Theories argue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theories argue - Essay Example Three most important and frequently addressed theories related to the aging process are Theory of disengagement, Activity Theory and Continuity Theory (Bengtson, Silverstein, & Putney, 2009). This researcher finds that Activity Theory has defined the process of aging more effectively as compared to other two theories. The theory was developed in 1953 by an American sociologist Havighurst (Schulz, 2006). This theory holds that to remain lively and participate in societal activities are key factors of satisfaction for aging people. Physical and intellectual activities are important for successful aging. The theory proposes that in order to maintain a positive self-image, older members need to develop new interests, roles, hobbies, and relationships (Schulz-Aellen, 1997). This theory would explain adequately why aging people feel encouraged continue with their middle-age lifestyles by denying the limitations of old age and why they make attempts to sustain that lifestyle over a longer duration. According Havighurst activity is always preferable to inactivity since it increases the chances of the well-being of personality on a number of levels. This theory also explains why post-industrial society allowed its older members to participate in meaningful activities. The theory incorporates an improvement in the general health and prosperity of older people. In contrast to the Activity Theory, the Disengagement theory comes across as a more controversial theory. According to this theory aging is process of regular withdrawal between society and the subject aging individual. The theory holds that in growing older, withdrawal or disengagement can be considered to be a natural or universal process. In all cultures and societies this process is acceptable to elders. According to this theory there should be a social equilibrium that will promote self-reflection for elders. Old members of the society should be free from societal

CORE COMPETENCIES PAPER Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CORE COMPETENCIES PAPER - Dissertation Example (Holmes) Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" (Winslow, 1920). It focuses on improving health of communities, groups of people and preventing from diseases. It may include curing from diseases, finding ways to prevent from them, making people aware of the diseases and taking measures to contribute to healthy lifestyles. There can be many reasons for different diseases. Some are sexually transmitted diseases like HIV AIDS, many are infectious like small pox, and few are caused due to lack of providing medicines at early stage of life like polio, whereas some are caused by environmental hazards. Environmental Health Hazards At every interaction with the environment, we are in contact with numerous health hazards that are caused by different pollutants and harmful substances. What we feed to our enviro nment is given back to us in the form of diseases and other health hazards. Environmental hazards are caused by chemical waste from industries, harmful substances used in these industries, land degeneration, ozone depletion, nuclear issues, over population, harmful substance used at our homes, poor sanitation, and emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Domestic and hazardous waste cause serious diseases. These wastes are divided into two categories: municipal waste by domestic activities & industrial waste by industrial activities. Municipal waste causes problem for ordinary human being if it is not disposed off in the right way. Industrial waste can cause damage to the workers in the industry as well as common man. Water contamination again causes water-borne diseases that might lead to morbidity and mortality. Clean drinking water is rare in the world. Most people do not enjoy clean water and have to quench their thirst with contaminated and polluted water. This is a very increasing concern of environmental health in entire world. Another way of causing environment related health problems is the air toxicants. Huge amounts of carbon Dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide in our air are harmful for our health. A large part of air pollutants is caused by the emissions from automobiles. Besides these, in our everyday life we see consumer products full of harmful substances. Lead is one example. Lead is present in many consumer products especially paint. The manufacturers of these products put such harmful substances without realizing the high level of human interaction with these products. (Nweke & William, 2009) Children come into direct contact with environmental toxicants such as lead, methyl mercury, tobacco and other pollutants. These pollutants enter children’s bodies via placental transfer during fetal growth, inhalation of dust, breast milk and other dietary sources during early childhood. (Landrigan et al, 19 98) One of the threats from these environmental hazards is asthma in children. It is more common in children because they have smaller airways. Asthma Asthma causes the airways

The bullwhip effect

The bullwhip effect Erratic shifts up and down the supply chain is known as the bullwhip effect, and is one of the major difficulties in properly setting inventory levels in various parts of the supply chain (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, 2008). Economists call it a bullwhip because even small increases in demand can cause a big snap in the need for parts and materials further down the supply chain. It has the domino effect, because of the spontaneous demand along the supply chain. This may be an insignificant problem for any one customer, but for the supplier it is huge and costly. Some of the things that contribute to this are price fluctuation, poor demand forecast, order batching, and rationing within the supply chain (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.360). Actual demand for a product is influenced by several factors such as competition, prices, weather conditions, technological developments, and consumers general confidence. These would be considered external and unmanageable factors. There are other uncertainties involved as well that can have an effect on the supply chain such as problems in delivery time due to production machine failures. Techniques to lessen or curtail the bullwhip effect would be to understand and recognize who or what is suggesting the variations in demand. Is it the retailer, manufacturer, the customer, or the distributor? The key element to eliminating this setback is being aware of where the demand changes are beginning. Techniques that can be used or put into place to reduce the bullwhip effect is sharing information along the supply chain, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), and managing e-business. The most obvious way to reduce the bullwhip effect is to improve communication and forecasting along the supply chain (ehow.com). Master Data Management (MDM) is can be looked at to integrate all data in an organization at the highest level, both internally and externally. One of the most notable examples of information sharing is between large manufacturers and retailers (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.307). Inventory if properly managed, it can increase profits and efficiency. The implementation of a Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) initiative would be a key factor in improving and controlling the bullwhip effect. VMI indicates that the vendor, usually a distributor, maintains the inventories for manufacturer or buyer and in turn will reduce warehouse costs for suppliers. VMI alleviates uncertainty o f demand and replenishment decisions can be made according to operating needs, and also has heightened awareness of trends in demand. E-commerce brings about new opportunities to improve the performance of the supply chain. The primary advantages of internet utilization are speed, decreased costs, the potential to shorten the supply chain, and flexibility. Electronic marketplaces provide for more efficient resource allocation, better information flow and dissemination on products and services in the supply chain. Electronic data interchange (EDI) can be implemented to help supply chain mangers in reducing misleading signals sent from sales and marketing (distribution). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is one of the most successful tools for managing supply chains. ERP is software that integrates the planning, management, and use of all sources in the entire enterprise (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.2008). The major objective is to integrate all departments and functional information flow across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all of the enterprises needs. A plan created from an SCM system that allows companies to quickly assess the impact of their actions on the entire supply chain, including customer demand, can only be done with the integration of ERP software. ERP and SCM can help alleviate the bullwhip effect across the supply chain by having a shared understanding of what needs to get done, managing the variations in the organization, communication among all thats involved especially top management, and having single control of replenishment or VMI can overcome inflated demand forecasts. Long lead times should also be reduced where it is reasonably beneficial. References: Understanding the BullWhip Effect in Supply Chains. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/improvisations/2010/01/27/understanding-the-bullwhip-effect-in-supply-chains/. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., Wetherbe, J. (2008). Information technology for management: Transforming organizations in the digital economy. (6th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. http://www.ehow.com/how_5154541_reduce-bullwhip-effect.html

Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Ancient Egyptian Religious Architecture One of the greatest cultural achievements of Ancient Egypt was undoubtedly in their architecture associated with religion. "Temples, tombs and pyramids - all have witnessed this earth for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt's greatest virtue lay in its architecture" (Fumeaux:11, 1964) When one travels to Egypt, what does he/she see - pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. One stands out - they are all associated with religious beliefs, they all have stood unmoving for thousands of years, and they all involve mechanical genius- the moving of colossal stones without the use of the wheel. The finest example such mechanics is shown in the construction of the revered pyramid. These three factors, all belonging to the religious architecture of ancient Egypt, do nothing else but prove its greatness. Egypt's grand architectural design was a result of the religious values and beliefs that were in place at the time. Thousands of years ago, 'Ancient Egypt accepted the challenge of reeds and swamps, hot sands and floods, and build the 'first' nation' (Romer:75, 1982). There were few things to impress themselves upon the Egyptian mind; their psychological impact however was immense. There was the Nile itself, source of all life, there was the mysterious regularity of the Sun, Moon and stars; there was fertility and death. It was out of fear and mystery of these things that "...the Egyptians made their complex heirachy of Gods, and their strange religion. In the service of that religion they made their architecture" (Romer: 75,1982). Thus, the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt stemmed directly from their religion. Egyptian theology, with its deified pharaohs and strange animal-headed gods, was complicated, but the most important belief was that survival after death depended upon the preservation of the body. This belief would influence the architectural design of the tomb, where the corpse was ultimately sealed (Silverman:142, 1997). Immortality was only for privileged royal and priestly beings (Stierlin:54, 1983).This implies that their tombs would be somewhat prestigious and not just and ordinary burial site. At the day of resurrection the Ka or soul would re-enter the dead body; this meant that it must be there, intact, ready for that moment. It followed logically, that 'once the corpse was embalmed or mummified, it must be preserved in an impregnable tomb.

Study More

The brain and spinal cord are made up of many cells, including neurons and glial cells. Neurons are cells that send and receive electro-chemical signals to and from the brain and nervous system. There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain. There are many more glial cells; they provide support functions for the neurons, and are far more numerous than neurons. There are many type of neurons. They vary in size from 4 microns (. 004 mm) to 100 microns (. 1 mm) in diameter. Their length varies from a fraction of an inch to several feet.Neurons  are nerve cells that transmit nerve signals to and from the brain at up to 200 mph. The neuron consists of a  cell body (or soma)  with branching  dendrites(signal receivers) and a projection called an  axon, which conduct the nerve signal. At the other end of the axon, the  axon terminals  transmit the electro-chemical signal across a  synapse  (the gap between the axon terminal and the receiving cell). The word â€Å"neuro n† was coined by the German scientist Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz in 1891 (he also coined the term â€Å"chromosome†).The  axon, a long extension of a nerve cell, and take information away from the cell body. Bundles of axons are known as nerves or, within the CNS (central nervous system), as nerve tracts or pathways. Dendrites bring information to the cell body. Myelin  coats and insulates the axon (except for periodic breaks called nodes of Ranvier), increasing transmission speed along the axon. Myelin is manufactured by Schwann's cells, and consists of 70-80% lipids (fat) and 20-30% protein.The  cell body (soma)  contains the neuron's nucleus (with DNA and typical nuclear organelles). Dendrites branch from the cell body and receive messages. A typical neuron has about 1,000 to 10,000 synapses (that is, it communicates with 1,000-10,000 other neurons, muscle cells, glands, etc. ). DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEURONS There are different types of neuron s. They all carry electro-chemical nerve signals, but differ in structure (the number of processes, or axons, emanating from the cell body) and are found in different parts of the body. Sensory neurons or Bipolar neurons  carry messages from the body's sense receptors (eyes, ears, etc. ) to the CNS. These neurons have two processes. Sensory neuron account for 0. 9% of all neurons. (Examples are retinal cells, olfactory epithelium cells. ) * Motoneurons or Multipolar neurons  carry signals from the CNS to the muscles and glands. These neurons have many processes originating from the cell body. Motoneurons account for 9% of all neurons. (Examples are spinal motor neurons, pyramidal neurons, Purkinje cells. * Interneurons or Pseudopolare (Spelling) cells  form all the neural wiring within the CNS. These have two axons (instead of an axon and a dendrite). One axon communicates with the spinal cord; one with either the skin or muscle. These neurons have two processes. (Examples are dorsal root ganglia cells. ) LIFE SPAN OF NEURONS Unlike most other cells, neurons cannot regrow after damage (except neurons from the hippocampus). Fortunately, there are about 100 billion neurons in the brain. GLIAL CELLS Glial cells make up 90 percent of the brain's cells.Glial cells are nerve cells that don't carry nerve impulses. The various glial (meaning â€Å"glue†) cells perform many important functions, including: digestion of parts of dead neurons, manufacturing myelin for neurons, providing physical and nutritional support for neurons, and more. Types of glial cells include Schwann's Cells, Satellite Cells,  Microglia, Oligodendroglia, and Astroglia. Neuroglia (meaning â€Å"nerve glue†) are the another type of brain cell. These cells guide neurons during fetal development.

Life Course Case Study Essay

Introduction In this assignment I conduct a life course case study of a seventy-four year old man, Mr. Gambina, in order to find out whether structure or agency has been most influential throughout his life. The agent is the person who actually performs the action, while structure refers to the main structures in society that influence the way the agents act. Most structuralists share a conviction that individual human beings function solely as elements of the (often hidden) social networks to which they belong. The life course theory emerged in the 1960s out of the need to understand human development as occurring across the life span. This field, which emphasizes how individual lives are socially patterned over time, and the processes by which lives are changed by changing environments. Life-course studies emphasise the importance of epistemology in the study of society. Thus, collecting information on the four interrelated dimensions of the life story: structural, socio-cultural, interpersonal and personal story. According to Janet Z. Giele and Glen H. Elder, Jr., â€Å"Any point in the life span must be viewed dynamically as the consequence of past experience and future expectation,† I have tried to keep this in mind while conducting my study and analysis of Mr. Gambina’s life span. Theory The sociological theory that I shall be taking into consideration is that of C. Wright Mills. Mills’ aim was to develop what he called sociological imagination. The sociological imagination, he argued, is an outlook on society that focuses on the intimate connections between larger structural issues (what he called Public Issues) and the daily problems that confront individuals (Personal Troubles). Mills sought to demonstrate how issues of power, ideology and class are tied up with the daily troubles of ordinary individuals. Mills also sought to expose what he saw as the tragedy of sociology – the inability, unwillingness or refusal to cultivate the sociological imagination. An important assumption underlying Mills’ work is that social reality is both macroscopic and microscopic. Sociologists should try to understand social reality in terms of the meanings that social structures have for individuals. Failure to comprehend these macro-micro inner-connections results in sterile, pseudo-sophisticated rambling, which contributes little to the development of the social sciences or to the usefulness of sociology for progressive social change. This reluctance to cultivate the sociological imagination is, for Mills, the tragedy of modern sociology. Mills thought that social structure has a reality independent of the activities of ordinary individuals. Nonetheless individuals make and remake the social relations of everyday life. The aim of good sociology is to sensitise us to the many ways that social structure influences the daily lives of ordinary people. His greatest political and intellectual concern was that people in advanced societies would be manipulated into a state of acquiescence and political impotence, a state where the role of human reason would no longer play be an important force for progressive social change. He says, â€Å"we cannot adequately understand ‘man’ as an isolated biological creature, as a bundle of reflexes or a set of instincts, as an ‘intelligible field’ or a system in and of itself. Whatever else he may be, man is a social and an historical actor who must be understood, if at all, in close and intricate interplay with social and historical structures† . Literature Review There have been many life-course studies in the last century, each focusing on a separate element of the interviewee’s life, ranging from why and how people choose their friends to the female social climber . A similar study to the one I am conducting is Katherine R. Allen and Robert S. Pickett’s 1984 life-course study of women born in 1910, in America. Allen and Pickett paid particular attention to the variations in life patterns and choices fostered. They realized an increased trend in the employment of women, the expansion of educational careers, significant alterations in marriage and divorce patterns, a prolongation of the life course and a great  imbalance in the proportions of women to men in their later years. Also in 1984, Dieter Ulich and Winfried N. Saup conducted life-course research, conducted towards coping with crises in old age. They found negative stereotypes and self-concepts in the elderly. They argued that gerontology would help towards coping with stress. Susan De Vos and Steven Ruggles explored the connections between the life course and the kin group, in 1985, focusing on the demographic determinants of kin groups, such as frequency and timing of births, deaths and marriages, which all define the context within which rules of kinship operate. Steven Ruggles used microsimulation (following the kinship path of the individual as they age) to examine the connection between an individual’s life course and the nature of his or her kin group and its sensitivity to overall demographic conditions. A more recent study is that of Ulrich Karl Mayer in 1997, which examined the challenges faced in cross-cultural comparisons of life courses. He constructed two complimentary ideal types, based on life courses in deregulated societies and flexibly co-coordinated societies. Mayer found that links between macroinstitutional structures and individual life courses must be constructed as mutually reinforcing systems to enable successful cross-national comparisons. He concluded that cross-national comparisons of life course patterns should contain a description of the institutional configurations and of the make-up of collective actors and models of incentive systems and individual-level transitions. However, none of the life-course studies I reviewed deal specifically with the influence of structure and agency throughout the individual’s life, the topic which I am dealing with. Methodology and Methods Methodology There are two main kinds of research: quantitative and qualitative. In this case study I use qualitative research, also known as interpretive research, naturalistic research, phenomenological, descriptive research. There are three main types of qualitative data collection: interviews, observation and documents, the product of which is a narrative description. Qualitative research is very dependent on the researcher as a person. The researcher is an instrument, not a mechanical device or test instrument, as in quantitative research. By using qualitative research, the researcher gets much more depth and detail than in a standardised questionnaire, and it helps the interviewer see the world view of the people studied, the respondents’ categories, rather than imposed categories. Descriptive research attempts to avoid pre-judgements, although some disagree here as we always make judgements, but just don’t admit it, for example the choice of one location or group over another is a judgement. The goal is to try to capture what is happening without being judgemental; to present people on their own terms, try to represent them from their perspectives so reader can see their views. However, qualitative research gives a much less generalised result, and makes it difficult to collect data and make systematic comparisons. Some claim the qualitative research is too dependent on the researcher’s personal attributes and skills. Method In this case study the method I used is that of an intensive, or in-depth, interview. This is an unstructured one-to-one interview, in which broad questions are asked, giving the interviewee a starting point and then asking questions to help push him or her in the right direction. Interviews are the most flexible means of obtaining information, since the face-to-face situation helps answers to be in more depth and detail. Also, information can be observed by the interviewer without having to ask the specific question. Unlike in mail or telephone questionnaires, sensitive  questions cannot remain unanswered, and the interviewer can be certain who exactly is answering the questions, family members will not be able to confer. On the other hand, one-to-one interviews may create and interviewer bias: physical appearance, age, race, sex, dress, non-verbal behavior and/or comments may prompt respondents to answer questions untruthfully. In general, interviews are a disadvantage because a lot of time and money is required, but this is not the case for this particular life-course study, as it only deals with one person. Results Birth and Family or Origin The respondent, Mr. Gambina, born in 1927, was born during the lull between the two World Wars. When I asked him about his childhood, he told me that it was very normal, referring to things all children do, in particular his holy communion, confirmation, and that he was an altar boy. He had only good things to say about his parents, describing them both as quiet and devoted to their family. The little trouble he got into with his parents was to do with going out instead of staying home to study; he said he felt very carefree during his teenage years, telling me that they used to play in the streets, even though a war was on. The most significant even of his teenage years was the Second World War, and his father being repatriated to Sicily because of it. Education Mr. Gambina remembers enjoying school, in particular remembers his teacher who he described as gentle and well meaning. One of his lasting memories of school is the lessons being interrupted by air raids. He had a talent for languages, and remembered the name of an important book, Manzoni’s classic ‘I Promessi Sposi’ after only a second of thought. When asked about the role of education in a person’s life, he immediately replied, â€Å"Education is  everything†. Love and Work Mr. Gambina was 17 when he had his first date, which was a walk on the front. What he remembers as difficult about dating was that he a girl who he would have liked to ask out was always with a female friend of hers, making her very unapproachable. The respondent’s attitudes towards sex have always been in sync with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He said that one of the main reasons with his wife was that she was a woman with her own mind, and he realized that the relationship â€Å"meant business† straight away. He held that he always wanted to get married and have a family of his own; in fact he went on to have four children, two girls and two boys. He describes the best part of marriage was the birth of his children, and the worst his wife dying. The values the interviewee tried to impart on his all his children are those of the Roman Catholic Church. The respondent’s ambition was only to live a normal life, which he succeeded in accomplishing. When he was young he had wanted to be a notary, but since schooling had to be paid for, and he was relying on his brother for income, he could not continue studying. He said the war helped him to understand and accept his adult responsibilities, and he realized he had become an adult when he began working as a clerk, which he decided to do because he liked office work, also there was not much choice at the time, as it was just after WWII. Historical Events and Periods As already mentioned, the Mr. Gambina lived through the experience the Second World War; also he mentioned the granting of Malta’s independence as the important historical events he saw. He has seen the development of cooking on the Maltese traditional kenur to gas ovens, and remembers old wives tales to cure sickness put into practice. He was, and still is, and active member of the community, from being an altar boy as a child, to being an active member of the Legion of Mary now: visiting old people’s homes, the mental  hospital and parishioners in their own homes. He considers the most important thing his family gave him as honesty, the most important thing that he gave his family as affection and the most important thing he gave to the community as his time. Retirement Mr. Gambina remembers feeling relieved when he retired from his full-time job, as it was during Mintoff’s government, and he was boarded out for being a nationalist supporter. He went on to part-time work with a relative, but eventually had to stop because of health problems. He says he doesn’t miss work, that he’s living a happy life now and commented on how nice it is not to have to wake up early every morning, rain or shine. The worst thing about being retired, however, is that, since he is a widower and his children do not live with him any more, it can get lonely. His time is occupied now with working for the Legion of Mary (as mentioned earlier), running errands for himself and his children, and baby-sitting his grandchildren. He says he is very proud of his grandchildren, the best thing about them being their affection, and the worst thing when they argue. He hopes that they will always give importance to family unity. Inner Life and Spiritual Awareness The interviewee says he had a happy childhood, he definitely felt loved; one of his happiest childhood memories is preaching the Christmas sermon. He counts his turning point as a teenager as WWII, especially since his father was not with him, and his turning points as an adult as getting married and becoming a father. He says the greatest stress of being an adult is responsibility. Spirituality plays a major role in the interviewee’s life, his primary beliefs being to love God and his neighbour, and giving importance to saving his soul. Even though he sometimes doubts, he feels he has inner strength, which he gets from God and when he feels drained renews his strength through prayer. He feels at peace with himself, which he says was achieved by keeping hope alive. Major Life Themes Mr. Gambina says that the most important gifts he has gotten are the values passed on to him from his parents, pointing out that they are the same as those of the Catholic Church. His crucial decisions were deciding to get married and have a family, which taught him to appreciate life more. He can handle disappointment serenely, knowing that life goes on. His greatest joy has been the births of his children and grandchildren, while the worst points are the deaths of his father, mother, wife and brother. His greatest worry is that he has to leave this world. Though he knows he stopped changing a long time ago, he does not feel old and believes he can cope, adding that his children and grandchildren keep him alive. Discussion Agency and Structure both play important factors in our lives. Agency is the power of actors to operate independently of the shaping constraints of social structure. Structure, on the other hand, is the main structures in society and their sway on our personal lives, such as the government, religion, education, and the work place, as illustrated through this life-course study. My job now is to determine where both structure and agency have influenced the subject’s, Mr. Gambina’s, life. When asked about his childhood, Mr. Gambina said he considered his it to be normal with reference to activities related to the Roman Catholic Church (namely his First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and that he was an altar boy), this is a clear indication that the structure of the Church has played a very large role in his life, so large that he defines himself by it. We can also see this influence in Mr. Gambina’s attitudes towards sex as a teenager, the values he tried to impart on his children (those of the Roman Catholic Church), which he also considers to be the most important gifts from his parents and what he considers to be that happiest memory of his childhood – giving the Christmas sermon. We can also see the weight religion carries for him in his choice of activities: working with the Legion of Mary, one of their activities being going to people’s houses to pray with  them, and to give them a statue of the Virgin Mary to pray to for a week. Another structure that played a significant role in Mr. Gambina’s life is education. Though he did not continue his education past ordinary level standard, this was not because he did not want to, but because it was too expensive to do so at the time. This obviously does not mean that he does not treat getting an education as important, and when he was asked, he himself said, â€Å"Education is everything†. Inevitably, the war played a large part in Mr. Gambina’s life. He counts it as the event that turned him into an adult. Also, since his father was repatriated to Sicily, his teenage years, the years in which he needed a father’s guidance most, were spent without that support. In this way, we can see, again, the dominance of structure in Mr. Gambina’s life course. In his work, Mr. Gambina was also affected by structure. Starting work when he did was due to the fees that had to be paid to continue schooling, which his family could not afford. The type of work he did was influenced greatly by structure to, although he wanted to work in an office job, he did not have much selection at the time, as it was just after the Second World War had ended, and there were a lot of people left unemployed (this is also another way in which the war affect Mr. Gambina’s life). I also cannot ignore the comment Mr. Gambina made about being relieved to have retired, as he was discriminated against, and in his own words, â€Å"boarded out,† of his job as a clerk because of his political beliefs. One aspect that structure did not control was Mr. Gambina’s choice for a wife. It was not common at that time for women to be working, but this is precisely what first attracted Mr. Gambina to who would become Mrs. Gambina. He liked that she was an independent woman. In this circumstance, we see that agency playing its role. Conclusion The life course study conducted was to indicate to what extent the  respondent’s life was a product of structure and/or agency. All individuals are affected by social structure, and at the same time, each and every structure is made up of individuals, all performing diverse social actions. In examining Mr. Gambina’s life story, it becomes clear that structure has played a much more prominent influence in his life than agency. First and foremost the Second World War, which affected not only Mr. Gambina’s everyday life, but also the life of each individual that lived through it. Education, another structure, is also a factor that Mr. Gambina considers to be important. In his work, we can see Mr. Gambina being affected by structure in the type of job he opted for, and also the influence of the government, even in his office, which had influenced his everyday life, and caused him to detest his last two years of work. In the case of Mr. Gambina, the great importance that he has given to his religion has throughout his life, as illustrated in both the results and the discussion, obviously leads to the reasoning that structure, and especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, has been given priority in his life span. The only case I could find in Mr. Gambina’s life of agency taking control is when he chose his wife, and his decision to rear a family, though I must admit, I am not exactly sure that the choice to have one’s own family is a choice made completely independently. In conclusion, I think the answer to the question ‘has agency or structure been given priority throughout the life course of Mr. Gambina?’ is indisputable. Structure has been the major influence in his life story, and still remains so. References Richard T. Schaefer, Sociology, seventh edition, McGraw-Hill, 2001 C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination, 1959 Janet Z. Giele and Glen H. Elder, Jr., Methods of Life Course Research Roger D. Wimmer and Joseph R. Dominick, Mass Media Research, An Introduction, Wadsworth, 1994 Internet sources http://www.socialscience.eku.edu/Ant/BANKS/CWMILLS_HT2.htm