History Of Singing Styles Essays - Vocal Music, Drama, Opera

History of Singing Styles History of Singing Styles There have been distinct stages in the development of music and particularly singing over the previous hundreds of years. Looking back now we can easily see where certain things interlinked to create a new style or method of singing. From the western side of things, the first significant frame was the operatic movement. This began in the early 1600's with the first ever Opera 1602. It was called Orpheo and was written by Monteverdi. The singing style that existed between 1600 and 1750 was known as Baroque. Baroque basically referred to a pure sound without verbrato. Some words to describe this is ornamental and florid. An example of a composition from this time is Handel's Messiah. Between 1750-1800 was the classical era with many famous composers emerging. One such composer was Mozart who had success with his comic operas and the requiem mass. 1800-1900 was known as the Romantic period. This period started to involve verbrato in the singing. This was a big change from the previous eras as there was focus on a huge sound rather than simplicity. The main element of the romantics was the drama and emotion. A type of style from the Romantic period was Lieder, which is German. Lieder were full of emotion and drama. It played an important role in the development of opera and involved piano and voice duets. The contrast between Romantic and Classical is that woman usually sang the latter. On the other hand men mostly sang Romantics. From 1900 onwards came diversity. Opera expanded into different areas with once such area being called atonal. As with many of these styles, the Germans devised this and it was a great strain to the singers. Atonal was made up of non-singing things like shouting, whispering, screaming, muttering and laughing. Once such 20th century vocal performance in this style was Verklaerte Nacht (The Transfigured night) by Sceoenberg. It was made up of a mixture of the usual atonal style and also had no singing at all. Movement around the stage rhythmically was present. This bizarre style of music ended around 1940 and with Wagner plus his long Operas the musicals started. Gilbert and Sullivan made themselves famous by writing successful comical operas. This passed through with My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls all the way to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his works. So opera became musicals. The other major influence on today's music came from the Black American culture. Early on black slaves were brought to America and introduced their music to Western culture by singing in the churches etc. This developed the Negro spirituals and eventually along came things like the blues. Artists like Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith grounded a new style of music. Music styles in singing have split up into a wide variety of directions during the 20th century. After Rock'n'Roll came in during the 60's many different ideas of music emerged with things like R and B, Pop, Rap etc all emerging. There is now acceptance of new sounds like an untrained voice singing harshly with Jimmy Barnes being a prime example of this. Music and Singing fashions with what's hot changes each year and it can all be traced back to opera in the 17th century and the black slaves bringing their music to the other side of the world. We have all benefited by this in some way.

New Public Management and Governance

New Public Management and Governance Over several decades, the implementation of successive policies has led to a complete change of the manner in which the government of Canada regulates the public sector. The most recent reforms concerning the stakeholders governing the public service considerably influenced the political figures such as ministers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New Public Management and Governance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Evidently, the recent policy formulation and advice has lead to the emergence of the New Public Management (NPM) and New Public Governance (NPG) to regulate the government actions. As a result, the government leaders have been entrusted with responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a significant responsibility is bestowed upon the ministers in form of policymaking and implementation. This makes it difficult for the ministers and other political figures in the government to formulate independent policies n ot influenced by the political situation of the country and partisan interests (Thomas 2). Moreover, the newly enacted laws seem to stunt the response to economic stimulus initiated by the government. However, the assumptions concerning the new measures to ensure accountability and transparency are not a total barrier to the functioning of the public service. A survey by the government indicates that the expected response was not realized even with the increased government spending on the public sector. The stimulus plan did not include a strategy to monitor the economy’s response. In this regard, a comprehensive investigation and report demonstrated that the money allocated to the various projects was appropriate. The lack of the political support for a quicker implementation of the projects was evident among the political class. The parliamentarians and municipal authorities who anticipated to be afflicted by the political implications of the failure to meet the set deadlin es were pressuring the state to ease on the deadlines and allow the projects’ implementation at a slower rate. This political pressure forced the federal government to accept the deadlines’ extension for the poorly performing projects and approve the funding of other projects as late as 2010. In 2011, the government extended the deadlines for the completion of the projects with the prime minister asserting that most of the projects would observe the deadline (Johnson 39). An examination of the economic situation in the world and the progress in Canada in particular, indicated that the government did not rely chiefly on the political factors in order to decide on extending the deadline. However, the political situation was a major factor that could have prevented the government from making an independent decision.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The fe deral government officials reported that natural adverse conditions had delayed the completion of most of the lagging projects. In addition, the complexity of some of the projects was a contributing factor to the experienced delays. An Investigation of the government spending indicates that the federal authorities were accountable for most of their actions, but the existing policies and reporting systems hindered the government from conducting a proper evaluation of the projects. The budget is another important aspect of the economy and the government’s plan for economic growth. The government formulates policies for the public sector based on the budget. In addition, the budget is the government projected spending on the public sector welfare. The effectiveness of a budget depends on the government’s policies that govern the use of money at the departmental level in the various public sectors. One problem that afflicts the budget is the power bestowed to the political authorities over the budget. The political leaders are responsible for the budget’s planning and implementation while the experts at the treasury insignificantly influence the budget. Trust is the main basis of interaction between the treasury officials and the political leaders concerning the planning and appropriation of the budget. For an effectively functioning public service, the policies regulating the government’s functions relating to the public service must be non-partisan for them to serve their purpose. The staffing of the public service should be non-partisan for proper functioning. A staffing system free of partisan influence is an essential component of the public service. Recent policies seek to govern the use of different types of labor within the public service. The non-partisan policy is significant in ensuring that the public service staff is able to execute its duties with due independence free of any political interference. The recent creation of the federal accountability act, that strictly regulates the public service actions, seems to nullify the relevance of ethics in the public service. The adoption of official policies as the guidelines to the implementation of all public service duties without including the ethical aspect of accountability in the execution of these duties poses a risk of imbalance. However, this does not mean that the policies should be eliminated for the proper functioning of the public service, but a blend of ethics and rules is necessary for the moderate regulation and promotion of liberal operations in the public sector. A policy that ensures that the public sector relies on the set regulations in its activities will limit the flexibility that is critical for the good performance of the public sector.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on New Public Management and Governance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the government s hould be viewed as a malleable system subject to external forces and internal conditions so that the functioning of its public service arm is governed in tandem with the requirements of the current situation. The unpredictable nature of the public sector and its susceptibility to swaying by the economic and social forces requires a moderate approach concerning governance (Hubbard 2009). Moreover, the incorporation of the human nature into governance makes it incapable of conforming to strict expectations and unrealistic requirements. Another impediment to the proper functioning of the public sector is the parliament’s effort to regulate the ministerial officials and monitor the financial situation in their ministries. The parliamentary bodies have sought to hold the deputy minister accountable for the appropriation of funds and the internal activities of the public service (Public Service Commission 4). To secure impartiality in the public administration relationships, the go vernment of Canada needs to reforms its public sector in such a way as to ensure the protection of the public servants from the transparency and scrutiny associated with the modern technology. The watchdog role the legislature has assumed to place the government ministers under scrutiny is retrogressive. Moderation is necessary concerning the system that places professionals under direct control and manipulation by the political class. Although the public service has endured the effects of the political environment for long time, more pressure to conform to the whims of the politicians has been witnessed where expertise and professionalism is of cardinal importance. In this essence, the political influence that accompanies the new public governance is a relative phenomenon. A crucial Ingredient of the governance of the public service is that it should be able to work towards the achievement of the political leadership goals when the political targets are for the public’s bene fits. However, the public service’s independence is essential to ensure that the political class does not exploit it to influence the political mood of the public in any way. The government must be cautious not to hand over the public service’s fate to the politicians since they may use it to further their agenda. Moreover, the use of the public service to achieve personal agendas may threaten its integrity. The new public governance has given the discretion of deciding the direction of the public service to the supreme political leadership that the prime minister represents. The prime minister’s party rarely monitors him, and the partisan power can seldom remove him from his position.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Once the prime minister has assumed office, it is difficult to pressurize his resignation or limit his actions within his constitutional power. Recently, the prime minister has gained control over his deputies such that he is capable of influencing the staffing of the public service departments under the authority of the deputy ministers. This is possible since the prime minister’s control of the deputy ministers is well established. In addition, the influence of the prime minister over his deputies is camouflaged in such a manner that it is mistaken for a public agenda. The political structure propagates this situation since the deputies close to the prime minister blindly propagate his agenda. Some moderate independence of the deputies and the public service is necessary for the effective performance of the public service delivery system (Johnson 28). Furthermore, the ministers are not in a position to hire or dismiss their deputies. Ministers are direct appointees of the p rime minister and will almost certainly respect his decisions regarding appointments no matter how pervasive they may seem. A few radical ministers may seek to challenge the prime minister’s decision, but most of them will not express any kind of objection. Consequently, the prime minister holds immense power over the top echelon of the government. In this essence, the prime minister inevitably holds a significant influence of the public service In some cases of the ministers and deputy prime ministers’ appointments, a consideration about whether the potential appointees are equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise to deal with the public service issues is essential. However, for every appointment, political considerations are made and in most cases, the political correctness of the appointment is the more prominent of the considerations. In addition, even those appointees that have sufficient professional qualification in their respective fields cannot dist ance themselves from political influence to match the non-partisan nature of the public service (Thomas 2). Political institution’s appointees are non-professional staff in the public service. However, the current system allows them to seek positions as professionals with fewer odds against them as compared to the professionals who have previously not held political posts. This kind of partial judgment of professionalism seems to indicate the political influence in the public service, which may lead to the public service politicization. Current the centralization of the public service is the major cause of the political influence in the public service. Differentiation and separation of the public service from the political class will serve to lessen the effects of the new public governance. Hubbard, Ruth. Profession: public servant. Ottawa: Invenire Books, 2009. Print. Johnson, David. Thinking Government: Public Administration and Politics in Canada. 3rd ed. Toronto: Univers ity of Toronto Press, 2011. Print. Thomas, Paul. When Machinery of The Government Breaks Down. Optimum online 39.4,December (2009): 2. Print. Public Service Commission. Merit and non-partisanship under the. Ottawa: Public Service Commission of Canada, 2003. Print.

Power of will and choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power of will and choice - Research Paper Example Among many other works of literature we have studied are ‘the hunger games’ by Suzanne and ‘twilight’ by Myer which are all topical and hence the following analysis. Books of literature are normally written to communicate certain topics as shown and the two books are no exception. This paper therefore intends to analyze the thematic representations these two books as they are written in the contemporary US environment. Our analysis revolves around the theme of power in choice as presented within the two books. Power dynamics within the ‘hunger games’ is seen through the eyes of two young persons engaged in the games which are conducted annually with a motive of selecting the district to which food aid would be advanced. The plotting of the story covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capital district capitol represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger and general misery is shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement is what characterizes the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and such other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the hunger games, which are conducted annually. Every district therefore selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advance food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppressio n. Totalitarian governance in the country is the main thematic depiction of the book, which shows how capitol adopts the games in order to punish the twelve districts because of rebellion in the past, which lead to destruction of the thirteen districts. Besides, the fights, which are televised, serve as entertainment to the capitol while at the same time conveying the message of capitol’s power as well as lack of remorse towards the twelve districts. In fact, this is therefore a clear depiction of power influence and the theme of wrong choices as contrasted with good choices. To begin with, the adoption of such annual games has historically been developed from the fateful rebellion, which led to total destruction of the thirteenth district after all the districts within the country chose to revolt against capitol and its rule. Choice was therefore involved in the decision and the capitol district equally chose to retract through so much power that led to total destruction of one of the districts. Besides, out of choice, the capitol district and its power devised the games, which involve young adults who are selected through lottery to participate. Besides the games being entertaining to the capitol dwellers, they serve as memorial to the power of the capitol district as well as the capitols lack of remorse. It is therefore worth noting that capitol had the capacity to help other districts without engaging them into such deadly wars and rule effectively through equal regard to all persons. This is not however the case as revealed through the mechanisms adopted to exert authority towards the natives of the rest of the d

Adolescent Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adolescent Sexuality - Essay Example b) Early start of sexual intercourse: Other risks associated with teen sex include early start of sex practice. Teens usually get attracted towards opposite sex at an early stage and start to have sex with their partners. In 2006 7, 50,000 teens below the age of 20 became pregnant in United States (Guttmacher Institute, 2010). c) Multiple sex partners: Majority of the teens who are engaged in having sex with more than one partners are often likely to develop attitudes like fighting, taking drugs and smoking. These activities are mainly observed among girls. It also increases the chances of pregnancies and STDs. d) Unprotected sex: Most of the adolescents are often engaged in unprotected sexual practices. The two most common consequences of unprotected sexual practice are; transmission of various sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. i) STDs: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are a major issue in teen sex. These diseases are usually transmitted by unsafe sex practices which are prominent among teens. 19 million STD infections occur worldwide each year among in which half of them are teens between the ages of 15-24 (SADD, 2007). Another reason for high rate of STDs among teens is because of the wrong perception that oral sex or anal sex does not have the risk of transmission of STDs. A number of of the sexually transmitted diseases are AIDS, Genital Warts, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Chlamydia, Pubic Lice or Crabs, Vaginitis and Hepatitis (Menstruation, 1999). ii) Teen Pregnancy: Another consequence of unprotected sex is teen pregnancy. Most teens often indulge in unsafe and unplanned sex practice due to their immaturity. In US 34% of teens become pregnant before they reach the age of 20 which is around 8, 20,000 a year (SADD, 2007). The result of unprotected sexual behavior leads to pregnancy at an early age might be harmful for a girl. Although

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was born during a time when black people did not have the rights which they have today. He experienced racial discrimination when their white neighbors refused to let him play with their boys. When he was five years old his mother persuaded the first grade teacher, Miss Dickerson, to make room for him in her class. Even though he started several weeks after the other children, he soon caught up with them academically and even surpassed them before the year was over. Miss Lemon, his teacher taught him to be independent. She taught him if there was an injustice, he could rebel, but still keep his dignity and find quiet ways to resist. She inspired her students to learn about black history and take pride in their heritage. When he was 15 years old he entered Morehouse College. After two years in school he decided he could best serve others by becoming a minister. He became assistant minister of the Ebenezer Baptist church where his father was minister. The following year he graduated from college, being only 19 years old. He then attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. While he was at Crozer he began to study the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi urged people to not fight, but to protest peacefully. Martin saw this method of non-violent resistance as the answer to the unfair treatment blacks received in America. At Boston University he met Coretta Scott who became his wife. They had four children.When he graduated from Boston University he became the minister of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King and other leaders led a march into Washington D.C. Over 200,000 people marched from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. It was here where Martin Luther delivered his I Have a Dream message.

Sea Lions: Natures Playful Aquatic Land Mammals Essays -- Essays Pap

Sea Lions: Nature's Playful Aquatic Land Mammals Introduction Sea lions may look like sea creatures, but they also behave like terrestrial animals. Unlike whales, mammals that spend their entire lives in water, sea lions inhabit both the water and land throughout their lives. This aquatic land animal prefers the water for food, fun, and safety; while preferring the land for socializing, territory, and procreation. Being mammals, they share many behaviors common to humans and other mammals. Like mammals, they are born with the ability to walk on land shortly after birth. Surprisingly, they are not born with the ability to swim from birth, but need to be taught by their mothers. Like other mammals, they love to stay in social groups. During their reproductive season, females are dominated by aggressive males, that establish harems on the beaches. The relationship between females and their pups is characterized by affection, protection, nourishment, and instruction. In contrast to their limited terrestrial mobility, they can swim much better than they can walk. Unlike other land mammals, they have the ability to sleep in water . The most interesting thing is that they can sleep in water by using one part of their brain, while the other part of their brain is asleep ("Birds sleep with one eye open, half awake, study finds"). Clearly, sea lions have adapted well to a both an aquatic and land life. Sea lions are parts of the seal family and in the class of Pinnipedia ("Sea lion"). They have external ear flaps and well-developed foreflippers and hind flippers ("Sea lion"). Their predators include killer whales, sharks and humans ("Sea lion"). Sea lions have several types such as Zolophous, Steller, etc. Stellar sea lions are t... ...nd more than in the sea. Unfortunately, some species of sea lions are declining and may become extinct so that it is time to save them by enacting laws for protecting them and encouraging people not to kill them for commercial reasons. "Birds Sleep with One Eye Open, Half Awake, Study Finds." {CNN} 5 Feb. 1999. Bruemmer, Fred. "My Life Among Wild Pinnipeds." {International Wildlife} July-Aug. 1996: 10-12. Peterson, Richard S., and George A. Bartholomew. {The Natural History and Behavior of the California Sea Lion}. Los Angeles: American Society of Mammalogists, 1967. "Sea Lion." {Www.nhgs.tec.va.us/ptoption/sealion.html} (1999) "Sea Lion: Bark Is Worse Than His Bite." {Wysiwyg://104/http://www.letsfindout.com} (1999) "A Seal's-Eye View of Undersea Hunt." {MSNBC} 11 Feb. 1999. "Steller Sea Lion Distribution." {US Department of Commerce} (1999)

A 24-hour society Essay

In a 24-hour society, when are people supposed to get a good night’s rest? The automobile industry, the airline industry, the medical industry, the manufacturing industry, the safety industry – all of these and others are industries which cannot simply close at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.   People must work around the clock to provide for the health, safety, and entertainment of others.   Unfortunately, scientists are becoming more concerned about the effects of the night shift on American workers.   While the night shift cannot be obliterated from working class America, those that do work on this schedule and the companies that employ them must be aware of the physical and psychological factors that come into play for the employee as well as the risks for the company itself. Twenty to thirty million Americans have jobs that require them to work nontraditional schedules, which includes working during nighttime hours when other, traditional workers are asleep (Weiss, 1989).   This shift has been around since society became industrialized because the need for 24 hour services in prisons and hospitals necessitated a â€Å"night† person.   However, these night workers have a much more difficult time than day workers in a variety of areas.   Most of these problems can be traced back to the lack of sleep and light that these workers receive while they are awake. See more: My Writing Process Essay Scientists have been studying the body’s circadian rhythms in order to solve the puzzle of sleep deprivation and its effects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Circadian rhythms are the body’s reaction to the alternation of light and dark and   cues such as the timing of meals and sleep. This 24hour light-dark circadian cycle   is derived from the Latin circa (â€Å"about†) and dies (â€Å"day†). Since prehistoric times, circadian rhythms have regulated the pattern of working by day and sleeping by night† (Learning to live with light-dark cycles, 1996). This genetic functioning is the basis for how individuals are genetically programmed to sleep and to wake. According to scientists, the light from around a person travels through his eye to the hypothalamus in the brain – where the supposed â€Å"biological clock† is located.   Then the impulse travels to the pineal gland at which point the production of melatonin (the hormone that allows people to sleep) is dramatically reduced.   The rise and fall of melatonin in the body affects body temperature, perceived energy and enzyme and hormone production (Learning to live with light-dark cycles, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, most of the body’s functions are related to this simple perception of light and dark.   One researcher, Dr. Foster, studying this phenomenon,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"found cells in the human eye that do nothing but detect bright sunlight and tell the brain to reset the sleep cycle accordingly† (Pepper, 2004).   He found that these eye cells do not help produce vision but are only set to respond to daylight.   It is important to note that even on a cloudy day, the daylight produced is 500 to 1,000 times brighter than any type of artificial light used in factories or offices.   These artificial lights do not fool these cells in the eye.          Pepper (2004) cites Foster in saying â€Å"You need light of a long duration and high brightness to shift the [biological] clock. This explains why business travelers crossing time zones eventually adapt, but night-shift workers never do. They get a dose of natural light on their way to and from work, too strong for a factory’s dim lamps to counter.†   These special eye cells feed directly to the brain and tell the brain’s ‘biological clock’ which is really about 20,000 cells with the scientific name of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, whether the person is receiving daylight or not.   If he is, the cells send out the word to stay away; if he is not, the cells send out sleep signals (Pepper, 2004). In addition to the sleepy or energized feeling that these cells can regulate, the human body is also affected in other ways. Scientific research has proved that people who work the third shift have a greater incidence of heart disease than those who work the first shift. They explain it by revealing that the less exposure to daylight a person has, the more the cholesterol is produced in the bloodstream, which will clog the person’s arteries (Fischette, 1992). â€Å"Blood pressure and pulse rates are slowest during the night, but rise dramatically upon wakening. Physicians see more heart attack and stroke patients in the morning hours.   Studies also are finding that circadian rhythms affect diabetes and certain cancers. For people with asthma, coughing and respiratory arrest are most common between midnight and 6:00 a.m.† (Pepper, 2004).   Similarly, Glaxo, Inc. a research organization in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, notes other physiological effects that fall under control of these circadian rhythms: When parents remark that their children seem to grow overnight, they may not be far from the truth. During the hours of sleep, the human growth hormone is produced in greater abundance and is not inhibited from doing its job by activity hormones, like adrenaline, which are released during the day. Jet lag. When traveling to a different time zone, jet lag afflicts travelers and disrupts sleep and daytime functioning. The body’s circadian rhythm becomes â€Å"out of sync† with the rhythm of light and dark, taking up to several days to re-align itself to the new routine. Shift workers’ sleep disorder. Re-adjusting the body’s clock to different schedules on night or rotating shifts plays havoc with the natural circadian rhythm that responds to light and dark, making one’s temperature lowest at night and highest during the day. Although shift workers make up one-fourth of the nation’s workforce, they are twice as likely as nine-to-five individuals to report sleep disruption. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). For some people, the â€Å"winter blues† aren’t just a mood, but a chronic disorder that leads to depression, drowsiness, and carbohydrate cravings during the winter months. People suffering from SAD report longer periods of sleep, indicating that this disorder may be a circadian disturbance due to the shorter days of winter. Lung function. The body’s production of cortisol steroids, which control lung inflammation, drops at night and peaks in the morning. This means air flow in and out of the lungs is best at 4:00 p.m., often giving athletes a â€Å"leg up,† compared with other times of the day. Air flow drops to its lowest point at 4:00 a.m., explaining why people with asthma often have nocturnal problems.   Ã‚  (Learning to live with light-dark cycles, 1996). All of these negative affects will be exacerbated for those who must work during the dark, sleeping hours. Other problems can also arise from a lack of sleep due to working the third shift.   A range of personality and behavioral problems may arise due attitudes related to shift work. These attitudes correlate to sleep habits and self-assessed feelings of vigor (Bohle & Tilley, 1998).     Even if third shift workers are able to stay alert on shift, they may not be able to sleep during the day which exposes them to all kinds of additional problems due to sleep deprivation.     Ã¢â‚¬Å"Studies show that one night’s loss of sleep results in a 30 percent drop in cognitive performance, rising to 60 percent after two nights† (Bohle & Tilley, 1998).   This means that the ability to think and make decisions quickly, as may be required by the majority of third shift workers – police officers, air traffic controllers and medical personnel – may be seriously diminished if they cannot sleep well during the day.   Of course, as previously mentioned, the amount of daylight makes this very difficult (Bohle & Tilley, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The attitudes toward the night shift can also affect relationships and performance.   Night shift was most frequently characterized as being tiring, having drowsy moments, being bad for family life and not starting too early in a study reported by Bohle & Tilley, 1998).   Stickgold et al,   1999 reports also that night owls have slower reaction times, slower motor responses and slower levels of linguistic and associated processing. These could be very costly for some people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sadly, the vast majority of industrial accidents occur in the overnight hours when some workers may doze or suffer from lowered cognitive functioning. Such was the case with the accident at Three Mile Island, which began at 4 am. And the accident at Chernobyl, at 1:23 am (     the early hours when night-shift workers are prone to doze: the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island started at 4 a.m., Chernobyl at 1:23 a.m. (Bohle & Tilley, 1998).   Ã¢â‚¬Å"We are asking 20 percent of our work force, including pilots and surgeons, to operate when they’re massively impaired,† says Dr. Russell Foster, a molecular neuroscientist at London’s Imperial College (Bohle & Tilley, 1998).   Indeed, over 50% of shift workers admitted to falling asleep at least once while on the job (Weiss, 1989).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚   .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scientists are working on some medications and false lighting systems to help with the physiological and psychological problems associated with third shift work.   Until then, workers and their company’s should take steps to prevent accidents and illnesses which may result. References Bohle, P & Tilley, AJ. (1998). Early experience of shif twork: Influences on attitudes. Journal of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Occupational and Organizational Psychology 71, 61-79. Fischette, M. (1992). Working the heart-disease shift. Omni14 (11) Pepper, T. (2004). Night Shift. Newsweek (Atlantic Edition) 144 (16). Stickgold, R.,   Scott, L.,   Rittenhouse, C., & Hobson, J.A. (1999).   Sleep-induced changes in   Ã‚  Ã‚   associative memory.   Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 11(2) Weiss, R. (1989). Safety gets short shrift on long night shift. Science News 135 (3)