Is human aggression in born Or a learned behavior Essay

? Introduction All of science, including clinical science, begins with observation. The understanding and modulation of aggressive impulsive behavior has been no exception. Even before Hippocrates’ attempt to characterize personalities, we have observed and grouped behaviors and then proceeded to study and attempt their manipulation. Webster defines aggression as â€Å"a forceful action or procedure (as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master. † â€Å"It is this classification and description process which has guided the research and clinical modulation of human aggressive behavior utilizing animal models of aggression. † (Coccaro, 2003, p. 1) Define aggression (Hostile aggression and instrumental aggression) The underlying premise of the study of phenomena, (things as they are perceived, as the nature of things as they are) of aggressive behavior is that such aggressive behavior is not uniform but despite its disparity can be grouped according to certain externally observable characteristics. Moreover, the utility of such descriptive grouping provides the structure that leads to a clearer understanding of these phenomena and affords a means to manipulate behaviors. â€Å"The study ultimately provides an understanding of behavior in the human condition. Said another way, animal models of aggression tell us which questions to ask about human aggression and which biological systems to study in the human animal. † (Coccaro, 2003, p. 2) Analyses investigating the relationships between the two different types of aggressive responses and psychiatric diagnoses found that both aggressive children with Attention Deficient Disorder and aggressive children without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) utilized instrumental aggressive responses more frequently than the normal controls. â€Å"However, children with ADHD and aggression were more likely to utilize hostile aggressive responses than the aggressive children without ADHD, indicating a connection between impulsivity and hostile aggression. † (Atkins et al, 1993, p. 165) Key aggressive behavior was associated with goal-directed behavior, in which there is some benefit or gain to the aggressor or aggressive action. â€Å"In contrast, hostile aggression was perceived as an attempt to cause pain to the victim, with no independent gain. Aggressive children with ADHD were more likely to demonstrate hostile aggressive behavior on an analog task than aggressive children without AD/HD, suggesting that impulsivity plays a role in hostile aggression as well as in ADHD. † (Coccaro, 2003, p. 270) In comparison, instrumental aggression is more thoughtful (premeditated), is less influenced by anger, and uses aggression as a means to obtain a goal (e. g. , power) rather than as an end in itself. Despite this distinction in the literature, measures of aggression rarely discriminate between the two types. This is likely, in part, due to the difficulty in distinguishing between purely instrumental and purely impulsive acts. â€Å"It has been suggested that most aggressive acts may have both impulsive and instrumental components, and that this dichotomy should be abolished. However, other studies have suggested that this distinction is valid and that separate neurological substrates may be involved in the two types of aggression. † (Coccaro, 2003, p. 171) In the laboratory, instrumental aggression may be the most artificial. Constructive and pessimistic support is utilized to shape and increase the frequency of aggressive behavior. Since aggressive behavior, which affords dominance, can be positively reinforcing, instrumental aggression can be linked with other forms of aggression such as inter-male aggression. (Coccaro, 2003, p. 3) Theories of aggression Among the assortment of human actions that are the subject of attention, none has aroused deeper concern than man’s aggressiveness. Though aggression has always been an important social concern, developments during the past few decades have fully justified increased interest. â€Å"With the progressive growth of instruments of destruction, simple aggressive acts can produce widespread disastrous consequences. The hazards of ill-judged actions have thus become enormously magnified. Man’s aggressive potential has also been increased, independently of expanding destructive accouterments, by changes in the social conditions of life. † (Bandura, 1973, p. 1) The grouping of theoretical approaches into various categories (i. e. , instinct, drive, learning, and social learning) uses the major emphasis of each theoretical notion as a sorting criterion. It is hoped that this categorization facilitates the overview. â€Å"It should be kept in mind, however, that the various theories are not necessarily confined entirely to the features suggested by their category heading; nor are they fully independent of one another. Drive theories of aggression, for example, involve learning considerations, and the learning of aggression to some extent involves considerations of drive. † (Zillmann, 1979, p. 114) The explicit use of the drive concept has become comparatively rare. The concept of arousal, on the other hand, seems to have become successively more popular. In one way or another, all contemporary theories of aggression try to explain the phenomenon in terms of an interaction of cognition and arousal. â€Å"The student of this topic may thus readily come to the conclusion that the theories are very similar, at least as far as arousal is concerned. Such an impression is quite erroneous, however. Confusion arises from the fact that the concept of arousal is used very broadly and assumes different meanings in different theories–occasionally even in the same theory. † (Zillmann, 1979, p. 168) Differences between theories show some distinction in the relative emphasis they place on the conditions that are produced. â€Å"This phenomenon has special significance for theories of aggression because, unlike most mass movements, it represents revolt by advantaged rather than by underprivileged segments of society. † (Bandura, 1973, p. 231) It is doubtful that the instinctual drive theories of aggression are capable of empirical verification. Most of them are formulated in such broad terms that they do not generate specific predictions that could be put to experimental tests. â€Å"When a non-measurable instinctual force is combined with many qualifying factors that are also somewhat elusive, the theory can explain any variety of events that have already happened, though it cannot predict them. The post-dictions, of course, are compatible with alternative theories that do not invoke the operation of an innate aggressive drive. † (Bandura, 1973, p. 14) Is aggression inborn (Instinct theory) Lombroso’s (historical figure in modern criminology, and the founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology) announcement that biology was the only important factor in causing crime eventually set off a firestorm of controversy. However, Lombroso was not the only person who believed that biology was the most important factor influencing behavior. â€Å"Around the turn of the century, as today, the major discipline examining human behavior was psychology. At that time, most psychologists, like Lombroso, were convinced of the primary importance of genetic influences and did not question the idea that criminal behavior was inborn. † (Englander, 2003, p. 56) â€Å"The ego has been differentiated from the id through the influence of the external world, to whose demands it adapts. In so adapting it has to reconcile the forces of the id and super-ego in such a way as to maximize pleasure and minimize un-pleasure. The development of ego-psychology as a branch of psychoanalysis, which reflected a shift of interest from the earlier instinct theory to the adaptive functions of the ego, in relation to other persons especially, facilitated some rapprochement between psychoanalysis and psychology. † (Gregory, 1998, p.211). The most well-known proponents of the theory (Sigmund Freud, and Konrad Lorenz) have written in German, and the so called instinct theory, accordingly, should rather be labeled the Trieb-theory. (Fry et al, 1997, p. 28) The closest way to describe what Trieb really means is that it implies an innate drive, functioning in accordance with the so called reservoir model. The drive is triggered by internal rather than external stimuli, examples being the hunger, thirst, and sexual drives. Biological influences ( Neural influences, genetic influences, biochemical influences). Psychologists concerned with emotions in general seem to be working along very different lines. With the exception of those dealing mainly with the biological aspects of emotional states, their attention is focused largely on people’s reports of how their emotional feelings and/or actions came about. â€Å"Unfortunately for both groups, there isn’t very much communication between them, and they do not read and consider as much of each other’s research literature as they should. † (Srull, 1993, p. 2) It is becoming increasingly common to treat emotions (anger, fear, love, etc.) as higher order entities created or constructed out of more elementary components. A central problem for any theory of emotion, then, is to clarify the principles according to which emotions are organized. Biological principles (information encoded in the genes) play a role; so, too, do psychological principles. â€Å"The critical empirical question here is whether one sees different emotional states as incorporating essentially indistinguishable physiological responses. (Srull, 1993, p. 91) It has been assumed by scholars that there are demonstrable differences at the physiological, neural and even muscular level between different emotions. Is aggression a response to frustration (frustration-aggression theory revised) A number of predictions that follow from the social learning formulation differ from the traditional frustration-aggression hypothesis. â€Å"It will be recalled that drive theories of aggression assume that frustration arouses an aggressive drive that can be reduced only through some form of aggressive behavior. Frustration, in this view, is a necessary and sufficient condition for aggression. The diverse events subsumed under the omnibus term frustration have one feature in common–they are all in varying degrees. † (Bandura, 1973, p. 53) Attempting to make a connection with the â€Å"displacement† of emotions in psychoanalytic theory gives rise to the reformulation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis. Within academic research circles, it drew theoretical attention to this aspect of human aggression by incorporating rules for the redirection of hostility from the provoker to substitute targets. (Knutson, 1994, p. 89) Criticism of the frustration-aggression hypothesis focused at first on the nature of responses to frustration. Anthropologists pointed out that in some cultures aggression was by no means a typical response to frustration. Researchers in the early and mid 1940’s demonstrated that young children were inclined to regress rather than to aggress when frustrated. â€Å"Other critics argued that only some kinds of frustration evoke aggressive behavior and that other forms do not. † (Bandura, 1973, p. 52) Is aggression learned social behavior An understanding of this energetic interaction between our species legacy, brain functioning, and learned culture is crucial if we are to understand human social behavior, personality and human nature in general. â€Å"Given that our species heritage and neuro-humoral functioning are difficult, if not impossible, to understand apart from evolutionary theory, it is evident that the second new Darwinian revolution must reach fruition prior to a full maturing of the social sciences. † (Bailey, 1987, p. 37). Moreover, they both find powerful effects of rearing conditions, social interactions, and learning that modify the level of aggressive behavior in the selected lines, regardless of genetic background. â€Å"The similarities in outcomes have been striking in the light of the separate establishment and evolution of the investigations for more than 2 decades. The confirmation seemed especially important because the findings had independently challenged widely held assumptions on the relations between development, genes, and social behavior. (Cairns et al, 1996, p. 43) Rewards of aggression The opportunity to behave aggressively can be used to reinforce learning if that opportunity is provided in situations that normally elicit aggression. Electrodes attached to inflict tail shock produces â€Å"reflexive† aggression in monkeys. â€Å"These animals will also learn a chain pulling response in order to obtain a canvas-covered ball that they may bite. If pigeons are rewarded with food for pecking a key, they will learn the response quickly. If the reward is suddenly terminated, the birds will behave aggressively. During this period, they will also learn to peck a key that produces another bird that can then be attacked. † (Moyer, 1987, p. 33) â€Å"Child abuse and neglect is a widespread social problem that affects all types of family structure and all segments of the population, regardless of individual differences in cultural background, geographic location, or economic status. (However, as discussed in later sections, some groups are at greater risk of child abuse and neglect than others. For example, the poor, uneducated, and young have been considered most vulnerable). † (Jackson et al, 1991, p. 5) Many so-called instinctual behaviors may contain a large learning component even in the common patterns displayed by members of a species. â€Å"Observation learning is a principal means of acquiring new response patterns in animals and humans alike. Observation learning may play an especially important role in species that are highly susceptible to imprinting. This is a process wherein young offspring develop a strong attachment to, and rapidly learn general characteristics of the model to which they were first exposed during a developmentally sensitive period. â€Å"(Bandura, 1973, p. 27) It appears that some response patterns are transmitted during the period impressionable access. The relationship of a close social attachment to a role model greatly improves the ability to observe. Huesmann LR and Miller LS, (Long-term effects of repeated exposure to media violence in childhood. In Aggressive Behavior: Current Perspectives, ed.LR Huesmann, pp. 153-86. New York: Plenum 1986, 1998,) proposed that when children observe violence in the mass media, they learn aggressive scripts. â€Å"Scripts define situations and guide behavior: The person first selects a script to represent the situation and then assumes a role in the script. Once a script has been learned, it may be retrieved at some later time and used as a guide for behavior. This approach can be seen as a more specific and detailed account of social learning processes. † (Anderson et al, 2002, p. 27) Influences of aggression. The first thing to be said about animals is that we should be cautious in drawing lessons from them to explain our own behavior, given the mediating force of culture and our capacity for reflection. â€Å"Our kinship with other animals does not mean that if their behavior seems often to be under the influence of instincts, this must necessarily also be the case in humans,† says anthropologist Ashley Montagu. He quotes one authority who has written: â€Å"There is no more reason to believe that man fights wars because fish or beavers are territorial than to think that man can fly because bats have wings. † (Kohn, 1988, p. 34) Scripted patterns of functioning, non conscious influence of goals and behavioral plans, and a variety of procedural rules guiding behavior, particularly in socio-cultural contexts, (none of which may find representation at a conscious level,) and none of which can be attributed to unconscious emotion related dynamics of coping in society. CONCLUSION Aggression is a social behavior that is only modestly understood. Although a full understanding of human aggressive behavior will certainly still require researchers and clinicians to examine aggressive behavior continuously. â€Å"Although biopsychosocial models of aggression have been proposed and tested, these have limited utility for explaining aggression in the general case. Research on the treatment of aggression lags behind basic research, and has relied largely on the traditional biomedical model for knowledge development and application. † (Coccaro, 2003, p. 72)Awareness and understanding of the social context surrounding knowledge development for aggression may help guide future research efforts and clinical practice. In conclusion, the approach of this paper suggests further independent examination of the motives for affects and actions. Throughout the presentation, supports the formulations of new and innovative theories for further research. In essence, when we as humans encounter one another we can usually process all the relevant information in a considered fashion and count on the principle alone to steer us correctly. Reference(s) Emil F. Coccaro, 2003, Aggression: Psychiatric Assessment and Treatment. Publisher: Marcel Dekker. Place of Publication: New York. Page Number: 1. MS Atkins, DM Stoff,1993, Instrumental and hostile aggression in childhood disruptive behavior disorders. J Abnorm Child Psychol 21:165-178. Albert Bandura, 1973, Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis. Publisher: Prentice-Hall. Place of Publication: Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Page Number: 1. Dolf Zillmann, 1979, Hostility and Aggression Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Page Number: 114. Elizabeth Kandel Englander, 2003, Understanding Violence. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ. Page Number: 56. Richard L. Gregory, 1998, The Oxford Companion to the Mind. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: Oxford. Page Number: 211. Douglas P. Fry, Kaj Bjorkqvist, 1997, Cultural Variation in Conflict Resolution: Alternatives to Violence Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ. Page Number: 28. Thomas K. Srull, Robert S. Wyer Jr. ,1993, Perspectives on Anger and Emotion. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Page Number: 2. John F. Knutson, Michael Potegal, 1994, The Dynamics of Aggression: Biological and Social Processes in Dyads and Groups. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Page Number: 89. Kent G. Bailey, 1987, Human Paleopsychology: Applications to Aggression and Pathological Processes. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Page Number: 37. Robert B. Cairns, David M. Stoff, 1996, Aggression and Violence: Genetic, Neurobiological, and Biosocial Perspectives. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Mahwah, NJ. Page Number: 43. K. E. Moyer, 1987, Violence and Aggression: A Physiological Perspective. Publisher: Paragon Press. Place of Publication: New York. Page Number: 33. Jay W. Jackson, Henry C. Karlson, Oliver C. S. Tzeng, 1991, Theories of Child Abuse and Neglect: Differential Perspectives, Summaries, and Evaluations. Publisher: Praeger. Place of Publication: Westport, CT. Page Number: 5. Craig A. Anderson, Brad J. Bushman, 2002, Human Aggression. Journal Title: Annual Review of Psychology. Page Number: 27+. Alfie Kohn, 1988, Article Title: Make Love, Not War: We Keep Hearing That We Are an Aggressive, Warlike Species. Scientists Keep Telling Us That We Have a Choice. Magazine Title: Psychology Today. Volume: 22. Issue: 6. Publication Date: June. Page Number: 34+.

Intro to Sociology

1. The sociological perspective (imagination) can be characterized as seeing the general in the particular and how the general operation of society affects the experiences of particular people. With that, sociology educates people to better understand the opportunities and the barriers that exist in their lives. Sociological perspective can be a valuable asset in coming to terms with a personal problem. After I had to take medical leave from work and could not return because of a nerve disorder I am currently having, I began to feel as if I was not being constructive enough and my self worth took a nosedive. I was biased against myself for not doing what it is a man is ‘suppose' to be doing in society, even though I am physically hindered right now. During this time off I figured I could take a couple of classes while wait out the pain. As I analyzed the opportunities available for me to attend college full-time such as the GI Bill, loans and grants, I also reassessed some personal and professional goals with my family as in what I should do. I realized I didn't want to work in a factory for 20 years, if or when I recover, so I enrolled in college to better pursue my adjusted goals which include Associates and Bachelor Degrees in Accounting to become a Certified Public Accountant. With this opportunity comes the constraint of being in debt when leaving school but that is s how society is here in America, ‘you have to give a lot to receive a lot'. As I look back at these events, I realize my lack of self worth was a direct result of not living up to what my perception of a man's role in society is and that was causing unnecessary self-inflicted stress. There was no reason to think I was a different person of lesser value just because of my situation, but I know if I did not believe that at that time, I would not be taking this test. This injury has caused changes in statuses such as becoming a college student, becoming unemployed, and physically disabled and performing these roles in society has made me view our society as whole in a much more critical way. The sociological perspective in Jeremy's terms means: Take a step back, think for yourself, process all information, and question the doubts before making decisions that effect your life and the lives around you. . â€Å"Free Will† can be achieved on a constant basis if one decides to accept certain morality standards and values that should be practiced by all mankind. We as people have the right to do whatever it is we want†¦ but at the same must have respect for your fellow human being. If we accept the world in which we live (laws, rules and all), we will then have the choice or â€Å"Free Will† to make changes, if needed, by running for government or leading protests or being an influential personality such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One could argue, â€Å"we do not have free will because we cant do whatever we want! † If someone wants to injure, even kill someone, or something else that harms, cheats, or steals from another, they should face some kind of consequences for their inhuman acts towards another person. â€Å"Free Will†, as I perceive it, is more abundant in this country than almost anywhere in the world because free will is about having choices and being able to decide what is best for you. Society can greatly influence the appeal of one decision over another and make one the easy choice, or programmed choice, but its here that your choice to follow the easy route, the popular societal choice or to take the road less traveled, unpopular choice is why Free â€Å"Will† exist. These choices in life that society creates are as â€Å"Free will† as it get; without society influencing our lives and the decisions we make in these ways, life would get real plain. Choices are why I believe â€Å"free will† remains, as long I am able make the decisions, that guide my life I will have â€Å"Free Will†. . This video was about a teacher from Iowa and the process she created to tech her 3rd grade students about discrimination in 1968 and their reunion 20 years later. The teacher then later applies the same process at an adult correctional officer workshop that produces similar results as the 3rd graders. The kids were segregated into blue-eyed and brown-eyed people and the teacher discriminated toward the brown-eyes one day by telling them how bad they did everything and then treated the blue-eyes the exact same way the next day. What she found was that her sweet, caring class of 3rd graders were vicious and mean towards the ones being discriminated on within 15 minutes of the prejudices being introduced to the classroom environment. Both group of kids took tests on both days and the results were much worse on the days their particular group was discriminated against and were not happy at all. With that, prejudices have a reactionary effect that seems to degrade the self-esteem and self-worth at once while also altering behavior and attitude.. The blue-eyed adults later in the film started getting agitated, uncooperative, combative, and mean due to the lack of respect they were receiving as a blue-eyed person in the same scenario. This documentary shows prejudices are mostly influenced by the surrounding environment and peers, or a culture of prejudices, which views certain categories as better or worse than others. Even if one does not agree with the prejudice, they might conform to the surrounding prejudices to ‘fit in' and so as not be discriminated against themselves. Other than both the primary and secondary groups influencing the way a person acts, most of each groups characteristics are opposite of each other. The quality of relationships in a primary group is personal orientation while secondary group are more goal orientated. The length of a primary group relationship is usually long term, where secondary groups tend to be short-term, but can vary. The primary group also will be involved in a wide range of activities, and know each other well, while secondary groups tend to involve few activities and have a narrow relationship. The subjective perception of the primary group is â€Å"as an ends in themselves' , while ‘an ends to an end† is the secondary groups perception. My family is my primary group that is involved in my everyday life that ranges from childcare to socializing to arguing. My family being behind me has allowed me to have the confidence and self-esteem to accomplish all that I have and am currently doing and have done in my life such as military service and high school. My mother's continuous positive attitude and smile has always let me know that even if I failed, she loved me no less. No matter the outcome Mom always was proud of the effort, that is all she asks. My stepfather's behavior seems to be those of a saint to me and, despite a few bumps in my road; I strive to walk a similar path as him. Even though he is my Stepfather, this man has raised me for 20 years of my 27 with class, respect, and dignity. The combination of these two great people and their qualities has allowed me to develop the self-concept needed to have a rich and fulfilling life. An example of a secondary group is our class. The impact on my behavior is I am more serious in class since I'm paying for this education and here to learn. I bet no one in this secondary group knows I do a GREAT pigeon impression (on the ground wobbling around and all! ). That would be too interpersonal for this secondary group but not my for my family/primary group, I have proof! My self-concept isn't impacted by this secondary group too radically because being in a new classroom with a bunch of people I never met before is the norm, especially being in the military and after 6 years of it, I am accustom to the environment of the unknown classroom. If anything, this secondary group, our class, has increased my self-esteem since I am more apt to speak out in class than ever before. Being able to experience some real life in the military and then coming to school has been a blessing in disguise because I am such a better student now than ever in high school. In all, despite having opposite characteristics, primary and secondary groups can both have an influential presence in self-concept, self-esteem, and behavior. 9. In defining the social structure of society, STATUS refers to a social position that an individual occupies, not its everyday meaning of ‘prestige'. Every status is part of our social identity and defines our relationship to others. i. e. college student Over a lifetime, people gain and lose dozens of statuses and sociologists study these statuses in terms how people attain them. An ascribed status is a social position a person receives at birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. People usually have little or no choice in this status. Such as a death or disability later in life. An achieved status refers to a position a person assumes voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort. Some statuses matter more than others such as a master status, which has a special importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life. For most in the US, occupation is the master status because it conveys a great deal about social background, education, and income. While a person holds a status, they perform a ROLE, or a behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status. Actual role performance varies according to a person's personality, although some societies permit more individual expression than others. In a modern high-income country, like us, role conflict arises between roles corresponding to two or more statuses, such as parenting, full-time student, and fianci. Even roles linked to one status can cause tension known as role strain. In short, performing these roles required of us requires a balancing act throughout our life. The biggest role conflict in my life is the full-time student with parenting a child with Downs Syndrome and my current physical disability that forced me out of work and normal everyday activities without pain. Being able to analyze each status and what was expected for each role allows me to ‘compartmentalize' my school role so I can better focus on the needs of my family while home in the evening and pain management for myself. In the end compartmentalizing is organizing information in your head as to the environment expected in whatever role is needed at that time and not letting multiple roles conflict and cause something to happen that should not. Intro to Sociology 1. The sociological perspective (imagination) can be characterized as seeing the general in the particular and how the general operation of society affects the experiences of particular people. With that, sociology educates people to better understand the opportunities and the barriers that exist in their lives. Sociological perspective can be a valuable asset in coming to terms with a personal problem. After I had to take medical leave from work and could not return because of a nerve disorder I am currently having, I began to feel as if I was not being constructive enough and my self worth took a nosedive. I was biased against myself for not doing what it is a man is ‘suppose' to be doing in society, even though I am physically hindered right now. During this time off I figured I could take a couple of classes while wait out the pain. As I analyzed the opportunities available for me to attend college full-time such as the GI Bill, loans and grants, I also reassessed some personal and professional goals with my family as in what I should do. I realized I didn't want to work in a factory for 20 years, if or when I recover, so I enrolled in college to better pursue my adjusted goals which include Associates and Bachelor Degrees in Accounting to become a Certified Public Accountant. With this opportunity comes the constraint of being in debt when leaving school but that is s how society is here in America, ‘you have to give a lot to receive a lot'. As I look back at these events, I realize my lack of self worth was a direct result of not living up to what my perception of a man's role in society is and that was causing unnecessary self-inflicted stress. There was no reason to think I was a different person of lesser value just because of my situation, but I know if I did not believe that at that time, I would not be taking this test. This injury has caused changes in statuses such as becoming a college student, becoming unemployed, and physically disabled and performing these roles in society has made me view our society as whole in a much more critical way. The sociological perspective in Jeremy's terms means: Take a step back, think for yourself, process all information, and question the doubts before making decisions that effect your life and the lives around you. . â€Å"Free Will† can be achieved on a constant basis if one decides to accept certain morality standards and values that should be practiced by all mankind. We as people have the right to do whatever it is we want†¦ but at the same must have respect for your fellow human being. If we accept the world in which we live (laws, rules and all), we will then have the choice or â€Å"Free Will† to make changes, if needed, by running for government or leading protests or being an influential personality such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One could argue, â€Å"we do not have free will because we cant do whatever we want! † If someone wants to injure, even kill someone, or something else that harms, cheats, or steals from another, they should face some kind of consequences for their inhuman acts towards another person. â€Å"Free Will†, as I perceive it, is more abundant in this country than almost anywhere in the world because free will is about having choices and being able to decide what is best for you. Society can greatly influence the appeal of one decision over another and make one the easy choice, or programmed choice, but its here that your choice to follow the easy route, the popular societal choice or to take the road less traveled, unpopular choice is why Free â€Å"Will† exist. These choices in life that society creates are as â€Å"Free will† as it get; without society influencing our lives and the decisions we make in these ways, life would get real plain. Choices are why I believe â€Å"free will† remains, as long I am able make the decisions, that guide my life I will have â€Å"Free Will†. . This video was about a teacher from Iowa and the process she created to tech her 3rd grade students about discrimination in 1968 and their reunion 20 years later. The teacher then later applies the same process at an adult correctional officer workshop that produces similar results as the 3rd graders. The kids were segregated into blue-eyed and brown-eyed people and the teacher discriminated toward the brown-eyes one day by telling them how bad they did everything and then treated the blue-eyes the exact same way the next day. What she found was that her sweet, caring class of 3rd graders were vicious and mean towards the ones being discriminated on within 15 minutes of the prejudices being introduced to the classroom environment. Both group of kids took tests on both days and the results were much worse on the days their particular group was discriminated against and were not happy at all. With that, prejudices have a reactionary effect that seems to degrade the self-esteem and self-worth at once while also altering behavior and attitude.. The blue-eyed adults later in the film started getting agitated, uncooperative, combative, and mean due to the lack of respect they were receiving as a blue-eyed person in the same scenario. This documentary shows prejudices are mostly influenced by the surrounding environment and peers, or a culture of prejudices, which views certain categories as better or worse than others. Even if one does not agree with the prejudice, they might conform to the surrounding prejudices to ‘fit in' and so as not be discriminated against themselves. Other than both the primary and secondary groups influencing the way a person acts, most of each groups characteristics are opposite of each other. The quality of relationships in a primary group is personal orientation while secondary group are more goal orientated. The length of a primary group relationship is usually long term, where secondary groups tend to be short-term, but can vary. The primary group also will be involved in a wide range of activities, and know each other well, while secondary groups tend to involve few activities and have a narrow relationship. The subjective perception of the primary group is â€Å"as an ends in themselves' , while ‘an ends to an end† is the secondary groups perception. My family is my primary group that is involved in my everyday life that ranges from childcare to socializing to arguing. My family being behind me has allowed me to have the confidence and self-esteem to accomplish all that I have and am currently doing and have done in my life such as military service and high school. My mother's continuous positive attitude and smile has always let me know that even if I failed, she loved me no less. No matter the outcome Mom always was proud of the effort, that is all she asks. My stepfather's behavior seems to be those of a saint to me and, despite a few bumps in my road; I strive to walk a similar path as him. Even though he is my Stepfather, this man has raised me for 20 years of my 27 with class, respect, and dignity. The combination of these two great people and their qualities has allowed me to develop the self-concept needed to have a rich and fulfilling life. An example of a secondary group is our class. The impact on my behavior is I am more serious in class since I'm paying for this education and here to learn. I bet no one in this secondary group knows I do a GREAT pigeon impression (on the ground wobbling around and all! ). That would be too interpersonal for this secondary group but not my for my family/primary group, I have proof! My self-concept isn't impacted by this secondary group too radically because being in a new classroom with a bunch of people I never met before is the norm, especially being in the military and after 6 years of it, I am accustom to the environment of the unknown classroom. If anything, this secondary group, our class, has increased my self-esteem since I am more apt to speak out in class than ever before. Being able to experience some real life in the military and then coming to school has been a blessing in disguise because I am such a better student now than ever in high school. In all, despite having opposite characteristics, primary and secondary groups can both have an influential presence in self-concept, self-esteem, and behavior. 9. In defining the social structure of society, STATUS refers to a social position that an individual occupies, not its everyday meaning of ‘prestige'. Every status is part of our social identity and defines our relationship to others. i. e. college student Over a lifetime, people gain and lose dozens of statuses and sociologists study these statuses in terms how people attain them. An ascribed status is a social position a person receives at birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. People usually have little or no choice in this status. Such as a death or disability later in life. An achieved status refers to a position a person assumes voluntarily that reflects personal ability and effort. Some statuses matter more than others such as a master status, which has a special importance for social identity, often shaping a person's entire life. For most in the US, occupation is the master status because it conveys a great deal about social background, education, and income. While a person holds a status, they perform a ROLE, or a behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status. Actual role performance varies according to a person's personality, although some societies permit more individual expression than others. In a modern high-income country, like us, role conflict arises between roles corresponding to two or more statuses, such as parenting, full-time student, and fianci. Even roles linked to one status can cause tension known as role strain. In short, performing these roles required of us requires a balancing act throughout our life. The biggest role conflict in my life is the full-time student with parenting a child with Downs Syndrome and my current physical disability that forced me out of work and normal everyday activities without pain. Being able to analyze each status and what was expected for each role allows me to ‘compartmentalize' my school role so I can better focus on the needs of my family while home in the evening and pain management for myself. In the end compartmentalizing is organizing information in your head as to the environment expected in whatever role is needed at that time and not letting multiple roles conflict and cause something to happen that should not.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 25

â€Å"Sleeping in the storage room with every wal covered in Post-it Note amulets,†added Meredith grimly. â€Å"If we have enough. I got another packet, but it doesn't go very far when you're trying to cover a room.† â€Å"Okay,†Elena said. â€Å"Who's got Shinichi's key?† Matt raised his hand. â€Å"In my – â€Å" â€Å"Don't tel me!†exclaimed Elena. â€Å"I've got hers. We can't lose them. Stefan and I are one team; you guys are the other.† They half-led and half-supported Misao out of Stefan's room and down the stairs. Misao didn't try to run away from them, to struggle, or to speak to them. This only made Matt more suspicious of her. He saw Stefan and Elena glance toward each other and knew they were feeling the same way. But what else was there to do with her? There was no other way, humanely, or even inhumanely, to restrain her for days. They had her star bal , and according to books that was supposed to al ow them to control her, but she was right, it seemed to be an obsolete notion, because it didn't work. They'd tried with Stefan and Meredith holding her tightly, while Matt got the star bal from where he'd been keeping it in a shoebox on the upper shelf above the clothes in his closet. He and Elena had tried to get Misao to do things while holding the almost empty sphere: to make Misao tel where her brother's star bal was, and so on. But it simply didn't work. â€Å"Maybe when there's so little Power in it, it doesn't apply,†Elena said final y. But that was smal comfort at best. As they took Misao to the kitchen, Matt thought that it had been a stupid plan of the kitsune: imitating Stefan twice. Doing it the second time, when the humans were on guard, that was stupid. Misao didn't seem as stupid as that. Matt had a bad feeling. Elena had a very bad feeling about what they were doing. As she looked around at the faces of the others, she saw that they did too. But nobody had come up with a better plan. They couldn't kil Misao. They weren't murderers who could kil a sickly, passive girl in cold blood. She figured that Shinichi must have very keen hearing, and had already heard them walking on the creaking kitchen floorboards. And she had to assume that he knew – by mindbond, or just logic, or whatever – that Misao was right above him. There was nothing to lose by shouting, through the closed door, â€Å"Shinichi, we've got your sister here! If you want her back you'l stay quiet and not make us throw her down the stairs.† There was silence from the root cel ar. Elena chose to think of it as submissive silence. At least Shinichi wasn't yel ing threats. â€Å"Okay,†Elena whispered. She'd taken a position directly behind Misao. â€Å"When I count to three, we push as hard as we can.† â€Å"Wait!†Matt said in a miserable whisper-shout. â€Å"You said we wouldn't throw her down the stairs.† â€Å"Life isn't fair,†Elena said grimly. â€Å"You think he doesn't have some surprise for us?† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Leave it, Matt,†said Meredith quietly. She had the stave ready in her left hand and with her right was ready to push on the panel for opening the door. â€Å"Everybody ready?† Everyone nodded. Elena felt sorry for Matt and Stefan, who were the most honest and sensitive of al of them. â€Å"One,†she whispered softly, â€Å"two, three.† On three Meredith hit the concealed wal switch. And then things began to happen in very slow motion. By â€Å"two†Elena had already begun to shove Misao toward the door. On â€Å"three†the others joined her. But the door seemed to take forever to open. And before the ending of forever, everything went wrong. The greenery around Misao's head spread twigs in al directions. One strand shot out and snagged Elena around the wrist. She heard a yel of outrage from Matt and knew that another strand had gotten him. â€Å"Push!† Meredith shouted and then Elena saw the stave coming at her. Meredith whisked with the stave through the greenery connected to Misao. The vine that had been cutting into Elena's wrist fel to the floor. Any remaining misgivings about throwing Misao down the stairs vanished. Elena joined in the crowd trying to push her through the opening. But there was something wrong in the basement. For one thing, they were shoving Misao into pitch-darkness†¦and movement. The basement was ful of – something. Some things. Elena looked down at her ankle and was horrified to see a gigantic maggot that seemed to have crawled out of the root cel ar. Or at least a maggot was the first thing she could think of to compare it to – maybe it was a headless slug. It was translucent and black and about a foot long, but far too fat for her to have put a hand around it. It seemed to have two ways of moving, one by the familiar hunch-and-straighten method and the other by simply sticking to other maggots, which were exploding up over Elena's head like a hideous fountain. Elena looked up and wished she hadn't. There was a cobra waving over them, out of the root cel ar and into the kitchen. It was a cobra made of black translucent maggots stuck together, and every so often one would fal off and land among the group and there would be a cry. If Bonnie had been with them, she would have screamed until the wineglasses in the cupboards shattered, Elena thought wildly. Meredith was trying to attack the cobra with the stave and reach into her jeans pocket for Post-it Notes at the same time. â€Å"I'l get the notes,†Elena gasped, and wriggled her hand into Meredith's pocket. Her fingers closed on a smal sheaf of cards and she tugged it out triumphantly. Just then the first glistening fat maggot fel on her bare skin. She wanted to scream with pain as its little feet or teeth or suckers – whatever kept it attached to her – burned and stung. She pul ed a thin card from the sheaf, which was not a Post-it Note but the same amulet on a smal rather flimsy note card, and slapped it on the maggot-like thing. Nothing happened. Meredith was thrusting the stave into the middle of the cobra now. Elena saw another of the creatures fal almost onto her upturned face and managed to turn away so that it hit her col ar instead. She tried another card from the sheaf and when it just floated away – the maggots looked gooey but weren't – she gave a primal scream and ripped with both hands at the ugly things attached to her. They gave way, leaving her skin covered with red marks and her T-shirt torn at the shoulder. â€Å"The amulets aren't working,†she yel ed to Meredith. Meredith was actual y standing under the swaying, hooded head of the maggot-cobra, stabbing and stabbing as if to reach the center. Her voice was muffled. â€Å"Not enough amulets anyway! Too many of these grubs. You'd better run.† An instant later Stefan shouted, â€Å"Everybody get away from here! There's something solid in there!† â€Å"That's what I'm trying to get!†Meredith shouted back. Frantical y, Matt yel ed, â€Å"Where's Misao?† The last time Elena had seen her she had been diving into the writhing mass of segmented darkness. â€Å"Gone,†she shouted back. â€Å"Where's Mrs. Flowers?† â€Å"In the kitchen,†said a voice behind her. Elena glanced back and saw the old woman pul ing down herbs with both hands. â€Å"Okay,†Stefan shouted. â€Å"Everybody, take a few steps back. I'm going to hit it with Power. Do it – now!† His voice was like a whiplash. Everyone stepped back, even Meredith who had been probing the snake with her stave. Stefan curled his hand around nothingness, around air, and it turned to sparkling, swirling bright energy. He threw it point-blank into the cobra made of maggots. There was an explosion, and then suddenly it was raining maggots. Elena had her teeth locked so as to keep herself from screaming. The oval translucent bodies of the maggots broke open on the kitchen floor like overripe plums, or else bounced. When Elena dared look up again she saw a black stain on the ceiling. Beneath it, smiling, was Shinichi. Meredith, lightning quick, tried to put the stave through him. But Shinichi was faster, leaning out of her way, and out of the next thrust, and the next. â€Å"You humans,†he said. â€Å"Al the same. Al stupid. When Midnight final y comes you'l see how stupid you were.†He said â€Å"Midnight†as if he were saying â€Å"the Apocalypse.† â€Å"We were smart enough to discover that you weren't Stefan,†Matt said from behind Shinichi. Shinichi rol ed his eyes. â€Å"And to put me into a little room roofed with wood. You can't even remember that kitsune control al plants and trees? The wal s are al ful of malach grubs by now, you know. Thoroughly infested.†His eyes flickered – and he glanced backward, Elena saw, looking toward the open door of the root cel ar. Her terror soared, and at the same time Stefan shouted, â€Å"Get out of here! Out of the house! Go to somewhere safe!† Elena and Meredith stared at each other, paralyzed. They were on different teams, but they couldn't seem to let go of each other. Then Meredith snapped out of it and turned to the back of the kitchen to help Mrs. Flowers. Matt was already there, doing the same thing. And then Elena found herself swept off her feet and moving fast. Stefan had her and was running toward the front door. Distantly, she heard Shinichi shout, â€Å"Bring me back their bones!† One of the maggots that Elena batted out of the way burst its skin and Elena saw something crawling out. These real y were malach, she realized. Smal er editions of the one that had swal owed Matt's arm and left those long, deep scratches when he pul ed it out again. She noticed that one was stuck on Stefan's back. Reckless with fury, she grabbed it near one end and ripped it off, yanking relentlessly even though Stefan gasped in pain. When it came free she got a glimpse of what looked like dozens of smal children's teeth on the bottom side. She threw it against a wal as they reached the front door. There they almost col ided with Matt, Meredith, and Mrs. Flowers, coming through the den. Stefan wrenched the door open and when they al were through Meredith slammed it shut. A few malach – grubs and Still-wet flying ones – made it out with them. â€Å"Where's safe?†snapped Meredith. â€Å"I mean, real y safe, safe for a couple of days?†Neither she nor Matt had released their grip on Mrs. Flowers and from their speed Elena guessed that she must be almost as light as a straw figure. She kept saying, â€Å"My goodness! Oh, gracious!† â€Å"My house?†Matt suggested. â€Å"The block's bad, but it was okay the last time I saw it, and my mom's gone with Dr. Alpert.† â€Å"Okay, Matt's house – using the Master Keys. But let's do it from the storage room. I do not want to open this front door again, no matter what,†Elena said. When Stefan tried to pick her up she shook her head. â€Å"I'm fine. Run as fast as you can and smash any malach you see.† They made it to the storage room, but now a sound like vipvipvip – a sort of high-pitched buzzing that could only have been produced by the malach – was fol owing them. â€Å"What now?†Matt panted, helping Mrs. Flowers to sit on the bed. Stefan hesitated. â€Å"Is your house real y safe, do you think?† â€Å"Is anywhere safe? But it's empty, or it should be.† Meanwhile, Meredith drew Elena and Mrs. Flowers aside. To Elena's horror, Meredith was holding one of the smal er grubs, gripping it so that its underside was turned upward. â€Å"Oh, God – â€Å"Elena protested, but Meredith said, â€Å"They look a lot like a little kid's teeth, don't they?† Suddenly Mrs. Flowers became animated. â€Å"They do indeed! And you're saying that the femur we found in the thicket – â€Å" â€Å"Yes. It was certainly human but maybe not chewed by humans. Human children,†Meredith said. â€Å"And Shinichi yel ed to the malach to bring back our bones†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Elena said and swal owed. Then she looked at the grub again. â€Å"Meredith, get rid of that thing somehow! It's going to pop out as a flying malach.† Meredith looked around the storage room blankly. â€Å"Okay – just drop it and I'l step on it,†Elena said, holding her breath to hold in her nausea. Meredith dropped the fat, translucent, black thing, which exploded on impact. Elena stamped on it, but the malach inside didn't crush. Instead, when she lifted her foot, it tried to skitter under the bed. The stave cut it cleanly in two. â€Å"Guys,†Elena said sharply to Matt and Stefan, â€Å"we have to go now. Outside are a bunch of flying malach!† Matt turned toward her. â€Å"Like the one that – â€Å" â€Å"Smal er, but just like the one that attacked you, I think.† â€Å"Okay, here's what we figured out,†Stefan said in a way that immediately made Elena uneasy. â€Å"Somebody has to go to the Dark Dimension anyway to check on Bonnie. I guess I'm the only one to do that, since I'm a vampire. You couldn't get in – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, we could,†Meredith said. â€Å"With these keys, we could just say ‘Take us to Lady Ulma's house in the Dark Dimension.'Or ‘Take me to wherever Bonnie is.'Why shouldn't it work?† Elena said, â€Å"Okay. Meredith, Matt, and Mrs. Flowers can stay here and try to figure out what ‘Midnight'is. From the way Shinichi said it, it sounded bad. Meanwhile, Stefan and I go to the Dark Dimension and find Bonnie.† â€Å"No!†Stefan said. â€Å"I won't take you to that horrible place again.† Elena looked him straight in the eye. â€Å"You promised,†she said, indifferent to the other people in the room. â€Å"You promised. Never to go again on a quest without me. No matter how short the time, no matter what the cause. You promised.† Stefan looked at her desperately. Elena knew he wanted to keep her safe – but which world was truly safe now? Both were fil ed with horror and danger. â€Å"Anyway,†she said with a grim smile, â€Å"I have the key.†

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Black hawk down lessons learned pertaining to the Army's 5 logistics characteristics - Essay Example Indeed, the true meaning of disciple among the military is that the military is well structured with programs and regulations. For instance the military has manuals and policies that regulate all that they do from the barracks to the offices to operations. One outstanding policy that regulates the military’s operations is what is known as logistics. Logistics in the literary world may be said to be the availability of resources but in the military, â€Å"logistics is the process of planning and executing force sustainment in support of military operations† (Global Security Organization, 2001). This essay looks at an influential component of logistics known as logistics characteristics. The paper shall review what constitutes logistics characteristics, the importance of logistics characteristics and lessons learned from the Army’s five logistics characteristics in relation to specific military and global events such as the famous Black Hawk Down. Components of Log istics Characteristics and how they relate to the FM 100-5 The Field Manual, commonly referred to as the FM is an important component of military operation in determining basic how-to’s. ... 2-0). This means that once the military is out there to keep peace, they mandate involves an entire complicated process of getting procedures achieved and thus operating within certain means and environment. During most of these operations, resources are not always in abundance for the day-to-day activities of the military. However this is no excuse for operations not to take place. In the event of scarcity of resource, the army’s logistics characteristics come to play with the philosophy that â€Å"scarce resources require logistics operations to be efficient, not wasteful† (Global Security Organization, 2011). When resources are well handled, logistics operations become both effective and efficient and the fundamentals of operation as stated in the FM 100-5 become achieved. Logistics characteristics are well organized into five components, which are briefly discussed below. Anticipation The FM 100-5 notes that the responsibility of ensuring successful use of logistics depends on the corps logisticians. Once the corps logistician is said to be pursue anticipation, it is expected that the corps logistician becomes highly proactive rather than reactive. Just as the logistics characteristics mentions anticipation as the need for the logistician to see ahead into the future, the FM 100-5 talks about intelligence gathering, stating that officers and leaders â€Å"gather intelligence to gain advance warning and anticipate likely enemy courses of action† (p. 2-6). A proactive logistician should be in the position of seeing into the future in the management of logistics. Without such a characteristic, the logistician is going likely to fail the entire team in the sense that they

Medieval Universities Essay Example for Free

Medieval Universities Essay The English universities were one of the most significant creations of Medieval England. The scholars who attended eitherOxford or Cambridge Universities set an intellectual standard that contrasted markedly with the norm of Medieval England. Oxford University came into being some 20 years before Cambridge University. The church had a major impact at Oxford. The town came within the diocese of Lincoln, yet Oxford had its own archdeaconry. It was the input of the church that led to the first recorded student/university authority clash at Oxford. The universities led to major growth in both Oxford and Cambridge as towns and both became important centres. No-one is quite sure why Oxford was chosen as the town for England’s first university – however, the town had a number of distinct advantages. Oxford was the centre of communications within its region and both royalty and foreign scholars frequently visited the town. There were also many religious houses/centres around the town and the agricultural land was rich and farming did well at this time. Oxford was considered to be in a civilised part of England – it was near to London and getting to Europe was not necessarily a major journey. Oxford also held strategic importance, which led to the building of a castle there. In 1167, a quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket led to a temporary ban on English scholars going to study in France. For whatever reason, scholars and academics gathered in Oxford to continue with their work – fifty of them. As journeying to the university in Paris was not allowed, more scholars and academics arrived in Oxford. Sometime after 1167 Giraldus Cambrensis visited Oxford and started teaching there. He taught three times a day. He took poor students for lectures; he then taught academics from different faculties, and lastly he taught knights and the likes. His clientele became larger than the ‘normal’ monastic or cathedral school. In 1180, Prior Philip of St. Frieswade, Oxford, recorded that a scholar had left his family in York to study at Oxford. Within twelve years, the importance of a good education was clearly having an impact. In 1192, Richard of Devizes wrote â€Å"Oxonia vix suos clericos, non dico satiat, sed sustenat.†| Richard was basically stating that there were so many scholars in Oxford that the town could barely feed them. By 1209, it was estimated that there were 3,000 students in Oxford. It was also in 1209 that students in Oxford started to migrate to Cambridge. This occurred after some students killed a woman in Oxford. At this time, King John and Pope Innocent III were quarrelling over a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Innocent put England under an interdict. With such worries, John had few thoughts for students in Oxford. He gave his permission for the execution of three students in Oxford involved in the woman’s death. However, in the delay that took pace, the students fled to Reading, Cambridge of Paris. Others followed to Cambridge and by 1284, Peterhouse College was founded. Unlike the great university of its time – the university in Paris – Oxford was not connected to either a cathedral or a religious house. The Sorbonne was supervised by ecclesiastical men while Oxford was supervised by masters, though these were usually in holy orders. Regardless of this, Oxford developed with a degree of practical independence. By the end of what is considered to be Medieval England, the following colleges had been created at Oxford – University College, Balliol, Merton and Exeter. In Cambridge, Peterhouse College was created. Student life in both towns was to transform Oxford and Cambridge. The lifestyle of the students was to frequently bring both universities into conflict with the church.

Major Turning Points In Wwii History Essay

Major Turning Points In Wwii History Essay One of the major turning points in World War 2 was when allied forces landed in Normandy, France on a day of great battle. About 175,000 allied troops landed on June 6th, the day that got to be known as D-day. The allied forces landed in Normandy, on Tuesday, 6 June 1944, beginning at 6:30 in the morning of British time. The two main operations on D-day were known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord. D-Day was the name that was used for the day of Normandy landing, which was not approved formally of. The code name given to the famous Allied raid of France planned for June 1944, was Operation Overlord. The commander-in-chief of Operation Overlord was General Dwight Eisenhower. Other leading commanders for Overlord included Air Marshall Leigh-Mallory, Air Marshall Tedder, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery and Admiral Bertram Ramsey. Operation Overlord required the sort of logistical issues that no armed forces or military had ever had to manage. The most important preparation was for the Allies to have landed an immense amount of both men and equipment by the end of D-Day itself. The preparation and logistics behind Operation Overlord were beyond comparison in United States history. The Allies had to guarantee that no part of the entire plan was leaked, as it was very valuable and above all, the desire to fool the Germans was at a great height. The measly assembly of equipment required for the raid was a matter itself. The allies had a hard time figuring out where the weapons could be stored without attracting the awareness of German spies. Some of the other concerns were about how to transport them without the neighboring people discuss about them would and how a hefty sum of boats could be gathered and readied. During the actual incursion, more than 6,000 ships were needed for the invasion of Normandy and for future cross-Channel trips transporting troops and equipment. During the initial three days of the offense, Overlord intended to shift more than 100,000 men and practically 13,000 vehicles. The plan furthermore incorporated the movement of a synthetic harbor so that people and resources could be landed with extra ease once the main beaches had been held by allied forces. Operation Neptune was the cross-Channel passage segment of the much important Operation Overlord. Operation Neptune positioned all issues related to the navy and the marines under the command of Admiral Bertram Ramsey whose command skill had already been tested in 1940 with. Admiral Ramsey played a major role in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, which was another major operation. He knew that such an immense attack would leave huge damage on the Royal Navy merely in terms of the number of boats and ships required. The directorial and organizational issues were also immeasurable like operation Overload. About 6,000 ships were required for Operation Neptune, as this many posed major problems. They did not know where so many ships could be placed or if they could open a bombing raid on Germany or not, or how they would measure up against German U-boat attacks. It is perhaps a platitude that the triumph of D-Day (June 6th 1944) was built upon the quality and the type of sand. If the preferred beaches in Normandy were fabricated of the wrong sand, then the Allied protective coverings and transport vehicles would not have landed successfully. If there was no support from the tanks and armored trucks, the men on the beach would have had to cover a lot more resilient to a German counter-offensive. For that reason, the Allies required to know what sort of sand was on the selected beaches in Normandy prior to any planned invasion. The true alarm was that the beaches were made up of a mixture of sand that compromises peat, which is an assortment that would approximately contain any hefty military means of transportation from moving along normally. Â   So before the actual mission the allies had to risk the lives of two brave British soldiers, to help strengthen the actual D-day mission. On December 31st 1943, Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith and Major Logan Scott-Bowden landed in Normandy in the middle of the night. Their task was to collect sand and peat samples for scientists back in the United Kingdom, who would then come to a decision whether the potential landing beaches were competent to hold heavy military vehicles. At hand was a real concern that a great deal of troops may be submerged in the peat and be exposed to yet additional hazard. The two men that were selected for this risky task were experienced British officers. If they were caught both these men would face anguish and both would have been instantly killed due to Hitlers Commando Order. This order declared that any captured commandos ought to be killed out of hand. These men succeeded the mission and brought back samples of the sand and peat samples to the United Kingdom on New Years day (January 1st 1944). The English Channel, which is nearly ninety miles wide connecting Portsmouth, England, and the Normandy beaches, was a dreadful barrier for the armed forces. Near the start of the previous century it had upset Napoleon and in the 1940s it blocked the successful conquering of the Germans. By the spring of 1944, the Allies needed many hundreds of ships and aircrafts to convey their armies transversely across the Channel and instigate the emancipation of France. A storm postponed the operation, which was initially planned for the 5th of June. Many of the invasion forces had gone from their embarkation points, forcing all the vessels to get back to the seaport, where their crew and soldiers had to wait through packed and painful circumstances. Offered with a improved forecast for the sixth of June, General Dwight D. Eisenhower concluded to a cautious judgment late in the evening of June fourth, to get the transportation on their way, and gave his final decision to go at 4 A.M. on the fif th. Many minesweepers were defraying through transportation lanes throughout a fifteen mile wide radius. A numerous amount of vessels towed bombardment balloons, which were used as defense against German bombing attacks which didnt appear, since their frail atmosphere exploration kept them badly informed of what was happening. The route across was everything except smooth, particularly for infantry and tank landing vehicles, several of whose passengers had hard times, and suffered hours of seasickness throughout the nights of June 5th and 6th. As the convoys arrived at Normandy, their courses differed out to some extent, taking them to staging areas off the individual landing beaches. The majority of ships were in their ready places a long time prior to dawn. Deeper inshore, the hectic minesweepers sustained their work, opening secure, or at least moderately safe channels and functioning areas for landing boats and firing support ships. Above the darkness, a firm demonstration of hundreds of conveyer planes and gliders moved over Normandy, dropping U.S. paratroopers domestically, just west of the Utah beach. British parachutists came down south of the assault zone, but quickly got back into their planned locations. Following the preliminary waves of ships and planes came more, in a flood of troops that would continue to come, reinforcing the original landings and giving logistics support for the armies as they took over the beachhead, moved and battled their way across Europe. Led by the General of the U.S. Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Normandy assault stage, with the code name Operation Neptune, as the whole maneuver itself was called Operation Overlord, which was launched after weather news predicted reasonable weather settings on the 6th of June in Normandy. Many large ships and aircrafts, supported by means of enemy warships, crossed the English Channel following dozens of minesweepers and traps. Most of the allied forces equipment, and warships arrived off the beaches prior to the crack of dawn. Three different divisions of paratroopers consisted of two American and one British, had previously been dropped locally. After a brief assault by ships and guns, soldiers of six special divisions three American, two British, and one Canadian, stormed ashore in five main beach landing areas, named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Following many tough fights, in particular the one on Omaha Beach, by the end of the day, traction had been very well established. As the German counterattacks did not get through as they have expected, the Allies poured men and materials into France to take an advantage. Towards the end of July, reinforcements and steady battles made it possible for a getaway from the Normandy outskirts. An additional landing, in southern France in the middle of August, helped facilitate the liberation of France. While the Soviets were coming from the east, Hitlers army was pushed away, occasionally haltingly and constantly bloodily, back en route for their native soil. That was when the Second World War had entered its climactic stage. The number of Allied combat casualties on D-Day is approximated at about 10,000, of whom 2,500 died. D-Day resulted in the deaths of about 2700 British troops, 950 Canadians troops, and 6,600 American troops. In total about 15,000 to 20,000 French civilians died with an unidentified amount of casualties.