Coping with Stress (SLP) Module 3 (BHS400) Stress Management Essay

Coping with Stress (SLP) Module 3 (BHS400) Stress Management - Essay Example The journal also reviews a couple of OSM programs showcasing their applicability to the clinical environment as well how cost-effective an effective OSM is to employers. Edward and Burnard (2003) in this source take an in-depth research aiming at identifying stressors, moderators, and all possible and actual outcomes of stress. In their study, Edward and Burnard include measures of stress, burnout, and satisfaction at the work place. With a sample size of 2000 people, the research is relevant in stress management as it identifies the possible causes of stress as well the specific outcomes of different types and levels of stress. In this case, the source provides a background information useful in crafting a stress management program. In this journal source, Murphy (1984) takes into consideration the merits of OSM as he compares studies within the dimensions of work group type, format and the orientation of programs, methods of managing stress, non-specific effects, and the maintenance of skills and benefits on the long run. With reference to worksite stress management programs, Murphy identifies that research connecting the above mentioned factors is fragmented and does not quite satisfy the question, ‘how effective are OSMs with regards to work group-type, format and the orientation of programs, methods of managing stress, non-specific effects, and the maintenance of skills and benefits on the long run. However, his conclusion, that OSMs are effective in aiding employees to cope with stress, merits the relevance of the source with respect to stress management. Employee appraisals to stress at the workplace are the focus of this journal source as Murphy (1996) examines a number of stress management interventions and their effectiveness. With a research approach, Murphy employs a variety of interventions to stress management as appraises their effectiveness from his sample responses. In this case, the source provides credible information linking stressful

Animal testing debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal testing debate - Essay Example In addition, an example, according to a former head of U.S. national cancer institute was a cure for cancer that worked for mice but did not work for animals (Cohen & Regan 2001: 108). Laboratory animals are bred for predisposition to certain types of diseases, kept in conditions that would be considered unnatural and exposed to disproportionately large amounts of chemicals and other substances used for testing. This therefore means that animal research adds little to our understanding of diagnosis and treating patients. The third argument raised is the benefits to human beings from animal testing are very minimal and that alternative methods could be employed because they are efficient (Yarri 2005: 151). Alternative methods include computer modeling and testing human tissues. Statistics from the National Institute for Medical Research, London reveled that approximately ninety-two percent of drugs that were successful during animal testing failed during clinical trials on human being s (Lovell-Badge 2013). Thus, this wastes time that could be used on alternative drug testing; as the DNA of humans and animals is very different. Personally, I agree with prohibition of animal experimentation for medical products as it is unethical. Scientists should endeavor to find logical and ethically acceptable ways of animal experimentation. If it is also possible to employ anesthesia and derive the same results, the same should be done. Buffalo, NY says that all animal experiments are untenable on a statistical.

Women empowerment Essay Example for Free

Women empowerment Essay Since the older times, women have been treated as second rate citizens of all across the globe. The situation is almost the same everywhere-irrespective of the developed country or the developing country-caste, community, colour or creed a position which is comparable in many ways, with that of racial minorities. Women have been relegated to secondary position despite the fact that they numerically constitute about half the world population today. This situation has caused immense loss to their self-dignity as human beings and also their independent entities, associated with men, apart from other matter, in context with intellectual and professional capability. In the very beginning of civilization, women enjoyed a respectable position in society-at par with men. They actively participated in social, religious affairs as well as in warfare. The social, religious ceremonies were considered incomplete unless women participated in them. However, it was their physical constitution which acted as hurdles on the way to doing their various different difficult tasks. Gradually, they became dependent on men for food, protection for their other necessities. It was due to the strong built-up of men they risked their lives in course of hunting and food collection. It is really ironical that superiority is not accorded to the fair sex who are responsible for carrying forward lives on this planet but to men who have muscle power with the help of which they can subjugate others. Later, woman became the epitome of procreation, and was very often associated and identified with Earth, which supported lives with all her resources. This thought inspired in men a feeling of respect and regard which was reflected in their worship of women as goddesses. Despite this elevated position that she enjoyed, and are still enjoying in the form of being worshipped as goddesses Durga, Kali, Lakshami, Saraswati, etc. However, a woman is fated to be subjected, owned, and exploited like the very nature, whose magical fertility she embodies. During the course of social development, the position of women also changed. When society was formed, patriarchy was establ ished. Gradually, males became dominant in society. They were to write the codes for all times and obviously women were given a subordinate position. A prominent feature of hegemonic ideologies is the projection of the dominant viewpoint as universally true. Patriarchy, as an ideological assumption, works on the same principle. And, yet, even in ages of strict dominance by males, society has thrown up women of calibre,  who could match, even surpass, the skills of men. They made great progress in various fields of life and gained significant achievements as teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists, explorers, soldiers and pilots. This achievement is really plausible because they have been achieved in a highly adverse situation and at the cost of severe social criticism, indeed even ostracism. The need for women’s empowerment arises from the subordinate position they have been accorded for a long time. The empowerment has been felt as a tool to bring about changes in their socio-economic condition. It has been felt on the part of nation as well as individual that no society can progress till women, a major constituent of society, lag behind. Empowerment of women needs to begin with her participation in different spheres of life. Education is a great determinant in this regard. To achieve empowerment women have to be educated to be aware of their rights and privileges in a modern society. It is education which can bring about awareness in them related to their social status, injustice and differentiation meted out to them. Besides, economic independence is a major factor which can contribute in empowering women. India in the very beginning realised this need. The architect of Indian Constitution was of the opinion that unless and until women are empowered, nothing was going to bring about any change in their destiny. At that time, the women, in the name of sansakaras were tied up with the bondage of superstitions, which they had to carry till the last breath of their lives. They were considered just a matter of joy and a source of amusement. She was, according the Hindu Shashtra, the bonded slave of her father when she was young, to her husband when she was middle-aged and to her son when a mother. Of course, all the epigrams, aphorisms, proverbs, platitudes and truism have been naked truth about the stature of women in India. It does not mean that efforts have not been made to bring dignity in the life of women. There has been a long tradition of social reforms by our saints and social reformers which include: Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Mahadev Govind Ranade, and Jyotiba Phule, to name a few, who tried their best to bring changes in the life of women. Their efforts, however, bore fruit to some extent, but did not make too much difference to the lots of the masses. In this direction, Dr. Ambedkar tried to break down the barriers in the way of advancement of women in India. He laid down the foundation of concrete and  sincere efforts by codifying the Common Civil Code for the Hindus and the principle is capable of extension to other sections of the Indian society. Besides, he also made provision in the Constitution to ensure a dignified social status to women. He, by codifying Hindu Law in respect of marriage, divorce and succession rationalised and restored the dignity of women. In addition to this, the Sharda Act is also worth mentioning. It has set the seal of authority upon the piece of social reforms, which the heads of orthodoxy were imposing and impending. The Hindu Code Bill, which covers issues such as right to property, order of succession to property, maintenance, marriage, divorce, adoption, minority and guardianship, constitutes part of social engineering via law. Needless to say, it was a revolutionary measure. It was really a first step towards the recognition and empowerment of women in India. This gives a woman right to property, which undoubtedly strengthens her social position. Despite all these political measures, women’s empowerment remains a distant dream in India. In fact, political empowerment is a key to develop ment in this society. It is a must for an all- around development of women. It is the need of the hour to ensure her participation in the decision-making at home, in community and at the national level. It is for the fulfillment of this need that the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in the Parliament by the BJP Government. But since then, ruling parties changed in power but the Bill could not see the light of the day. The political parties do not seem to be honest in their perspectives. But before political empowerment, we must concentrate on imparting social education because without academic and social education, the political empowerment has failed to bring desired result as we have seen in case of 33 per cent reservation in local bodies ensured by the historic 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments. The uneducated women are quite unaware of their rights and privileges and are therefore subject to exploitation at the hands of government machinery, as well by family members. Therefore, our efforts should be directed towards the all- around development of each and every section of Indian women, not confining the benefit to a particular section of women in society, by giving them their due share. It is a must to protect their chastity, modesty and dignity and ensure their dignified position in society. Without removing social stigma, enduring progress and development could not be achieved. For this, the governmental and non-governmental organisations including media should come forward and play an active role in creating awareness in society. The task is not too difficult to achieve. The honesty and sincerity on the part of those involved is a must. If the lots of women change, definitely it will have a positive impact on society. Hence, the women’s empowerment is the need of the hour.

Intervention Developed from Theory of Planned Behaviour

Intervention Developed from Theory of Planned Behaviour Develop Intervention The Chosen Construct The construct feedback was decided as the most viable choice for the intervention. The intention was to increase low carbon behavioural performance by ‘nudging’ individuals to act on a series of existing prompts in order to increase the speed of the stop/start procedure. It was decided that the central hub was the ideal location for the pilot study. Owing to budgetary limitations, this intervention proved to be the only viable option and was achievable as it would build on an existing system and simplify an extremely complex task. However it was made mandatory that every shift be given the opportunity to take part. Whilst it would have been preferred to establish a control group, the team leaders stated it could bring unrest between shifts that need to be in complete symbiosis with one another. Any detrimental effect in one shift can affect all shifts and due to the extreme economies of scale with regards to energy usage at the plant, any slight change could have a costly negative effect. Rationale An energy saving intervention derived and created from identified behavioural constructs will result in lower utility costs. Based on the evidence within the literature review and the interpretation of the results from the thematic analysis and semantic questionnaires, the introduction of a feedback dashboard will significantly lower energy use at the plant. Participants The 55 participants all worked within or were connected to the open plan area of the central hub. They consisted of shift managers, group leaders, team leaders, logistics, schedulers and other operatives. Three shifts operated from this section over a 24hour period. Materials The dashboard was provided and designed by the target company. Prior to the intervention the dashboard was available by logging into a PC however this system was seldom, if ever used by the employees. In addition the researcher discovered a switched off 40’ LCD TV placed in an obscure location at a material delivery point, when the researcher switched this on, it displayed a version of the dashboard below. The intervention materials required to display this dashboard live within the central hub involved the use of a 50† plasma TV screen, a computer (Revo PC) and Ethernet connection. The dashboard was mounted in a central location which provided easy visual access to every operative who worked within the open plan offices of the central hub. Figure 14 The Feedback Dashboard Design Implementation The above dashboard works in the following manner. The 10 process lines are all monitored via numerous energy meters placed at key locations along the process line. That data is fed into a central processing unit and then displayed as a dashboard in visual form. The green running lady indicates a line is running and everything is good. If a line stops for whatever reason, the person turns and holds up a hand indicating a stop. If the person is indicating a stop and is red then the line has stopped and components are drawing power. The viewer then picks up the schedule of works – stop start system of prompts and follows the prompts to power down components. If the person is indicating a stop on the dashboard and is green, then this means enough items have been turned off and the line is at an acceptable level of usage. The feedback dashboard was installed and operated live non-stop for 8 weeks. The effects of the monitor were analysed not by retesting the constructs and disrupting the workforce, but through examining the weekly utility consumption and comparing that to past utility data. If the performance dashboard has an effect then savings in energy should be made. In addition for this period no new technology was added that could affect the energy use of the plant. Post Intervention Results Utility Results The regression graph titled ‘Energy Conversion Costs ( £/Tpiw) over last 4 years’ was generated by the targeted workplace energy team in order to assess if the intervention has been successful. The graph demonstrates that savings occurred. The energy management team reported that two weekly meter reads were the lowest ever achieved for throughput at the plant. In addition in was the first time that savings were achieved consecutively i.e. both months back to back. This graph contains the energy data from 2010 to 2014 used to create the product at this plant. The FC 10/11 dots indicate how much energy was used in the year 2010 to create the product. The X axis shows how much product was made in tonnes per 1000. The Y axis shows how much energy, expressed in British Pounds, was needed per tonne to produce the product. The FC10/11 line, is a fit line. The 11/12 12/13 fit lines were left off to simplify the interpretation of the graph. However their location is slightly under the FC10/11 for the 11/12 fit line and slightly above the FC13/14 for the 12/13 fit line. The two fit lines of interest are the FC13/14 and the FC14/15. The FC13/14 is the energy used in the year 2013 – 2014 up until the point of the implementation of the intervention. This fit line is referred to by the company as the tracking utility standard. The FC14/15 fit line is generated from the 8 weekly meter reads during the intervention. The large black squares are the weekly meter reads that create this fit line. The FC14/15 intervention fit line indicates that energy usage for this period is significantly under the FC13/14 target utility standard and that savings have been achieved. In addition the shape of the line is different. As throughput increases there is more opportunity to activate the stop/start procedure and therefore more opportunity to engage in energy saving behaviour. If the outlier at 6.2KT was closer to the FC13/14 line then the new FC14/15 fit line would initially sit on top or close to the FC13/14 standard. This is an important factor, because the normal fit line pattern over the years due to technology improvements has produced the same curve fit, the change in curve shape indicates that behaviour as opposed to technology is probably driving the utility savings. In order to provide some clarity of the effect of the intervention, a CUSUM chart was created. A CUSUM is a sequential analysis technique developed by E. S. Page with the purpose of monitoring change by calculation of a cumulative sum. The 8 weekly meter readings were used to create the CUSUM by adding how much in British Pounds was actually saved or lost over the intervention period. The X axis is the meter reads. The Y axis is the win or loss expressed in British pounds in comparison to the FC13/14 fit line. Figure 14 CUSUM Graph The CUSUM graph above indicates that approximately for the 8 week period that a saving of  £84,000 was achieved when compared to the FC13/14 energy target tracker. If these savings are sustained for a 12 month period then a saving of  £546,000 will occur (6.5 X  £84,000). The utility data and the CUSUM indicate that the intervention has been successful. This was also confirmed by the energy team who stated there had been no changes in product or significant technology upgrades. One energy manager confirmed that within this intervention period that two of the lowest meter readings for production had been achieved and for the first time in its history the plant recorded two consecutively monthly savings. However one possible confounding variable is outside temperature i.e. degree days. The energy team explained this will have an effect but the affect is not large enough to negate the findings. Three months after the intervention, the energy team are still reporting improved savin gs indicating degree days are not having a negative impact. Methodological Evaluation Validity Validity refers to the level of knowing that what a researcher believes is being measured is actually being measured. The different types of validity fall into two categories internal and external. The measuring tools for this study did not rely on one method to identified constructs and ascertain how active the constructs were within a targeted environment. Regarding internal validity, the method used a range of interviews, questionnaires and open-ended questions to obtain this knowledge. A similar pattern or analysis was derived from the thematic analysis, percentile data and multiple regressions indicating a level of face validity. The utility data provided some external validity as the change in PBC via an intervention was measured in real time in a real working plant. As this was expected, then predictive validity increases, as operatives need the tools to achieve the set goal. Overall this allows for some generalisation to other populations involved in the same manufacturing procedure but it does not necessarily translate into generalisations to other industries. However the TPB has been shown to be effective in many working environments. There were no technology changes during the intervention that could affect the energy usage of the plant. Likewise there were no product changes as the company makes the same thing repeatedly. Therefore it is probable that the cause precedes the effect in this situation. The introduction of the smart dashboard reduced the time operatives took to activate the stop start system of shut down prompts resulting in saving energy. However without retesting the model after the intervention or having data to show the increase reaction time it is only possible to claim a covariation effect as oppose to temporal precedence. Reliability Reliability refers to how consistent is the observed measure. In order to thoroughly test reliability then the study needs to be replicated at another plant. The results of these findings were presented to the company’s board, energy team, EU energy team and various plants in person and live via WebEx (Web Video Conference). The outcome of this presentation was the offer by the board to repeat the study at other plants. In essence, this can be interpreted as a measure of external reliability because the most knowledgeable individuals within this company made comparisons with this intervention and other interventions. By proxy this created a level of inter-rater reliability (Appendix E for presentation and notes). Rebound Effect Communications with the plant have been maintained and savings are still being reported at the plant and have been sustained and improved on for the 12 weeks after the intervention research deadline. There is no indication of the utility usage returning to baseline at this present time (08/01/2015). Field work issues Whilst all effort has been used to increase validity and reliability to acceptable levels, the fact of the matter is that this is not a laboratory based experiment. As a result there are trade-offs to be made requiring a degree of psychological bricolage to achieve the desired outcome. There are a mass of problems to overcome. For example the N, the number of participants was low. However despite the company having numerous employees, not all employees have influence over the energy usage. In this particular environment 55 operatives control the  £23,000,000 energy bill. Therefore they are the prime candidates for saving energy and including others would be of little value. This in turn presents challenges when using questionnaires as a Cronbach Alpha / Factor analysis would not produce the desired results due to the low N. This was catered for with the use of judges as reported earlier. Similarly the low N is not ideal for conducting multiple regression, this is why the thematic a nalysis was also created so comparisons could be made between the quantitative and qualitative data. If they produced similar results then this could cater for the low N. For example if the regression showed social norms to be low, then this should also be present in the thematic analysis, which it was. There are positives to these trade-offs as high internal validity i.e. random selection, random assignment, control group etc. can limit the generalisability / external validity of the findings. These validity factors will not exist when the study is used in the real world. This is of critical importance as research on saving carbon / energy in the workplace needs to have some form of scalability, practical value and achieve real-life results for the benefit of all. There are a range of issues and theoretical questions that need to be raised and considered between psychology conducted in strict academic settings and psychology conducted in working environments, which simply cannot be covered within this thesis. Discussion The study examined if an intervention derived from Theory of Planned Behaviour combined with psychology knowledge could reduce energy consumption in a metallurgy plant. The results indicate that TPB plus added constructs can be an effective system for developing energy saving interventions. The results clearly showed that employees saved more energy during the intervention period than at any time in the 4yrs prior to the intervention. If sustained, the intervention resulted in energy savings circa  £500,000 pa. The intervention worked by increasing the group’s perceived behavioural control via feedback. This enabled group members to use the monitor to inform them when ‘action’ was needed. The schedule of works / system of prompts enabled them to act out the required behaviours. In essence, any group member could view the live dashboard and observe a line is down and drawing power due to the red lady indicating a stop. Then they have the choice to inform other me mbers about the stop or take action themselves. In order to take action they pick up the schedule of works mounted on the office wall and follow the instructions to contact engineers to shut certain items off. The schedule is an already established and familiar system to the group members, so no new learning was required to activate the behaviour. The dashboard provided the missing trigger which in turn increased PBC and influenced behaviour. Limitations In this particular study the increase in PBC can only be inferred as it was measured via savings in energy as opposed to measuring the constructs after the intervention. However Siero (1996) argues that within metallurgy plants employees who control energy work in predominantly small groups, and therefore talk more to each other with regards to energy. Similarly comparisons and competition may have occurred between employees who were responsible for certain productions lines. This could result in begin peer pressure i.e. an operative who is not responsible for a line that is down could notify another operative that his line is down. This could lead to a conclusion that perhaps subjective norms increased, resulting in savings. However this would be a mistake, if they did exist they would be a contributory factor as opposed to a confounding variable but in order to act on them an operative would need to have the belief and means to do so i.e. PBC actual control. The research also indi cates that behaviour can change without changes in attitude. However the operative’s attitude towards energy were measured as part of the model and shown to be exceptionally positive. Perhaps attitude did play a role by increasing operatives ‘buy-in’ for the intervention? Whilst the TPB was used as a developmental tool to create the intervention, the same process could be developed by simply understanding the taxonomy of constructs identified by existing academic work in psychology. Behaviour itself can be broken down in this fashion as shown by many of the available meta-analysis of which constructs affect energy saving behaviour in given environments. A research could take measurements of these constructs and make a decisions on what construct to positively or negatively influence for the targeted environment. This notion brings into question the idea of a model. Perhaps models have more use for those who are not familiar with the taxonomy of constructs, and can be used to simplify the behaviour change process and achieve results over a short timeframe due to limited time to study behaviour at this level of reductionism. Conclusions TPB with the use of added constructs was used as a framework to ‘develop’ an intervention, as opposed to using TPB as ‘predictive’ tool to reduce energy consumption. This methodology appeared logical for field work and was well received by the target company. However this methodology required balancing act between the scientific method and practical application. Thus creating a form of psychological bricolage to achieve a working model to produce field based results. It can be concluded that this methodology based on TPB plus added constructs identified in the literature review significantly reduced energy consumption through behavioural means at this workplace. It is critical to measure utility data prior to and after behaviour change programs as the results are then truly judged in real life settings. The goal is to save energy and save carbon not theoretically but actually, by specifying the elements that make up behaviour in quantifiable terms will one s hould be able to effectively change behaviour via intervention.

Hara-kiri - the spirit of Japan :: essays research papers

Almost one million people die in Japan every year. In other words, people die every 31 seconds. Some people die because of illness. Some people die because of car accident. Some people commit suicide. There are many kinds of death in this world. I believe most of those deaths are disconsolate and absurd. However, the honorable but unbelievable death existed in Japan in the middle ages. We call that hara-kiri. Hara-kiri is basically an act of killing your self by cutting open your stomach with a sword, performed especially by the warrior, to avoid shame or losing honor. Before I start talking about hara-kiri, I need to explain about the history of Japan. Japanese society has a history of only 120 years since shedding its feudal system. The origin of feudal system is more than 1,000 years ago, so it is still underlying thought of Japanese. Hara-kiri performed especially by the warrior called samurai as indicated above. The samurai were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors. Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns, but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword. Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. There are many reasons to commit hara-kiri. For example, after a defeat, some samurai decide to commit hara-kiri rather than being captured or dying a dishonorable death. Japanese culture sometimes called â€Å"shame culture† as oppose to the Western â€Å"guilt culture.† According to this thought in western countries, the absolute moral standard of guilt is the principle of people’s behavior, but in Japan, the behavior is ruled by the external feeling of shame. Particularly for samurai in the feudal period, being put to shame in public was as good as being dead. These are examples of hara-kiri from Japanese history. In 1580, Bessho Nagaharu who governed southern part of Japan and his men were cut off from their food supply in a beleaguered castle by their enemy for 20 months. At last, Bessho ran out of provisions. The longer he stayed, the more men were starved to death, and it was a taboo to surrender at that period. However, there was one way to save his men and avoid shame of surrender.

Individual and Society Essay -- Essays Papers

Individual and Society Medicine Since 1715 Medicine has been a great advancement in society. Without the advancement in medicine, we would not have the lifestyle that we do today. Many different nations and individuals within those nations have contributed to this progression. Medicine has greatly increased the life- span of humans. We are where we stand today because of the many great people we have had in our history who contributed to and performed medical advances. The tests and theories of these people have been a major contributing factor. William Cullen said, "Every one nowadays pretends to neglect theory, and to stick to observation. But the first is in talk only, for every man has his theory, good or bad, which he occasionally employs; and the only difference is, that weak men who have little extent of ability for, or have had little experience in reasoning, are most liable to be attached to frivolous theories."1 William Cullen's expression concerning the importance of theories was proved to be correct due to the many contributions of the theories of those who studied medicine. In 1790, the birthrate was high, along with the death rate. The majority of deaths occurred among the infants and young children. The death rate of the population as a whole was higher than today. Although children born had only a 75% chance of surviving past the age of five, the beginning advances in medicine aided the population growth causing the population to increase in England. The medical schools, hospitals, medical societies and journals, medical knowledge, and doctors of 1790 did not perform life- prolonging therapeutics. In Science and the practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century, it was concluded that "many laymen, and... ...Sheikh, Eastern and Western Approaches to Healing (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989), 65. BIBLIOGRAPHY Sheikh, Anees A., and Katharina S. Sheikh. Eastern and Western Approaches to Healing. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1989. Proctor, Robert N. Racial Hygiene: Medicine Under the Nazis. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1988. Bynum, W.F. Science and the Practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Taegu. "Yakryongshi-Market of Herb Medicine." Websites in Taegu. (c) 1996, JAC. n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999 Available http://www.taegu.co.kr/h_045 .html "History of Medicine and Health." n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999. Available http://ihs2.unn.ac.uk:8080/hhist.htm "Anatomy of an Epidemic." n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 March, 1999. Available http://library .advanced.org/11170/

A Game of Thrones Chapter One

Bran The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice done. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life. The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran's skin prickle to think of it. He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men, she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children. But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall awaiting the king's justice was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy. The breath of man and horse mingled, steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field. Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell. There were questions asked and answers given there in the chill of morning, but afterward Bran could not recall much of what had been said. Finally his lord father gave a command, and two of his guardsmen dragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square. They forced his head down onto the hard black wood. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted and his ward Theon Greyjoy brought forth the sword. â€Å"Ice,† that sword was called. It was as wide across as a man's hand, and taller even than Robb. The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel. His father peeled off his gloves and handed them to Jory Cassel, the captain of his household guard. He took hold of Ice with both hands and said, â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die.† He lifted the greatsword high above his head. Bran's bastard brother Jon Snow moved closer. â€Å"Keep the pony well in hand,† he whispered. â€Å"And don't look away. Father will know if you do.† Bran kept his pony well in hand, and did not look away. His father took off the man's head with a single sure stroke. Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as surnmerwine. One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting. Bran could not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched. The head bounced off a thick root and rolled. It came up near Greyjoy's feet. Theon was a lean, dark youth of nineteen who found everything amusing. He laughed, put his boot on the head, and kicked it away. â€Å"Ass,† Jon muttered, low enough so Greyjoy did not hear. He put a hand on Bran's shoulder, and Bran looked over at his bastard brother. â€Å"You did well,† Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice. It seemed colder on the long ride back to Winterfell, though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky. Bran rode with his brothers, well ahead of the main party, his pony struggling hard to keep up with their horses. â€Å"The deserter died bravely,† Robb said. He was big and broad and growing every day, with his mother's coloring, the fair skin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tullys of Riverrun. â€Å"He had courage, at the least.† â€Å"No,† Jon Snow said quietly. â€Å"It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark.† Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast. Robb was not impressed. â€Å"The Others take his eyes,† he swore. â€Å"He died well. Race you to the bridge?† â€Å"Done,† Jon said, kicking his horse forward. Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent and intent. The hooves of their horses kicked up showers of snow as they went. Bran did not try to follow. His pony could not keep up. He had seen the ragged man's eyes, and he was thinking of them now. After a while, the sound of Robb's laughter receded, and the woods grew silent again. So deep in thought was he that he never heard the rest of the party until his father moved up to ride beside him. â€Å"Are you well, Bran?† he asked, not unkindly. â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran told him. He looked up. Wrapped in his furs and leathers, mounted on his great warhorse, his lord father loomed over him like a giant. â€Å"Robb says the man died bravely, but Jon says he was afraid.† â€Å"What do you think?† his father asked. Bran thought about it. â€Å"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?† â€Å"That is the only time a man can be brave,† his father told him. â€Å"Do you understand why I did it?† â€Å"He was a wildling,† Bran said. â€Å"They carry off women and sell them to the Others.† His lord father smiled. â€Å"Old Nan has been telling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserter from the Night's Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but why I must do it.† Bran had no answer for that. â€Å"King Robert has a headsman,† he said, uncertainly. â€Å"He does,† his father admitted. â€Å"As did the Targaryen kings before him. Yet our way is the older way. The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die. â€Å"One day, Bran, you will be Robb's bannerman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, and justice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.† That was when Jon reappeared on the crest of the hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. â€Å"Father, Bran, come quickly, see what Robb has found!† Then he was gone again. Jory rode up beside them. â€Å"Trouble, my lord?† â€Å"Beyond a doubt,† his lord father said. â€Å"Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now.† He sent his horse into a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after. They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had been heavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white, his hood pulled back so the sun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm, while the boys talked in hushed, excited voices. The riders picked their way carefully through the drifts, groping for solid footing on the hidden, uneven ground. Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy was laughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. â€Å"Gods!† he exclaimed, struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword. Jory's sword was already out. â€Å"Robb, get away from it!† he called as his horse reared under him. Robb grinned and looked up from the bundle in his arms. â€Å"She can't hurt you,† he said. â€Å"She's dead, Jory.† Bran was afire with curiosity by then. He would have spurred the pony faster, but his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran. By then Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had all dismounted as well. â€Å"What in the seven hells is it?† Greyjoy was saying. â€Å"A wolf,† Robb told him. â€Å"A freak,† Greyjoy said. â€Å"Look at the size of it.† Bran's heart was thumping in his chest as he pushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers' side. Half-buried in bloodstained snow, a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman's perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size of the largest hound in his father's kennel. â€Å"It's no freak,† Jon said calmly. â€Å"That's a direwolf. They grow larger than the other kind.† Theon Greyjoy said, â€Å"There's not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.† â€Å"I see one now,† Jon replied. Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. That was when he noticed the bundle in Robb's arms. He gave a cry of delight and moved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur, its eyes still closed. It nuzzled blindly against Robb's chest as he cradled it, searching for milk among his leathers, making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached out hesitantly. â€Å"Go on,† Robb told him. â€Å"You can touch him.† Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke, then turned as Jon said, â€Å"Here you go.† His half brother put a second pup into his arms. â€Å"There are five of them.† Bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek. â€Å"Direwolves loose in the realm, after so many years,† muttered Hullen, the master of horse. â€Å"I like it not.† â€Å"It is a sign,† Jory said. Father frowned. â€Å"This is only a dead animal, Jory,† he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as he moved around the body. â€Å"Do we know what killed her?† â€Å"There's something in the throat,† Robb told him, proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. â€Å"There, just under the jaw.† His father knelt and groped under the beast's head with his hand. He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. A foot of shattered antler, tines snapped off, all wet with blood. A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear, though he did not understand. His father tossed the antler to the side and cleansed his hands in the snow. â€Å"I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp,† he said. His voice broke the spell. â€Å"Maybe she didn't,† Jory said. â€Å"I've heard tales . . . maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came.† â€Å"Born with the dead,† another man put in. â€Å"Worse luck.† â€Å"No matter,† said Hullen. â€Å"They be dead soon enough too.† Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay. â€Å"The sooner the better,† Theon Greyjoy agreed. He drew his sword. â€Å"Give the beast here, Bran.† The little thing squirmed against him, as if it heard and understood. â€Å"No!† Bran cried out fiercely. â€Å"It's mine.† â€Å"Put away your sword, Greyjoy,† Robb said. For a moment he sounded as commanding as their father, like the lord he would someday be. â€Å"We will keep these pups.† â€Å"You cannot do that, boy,† said Harwin, who was Hullen's son. â€Å"It be a mercy to kill them,† Hullen said. Bran looked to his lord father for rescue, but got only a frown, a furrowed brow. â€Å"Hullen speaks truly, son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation.† â€Å"No!† He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father. Robb resisted stubbornly. â€Å"Ser Rodrik's red bitch whelped again last week,† he said. â€Å"It was a small litter, only two live pups. She'll have milk enough.† â€Å"She'll rip them apart when they try to nurse.† â€Å"Lord Stark,† Jon said. It was strange to hear him call Father that, so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope. â€Å"There are five pups,† he told Father. â€Å"Three male, two female.† â€Å"What of it, Jon?† â€Å"You have five trueborn children,† Jon said. â€Å"Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord.† Bran saw his father's face change, saw the other men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls, included even Rickon, the baby, but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow, the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own. Their father understood as well. â€Å"You want no pup for yourself, Jon?† he asked softly. â€Å"The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark,† Jon pointed out. â€Å"I am no Stark, Father.† Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully. Robb rushed into the silence he left. â€Å"I will nurse him myself, Father,† he promised. â€Å"I will soak a towel with warm milk, and give him suck from that.† â€Å"Me too!† Bran echoed. The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes. â€Å"Easy to say, and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants' time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?† Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp, licked at his face with a warm tongue. â€Å"You must train them as well,† their father said. â€Å"You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with these monsters, I promise you that. And the gods help you if you neglect them, or brutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man's arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat. Are you sure you want this?† â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran said. â€Å"Yes,† Robb agreed. â€Å"The pups may die anyway, despite all you do.† â€Å"They won't die,† Robb said. â€Å"We won't let them die.† â€Å"Keep them, then. Jory, Desmond, gather up the other pups. It's time we were back to Winterfell.† It was not until they were mounted and on their way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then, his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the long ride home. Bran was wondering what to name him. Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled up suddenly. â€Å"What is it, Jon?† their lord father asked. â€Å"Can't you hear it?† Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else. â€Å"There,† Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them, smiling. â€Å"He must have crawled away from the others,† Jon said. â€Å"Or been driven away,† their father said, looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white, where the rest of the litter was grey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind. â€Å"An albino,† Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement. â€Å"This one will die even faster than the others.† Jon Snow gave his father's ward a long, chilling look. â€Å"I think not, Greyjoy,† he said. â€Å"This one belongs to me.†