Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay

Impacts Of Globalization Islamic Architecture Cultural Studies Essay The tension between modernity and tradition has influenced all aspects of todays life, especially in the social, cultural and architectural aspects. This dual structure closely reflects the realities that most modern Muslim societies face today. The impact of modernity and globalization cannot be ignored, which has become one of the most controversial issues in contemporary Islamic architecture. In recent years there have been a considerable number of papers and books regarding the dialogue between old and new or modernity and tradition, which emphasize the role of these challenges in our life. Most of the times becoming dissolved by globalization do not let us pause and rethink the architectural styles we are following. What are the reasons that we need to talk about the consequences of globalization? Because it is necessary for a dialogue to be created between new horizons that take shape within a globalized context and local values, especially when we discuss an Islamic country like Iran that has experienced an Islamic revolution by its own people. We should rethink the challenges of contemporary Islamic architecture in order to enhance our knowledge and increase our ability to tackle current problems confronting the cultural and architectural need of the changing Muslim society. On the one hand there is an urgent need to revitalize local identities and characters and on the other there is inevitable need for new building materials and technologies. The architectural character of purpose -built Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries has been shaped by image of Islamic architecture in the West constructed through the Orientalist discourse, the post-colonial search for identity, and the particularities of postmodern architectural practice. Nowadays we believe that the architecture of the present day is surely the product of past lessons, even if historicism and classicism are in minority. There are subjects we need to consider such as the main approaches and groups in contemporary Islamic architecture and their perspectives regarding globalization and regionalism in contemporary architecture. Since the 1970s and 1980s the economy systems in Middle Eastern countries (as the biggest Muslim societies in the world) like Iran or UAE has been undergoing a process of transformation from international to global. The furiously rapid development of information and telecommunication technologies and infrastructures is bringing advancements such as the worldwide spread of finance and capital markets. Finally the reorganization of these various global functions has caused the transformation of the metropolises that were the historical and traditional centers of international exchanges. Not only did globalization and global approaches become widespread all over the world, but they also became impossible to ignore. Globalization is a word transposed from globalization and localization. The advance of globalization gave rise to simultaneously react to and resist local movements at the various levels of nationalism. This approach showed that globalization and localization are not unilateral processes and cannot be successful without a collaborative approach and always being together. Globalization is driving localization and localization is driving globalization at the same time. Traditional architecture (Islamic architecture, for an instance) was confronted with western architecture; they are getting compared at all the times. Modern architecture enjoys materials of premium and high quality, total advanced technology of the day and the hunger of new designers, architectures and engineers in inventing new things, but traditional architecture would utilize the same traditional technologies and the same outlines and limitations; as a result this battle did not lead to a desire and pleasant state of things and it was western architecture that won the unfair race. International style and modern architecture were the first true examples of the newly-fashioned styles that dominated the scene of contemporary Islamic architecture. This facing with the new ideas cost traditional architecture its coherence, originality and integrity; however it caused many challenges in the later periods such as the usage of modern material that is totally irrelevant to the function of the buildings, such as mosques with facades covered with English orange tiles or using black marble to make a minaret. Analysis At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. 2.1. Contemporary architecture of Islamic countries At the turn of the twentieth century the roots of international architecture style had already taken shape in steel-framed, concrete faced and multistory commercial buildings. But it was to take another fifty years and some social reforms to change the contemporary Islamic (religious spaces) architectures trends before the spirit of modern Islamic architecture began to find a coherent style that could call its own. The middle decades of the twentieth century could be called the ascendancy of international style in Middle East, when no one dared to question the validity of its principles. The powerful waves of globalization have influenced the trends of contemporary Islamic architecture in many ways. It has changed architectural education and training, materials and components, ideas and conceptions, political and economic conditions, social and civic values, and technology and the design process substantially. Taking Iran as an example for modern Muslim society in the Middle East, we can find facts that Islam as a main component of society has a visible effect on architecture and design. The revival of Islamic regional architecture epitomized the revivalist ideas of exponents of the Islamic revolution of Iran that want to dominate Islam as the most determining criterion in all aspect of life, especially in culture, art and architecture. They are looking for a version of traditional architecture that could be implemented in contemporary circumstances. Some radical trend in contemporary Iranian architecture emphasized a backward looking historicism; however this has been among a small minority of architects. Regional movements accuse modern architect of sacrificing traditional values, but on the other hand they accused regional movements of not being diligent in the enhancement of the quality of contemporary Islamic architecture of Middle East. 2.2. Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries; Mosques and Islamic community centers As we know representation of Islamic architecture in the West go back at least to the eighteenth century, when European travelers and artists came back from the Islamic world with vivid impressions, which they recorded both in writing and paintings. To them, the most fascinating aspects of the mosque were its domes and minarets. Due to restricted access, the images these foreigners conveyed were generally distorted; minarets and columns were ill-proportioned; curvatures of domes were exaggerated; pointed, shallow, and horseshoe arches were used interchangeably, and so on. The diversity of backgrounds, origins, and ethnicities of Muslims in non-Muslim societies and their shared values and experiences with fellow Muslims all over the world are important aspects of identity of Muslims in non-Muslim countries. The daily interaction of Muslims with the issues of immigration, multiculturalism, a loosened relationship between the religion and the government, liberalism, stereotypes and racism has shaped the development of their hybrid identity. These Muslims are striving within this context to develop an Islamic society that is autonomous as well as participatory, one that constantly attempts at adapting to the contradictions of living in non-Muslim countries. This society would nonetheless be vigilant to avoid the hegemony of the dominant culture, and aware of its role in challenging injustices. Efforts to engage this way with society are evidenced by the participation of Muslims in local and national politics, the armed forces, an increased emphasis on education, and a growing economic base supported by Islamic banking institution. Amidst this interaction, Islamic community centers have emerged as clear markers of the distinctly Muslims presence of this population. The very concept of an Islamic community center in a non-Muslim country represents a set of contradictions. It is not just a mosque for performing prayers; rather it concerns the establishment of a religion, in majority society of non- Muslims who have by and large secularized themselves over the last two centuries. The Islamic communities in these countries are seeking to build for their selves a sense of group identity in a social context that glorifies individualism as opposed to communal interaction. They strive to create permanence and stability in a culture that is increasingly based on mobility, transition and change. The community centers and mosques in these countries struggle to maintain to their ties with the ancient past that they are supposed to link to and far away homelands in a seemingly isolated land. The formation of Islamic community centers indicates a search for identity among Muslims that goes beyond the limitations of ethnic bonds. It also serves as a community institution that helps to consolidate their scattered efforts and secure the right to practice their beliefs. Most Islamic community centers and Mosques in non- Muslim countries have been designed by architects who base their knowledge of Islamic architecture on their own image of it, inspired by the increasing number of community buildings throughout the western countries, as well as the substantial literature that has been developed in the West on Islamic architecture. The emerging architecture can be seen as a descendent of the Moorish revival style and the architecture of fantasy inspired by Islamic pavilions in the expositions of the nineteenth century. Just as these styles formed part of a general western trend, so has the architecture of the Islamic community center become the part of a wider architectural movement in the west, where the presence of Muslim communities in increasingly felt, especially in the metropolitan centers of Western Europe and North America. Figure 1 Through their experience in designing Islamic community centers, non- Muslim architects often learn to reconsider some of their myths about Islam, and to change their previous negative images about Muslims. Such experiences not only increase their knowledge of non-Western aesthetic and building traditions, but also expose them to the nature of Islam itself, especially the tenets which are most prominently reflected in the designs for municipal and domestic buildings and mosques. Unfortunately, many of the new Islamic community centers in America are scaled down and impoverished imitations of old monuments The architect of the West Virginia Community Center, William Preston boast that: The South Charleston Center is modeled after a famous Islamic house of worship, the Badshahi Mosque, in Lahore, Pakistan (fig. 1). The Badhsahi Mosque is bigger than the Taj Mahal, and is considered the largest house of worship in the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the final product, the building in no way resembles any of these monuments, but this is not seen t disappoint either the architect or the client. Faithful imitation was not the intention; rather it is the capturing of the flavor of the old (fig. 2) Figure 2 The result is often kind of parody, which is presumably found desirable within a community seeking a nostalgic relationship to the past. In this case, the role of the architect is to revive the past and reinterpret its vocabulary in the contemporary architectural language. In the U.S., this is the language of the commercial strip. The resultant combination of architectural revivalism and the strip mall aesthetic more often captures the essence of an exotic Oriental restaurant than the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture. In such buildings the aesthetic features of the mosque- the minaret especially- are appropriated like the sign posts advertising gas stations or fast food restaurants. The distorted expression of many Islamic community centers in the U.S., their vivid colors, and their use of modern industrial materials, contribute to a generally crude aesthetic, one which may be related to the general loss of high skills and craftsmanship, low budgets, and the low level of ar tistic sophistication on the part of both client and architecture. On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that in the quest for self-representation through architecture, the use of format icons such as domes and minarets has become widespread, not just in non-Islamic countries, but also in many Islamic ones, even where those forms did not belong in the past. While this globalized use of iconic references may seem to be a product of the Muslims attempt at representing themselves through an architecture that they see as authentic and reflects the essence of their Islamic culture, it is in fact more closely related to the Western representations of Islamic architecture being perpetuated today by both Muslims and non-Muslim famous architects and scholars around the globe. Conclusion At a glance at the discussion it might be possible to conclude that the interest of contemporary Islamic architecture in Glocalization and moderate attitudes is in a good condition and is going to become the main popular style in Contemporary Islamic architecture, especially among the recent generation of young architects. Global-regionalism is too young to find a coherent style that it could call its own; therefore there are several kinds of approaches that could be categorized in this group. Their buildings are suggested by the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture, as well as the utilization of new technologies and materials. This paradoxical strategy is the main specificity of the new generation of contemporary Islamic architects. Their fidelity to the spirit of their ancestors, as well as their keen interest in new technologies and advanced building materials, formed a new generation that could only be called Glocalized. The architecture of Islamic community centers in non-Muslim countries illustrates issues related to a minority culture attempting, through architectural form, to re-establish continuity and stability, to express identity and to maintain forms of collective memory. The relationship between identity and iconic references should be seen within a broad-based setting, due to the increasing globalization of ideas about contemporary Islamic architecture that are constantly moving back and forth between the West and the Islamic world through architectural writing, competitions and commissions. While Islamic architecture in non-Muslim countries has already contributed to deconstructing the totalizing agendas of identity politics and Orienatalist stereotyping, cycles of representation are difficult to escape. The focus needs to shift to what kind of identity is being expressed, and where the architectural aspects of collective memory of Muslims can be complemented, overlaid, or even replaced by other systems, so as not to miss the potentials of creative representation. This critical understanding may raise issue of shred human values that can help create a dialogue with non- Muslims through architecture. This can be achieved through fragmentation and perhaps domesticity that reduce the authoritative aspects of formality and humanizes the architectural product. Emphasis needs to be directed toward the expression of transparency, rather than obsession with privacy and exclusiveness. List of references Al-Qawasmi, Jamal[2007], Regional Architecture and Identity in the age of Globalization, volume 3, CSAAR, Tunisia Owen, Graham[2009], Architecture, Ethics and Globalization, Routledge, USA Guggenheim, Michael[2010], Reshaping Cities, How global mobility transforms architecture and urban form, Routledge, USA Hillenbrand Robert [2004], Islamic architecture: Form, Function, and Meaning, Columbia University Press, USA Petruccioli Attilio[2002], Understanding Islamic Architecture, Routledge, USA

Medulla Oblongata: Function and Location

Medulla Oblongata: Function and Location Medulla oblongata The medulla oblongata is a very interesting part of the brain. This very small section of the brain stem has a very large amount of responsibility in the human body. Studies concerning this section help in the understanding of many basic biological functions of the body. Some of the actions are ones that we dont even notice are happening on a day-to-day basis but are very important to human life. The medulla oblongata has many different connections with other areas of the brain, plays a key role in several functions of the body, has neurotransmitters that are involved in the functioning of this area, has diseases that can greatly affect its roles in the body. The medulla oblongata has many connections to other areas of the brain. The medulla oblongata is the most inferior portion of the brainstem and is about three centimeters long. It slightly bulges out of the brain stem. It is located in between the pons and the spinal cord. The axons that carry sensory information to and motor instructions from the higher brain regions pass through the brainstem. It creates tracts that allow communication to pass through from certain sides of the brain. These tracts house fibers that cross each other in pyramidal region of the medulla oblongata allowing the brain to communicate with the opposite of the body. Vital nuclei located in the gray matter of the medulla oblongata are used for cranial nerves. The medulla oblongata has many different functions in the body. These functions are being performed at all hours of the day, many of them without contribution from other sections of the brain. One main function is relaying signals between the brain and the spinal cord. The medulla helps with coordinating very large body movements liking jogging or climbing. The medulla houses portions of the brain that control what is considered automatic homeostatic functions as well as some primitive organs (Campbell and Reece 2008). The cardiac portion constantly sends inhibitory impulses to the heart to tell it to slow down. This portion also sends acceleratory impulses through the spinal nerves to make the heart beat faster whenever it may be necessary. The vasomotor portion sends impulses via spinal nerves through the spinal cord to muscles walls around arteries causing them to constrict. This constriction of arteries will cause blood pressure to rise. The respiratory portion houses respiratory nuclei that control the depth and rate of breathing. The medulla oblongata also plays a role in reflex responses. The capability to respond quickly to a stimulus can be very important when there is a need to survive. Reflex responses include swallowing, sneezing, vomiting, coughing, and digestion. A lot of these functions are involuntary or start off voluntary and then transform in to involuntary functions. The activity of the medulla oblongata rely on axons that reach many areas of the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum, releasing neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine. When under stress, norepinephrine relays messages to the brain that control reflex reactions and ability to pay attention. Like epinephrine, norepinephrine also triggers the fight-or-flight response. The fight-or-flight response is directly related to heart rate. It causes glucose from energy being stored to be released and blood flow to increase to muscles that enable the body to react as necessary. Norepinephrine raises blood pressure when used as a drug. This raise in blood pressure causes a correlated drop in heart rate. Dopamine, another neurotransmitter in the brain, opens dopamine receptors also affecting blood pressure and heart rate. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that deals with mood. Excessive aggressive, sadness, or jealousy is linked to the medulla oblongata. Acetylcholine is used in the motor division and cross over in the medulla oblongata. It is involved in muscle movement, autonomic body functions, and excitatory reactions. Many diseases and disorders affect the medulla oblongata. One disorder is a very rare and often fatal medullar abscess (Wait 2009). A medullar abscess is viewed as a condition of rapidly progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies and decreased level of consciousness (Wait 2009). Multiple system atrophy is a neurological disorder that degenerates nerves cells located in areas of the brain including the medulla oblongata. This disease can cause the loss of control of autonomic functions such as bladder control, movement, and coordination (Benarroch 1997). Damage to the medulla oblongata can cause several functions of the body to be thrown off and even death. Because cranial nerves run through this section of the brain injury there can cause several sensory problems. For instance, injury can cause numbness or paralysis of the palate and throat causing drooling and a lack of taste. This numbness can also obviously cause problems with speech. It can also cause gagging, inability to rotate the neck, and acid reflux. Surprisingly if a person suffers from brain damage their body can still function if the medulla oblongata is not damaged. However, damage to the medulla oblongata can cause the need for a breathing machine or other life support equipment. If the medulla oblongata is damaged sometimes the brain and body can recover and no longer need the use of a life support machine, but often the body cannot recover and a person is considered to be brain dead. In this stage, the removal of a life support machine will mean a persons body will no longer function and that person will die. A great assortment of medications and drugs can also alter the state of the medulla oblongata. Overdoses usually result in death because the medulla oblongata cannot carry out its functions under that amount of a specific drug. Opiates, coma, and hypothermia can affect the medulla oblongata in ways that cause the body to exude physical conditions comparable to death. Anesthesia is able to function as it does because its chemical components cause the medulla oblongata to decrease its autonomic functions. References Benarroch E, Smithson I. 1997. Distribution and relationships of neuropeptide y and NADPH-Ddiaphorase in human ventrolateral medulla oblongata. J Auto Nerv Sys. 62(3): 143-146. Hashimoto M, Hatasa M, Shinoda S. 1992. Medulla oblongata germinoma in association with Klinefelter syndrome. Surg Neur. 37(5): 384-387. Wait S, Beres E, Nakaji P. 2009. Bacterial abscess of the medulla oblongata. J Clin Neur. 16(8): 1082-1084. Campbell A, Reece J. 2008. Biology. 8th ed. San Francisco (CA): Benjamin Cummings. 1245.

King Lears Self Discovery Essay -- King Lear essays

King Lear's Self Discovery   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although King Lear is an estimable monarch, as revealed by the devotion of men such as Kent, he has serious character flaws.   His power as king has encouraged him to be proud and impulsive, and his oldest daughters Regan and Goneril reflect that "The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash..." and that "he hath ever but slenderly known himself" (1.1.297-298, 295-296).   When Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, Cordelia, Goneril, and Regan in order to have less responsibility in his old age, he creates a situation in which his eldest daughters gain authority over him and mistreat him.   Lear is unable to cope with his loss of power and descends into madness.   While the circumstances in which Lear finds himself are instrumental in the unfolding of this tragedy,   it is ultimately not the circumstances themselves, but King Lear's rash reactions to them that lead to his downfall.   In this downfall, Lear is forced to com e to terms with himself as a mortal man.    Lear's self-destruction begins when he stands before the court to divide his kingdom and commands his daughters to profess their love for him.   Cordelia, his youngest and most favored daughter, idealistically believes that words are unnecessary in the expression of love and refuses to profess her feelings.   King Lear had planned to give the most land to Cordelia and to stay with her in his old age and he states of Cordelia, "I loved her most, and thought to set my rest/ On her kind nursery" (1.1.125-126).   The king does not understand the motives behind Cordelia's silence and is shocked by her unexpected reaction to his demand.   He loses sight of his careful preparation for his future and in his... ...h.   This gesture is Lear's final relinquishment of the royalty he no longer values, as well as his decisive welcoming of mortality as it provides him with an escape from his grief.    Works Cited and Consulted Artaud, Antonin. The Theatre and Its Double. Grove Press Inc. New York. 1958 Billington, Michael. Gielgud: His Greatest Triumphs. "The Age." May 24, 2000. Brook, Peter. The Empty Space. 1st Touchstone edition. Simon and Schuster Inc. 1996. Noguchi, Isamu. Isamu Noguchi On the Dance. "Texts by Isamu Noguchi." Partee, Dr. Morriss   Henry. Shakespeare Improved. University of Utah English Dept. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear. Jay L. Halio. Ed. The New Cambridge Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press. New York. 1992. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Lear.   Ed. Russell Fraser.   New York: Penguin, 1998.

Classification of Movie Goers :: Classification Essay

Classification of Movie Goers Many people go to the movies. The movies are an escape into a fantasy world. Everyone has a different preference on what kind of movie is the best. Romance, horror, action, and comedy are different types of movies. The kind of movie someone goes to see can give clues to what kind of person they are. People who prefer horror films obviously like to be grossed out or like to be frightened. The horror fans probably tend to enjoy suspense and anxiety. One might suspect these people love to go on frightening roller coaster rides or do other things that would cause suspense and anxiousness. People of this nature might enjoy things that most people would not, considering the amount of gore produced in many horror films. For example, some people watch surgeries on TV. These shows contain blood and things disturbing to others. It would make sense to say that the person who has no problem with the gore in the movies could probably watch and enjoy a surgery on TV. Comedy, most people enjoy going to the movies and laughing. Although most people do enjoy a comedy here and there, some people try to be like the characters in them. These people love to laugh and try to make others laugh whenever possible. Sometimes this is a good thing and one would not mind being around them because they are actually funny. Nevertheless, some of them are down right annoying. If someone tells them they are annoying then that just means to them that they have to try harder to get people to laugh. People who love comedy always seem to love going out and having fun with their life. These types of people rarely get mad either. People who enjoy going out and living up life probably watch action adventure type movies. The ones who like these movies would probably get a kick out of being chased by the police in a car. Risky habits such as doing things that are against the law and hoping they don't get caught could be a trait of a person who likes action adventure movies also. Another thing they might participate in is extreme sports like bungie jumping or skydiving. They might watch the news on TV and hope that a big story with action might come in. Over all they seek what they see in the movies.

The Weakness of Human Nature in Dantes Inferno Essay -- Human Weaknes

Dante's "Inferno" is full of themes. But the most frequent is that of the weakness of human nature. Dante's descent into hell is initially so that Dante can see how he can better live his life, free of weaknesses that may ultimately be his ticket to hell. Through the first ten cantos, Dante portrays how each level of his hell is a manifestation of human weakness and a loss of hope, which ultimately Dante uses to purge and learn from. Dante, himself, is about to fall into the weaknesses of humans, before there is some divine intervention on the part of his love Beatrice, who is in heaven. He is sent on a journey to hell in order for Dante to see, smell, and hear hell. As we see this experience brings out Dante's weakness' of cowardice, wrath and unworthiness. He is lead by Virgil, who is a representation of intellect. Through Dante's experiences he will purge his sins. Within Canto 1, we see Dante leaving a dark forest. This forest represents all the human vices and corruption, a place similar to hell (canto 1, line 1-5, Alighieri). Dante wants to reach the hill top, where is sunny and warm, rather than be in the damp and cold forest. The hill top represents happiness and is a metaphor for heaven. But his path is stopped by three animals: a leopard (canto 1, line 25, Alighieri ) , lion (canto 1, line 36 Alighieri ) and she wolf (canto 1, line 38-41, Alighieri ). Each one represents a human weakness: the leopard is lust, the lion pride and the she wolf is avarice. They show that on the earthly plain human sin is a continual and harmful temptation. These animals try to strip him of his hope, his hope in the fact that he will some day be in heaven with God. They are temptations to lead him away and block his way to the hill top. Th... ... shall see, will change and become the man that Beatrice wanted, and it's all by choice and by rejection of hell and all that the dark forest entails. Work Cited Alighieri, Dante. "The Inferno." The Divine Comedy. Trans. John Ciardi. New York: First New American Library Printing, 2003. Work Consulted Lummus, David. "Dante’s Inferno: Critical Reception and Influence." Dantes Inferno. Engerda: Arun, 2000. 63-79. Print. Internet Sources Consulted Brown, Sapphire M. "Referenes to Dantes Inferno." Humanities 360. 8 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. â€Å"Dante Alghieri and The Divine Comedy.† Vision.org. Vision.org: 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. "Dante Alighieri." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. Wetherbee, Winthrop. "Dante Alighieri." Stanford University. Stanford University, 29 Jan. 2001. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

Article Review of Smoking

Addictive items have become one of the most significant health problems. The countries will be affected medical,economical,legal and social effects because of the use of addictive items. In this study is to identify and compare the number of basic students in Germany and Turkey. Turkey is one of the leading tobacco producing countries as well as of the major tobacco consuming countries. Smoking is very addictive and has effects both on economy and health. That is not easy to quit smoking because in statistic only 2-3% of smokers can quit smoking annually.Many of the adults start smoking at early ages and increase the amount of cigarettes smoked in adulthood. There also people say that smoking is because of personality traits. Up to now,no specific personality traits are identified as a risk for addiction to smoking. The methodology used in this study is survey by using questionnaire. First,the researcher make a sampling. The participants of the study are a total of 1024 German and Tu rkish basic education.Second,the data were collected through survey questionnaire because this study is an empirical one. Third,the data obtained were analysed by make use of descriptive statistical techniques,especially in the form of means,frequency and percentage. The findings or results in this study suggests that the rate of both German and Turkish students who frequently and sometimes smoke is higher than expected from their ages. However,the rate of the students who tried to smoke in both sample groups is also interesting.The findngs also indicate that the rate of the students who stated that their mothers, fathers, friends and teachers smoke is high. However, the rate of mothers and friends who smoke in the Turkish sample is lower than that in the German sample. Although in both sample groups the rate of the students who may try to smoke once is high, this rate varies between the groups. More specifically, the number of the German students who reported that they may try to s moke is much higher in contrast to Turkish participants.

Coaching/Leadership Skills

Coaches have many diverse roles which can vary in importance according to the age group of the team. In simple terms, the role of the coach is to plan, act and review. This is an ongoing process aimed at improving the qualities of the coach and the performance of players. The basic roles of an effective coach are: †¢ Manager dealing with a wide range of players, officials and supporters. †¢ Leader assigned to organise training, match-day events and team morale. †¢ Teacher instructing football skills and team tactics. Mentor behind every successful person there is one elementary truth: somewhere, somehow, someone cared about their growth and development. This person was their mentor. †¢ Selector – involved in the planning and selection of the best team to represent the club. †¢ Communicator providing clear instruction and feedback to the team and individual players. †¢ Psychologist dealing with various individual personalities within the team. â₠¬ ¢Public relations representing the club at official functions and community activities. †¢ Studentcontinually seeking to upgrade knowledge of the game. Sports trainer – with a basic knowledge of injury prevention, care and management. †¢ Planner – annual integrated plan covering pre-season, competition, physical, technical, tactical, psychological, workload volumes and intensities etc. †¢ Motivator – including engendering players’ acceptance of own responsibility. †¢ Goal-setter – making sure that goals are achievable, challenging and measurable. †¢ Creating a successful learning environment – focusing on what you can control; recognising individual and group needs.MEASURING AND IMPROVING YOUR COACHING EFFECTIVENESS Australian Football is continually changing; rules change, techniques change, equipment is refined and coaching methods, including the application of sport sciences, evolve. Coaches must keep abreast of these changes and adapt their coaching accordingly. All coaches have to know if they are effective or ineffective, independent of the ability of the playing group. The following techniques can assist coaches in measuring and improving their coaching effectiveness. Coach self-reflectionUnless coaches can arrange for someone to observe and analyse them on a regular basis, the self-reflection method is the only method that can be used to confirm the effectiveness of their coaching. Self-reflection in coaching is a process where coaches compare their current practice against an ideal set of practices, using a systematic procedure to make comparisons between real and ideal. Video analysis Video analysis is another effective tool that assists in the self-reflection process because videotape provides permanent images that can help with in-depth analysis and evaluation.It can also help to identify areas in need of improvement and can also be used to plan for such improvement. Video self-an alysis is a six-step process: 1. Recording – videotape a coaching session. 2. Reflecting – review the tape to find a suitable segment, then analyse the segment against the ideal model. 3. Consulting – invite a mentor to ‘audit’ the analysis. 4. Planning – design a plan to improve. 5. Implementing – carry out the plan. 6. Follow-up recording – videotape a follow-up coaching session and check that the plan has worked. MentoringEffective coaches have often had the good fortune to have been coached by a very good coach. On becoming coaches themselves they may have imitated many of the coaching behaviours and methods used by their previous coaches. This process can be carried on into a coach’s current development through a mentor. A mentor is usually an experienced person who works individually with a less experienced coach. A good mentor is someone, chosen by a coach, whom the coach respects for their knowledge, attitudes and mentoring skills to assist them in their development.The mentor asks questions about the methods used and guides the coach toward a better understanding of his or her coaching. In selecting a mentor, a coach can reflect on who are the people in their field (not necessarily restricted to other coaches) they admire most, why they admire these people, and what are the admirable qualities they possesses. The answers to these questions will direct coaches to suitable mentors, with whom they can work formally or informally to develop their own unique skills and attributes.BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION It is sometimes just as difficult to modify coaching behaviour as it is to modify player behaviour. Coaches who are attempting to modify their own behaviour should try the following strategies: †¢ Identify the behaviour to be modified. †¢ Establish the characteristics of the new behaviour. †¢ Look at models of the new behaviour. †¢ Assess how important the change is – ho w will it affect the coach’s effectiveness? †¢ Obtain feedback about the behaviour. †¢ Reassess the effects of the change on all coaching tasks.