the orange little table and the blue basin†, as the painter describes it. Van Gogh asserted that he wanted to express a complete rest by handling all these different shades2. The color black, which could be evocating a certain form of anguish, is almost nonexistent in this painting. Only the frame of the mirror and windows is black. We wonder if this could mean that Van Gogh was afraid of his future and afraid to face up to reality. This is a possibility. In fact, despite the evidence of his happiness, present in this painting, Van Gogh was not married2 and many clues here let us think that he wished to be. Although the bedroom is very sparsely furnished and only contains essential items (which shows, in addition to the choice of colors, a great simplicity), we notice that many of these objects go together in pairs (two pillows, two chairs, two portraits on the wall, two drawings, and even two doors). Thus, this painting on canvas was perhaps his way of expressing his wish to meet someone and that his bedroom was arranged so as to welcome her. But because it was just him in this bedroom, he certainly felt less lonely by doubling the objects. Van Gogh’s painting consists almost entirely of straight lines. This is reminiscent of a children’s coloring which would have been filled in with color pencils, because the edges of objects are bolder and their filling up seem almost slapdash, neglected. This elaborate post-impressionist design may be compared to such work as Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (book p. 370). But whereas Van Gogh favored paintings composed of multiple thin brush strokes, Seurat preferred the use of the pointillism system, which consisted of â€Å"applying color to the canvas in tiny dots. 3† In this painting of Seurat, the color also focuses on hues. There are numerous colors too, their contrast is intense, and the sun shine, like in the Van Gogh’s bedroom, fills the picture, suggesting happiness and tranquility. Like Van Gogh, Seurat played with repetitive forms (the parasols, people in profile, trees, and boats). People in this piece are rigid. In fact, they do not seem to move, but on the contrary, seem to be strangely paralyzed, paralleling the furniture of Van Gogh’s bedroom. Strangely, Van Gogh’s furniture seems to be even more â€Å"alive† than the people in the Seurat’s painting. The two painters did not have the same approach when they decided which colors they wanted to illuminate their canvases; while Van Gogh was guided by his emotions and instant feelings, Seurat carefully analyzed the colors and â€Å"meticulously calculated values. † But in both pieces, Van Gogh and Seurat express their sense of organization by making objects, forms, motifs and colors coherent. To conclude, the mesmerizing, luminous colors, and the well organized motifs of the depiction of Van Gogh’s bedroom, were not the game of chance. Everything in this painting seems to echo the emotions of Van Gogh, expressing at the same time his happiness in Arles and the great pea ce and tranquility he felt there, but also his desire to find his soul mate, with who he could share his home and thus, reach happiness certainly even more.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 23

â€Å"Where've you been?† asked Roman. I hadn't landed in Seattle until later the next day. Turns out getting flights from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest can take a little longer than immortal teleportation, particularly on short notice. â€Å"To the edge of the known world and back,† I said, falling onto the couch. Both cats came to me, which I took with some smugness, seeing as they usually fawned all over Roman. â€Å"So, what, South Dakota?† I made a face and covered my eyes with one arm. My trip to locate Seth had only taken twenty-four hours, but really, that was a lot to endure in so short a time. â€Å"I found Seth.† â€Å"Oh.† Roman's enthusiasm dimmed considerably. â€Å"I guess his disappearance wasn't as milk carton?Cworthy as Maddie made it sound.† â€Å"Well, I had to – literally – call in a demonic favor to hunt him down.† â€Å"And? Are you guys running into the sunset together now that he's free?† The mention of sunset made me flinch, recalling how Seth and I had held each other on the beach. â€Å"Not quite. I†¦left him.† â€Å"What's that mean exactly?† I tried to explain all that had gone down with Seth, but it wasn't easy. It was almost too much for my brain to wade through, let alone articulate to someone else. When I finished, I felt even more exhausted than before. â€Å"So that's it? You're never going to see each other again?† Roman's voice was skeptical. â€Å"He said he's not coming back, and I didn't stick around. So, yeah.† â€Å"I have a hard time believing that. Is he just going to live at that hotel permanently? Even he can't make that much money.† â€Å"No, he mentioned at dinner that he'd be settling down somewhere else. He just hasn't decided where.† All was quiet between us for a minute or so. The only sounds were the traffic outside and Aubrey purring near my ear. At last, Roman asked, â€Å"Are you okay?† I glanced over at him in surprise. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Exactly what I said. This can't be easy on you. I mean, you haven't even had any downtime since the Oneroi.† I don't know why his words caught me by surprise. I guess it was because amidst all the woes that were always going on in my life, few people ever asked if I was okay. Maybe they'd given up asking because depressing things were so commonplace for me. How weird, I thought, that Roman had swung from sociopathic to compassionate while Seth had fallen down a darker path. Of course, I had no hard evidence that Roman wasn't actually a compassionate sociopath. Still, I gave him a smile of gratitude. â€Å"I am okay – or will be eventually. Thanks.† There must have been something in my smile that gave him hope or just made him feel inspired because his own smile grew radiant. I'd forgotten just how beautiful it was, the way it could light up his face. We left dangerous topics alone after that but spent the rest of the night hanging out together. I wasn't totally okay by any means, but it was nice to simply be ordinary for a while and free of drama. I wondered if that's what my life would be like now – and what role Roman would play. Still, adjusting to a world without Seth wasn't easy over the next few days. Even when he'd been with Maddie, even when the sight of him had caused me pain, he'd still been there. And I'd known he was there. Now, the knowledge that he was gone and that he wasn't coming back left a strange emptiness in my heart, even as the rest of my life began to stabilize. I returned to work, a good thing for the store because Maddie had taken some much-needed time off. I checked on her via Doug and offered to go to her if needed, despite knowing I wouldn't enjoy listening to her mourn for Seth. Of course, since I was doing the same thing, maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to turn down commiseration. â€Å"She just wants to be alone right now,† Doug said, leaning in my doorway. He had no joke today, none of his usual wackiness. â€Å"Still upset – but she's a trouper. I'll let you know when she's ready to see anyone.† â€Å"Okay.† My heart went out to her. â€Å"Keep me posted.† It was nearing closing time, and I went out to the store's main part to help with some of the evening tasks. A few of the staff members were already going home. One of them was Gabrielle. And she was leaving with Cody. â€Å"What's going on?† I whispered to him while she went to get her purse. He wasn't even wearing black. â€Å"We've gone out a couple times since†¦well, while you've been distracted.† He sounded apologetic for his happiness. â€Å"That's fantastic,† I said. Love was managing to survive somewhere in this world. â€Å"What changed her mind? The concert?† â€Å"A little. I think that opened the door. She's really excited that I'll only hang out at night. And that I can show her real vampires.† â€Å"What? You managed to convince her Peter was a vampire?† To the average human, that would be even less likely than Cody being a vampire. â€Å"No, of course not.† His lovesick expression hardened a little. â€Å"But Milton – you know that vampire from Eugene? – he's been in town this week. Claims he's visiting friends.† Vampires were very territorial about their hunting grounds, even ones like Peter and Cody who rarely took victims and didn't kill when they did. â€Å"He hasn't caused any trouble, but I don't buy that vacation thing. It's as ridiculous as Simone just visiting.† â€Å"She is gone, right?† That had been the rumor, and seeing as there'd been no wacky mishaps with two Georginas, I had to believe it was true. I'd never know what her motivation had been. â€Å"Yup, as far as I know. Anyway. Milton. He sure does look like a vampire. Have you seen him? He's like a modern-day Nosferatu. I took Gabrielle when I went to spy on him at a dance club, and she got really excited. She thinks I have some special knack for finding vampires – at least wannabe ones.† â€Å"Huh,† I said. â€Å"That's somehow bizarre, funny, and cute all at the same time. Maybe a little disturbing.† He grinned at that, showing his fangs. â€Å"What's she think of the teeth? You can't hide those if you're up close and personal all the time.† â€Å"Told her I had them cosmetically done.† He looked very pleased. â€Å"She thinks it's hot.† His new romance left me in a good mood when I finally took off. I stepped outside into the chilly night, surprised I didn't mind it so much. Something about the clean, brisk air seemed refreshing to me, and for the first time in a while, I regretted moving out of Queen Anne. It would have been nice to walk home on this early winter evening, instead of climbing into the plastic and metal of my car. There was nothing to be done for it, though. I turned the ignition and checked my cell phone before heading out of the parking lot. I often left the ringer off while working, and three calls had come in for me. I had a voice mail for each. The first was from a few hours ago, from Erik. He spoke in his usual genteel tones, but I could hear some urgency underneath. He told me he'd come up with some theories about my contract and wanted to talk to me soon. The next message was from Roman, from about an hour ago. He knew my work schedule perfectly and was calling to see what kind of takeout I wanted. If I called as I was leaving, he said, he'd probably have food by the time I walked in. I felt my lips turn into a smile at that – one that promptly dropped when I heard the last message. It had come in five minutes ago and was from Erik again. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" That was it. Just my name, tense and strangled. After that came static, what sounded like the phone dropping, and then the voice mail ended. I stared at my phone as though it were a totally foreign object. I had never, ever heard Erik call me by my first name. My car was already headed toward his store when I dialed him back. It was too late for the store to be open, but that was the number my cell phone had logged. No answer came. I tried his home number, just to be safe, and received no answer there either. My fear increased, as did my speed. Easy traffic moved me along, but I still felt like his store might as well be hundreds of miles away. I made it there in fifteen minutes, which was actually pretty remarkable. The store's lights were on, though everything else in the strip mall and its lot was dark. I parked right in front, in a handicapped spot, and tore out of my car, nearly coming to a halt at what I found. The glass of the door and window were smashed, with glittering shards covering the sidewalk. Even if the door had been locked, I could have reached right in to open it. I pushed through, stepping inside to find more destruction. Fountains still tinkled, music still played, but everything else was in shambles. Bookshelves knocked over. Statuary in pieces. Jewelry cases broken – and empty. â€Å"Erik?† I called, hurrying through the store. There was no answer. I passed the register, saw the drawer hanging open, and suspected I'd find it as empty as the cases. I was heading for the store's back room when I heard a small noise. Turning, I peered around wildly and caught a glimpse of a hand, behind the checkout counter. There, I found Erik sprawled on the floor, pale despite his dusky skin. A hand lay over his stomach, which was a pool of dark blood. His eyes were glassy, and for a moment, I thought he was dead. Then the lids twitched, and his eyes focused on me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I dialed 911 while simultaneously trying to rip my coat off. I screamed at them to send an ambulance and pressed the light fabric of the trench coat into his stomach. The effort was futile. A red strain promptly began spreading through the cloth. â€Å"Don't say anything,† I pleaded when I saw his lips move. They were blue-tinged. â€Å"Someone's coming. You'll be okay.† I wanted to ask a hundred questions: what had happened, who had done this. None mattered. Only saving him did – and besides, the scenario seemed painfully clear. A break-in, one in which he must have interfered. Two bullet holes on the wall revealed what had happened to his stomach. The third shot had hit. â€Å"Miss Kincaid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was so small, barely a croak. â€Å"Shh. We'll talk later, after the paramedics come. Save your strength.† â€Å"There won't be a later,† he gasped. I swear, he tried to smile. â€Å"Not†¦for†¦me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They'll be here in, like, five minutes,† I countered. â€Å"Doesn't matter. Too weak. Too much blood.† â€Å"No,† I said desperately. â€Å"No.† Even as I begged, my hysteria growing, I knew he was right. He had lost too much blood. He was only alive now because this was a slow-killing wound. Even if paramedics walked in right now, they wouldn't get him away in time to save him. With his age and recent illness, he wouldn't come back from this. Still, I denied it. â€Å"You'll be okay. Listen – â€Å" â€Å"You listen.† There was no real force behind the command, but I shut up. One of his hands clung to me. â€Å"It's not†¦your contract.† I was confused, my mind still on his condition and the store. Then, I caught the context. â€Å"Let the contract go. We'll worry about it later.† His grip tightened. â€Å"There must be another. Two contracts.† â€Å"There†¦what? No. That's not how it works. I know that for sure. One contract per soul. I signed one. Now, please. Don't say anything else.† â€Å"Find it,† he coughed. There was blood on his lips. â€Å"Find†¦it.† â€Å"I will, I will.† I would have agreed to anything, though what he was saying made no sense. My words must have comforted him because he relaxed ever so slightly. There was still no question that he must be in agonizing pain, though. I glanced up at the front of the store, willing myself to hear sirens. â€Å"They'll be here,† I said. â€Å"Too†¦late. You†¦you can stop the pain.† He was so hard to hear now, I had to lean close. Even then, I didn't fully parse his words until a few moments later. â€Å"I'm trying.† I shifted the coat a little, which was proving totally ineffectual. â€Å"A kiss†¦one kiss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My eyes went wide. â€Å"No. No. It'll kill you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even as I said the words, I realized how stupid they were. This gunshot was already going to kill him. He was going to die. One kiss. He wanted a kiss to speed his dying, just as I'd given Luc. I'd never performed that deed again, nor had I wanted to. Maybe it had been mercy, but I'd felt like a killer. And yet, just like I had then, I knew it would ease the passing†¦. I shook my head. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Nyx†¦showed me. Showed me my death: you.† He coughed again and could speak no more. Still, he clung to life, with pain on his face and pleading in his eyes. Nyx? Nyx had shown him his death†¦. In the far reaches of my mind, I remembered finding him one day, right after Nyx had visited him and shown him a vision. He'd recoiled from me at first and then later shrugged it off, laughing it away as the remnants of a nightmare. But I understood now. He'd seen his death – seen me causing it. He'd been afraid of me in those moments. My man in the dream had been a lie, but all the other visions she'd shown had been true. My role in Erik's death had been destined†¦just not in any malicious way. That was how her dreams often worked. Never quite what you expected. And so, for the second time, I became an angel of mercy†¦an angel of death†¦whatever. I hunched down and kissed him, ignoring the blood on his mouth. Just like with Luc, there was only a breath of life left. Five more minutes, and Erik would have been gone without me. That tiny bit of life was as pure and good as I'd known it would be. Erik would be rewarded in the afterlife. As I lifted my head and watched peace settle over his features, faint feelings flitted through me, as sometimes happened when I took energy. There was affection for me. It wasn't romantic love. More like fatherly love. Friendship. Fondness. And underneath it was a warning, a warning for me he never got to convey. I was so caught up in those last bursts of life, that I was only distantly aware when the lights and sirens came. Someone lifted me away, and I saw people huddling around him – too late. I stared at the commotion that followed – paramedics, police. I saw it without seeing it, answered questions without even knowing what I said. A policeman with kind eyes took it all down and spoke to me gently, often repeating himself. I don't know how long it all took. Maybe an hour, maybe more. I only remember assuring them over and over that I was okay, that I was going home, and that I would answer any other questions that came up. But when I drove away, still in shock, still barely grasping what had happened, I didn't go to West Seattle. I went to Pioneer Square, parking in a lucky street spot and then winding my way through the partying crowds. A few people gave me curious looks when I walked into the Cellar, looks I gave no heed to as I honed in on Jerome's table. He drank alone tonight, his dark eyes watching me intently as I approached. â€Å"Georgie,† he said when I came to a stop in front of him, â€Å"what's the point of shape-shifting if you're going to walk around with blood on you?† I looked down, only then registering the stains on my shirt. I turned back to him, ignoring the shape-shifting suggestion. â€Å"Erik's dead,† I told him, my voice flat. Jerome's face displayed no reaction. â€Å"How?† â€Å"A break-in. Somebody shot him.† Jerome sipped his bourbon and remained silent. â€Å"Well? Don't you have anything to say?† He scowled. â€Å"What do you expect me to say? Should I cry? Put on sackcloth and ashes? Humans die all the time, Georgie. You're the one who mourns them – not me. I have no sentiment for any of them. You know that. And certainly not for him.† I did know that. When Duane – one of Jerome's former employees – had been killed, the demon's only reaction had been annoyance. â€Å"What's weird†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused, putting to words what had been coalescing in the back of my mind this whole time. â€Å"What's weird is that someone would break into a New Age store at all. It's not a good place for a robbery.† â€Å"If it has money, it's a good place for a robbery. If it's in a deserted strip mall, with only an old man there, it's even a better place for a robbery. Were the valuables gone?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"Then why are you here wasting my time?† â€Å"The glass.† â€Å"The glass?† â€Å"The glass was broken from the inside,† I said. â€Å"The pieces were scattered on the sidewalk. Whoever did it didn't break the glass to get in. It just looked that way.† Jerome sighed irritably. â€Å"After everything you've seen, can you honestly question the behaviors of humans?† â€Å"It just seems strange that someone like Erik – someone who deals in the supernatural and who had – † I hesitated, about to say that he'd been pondering my contract. Instead, I said, â€Å"Who had just been involved with a big immortal blowout would be the victim of this by coincidence.† â€Å"Coincidences happen.† â€Å"I don't believe in coincidences anymore.† â€Å"Then replay your own words. Your ‘big immortal blowout' is the answer. They might not live in our world, but do you think dream creatures don't have connections here?† I frowned. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"That I thought it was too convenient for the Oneroi's overlord to walk away. He knew he couldn't touch me or any other immortal. But a human? One who had been actively involved with thwarting him?† Jerome shrugged. â€Å"It's revenge. He could arrange for that. We can't prove it – and we can't do anything. Make sure you understand that. I'm not going to avenge your friend, if that's what you're asking for.† I hadn't expected him to. In fact, I really wasn't sure what I'd expected of him at all. Why had I come here? Because I was in shock. Because what had happened to Erik didn't make sense. Because Jerome often had answers for me. This time, he did too†¦but I wasn't sure that I believed them. The old adage came back: How do you know if a demon is lying? His lips are moving. â€Å"Okay,† I said with a small nod. His eyes narrowed a little. I think he was surprised I'd given in so quickly. Glancing down, I shape-shifted the blood away. â€Å"I'm going to go home and†¦I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do.† My confusion wasn't faked, and I hoped it would be enough to clear any suspicion. And really, what did he have to be suspicious of? I didn't even know. Two contracts. Jerome didn't try to stop me. I drove home with almost no realization of what I was doing until I pulled into the parking lot under my building. As soon as I opened my condo's door, I caught the faint smell of Chinese food. It smelled delicious, yet at the same time, it had that slight twinge of food that had been sitting around for a while. Roman sprawled on the couch, staring at nothing as far as I could tell. The TV was off. The cats remained unpetted. â€Å"I'm sorry I didn't call,† I said. â€Å"You won't believe what – â€Å" â€Å"I've got something for you,† he said. â€Å"Two somethings, actually.† The odd tone of his voice was about the only thing that could have stopped me from gushing about what had gone down at Erik's tonight. Even now, the events in the store were so surreal that it hardly seemed like something that had happened to me. Surely it was something I'd seen in a movie. I sat down in the armchair near Roman, the queasy feeling in my stomach growing as I wondered what else could possibly happen tonight. â€Å"What is it?† He handed me a piece of paper. â€Å"This was under the door when I got back with the food. I didn't mean to read it, but†¦well, it wasn't in an envelope or anything.† I took it wordlessly, immediately recognizing the scrawled writing. Seth's. To a lot of people it would be undecipherable, but I'd had a lot of practice in decoding his sloppy penmanship. Georgina, When I woke up without you in Mazatln, I was so angry. I felt betrayed and abandoned and wondered if you'd been playing me the entire time. Then, the more I thought about your words, the more my life began to come into focus. I still don't want to deal with the mess here in Seattle. I don't want to face Maddie. I don't want to face myself. But, I realized, I do want you to be proud of me. Maybe â€Å"proud† isn't the right word. Respect? Like? Love? I'm not sure, but the events at Erik's have still left an impression. Really, lying in your arms has left an impression. I meant what I said: I'd rather be alone than not be with you. Even apart, though, I can't stand the thought of you being disappointed in me. To regain your good opinion, I would risk almost anything. I'd even come back here to face my demons. And I have come back here, despite how much I wish I could run away. Disappearing won't erase the bad things around me, however. Maybe you're a messenger of some sort, some agent of destiny. If not for you, I almost certainly wouldn't have returned, but it turns out I needed to. Terry and Andrea received their results yesterday. She only has months to live, something that I'd almost swear was the doctor's joke. Only a few weeks ago, she seemed perfectly fine. I don't want to face that, any more than I want to face everything else. But they need me more than ever now, and I love them. I love them so much that I realize my own life and wants don't matter. As soon as I finish this book, I'm putting everything else – even the new series – on hold. None of it matters. Only they do. They'll need me in the next few months. They'll need me more in the months after that. I don't know when we'll see each other again – though you'll notice I say â€Å"when† and not â€Å"if.† Like I mentioned in Mexico, I know better than to think the universe will keep us apart. Regardless, I want you to be happy wherever your life takes you – and I hope someday I can be worthy of your respect again. I also want you to know that in returning, I don't expect anything from you. I just wanted to make sure you understood what I did†¦and how you've affected me. – Seth I looked up at Roman, who had been studying me while I read. I didn't know what astonished me more: Seth returning – because of me – or the god-awful news about Andrea. Both were monumental in their own ways. One was a tragedy of epic proportions. I swallowed, afraid if I fully processed it all, I'd start crying. â€Å"I'm not sure how much more I can handle tonight,† I said in a small voice. Roman's face was a mixture of sympathy and cynicism. â€Å"Well, you've got one more thing.† He handed me a magazine. It was a trashy celebrity gossip one that was a popular source of mockery over at the bookstore. I couldn't imagine why he was giving something so trivial to me, in light of everything else that had gone on. One page was marked with a Post-it, and I flipped to it. It was a spread of assorted celebrity shots, the kind of candids that paparazzi delighted in: actors out with their children, pop stars spotted in Las Vegas nightclubs. I skimmed over the two pages, feeling a frown grow on my face as I tried to figure out why on earth I'd care about this right now. Then, I found it. It was a small picture, shoved off to the side between much more interesting and larger ones of badly dressed actors. The caption read: Best-selling author Seth Mortensen enjoys some natural beauty in Mazatln. And it showed Seth and me kissing on the beach.

Quantitative Research Paper Essay

Quantitative research includes classification of certain features, calculations and construction of statistical models that can describe these features. In contrast, qualitative research is more focused on description of features excluding statistical descriptions. In quantitative research, data are summarized in the form of verbal descriptions or graphical representations. On the contrary, in qualitative research they appear in statistical tables, graphs, or charts. The researcher is more likely to use qualitative research in the earlier phases of the research project when one is looking for ideas to be later explored in depth within a quantitative framework. The processing of data in quantitative research is more likely to include a subjective component than in the other type. As a result, the results of quantitative research can often mix the context of the study but provide enough material to evaluate a certain hypothesis. A literature review should be compiled in order to answer a specific question or gather data to evaluate a hypothesis. The researcher should define the type of literature one wants to use as well as the scope of information to be used in the research. The sources used should be appropriate for the topic. Depending on the type of research, the sources should be predominantly or only peer-reviewed academic publications relevant to the explored question or field of study. The publications used in literature review should be critically evaluated by the reviewer. It is also important to organize the literature review in a coherent manner so that it is divided into understandable units. An explanation of how this or that topic fits into the research framework should be provided. The synthesis of material should provide adequate background for the topic under research. Conceptualization and operationalization form two pillars of science as these two methods allow researchers to use concepts that are the foundation of human exploration of the universe. By grouping objects into categories called concepts and developing practical ways of measuring these concepts through operationalization, researchers can explore a variety of objects, phenomena and situations. Theories need to be formulated with the help of specific concepts. Here conceptualization plays a crucial role, permitting scholars to define classes that will be described by this or that concept.   Conceptualization creates a concept that can be defined in all complexity of relationships and serve as common ground for exploration of an object or phenomenon by different researchers. Operationalization allows practical application of concepts, permitting their measurement through concrete observations. Each science seeks to define its conceptual apparatus through specific observations. As a result of this quest, â€Å"to operationally define basic concepts has now become central to all sciences† (Wikipedia, 2006). The article â€Å"Money, money, money: an exploratory study on the financial literacy of Black college students† by Angela J. Murphy that appeared in the September 2005 issue of College Student Journal investigates â€Å"the influence of race, gender, age, major and parental educational level on the financial knowledge of undergraduate students attending a predominantly Black institution†. The researcher has identified a strikingly low level of financial literacy among such students. Age and major were found to have less influence, while parental education and major had more impact. One research question can be formulated as â€Å"Does age have an influence on financial literacy of Black college students?†. Another one is â€Å"Does major have an influence on financial literacy of Black college students?†. Independent variables included race, gender, parental education, and age. The dependent variable was the financial literacy in certain areas including â€Å"the topics of income taxes, credit consigning, short term savings, investing for retirement, social security, future college costs and home ownership† (Murphy, 2005). The research used surveys. The method is justified because it permitted researchers to have structured, generalizable results that could be analysed with statistical methods. The survey also allowed people to ask a broad range of students attending various institutions. Mail survey and personal interview are similar in the first place because they test personal attitudes of people toward a subject or phenomenon. Both involve respondents with their individual differences, cultural background, demographic situation that influence the research. The difference lies first of all in the procedure: personal interview involves face-to-face contact whereas a mail survey envisages written communication. Consequently, an interview is more personal, while a mail survey presupposes less personal interaction between the researcher and the respondent. In organizational behavior investigation, a personal interview is more subjective because the participant will be influenced by personal perception of the researcher, possible positive or negative associations, etc. A mail survey, on the contrary, will be free from these limitations. The downside, however, is the frequently low rate of response that is often accountable for bias in answers. A more personal interaction can create more opportunities for the researcher to probe the topic with open-ended questions and find out the opinion of the interviewee with more detail. In addition, if the interviewee finds certain questions ambiguous, he or she can clarify details with the scientist, while this opportunity is absent in the case of a mail survey. To investigate the question of trust, a personal interview is preferable. First, it is considered â€Å"the most reliable method of data collection, especially when attitudinal behavior is of concern† (Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2001). Especially when executives are targeted, the time consumed in filling out a mail survey may become a factor that will discourage most of the targeted public from answering. The choice can be constrained by the budget, as personal interviews are traditionally considered the most expensive research method. In an experiment, the researcher is trying to answer a question performing certain actions that will test the validity of a hypothesis. In a focus group, the researcher is typically trying to explore a broad range of issues. As such, a focus group is called upon to conduct a discussion using prepared question rather than answer a specific question. Besides, the results from a focus group will be less rigidly defined and will require more scholarly interpretation whereas the experiment should deliver a more specific answer to the question. The advantage of focus groups is the open-ended nature of the research that opens possibilities for participants to air their views on many important subjects and share opinions. Besides, it is more personal and allows for greater consideration of individual differences, as â€Å"interaction also enables participants to ask questions of each other, as well as to re-evaluate and reconsider their own understandings of their specific experiences† (Gibbs, 1997). However, a focus group can be practically difficult to organize, involves participants coming from different cultures that can contribute to bias. Besides, these groups offer less predictable results as â€Å"researcher, or moderator, for example, has less control over the data produced† than in other methods (Gibbs, 1997). An experiment, on the other hand, provides for a greater degree of control, especially in controlled experiments, which makes the data more adapted to generalization. However, there is a possibility that participants will behave in controlled environments differently than they would under typically circumstances. An example of research question that can be tested through a focus group is â€Å"What qualities of â€Å"Dove† soap brand make it appealing to consumers?† A focus group would allow participants to share views on the subject with a relatively large degree of freedom so that new, unexpected answers can come up. A question to be tested with an experiment can be â€Å"Do people buy Mercedes cars for quality or prestige?† This question can be answered in an experiment since here one can identify dependent and independent variables and develop a statistical apparatus to answer the question. References Gibbs, A. (1997, Winter). Focus Groups. Social Research Update. Retrieved July 2, 2006, from http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU19.html Murphy. A.J. (2005, September). Money, money, money: an exploratory study on the financial literacy of Black college students. College Student Journal. Retrieved July 2, 2006, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_3_39/ai_n15384395 Pennsylvania Department of Health. (2001). Health Statistics – Technical Assistance Tools of the Trade. Retrieved July 2, 2006, from http://www.health.state.pa.us/hpa/stats/techassist/surveytypes.htm Wikipedia. (2006). Operationalization. Retrieved July 2, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operationalization

Summary of The Changing Demographics of America Essay

Summary of The Changing Demographics of America - Essay Example According to Kotkin this is as opposed to other developed countries such as Japan; South Korea, Europe and China whose population is estimated to decrease. The high young population is attributed by the high fertility and immigration rates. Most of the European countries are estimated to be authentic old-age homes as a high percentage of their populations will be 65 years and above (Kotkin, 2010). According to Kotkin, the high immigration rates and the high fertility rates of US have prompted some critics by environmentalists who are worried by additional 100 million people in the country by 2050. They are calling for national policies to control the high immigration and fertility rate. Colleen Heenam, an author and one of the environmental activists articulates that Americans who favour huge families don’t take responsibility for their prejudicial actions towards population growth which will lead to shortage of the limited resources. Peter Kareiva, a scientist had suggested that the best way to reduce carbon emissions is to give birth to no child (Kotkin, 2010). These critiques forgot to put into consideration that paucity of young people and low population in the country will pose a threat to the country’s labour productivity and be a scourge to the nation’s eudemonia (Kotkin,

Understanding Customers and Competitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Understanding Customers and Competitors - Essay Example Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 along with economic slowdown, the Iraq war and SARS, the aviation industry has suffered a deep slump, particularly in flag airlines. Yet it raises opportunities for the low-fare carrier segment, such as Ryanair that is a rising star in the skies of Europe, having been performing well post 9/11. The aim of this report is to analyse the overall performance of Ryanair in the fast-changing environment, and then few recommendations will be provided. Conclusions will be drawn at the end of this report. Irish-owned Ryanair, founded in 1985, began to introduce a low cost operating model in the early 1990s. The company primarily serves short-haul, point-to-point routes that target business commuters and leisure travellers by offering low, multi-tier fare pricing and sngle-classs air transportation. Having overtaken EasyJet, Ryanair is now the largest low-cost carrier in Europe In January 2000. (Doganis, 2001) The company offers approximately 475 scheduled flights per day serving 84 locations in 14 EU countries. The worldwide commercial aviation has suffered from terrorist attacks of 9/11. The tragedy dramatically decreases the number of passengers and pushed Airline industry facing deterioration in their financial positions. Similarly, impact of SARS and Iraq War reduce willingness of people to travel outside their countries. (Graeme, 2005, Siobhan, 2004) Since 1997, the European market has been completely deregulated. For example, any airlines holding a valid Air Operators Certificate in the EU have right to operate on any route within the European Union, including flights wholly operating within another country. On May 1st 2004, ten new members joined the EU as part of EU enlargement. The era of single European sky related to Open-Sky Treaty, allowing point-to-point service between any EU countries is approaching and airline companies will benefit from consolidation; on the other hand, they

Analysis of American Eagle Outfitters Research Paper

Analysis of American Eagle Outfitters - Research Paper Example he company’s auditor, the research will draw from the current financial statements for the year ending February 2013 in an attempt to identify the name of the audit firm, whether the audit firm issued a combined for separate reports, the type of audit opinion provided and the auditor’s view about internal control over fiscal reporting. AEO is a retailer company whose main business activity is clothing and accessories sold under its own private label brands. Its main products include footwear, apparel, personal care, accessories and lingerie, which is offered in a multi-brand targeting people in different ages. The American Eagle Outfitters most common brand targets both female and male aged 15 to 25 years. It most popular products are polo shirts, low-rise jeans, swimwear, graphic T-shirts, Henley shirts, briefs and boxers. The aerie lingerie brand targets females aged 15-21 years and it offers a variety of female wears including undergarments, dorm-wear, loungewear, sleepwear and active apparel. The company has experienced misfortunes while marketing its brands. For instance, failure of success by the Martin + Osa stand alone lifestyle concept brand led to its closure in 2006. It targeted women and men aged 28-40 years. Furthermore, its latest brand, 77 kids, which targeted children aged 2-10 years was also sold after experiencing after tax losses in 2012. American Eagle Outfitters has a worldwide presence in a number of international countries. The company has expanded to Canada, Puerto Rico, Egypt, Tokyo, Moscow, Dubai and Kuwait where it sells its clothing brands. With over nine hundred stores and 148 Aerie stand-alone stores, this clothing retailer is one of the largest in U.S having acquired revenues of $ 3.48 billions in FY 2013 (United States Securities And Exchange Commission-FY 2013). AEO is a public company; therefore, it is required by law to appoint an independent external auditor to audit its financial statements. This is also a requirement

Simon Piasecki's Performance of Fizz Bomb Essay

Simon Piasecki's Performance of Fizz Bomb - Essay Example Moreover, the "Fizz Bomb" performance represents a series of video arts named "Lessons in Language" which was first aired at Shunt, London in June 2008 (Piasecki, 2008). We can divide provisionally the performance into two parts. The first part finishes in the moment of the explosion. The second begins when the fizzy drink has been made. There are several concepts illustrated in the first part of "Fizz Bomb". Let me start with the language and its references. As "Fizz Bomb" is part of the overall idea of "Lessons in Language" it suggests that the performance seeks to convey the language barrier conception. We all have heard about the biblical city of Babel and its tower. The story narrates how people united by a common language decided to erect a tower with the intention that they will reach heaven and will be closer to God. God saw the construction of the power as a symbol of pride, as people got more skilled and shared their ideas. He said that people become distanced from their creator and in order to give them a lesson God confused their language, causing misunderstanding so that people were unable to finish the construction of the tower. Piasecki employed this biblical narration to show that the audience can not understand his Manchester Butcher's Slang and presumably, they may misunderstand his int... Verbal comprehension is vital for the social communication and all other varieties of conversations. The impossibility to reach out and grasp other people's thoughts leads to the destruction of human relations. This destruction is best depicted by the hidden facial expressions. Communication besides verbal can also be non-verbal. With hiding his face behind a knitted mask Piasecki indicates that the miscommunication with his audience is absolute. He puts a boundary between himself and the viewer. The other concept expressed in the first part of "Fizz Bomb" is the consequences of the misunderstanding. Piasecki does this through his garment. The clothes are combination of the kamikaze warrior bomb vest and the bullet-proven vest. Those two antipodes also symbolize the good and bad side of human nature. Once you might be the hunter and once you might be hunted. If you are misunderstood people can point you out as kamikaze. If you follow the rules, you are subject to attack by those who rebel, so you wear the bullet-proven vest. Simon Piasecki had a profound understanding about the current war conflicts and wanted to describe them in the minutest detail, in simple, clear way. My comprehension is that war conflicts are based on language barrier which creates hostility because people are unaware of the cultural, religious and verbal expression that other nations use. People hide behind stereotypes of kamikaze people and those who have to protect against them. The lack of zest to overcome this language boundary destroyed the basic human attitude and communication between different cultures. Once the bomb of Piasecki explodes there is only silence. The

Worst Management Team Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Worst Management Team - Term Paper Example There can either be a single large team in an organization or there can be several small teams, depending on the nature and type of organization. However, the function of all such management teams is to play their role in the progress of the company, thereby, contributing towards its success. One such management team also existed at Lehman Brothers Holding Inc, which used to be an international financial services organization, also the fourth biggest investment bank of the United States of America dealing in investment banking along with private banking, equity, research, returns trading and investment management. In my opinion, the management team of the Lehman Brothers during the 2006-08 periods is the worst management team ever to have functioned in the history. This is because in this firm, greatest quantity of capital was demolished in the shortest amount of time. In a dramatic manner, the firm underwent the largest bankruptcy in the history of United States, with its stocks plu mmeting drastically, customers opting their way out and assets being heavily undervalued by the official credit rating groups of that time. Finally, a significant portion of the company was bought by Barclays in September 2008 (Summe, 2011). Lehman Brothers was mutually established by the three brothers, Henry Lehman, Emanuel Lehman and Mayer Lehman. Since its foundation, it was considered to be a very reputable institution in which people used to place trust. With the passage of time, the popularity of the firm increased tremendously and it became one of the most reliable financial service companies in the United States, with the launch of its various subsidiaries such as Aurora Loan Services, Crossroad Groups, etc. Since 1993, the company was being led by Richard S. Fuld, Jr, who can be construed as a typical traditional leader with a top down command and control approach. He used to be very daunting in his demeanor and often commanded respect and devotion from his employees on th e basis of power. He had a large management team along with him comprising of senior managers and board of directors who always aided him in forming corporate level policies, core business strategies and decision making. Up till 2007, this team did reasonably well as far as the monetary records are concerned. The company even reported a staggering $4.2 billion profit in the year 2007. However, the consequences of following a superficial policy based on narrow scope and risky business were soon revealed when the company suffered the biggest financial turmoil of USA’s history which also triggered the late 2000’s recession. The responsibility of this crisis which resulted in the destruction of one of the most established names in the world of international finance lies directly on the management team of Lehman Brothers which consisted of several heavyweights. This management team was headed by a very impolite and fiery Chairman and CEO, Richard S. Fuld, Jr (Birkinshaw, 20 10). The other members of the management team were : â€Å"Riccardo Banchetti - Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Middle east and Europe regions; Jasjit S. Bhattal – Chief Executive Officer of Asia-Pacific region; Gearld A.Donini – Global Head of Equities; Eric Felder – Global Co-Head of fixed income; Scott J. Freidheim – Co-Chief Administrative Officer; Michael Gelband – Global Head of Capital Markets; David Goldfarb - Chief Strategy Officer; Alex Kirk – Global Head of Principal Investing; Hyung S. Lee – Global Co-Head of Fixed Income; Stephen M.Lessing – Head of Client Relationship Management; Ian T. Lowitt – Chief Financial Officer and Co-Chief Administrative Officer; Herbert H.McDade III –

Love and Hate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Love and Hate - Research Paper Example In the end a conclusion is given about the essay. Thesis Statement: In this essay, a relationship between ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ is emphasized. A descriptive commentary is given in the favor of the existence of relationship between Love and Hate. Stories of ‘The Storm’ by Kate Chopin, ‘Eveline’ by James Joyce, ‘Araby’ by James Joyce and ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ by Edgar Allan Poe are also discussed as references to prove the existence of relationship between Love and Hate. There are numerous beliefs about ‘Love and hate’. People consider these two emotional jargons according to the manifestations of their own minds. So, in this stance it can be said that the individual meanings of Love and Hate may differ from person to person. Likewise, the relationship between these two extreme emotions may vary according to the circumstances. It has been perceived that there is a relationship between ‘Love and Hate’, although they seem contrary to each other. It has been noticed that almost all the Love stories have vast number of harmonies and they quite look alike. To prove this, there are many things which are needed to be taken into consideration. Many writers and poets have written loads of chunks about ‘Love and Hate’. Spot light must be put on extracts of those writers and poets. Literal meanings of ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ in solitude must be deemed. ... t can be seen that in real life as well ‘Love’ reaches to the verge of extreme intensity and the lovers, normally called as love birds do not seem to consider this intensity. The real life experiences may also prove the literal meaning of ‘Love’. Now, if we see the literal meaning of ‘Hate’, then it means that ‘an intense and strong aversion or hostility, which is normally derived from anger, sense of injury or fear’ (Webster). Similarly as ‘Love’ can be evidenced from the different examples of practical life, ‘Hate’ can also be proven to be giving the same meaning in the real life, as the literature explains. A person hates some other person if he or she is having some sense of injury or fear from other person. This can also be called as an emotional distress because this fear/sense of injury causes the ‘Love’ to evaporate in the air. Apparently it seems that ‘Love’ and ‘Hat e’ do not have any relationship with each other. However, a deep thought is needed to be given in order to break the shell and think other way round. A vague idea about ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ is unlikely to become a source of conviction to prove that ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ are integral to each other. There are many common things between ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’. The most common thing is that both are intense and extreme feelings which cause a robust emotional bond and cause a strong emotional arousal. Both are related to intangible feelings of emotions. When we look at the relationship between the ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’, in the perspective /context of science, then scientists also come up with an idea that ‘Hate’ and ‘Love’ have a thin line in the brain. (Reporter). According to the biologists passion of hate is equal interest to the feelings of

Physics of Volleyball Essay Example for Free

Physics of Volleyball Essay Physics is the study of energy and how it is transferred from one particle to another. There is certainly a lot of energy transferred between objects and players in the sport of volleyball. A few of the concepts of physics that take place during volleyball include gravity, displacement, velocity, acceleration, projectile motion, and force. These concepts are displayed throughout the different positions on the court. There are three main aspects of volleyball that include physics, the first one being displacement. This happens when a player moves to their position on the court and when the ball moves from side to side. Displacement is relative to all positions on the court of volleyball because all six players should be evenly spaced on their respective side. Each player on the court is assigned one of the six positions. Even though theyre only assigned one position, they move and adjust to the play according to their teammates and the direction of the ball. Secondly, velocity is the speed of the player and ball. Velocity is commonly expressed as the change in displacement in a given time. One of these areas where velocity is found in volleyball would be when a player spikes the ball. With the proper velocity, the ball will hit the floor without a defender being able to react quickly enough to the attack. Thirdly, there is gravity, If there was no gravity the ball would not come down nor would the players. Gravity is essential to volleyball because without gravity the players would not be able to stay on the ground and enjoy the game. Also, the ball would float away from the people participating in the game. There are two major concepts of physics for serving, velocity and acceleration. As the ball’s velocity increases its distance also becomes greater. Since the ball is in constant acceleration, the velocity increases by the same amount of time. With the proper velocity, the ball will hit the floor without a defender being able to react quickly enough to the attack. Acceleration goes hand-in-hand with velocity. Acceleration is defined as the rate at which velocity changes. The ball, along with players on the court, both have acceleration. There are times in a volleyball game when the ball has constant acceleration, when the ball is served. When the ball is hit by a player for a spike, the rate at which it reaches is maximum velocity is the acceleration. In order to determine when to hit the ball, you need to calculate the trajectory, speed, and placement of the set. When approaching the ball, the body has kinetic energy and this energy turns into potential energy. This allows the player to jump higher. Since potential energy is the product of the mass of the player, gravity, and the height of the jump, the height is what determines how much potential energy will be attained. When the player hits the ball, it puts as much momentum into it as possible, the shorter amount of time the hand is in contact with the ball, the greater the momentum. Physics affects every aspect of the sport of volleyball from hitting, defense and serving. Without the concepts of physics that take place during volleyball include gravity, displacement, velocity, acceleration, and force, there would not be the sport. Understanding the physics behind the game can make someone a better player because they can learn how the game works and react to it accordingly.

Sample Of Childrens Imaginative Children And Young People Essay

Sample Of Childrens Imaginative Children And Young People Essay This paper will focus on an observation which demonstrates a childrens use of imagination and pretence. This sample of play displays evidence of Harry, Jenny, Katie and Lucys use of pretence, role play and symbolic play, of which the main focus of this commentary will be role play and symbolic play. Children are able to detach themselves from reality during pretend play and at the same time get closer to reality (Wood Attfield, 2005). They create roles, use symbols, and redefine objects, shared meanings, transferring real world knowledge skills and understanding from areas of their lives. In pretend fantasy play children become whatever they choose to be in this case mum, dad and child. According to Corsaro (2003) children often become roles that exist in society and through the childrens shared knowledge of the adult world they are able to transform themselves. Harry, Jenny, Katie and Lucy are able to transform themselves in to roles of parents and child due to the knowledge they have gained through their own experience (9, 12). These children are able to draw upon their existing knowledge of their parents behaviour and actions which Piaget (1962) would refer to as schema (building blocks of knowledge). According to Corsaro (2003) dramatic role-play assists childrens social and emotional development and he states that many have seen role play as an imitation of adults. Corsaro continues to expresses that children do not just imitate adults in their play they take on the power and control of an adult through imaginative play. This can then be used in the future when t hey will be in charge of themselves and others. Harry and Jenny display this when stepping into the role of parents they experiment and imagine what it feels like to have power as a parent. A very significant theme throughout this observation is symbolic play and is seen frequently firstly when the children use play dough to represent cakes (3, 5, 7, 13, 14,), a box to represent an oven (6, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25) and later when Harry uses a building block as a telephone (30). According to Garvey (1990) objects operate and link the child with their environment and as a child matures their use of objects in pretence become more appropriate. Objects become more realistic and understandable to adults. Referring back to Garvey this is when play scenarios becomes more comprehensive. These children all transform objects to take new form to serve as a purpose to continue the play and it is very obvious to the adult eye what these objects represent when the play theme is known or observed. These children (with the exception of one who generally copied her peers) have learnt to make-believe and are using less realistic objects, they become more inventive and more imagina tive, skilled pretenders where they have transformed a cardboard box into an oven (Garvey, 1990). Harry speaks to an imaginary person on his imaginary telephone pausing allowing time for a response this was very realistic, he developed the theme of having to go to work after ending the telephone conversation. According to Garvey (1990) children use roles and identities not just to the participants but also to imaginary ones and objects are changed and invented as they are needed and in order to engaged in make believe. Singer Singer (2007) express that symbolic play enables children to have a clear sense of what is real and what is not real or fantasy. Jenny had the ability to switch between reality and pretence when using the phrase Lets pretend. Jenny initiates the play theme to Lucy and Katie. (1). It is obvious that Jenny has made cakes with her mother on many occasions (7) referring to Bruce (2011) Jenny is using her imagination in a play situation and rearranging past experience in new ways. It appears that Lucy seems to be confused by her suggestion by voicing her concerns how (2). Jenny demonstrates to Lucy what she wants her to do by cutting the play dough into moon shapes (5). Lucy is now able to visualise that the play dough will now change form and become cakes even though they are not actually real cakes. Vygotksy (1978: 86) states that when peers interact they can support less component peers in developing skills this is known as the Zone of Proximal Development (1978: 86). In this case Lucy is in the zone of proximal development and through peer support she can now successfully understand that the play dough is going to represent a cake. Jenny as a more knowledgeable peer in terms of being older has more experie nce, so she was able to support and instruct Lucy. They are in the play room they have no ingredients, no oven and no obvious cooking utensils. There were no realistic objects for Lucy to use to make cakes. Lucys maturity level is not as advanced as the others and she finds herself in new situations which contradict her existing schemas, the existing schema must be accommodated in order for the new information to fit, fantasy play can help children make sense and test these ideas through assimilation (Piaget, 1962 Kitson, 2005). Lucy being the youngest participant Fenson, Kearsley and Zelazo (1976 cited in Smith, 2010) state that younger children depend on more realistic objects during pretend play Lucy has not yet reached the stage they refer to as decontextualization where children have the ability to use less realistic substitute objects. This observation has highlighted the importance of pretend/fantasy play for children to be able to express themselves as well as enjoy this valuable time. Observations of this type of play provides valuable insights in to childrens social worlds, however within a pre-school setting this type of free play could be very difficult due to observe due to the amount of children within a pre-school class. In this type of small setting (in a child minders home) this task is easier to carry out and can provide important information about a childs likes/dislikes, what makes them happy/sad and possible anxieties they may have but most importantly where they are developmentally. Freud (1961 cited in Moyles, 2005) states that children display their inner selves through fantasy play. What I observed on this particular occasion was the children were left to their own devices without much supervision or interaction from their child minder. I can only assume this was due to my presence. The question is does adult intervention enhance childrens development? Hutt et al (1989) agree that adult interventions or participation is essential when attempting to improve cognitive development. Smith and Syddall (1978, cited in Hutt et al, 1989: 171) continue to suggest that daily adult interactions in childrens play particular pre-school children can change their performance on tests of cognitive ability. In the case of Lucy struggling to fit in to the play theme at the beginning due to a lack of understanding could have been an opportunity for her child minder to get involved with the play and support her through this (although Jenny did step in to help and the play continued) having an adult take part in these types of social-role play situations could according to Moyles H eathcote (1989, 1984, cited in Kitson, 2005) can stimulate and deepen a childs play experiences and adults can then create learning areas to suit a childs needs. Also referring to Tina Bruce (1997) children are able to benefit when directed than if left to ordinary development. To further support the idea that adult direction supports childrens development, Kitson (cited in Moyles 2005) states effective adult interventions can assist children create new forms of play themes, dilemmas and support children in extending their learning this can be done by not telling children what to do but offering them alternatives to explore. However Brostrom (1997) thinks that play should be free from force of an adult and this can stop child from playing. So rather than forcing play they should observe it more, create more stimulating activities to support it whilst providing materials to initiate more creative play to support childrens learning. Other things to consider are adults involving themselves more with childrens play without dominating the play but sensitively entering childrens worlds and respect the dynamics or the play themes. As the childrens play was ended suddenly Singer and Singer (2007) importantly state that children need time, space and simple materials to engage in pretend play Bib S.J, Hutt, Tyler, C. Hutt Christopherson (1989) Play, Exploration and Learning Smith, Peter, K (date) Children and Play: Understanding Childrens Worlds Bergen, D, (2002) The Role of Pretend Play in Childrens Cognitive Development Volume 4 Number 1 Moyles, J (2005) the excellence of Play 2nd ed chapter 8 Fantasy Play and the case for adult intervention by Neil Kitson Open uni press Berkshire Vygotsky, L. S. (1978).  Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Tina Bruce (2011) Learning through Play 2nd ed London Hodder Tina Bruce (1997) Helping young children to play